Making a Damage Focused Bard at 12th Level

[ajrockstarr]

Looking to make a Damage Oriented Bard for our 12th level campaign, all sources/additional content allowed, no Homebrew. Looking for an outline of sorts for spells, feats, weapons, e.t.c. Thanks Guys!

[Ganymede]

Your first source for damage-dealing potential should be the Player's Handbook. Looking for combat feats? That book has a whole chapter dedicated to them. It also has a section filled with combat spells.

Outside of the PHB, Xanathar's Guide is another great source for extra combat options. It has more spells, and has several new bard colleges, each of which gives you more ways to kick butt.

[Asmotherion]

A very quick way I find to optimising a Bard for Damage, is a 3 level dip in Hexblade Warlock (or 5, if interested in a full multiclass).

Agonising Blast is all the ranged DPT you may need. Hexblade gives you the veraslity of melee DPT as well.

As a full caster, you may dedicate you Concentration Slot on Hex, or a Persistant AoE to control your opponents on via Repelling Blast.

Then, as a Lore Bard, you can take your pick of spells normally unavalable to you. As a Warlock, you have the option of the regular Blade Pact (the most obvious choice) or Tome Pact, that gives you extra cantrips (from any class!!) and all Rituals, adding to your Versality a lot.

Played well, if the Sorlock is the Arcane Railgun of 5e, this is probably like an Arcane Minigun able to hide in your pocket, wile you can focus on other roles; When you need it, you take out your minigun, or your sword.

[Asmerv]

Fighter 1/Valor or Swords Bard 11 can output ridiculous damage, if you grab Swift Quiver as one of your Magical Secrets. You grab the Archery fighting style and Con saves from Fighter, and probably grab the Sharpshooter feat. The rest is really up to you.

This gives you 4 attacks/turn, or 2 attacks/turn + any spell.

[th3g0dc0mp13x]

Looking to make a Damage Oriented Bard for our 12th level campaign, all sources/additional content allowed, no Homebrew. Looking for an outline of sorts for spells, feats, weapons, e.t.c. Thanks Guys!

I'm unsure if your wanting to just do direct damage or enable huge amounts of damage, I'll assume a healthy mixture of both.

Unsure how your doing stats so I'm assuming that you'll roll them.
Race: Half Elf +2Chr +1 to to stats of your choice (probably Dex and Con) Access to Elven Accuracy. Or Lightfoot Halfling +1Chr +2 Dex Lucky, and small enough to hide behind your friend.
Stats High to low Charisma>Dexterity and Constitution>Wisdom>Strength>Intelligence
College of Lore: access to any 4 spells is too tasty to pass up.
Expertise: you have four skills that you are really really good at, This won't really be a combat thing most of the time except for either acrobatics or athletics, If you dump strength grab acrobatics so you can escape grapples easily.

Spells to grab along the way from the bard list.
1st, Dissonant Whispers, Tasha's hideous Laughter
2nd, Heat metal, Hold Person, Shatter
3rd, Bestow Curse, Enemies Abound,
4th, Polymorph, Compulsion, Greater Invisibility.
5th, Animate Objects, synaptic static (the rare intelligence save)
6th, Mass suggestion, or maybe eyebite. I'd stick with mass suggestion.

Spells to consider for your four special spells.
3rd

Call Lightning-long duration but lower damage and limited utility indoors.
Fireball-It's a classic for a reason
Melf's minute meteors-six mini fireballs, a good combination of call lightning and fireball really.
Spirit Guardians-3d8 damage in a 15 foot sphere around you plus it makes it harder for them to move toward you.

4th

Find Greater steed-Hey it's an awesome mount, stay out of melee range and kill things from a distance.
Shadow of moil-Disadvantage on attacks toward you, advantage on attacks from you, melee attacks get hit back.
Wall of fire: Battlefield control and damage, duration should last through most any battle.

5th

Steel Wind Strike: 5x6d10 that is a decent amount of damage.
Swift Quiver: two ranged attacks and a spell per round can add up very quickly even without multiattack.
Wall of force: it's not direct damage but it's an amazing control effect.
Holy Weapon: this is great if you went the route of getting a Hexblade.
Bigby's Hand: Super versatile, decent damage, Long lasting,

[Aaron Underhand]

As noted fighter 1+ 11 levels of bard with Sharpshooter and Swift Quiver is a local maximum at level 12 - at this point you are pretty much the best archer around.

The dip Hexblade route is also viable for a lore bard, in particular because you can use cha to attack. But I'd only dip two levels (at 12th level) for two reasons:

1 Extra spells at 10th (Cone of Cold, Cloudkill - if we're just focused on damage)
2 Not losing a 5th level slot - animate objects may be your maximum damage option, all you've lost is one 6th level slot

Assuming Hexblade gives you Agonising Eldritch blast and Booming blade you are viable at range and in melee with medium armour and shield at dex 14. I'd go variant human with Resilient (Con) and pick up devils sight as an invocation.

Points buy is something like: Str 10, Dex 14 (13+1), Con 16 (15+1 res), Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 16 (15+1)

(Str, Int and Wis to taste...)

You have Con/Wis/Cha saves, good HP, good AC, you've lost one spell slot and one spell pick compared to a pure Bard (admittedly both 6th level), and you have a lore Bard's 6th level picks (Fireball and Lightning bolt if you're pure damage focused) cast 6 times a day. That plus 2 fifth level slots (Cone of cold or Animate objects I guess) should be enough, if not your at will range damage is 3x(d10+d6+5) (42)assuming hex, and your melee damage is 3d8+d6+5 (assuming sword and board - you could go Greatsword :-) )with a possible additional 3d8 if they then move - both attacks with a full plus +5 from Cha.

