What are the best spells a lore bard can grab at each lvl?

[sflame56]

I have been wondering what spells can really help out the bard and make them even better thanks to magical secrets. Which spells and cantrips are good options each lvl.

[SharkForce]

that depends 100% on what you want to do. there are some that come up often, like counterspell at level 6, but ultimately... what holes are you trying to fill in the party? do you want more crowd control, more buffs, more nukes, more healing, more utility, or something else entirely? you don't have enough secrets to fill every role, so you have to pick and choose what exactly you want to do, and go from there.

i will say that i wouldn't recommend cantrips... there are, imo, better ways to grab those. magic initiate, spell sniper, race, even small multiclass dips (a 2-level warlock dip, for example, can dramatically boost the at-will damage of a bard, though at the cost of bard progression of course).

[sflame56]

that depends 100% on what you want to do. there are some that come up often, like counterspell at level 6, but ultimately... what holes are you trying to fill in the party? do you want more crowd control, more buffs, more nukes, more healing, more utility, or something else entirely? you don't have enough secrets to fill every role, so you have to pick and choose what exactly you want to do, and go from there.

i will say that i wouldn't recommend cantrips... there are, imo, better ways to grab those. magic initiate, spell sniper, race, even small multiclass dips (a 2-level warlock dip, for example, can dramatically boost the at-will damage of a bard, though at the cost of bard progression of course).

I was mostly just thinking in general. Like if any type of bard took the spell it can help the team. So like counterspell and Haste and fireball

[AttilatheYeon]

Off the bard list: bane, dissonate whisper, tashas uncontrollable laughter, heat metal, hypnotic pattern, leomunds tiny hut, animate objects.

These are the spells i get the most mileage from.

[sithlordnergal]

So, I would personally grab Fireball and Haste. Fireball adds some good fire power to your Bard, while Haste in an excellent boost to any melee ally. That said, you could go for Haste and one if the Paladin spells. Crusader's Mantle is good if you have a bunch of minions, and I forget the other one but it has amazing healing, especially out of combat.

[SharkForce]

I was mostly just thinking in general. Like if any type of bard took the spell it can help the team. So like counterspell and Haste and fireball

then, "in general", take spells that fit what you want to do. again, this is only half a question. fireball is great if you need an aoe nuke because it's basically way better than it should be. it isn't particularly great if you already have a sorcerer and a fiend warlock. hpynotic pattern can be an awesome spell in the right situation, but if you have a fireball-spamming wizard, it may be less valuable for you. haste can be pretty good if you have the exact right target (a rogue who otherwise doesn't have a way to make reaction attacks than readied actions), and a fairly reliable plan C for almost any situation (because it nearly always helps), but seldom will it be amazing. heat metal is extremely powerful if you fight a lot of armoured humanoids, not so much if you almost never see them.

there is no "in general" best spell list, because there isn't really an "in general" situation; they're all specific. it depends on party composition, what monsters you're fighting on a regular basis, how your DM thinks certain spells work, what location(s) you most frequently find yourself in, how creative you are, all too often on how persuasive you as a player (not a character) are, etc.

this is why when you see bard guides (and all spellcaster guides in general), you don't see "here's the complete list of spells you should take", rather they list all the spells in the entire list, and give you some ideas on what various spells are good for. if you just want an idea of what spells can be useful in various situations, just go look up a bard guide. if you want specific advice on what a lore bard should choose, you're not providing enough information, because there are simply too many variables.

[Aett_Thorn]

As others have said, it really depends on what you want to do.

Need more blastiness? Take Fireball and other offensive spells.

Want to be more of a healer? Aura of Vitality and Healing Spirit probably top the list right now.

Want an "Arcane Archer" feel without taken that broken subclass? Take Lightning Arrow and Conjure Barrage at 6, and Swift Quiver at 10.

Want to emulate a Warlock? Hex and Eldritch Blast aren't bad (but probably not optimal).

Want to be the Party Scout? Pass Without Trace.


Basically, choose what you think will be fun and/or help the party out.

[Citan]

Honestly?
Just search for "Bard Magic Secret" in threads titles, you should find quite a few old threads that boast extensive suggestions for each level. ;)

Besides that here is a quick, absolutely incomplete list (note that for 1st level spells, a dip may be the best option really):

Tank Bard: Shield, Mirror Image, Spirit Guardians, Sanctuary.
Helper Bard: Bless, Haste, Circle of Power.
AOE Bard: Earth Tremor, Fireball, Cone of Cold.
Controller Bard: Wall of Fire, Wind Wall, Conjure X, Hold X, Forcecage.
Counter Bard: Counterspell, Eldricht Blast

You could also a) choose one area of magic in which you want to be extra good, then b) identify the class that is usually associated with that area and c) go read class guides. ;)

Have fun!

[Keravath]

Personally, I play in AL so I never know what kind of support spells would be the most useful. Do, as an example, here is my level 7 lore bard spell list. (The character also has a 2 level warlock dip which also fills a couple of holes).

The goal with the list is mostly flexibility. Spells that target multiple saves and spells that might provide significant utility.

Cantrips
-Mage hand or Prestidigitation
-Minor Illusion
-Vicious Mockery

1st level
-Dissonant Whispers
-Faerie Fire (this would have been very useful in a recent encounter against invisible stalkers but I was concentrating on hypnotic pattern instead)
-Healing Word

2nd Level
- Blindness
- Phantasmal Force
- Suggestion
- Shatter or maybe Heat Metal (heat metal is very situational but very effective when it can be used

3rd Level
-Counterspell
-Hypnotic Pattern
-Fireball
-Dispel Magic

4th Level
- Polymorph

So that is one possible list. I took Polymorph over greater invisibility at 4th since I usually have something more important to concentrate on.

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Hexblade warlock (2 levels)
- Eldritch blast
- Prestidigitation or Toll the Dead or Shocking grasp

1st Level
- Charm person (just because I am a bard and it has been useful in social situations)
- hex
- shield

Invocations
- Agonizing blast
- devils sight

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[Finger6842]

There is a pretty good discussion thread here (https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/3s8906/all_core_magical_secrets_picks_for_bard/).

As a support Bard I took:
6th - Counterspell, Haste; 10th - Banishment, Wall of Force; 14th - Simulacrum, Finger of Death; 18th - Foresight, Wish

The other Lore Bard in the party in a Heal role took:
6th - Mass Healing Word, Aura of Vitality; 10th - Bigby's Hand; 11th Heal (DM's Permission to wait a level; 14th - Simulacrum, Forcecage; 18th - Mass Heal, Time Stop.

She wanted True Resurrection but the GP requirement was too high for our campaign. There have been some new spells since then, most notably Find Greater Steed, that I believe we both would have taken were it available at the time, it's a game changer. We both used the same lvl 20 Warrior Archer for our Simulacrum so no spells were used and they rarely took damage due to positioning. The Aura was incompatible with my Finger of Death which caused some issues. As others have said it depends on your party composition And your campaign as to what you should take. We didn't do any planes hopping so those spells were ignored in favor of a scroll. That would be one recommendation if you will use it rarely, buy a scroll to have the spell and pick something you can use every day. I hope this helps, I've played a few bards and I always seem to pick spells a little different.