College Choice for Faction Bard

[ArrixGrimm]

So, after going back and forth for a couple days with my DM over classes and such, he recently asked me to play a Bard. We recently completed Chapter 1 of Out of the Abyss and I hate my Paladin character, so I am replacing him. After a few character builds and a few getting denied, my DM requested I make a bard as the other person in the group is rather new and playing a wizard, and others might be joining down the line. I agreed and put together this so far:

Cidonis Avallech
Half-Elf Bard 2
Background: Faction Agent (Harpers)

Str: 15+1
Dex: 15+1
Con: 14
Int: 16
Wis: 14
Cha: 18+2

Skills:
Athletics
Acrobatics
Stealth
Investigation
Insight
Perception
Persuasion

Now the only problem I seem to have now is...College of Lore or College of Valor. I do like Valor, it makes me think WotC tried to make a sorta..bardic knight class, but Lore fits more with the Harpers rp wise and makes for amazing skill monkey/ Magic user (I was a rogue player back in 3.5 so I love skills) But AC would flatline as Lore and with Valor in Half-plate, a shield and the Medium Armor Mastery feat...I could have 20 AC without Magic.

Any tips on what to do at level 3?

[Sariel Vailo]

So, after going back and forth for a couple days with my DM over classes and such, he recently asked me to play a Bard. We recently completed Chapter 1 of Out of the Abyss and I hate my Paladin character, so I am replacing him. After a few character builds and a few getting denied, my DM requested I make a bard as the other person in the group is rather new and playing a wizard, and others might be joining down the line. I agreed and put together this so far:

Cidonis Avallech
Half-Elf Bard 2
Background: Faction Agent (Harpers)

Str: 15+1
Dex: 15+1
Con: 14
Int: 16
Wis: 14
Cha: 18+2

Skills:
Athletics
Acrobatics
Stealth
Investigation
Insight
Perception
Persuasion

Now the only problem I seem to have now is...College of Lore or College of Valor. I do like Valor, it makes me think WotC tried to make a sorta..bardic knight class, but Lore fits more with the Harpers rp wise and makes for amazing skill monkey/ Magic user (I was a rogue player back in 3.5 so I love skills) But AC would flatline as Lore and with Valor in Half-plate, a shield and the Medium Armor Mastery feat...I could have 20 AC without Magic.

Any tips on what to do at level 3?

You sir are good at names otherwise group compostion might help determine the correct path here

[ArrixGrimm]

You sir are good at names otherwise group compostion might help determine the correct path here

Why thank you, usually when I come up with a name, the character just comes out better. As for group make up, right now it is just me and the Wizard, plus the NPCs that survived the events of Chapter 1, Our DM was going to add more NPCs or allow us to recruit more along the way as we saw fit. I know Valor will allow me to tank a bit, but Lore just fits the rp more.

[FinnS]

All depends how dirty you want your hands to get.

Valor of course is the more martial option gaining higher armor, shields, martial weapons and the ability to control some incoming and outgoing damage.

Lore Bard's are the best controllers in the game and it's not even close. Plus at 6th level you gain 2 3rd level or lower spells from any school that don't count against your known list.
With Cutting Words, you can make any Illusion spell that requires an Ability/skill check almost impossible to disbelieve.
Or, going the more direct route, Bigby's Hand with it's 26 STR and its ability to grapple huge or smaller creatures doing 2d6+SAM/round (or more if cast at a higher level, +2d6/level above) combined with Cutting Words becomes an almost unbreakable choke hold.
Oh that Adult Red Dragon doesn't want to come down and play nice with everyone? Ok, Bigby's Hand will fix that and take some fall damage for not playing nice while you're at it.No Legendary Resistance on skill checks sorry. Oh your Lock buddy cast Hex on the Dragon and it makes all STR checks at Disadvantage...even better.

[ArrixGrimm]

Funny enough, our Wizard is a gnome going into Illusions, so that could lead to some interesting situations with cutting words.

[ArrixGrimm]

So it seems all this was for naught as the DM has decided to push Out of the Abyss to the side until we can get enough people together to run, so it seems he wants to make his own setting or run Lost Mind of Phandelver, which I am skeptical over since we are making our own characters.