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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Bard Archetype - College of Aid [PEACH, yo]



quinron
2017-07-05, 08:16 PM
An archetype centered around aiding others and keeping yourself alive, taking into account some of the advice from my previous College of Barbers. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?504044-Bardic-College-College-of-Barbers-(healing-bard))

BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you join the College of Aid at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the herbalism kit and two skills of your choice from the following: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Perception, or Survival.

BOLSTERING INSPIRATION
Also at 3rd level, you learn how to imbue your inspirational words with restorative magic. When a creature rolls a Bardic Inspiration die granted by you, in addition to Bardic Inspiration's normal effects, the creature also gains temporary hit points equal to the number rolled for 1 minute.

TACTICAL RETREAT
Starting at 6th level, when a melee attack misses you, you can use your reaction to move up to your speed. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks from the attacker, but moving through other creatures' space provokes opportunity attacks as normal.

???? [not sure what to name this]
Starting at 14th level, when you cast a spell of 5th level or lower that restores hit points or removes a negative condition or effect from a creature (such as lesser restoration or remove curse), you can choose to target one additional creature within range of the spell. If the spell has a range of touch, you may target one additional creature within 5 feet of yourself.

nickl_2000
2017-07-06, 10:41 AM
TACTICAL RETREAT - What if I have already used my movement for the turn? Do I still get to move or is this no usable then?

????? ability - Can you apply this to yourself? Your wording implies that you can

quinron
2017-07-06, 03:02 PM
TACTICAL RETREAT - What if I have already used my movement for the turn? Do I still get to move or is this no usable then?

Yes, it's still usable. If you trigger an opportunity attack and it misses, you can move again.

????? ability - Can you apply this to yourself? Your wording implies that you can[/QUOTE]

Yes you can. The idea is that bards of this college get just as good at covering their own butts as at helping their allies.

Liran Sterling
2017-07-06, 06:57 PM
For the ????? ability, perhaps call it Bardic Restoration? Versatile Healing? Or maybe give it some flavor text about how it's based around their voice becoming more powerful, and call it Carrying Voice, as if their voice is louder and more can hear its effects?

Also, it seems that it could become very powerful if used properly. This bard is clearly a healer primarily. The added movement from Tactical Retreat can allow this healer bard to get around the battlefield very quickly and effectively to get into the optimal position for healing spells. If every spell slot the bard has is a healing or effect removing spell, ????? ability could potentially DOUBLE their spell slots, making them a very powerful healer.

quinron
2017-07-06, 07:12 PM
Also, it seems that it could become very powerful if used properly. This bard is clearly a healer primarily. The added movement from Tactical Retreat can allow this healer bard to get around the battlefield very quickly and effectively to get into the optimal position for healing spells. If every spell slot the bard has is a healing or effect removing spell, ????? ability could potentially DOUBLE their spell slots, making them a very powerful healer.

This is why I worded the feature as I did. Lower-level heals like cure wounds get severely outclassed at higher levels by things like heal, which the feature can't be used for, and group heals like mass cure wounds that work with the feature don't become game-breakingly more powerful if they target one additional creature. Ultimately, this bard is made for healing "width" in the same way that the Life cleric is made for healing "depth."

I have a friend who loves bards and is willing to playtest something in an upcoming game, so I think I'll have him try it out. The first adjustment that I'd be inclined to make is, if the spell targets one creature, the second target recovers half as much as the first.

Thanks for the name advice, by the way. I like the Carrying Voice idea. I'm thinking something more like "Resonating Recovery." I don't know why, but I love alliteration for bard features.