Strategically poor, but too fun to pass up

[nickl_2000]

This was too fun for me not to share. In a game we played earlier this week, we were in a final encounter of a campaign. It was a battle on top of a tower where the battlefield was extremely busy. As a bard, I did what bards do best and took one of the big fighters out of combat with suggestion (your leader has lost his mind and in endangering the city. He needs to be killed for the safety of the people you swore to protect). It was a success and the fighter ended up dropping the killing blow with a crit on the bad guy.

So he was freed from his suggestion, screamed at what he had just done and went hard core after me. What does a bard naturally do in this situation? Well levitates just out of his reach with his sword and spends the rest of the combat viciously mocking this guy from a distance while he gets more and more angry the entire time. I mean sure, it may not have been the best use of my turns but how can you help but repeatedly mock someone who you just charmed into killing his boss?

[NecroDancer]

Hilarious. You truly grasp the fundamentals of the bard.

[Dappershire]

Hilarious. You truly grasp the fundamentals of the bard.

I dunno....he just let someone else get all that XP for a killing blow...

[nickl_2000]

I dunno....he just let someone else get all that XP for a killing blow...

We were in combat with the big boss during that time. My actions caused the killing blow the same as if I had cast an offensive spell against him. You or your DM may be different, but that is considered a kill by the party in my DMs book

[Dappershire]

We were in combat with the big boss during that time. My actions caused the killing blow the same as if I had cast an offensive spell against him. You or your DM may be different, but that is considered a kill by the party in my DMs book


Valid, if lenient. I'd have watched joyfully as the swordsman lopped off his boss's head. Then became horrified as he leveled up from the Experience as a one man party, and turned to slaughter us all.
I mean, if you got charmed, and told to attack something, it would still be your skill. You'd still get XP for your kills. You would be learning from the combat you participated in.
...All you did was learn how to use your charm spells on lieutenants better. He learned how to slaughter a BBEG.

[mgshamster]

That's hilarious. Excellent use of the bard! Bravo!

Too vs To (http://grammarist.com/usage/to-too/)

Strategically poor, but too fun to pass up.

(Once is a typo. Multiple times in a single post is a misunderstanding).

[Tanarii]

As a bard, I did what bards do best and took one of the big fighters out of combat with suggestion (your leader has lost his mind and in endangering the city. He needs to be killed for the safety of the people you swore to protect).You've got a very lenient DM in regards to what constitutes "must be worded in such a manner as to make the course of action sound reasonable" for Suggestion.

But given it was allowed to fly, certainly Viciously Mocking them to death while hovering out of reach fits perfectly. :smallbiggrin:

[nickl_2000]

You've got a very lenient DM in regards to what constitutes "must be worded in such a manner as to make the course of action sound reasonable" for Suggestion.

To be fair without including spoilers for a published campaign, he was an established NPC in the city and was acting in a way that was murdering commoners and way outside of his normal behavior

[Simetra Irertne]

We were in combat with the big boss during that time. My actions caused the killing blow the same as if I had cast an offensive spell against him. You or your DM may be different, but that is considered a kill by the party in my DMs book

Your bard deserves the XP. Perhaps not all of it, but at least 50%. Also, too awesome to not get XP just for being awesome.
As a side note, what's your alignment? The mocking thing doesn't seem lawful (the alignment, not the adjective).

[nickl_2000]

As a side note, what's your alignment? The mocking thing doesn't seem lawful (the alignment, not the adjective).

Neutral Good, although I consider alignment to be a somewhat fluid thing that is driven by the character. His experiences in this campaign have certainly been driving him more towards the Chaotic side of the fence

[SharkForce]

there is no such thing as "killing blow XP" in 5th edition (there was an optional rule for solo-killing opponents for certain classes - one of which actually was bard - but there is nothing equivalent in 5e).

you get experience for *defeating* things. if the leader was defeated because you charmed/suggested/dominated/tricked him into doing it, you still defeated the leader.

[Armored Walrus]

there is no such thing as "killing blow XP" in 5th edition

This.

Spent a few posts very confused, because this is not WoW.