[DireSickFish]

You're all making this way more complicated that it needs to be. Just take Animate Objects summon the smallest objects you can and deal a buttload of damage with it.

[Aaron Underhand]

You're all making this way more complicated that it needs to be. Just take Animate Objects summon the smallest objects you can and deal a buttload of damage with it.

At most 3 times a day.... and they are very vulnerable to AoE damage...

[Contrast]

Is there a reason you want a damage orientated bard? Why not just play a wizard or sorc?

Simplest is probably just dip a few levels of warlock. Alternatively you can get a lot of mileage out of your magical secrets as a lore bard (just having access to fireball if no-one else in the party does changes how you look at some types of encounter quite significantly). Spiritual weapon and spirit guardians are both reasonable picks for damage. Swift quiver has been mentioned. Conjure Volley also works if you're going for an archer motif.

[EvilAnagram]

At most 3 times a day.... and they are very vulnerable to AoE damage...

You just called a Swift Quiver Bard the ultimate archer, and he can cast that just as often.

[MrWesson22]

2 hexblade/10 lore bard. Cast animate objects first round. After that, agonizing eldritch blast for d10+cha x3 and bonus action tiny objects animate objects for d4+4 x10. Assuming a 100% hit rate and 20 cha (half elf for 17 starting, half feat like elven accuracy for 18 at 4 bard, ASI for 20 at 8 bard), that is an average of 96.5 DPR not including crits. Even with a 50% hit rate, you're still averaging 48.25 a round and only burned 1 spell slot to get there. If you get a source of advantage, with elven accuracy, you are almost never going to miss and are going to get a lot of crits.

[Aaron Underhand]

You just called a Swift Quiver Bard the ultimate archer, and he can cast that just as often.

Agreed, but is there a better Archer at that level? Ranger can cast it zero times...

[Crgaston]

Agreed, but is there a better Archer at that level? Ranger can cast it zero times...

Really depends on how you define “better.” And “archer,” for that matter.

A L12 Elf Fighter can have Elven Accuracy, 20 Dex, CE and SS and make 4attacks per round, every round, without expending resources (except ammo). Plus whatever archetype features might add.

So assuming Archery style, a +1 Hand Crossbow and Bracers of Archery, that’s +12 to hit for 4d6+32 or +7 to hit for 4d6+72 possible.

[Aaron Underhand]

Really depends on how you define “better.” And “archer,” for that matter.

A L12 Elf Fighter can have Elven Accuracy, 20 Dex, CE and SS and make 4attacks per round, every round, without expending resources (except ammo). Plus whatever archetype features might add.

So assuming Archery style, a +1 Hand Crossbow and Bracers of Archery, that’s +12 to hit for 4d6+32 or +7 to hit for 4d6+72 possible.

A very good point, level 12 is a sweet spot for the pure fighter as well, because of feats (do they really get 5!)

A vhuman ftr1/valor bard 11 with Dex 20, SS and longbow can concievalyy have 9 fights a day doing 4d8+72 with the same items. . 3 fights with swift quivver and 6 with haste.

I'd say honors we're pretty even, but let others judge...

[MarkVIIIMarc]

I know it isn't damage sexy but don't discount the value of keeping Healing Word on your spell list.

Imagine Round 1 and 2 of combat all your Animated Objects are running about causing havoc and XXX points of damage. Then poof your party's Rogue goes down!

As a Bonus Action on Round 3, while your Animated Objects are still following your commands from Round 2, you can stand the Rogue back up with Level 1 Healing Word while being no place near him. Not only isn't he/she dead but the Rogue then does their 40 points of damage THANKS TO YOU!

[Randomthom]

A very good point, level 12 is a sweet spot for the pure fighter as well, because of feats (do they really get 5!)

A vhuman ftr1/valor bard 11 with Dex 20, SS and longbow can concievalyy have 9 fights a day doing 4d8+72 with the same items. . 3 fights with swift quivver and 6 with haste.

I'd say honors we're pretty even, but let others judge...

Even as archers more-or-less (and any day with more than 9 fights seems unusual/unlikely). The bard brings a lot more than just their archery though. There's the extra skills, other spells, high cha for party face, bardic inspiration, song of rest & just generally having a lot more options in most scenarios.

[EvilAnagram]

Agreed, but is there a better Archer at that level? Ranger can cast it zero times...
I'm going to take the controversial opinion and say that casting Swift Quiver twice a day does not compete with the slew of spells and features that improve a Hunter's archery by that level. The +2 to attack and extra dice of damage more than make up for it.

And battle master archers are phenomenal, getting three attacks with potential maneuvers all day.

You're essentially advocating occasionally being equal to the Ranger as a vast improvement over all other archers.

And you still haven't explained why that's superior to Animate Objects.

[Sariel Vailo]

i grabbed swords bard and took warcaster at level 4 i just push them out of my square to invoke a reaction cantrip like vicous mockery. But i grab magical secrets and magic initiate for inflict wound and toll the dead and just keep pushing them and well metallica said it best for whoooooom the bell tolllllls. The right items help supplement damage to one of the bard instruments that give faerie fire helps.

[Dudewithknives]

i grabbed swords bard and took warcaster at level 4 i just push them out of my square to invoke a reaction cantrip like vicous mockery. But i grab magical secrets and magic initiate for inflict wound and toll the dead and just keep pushing them and well metallica said it best for whoooooom the bell tolllllls. The right items help supplement damage to one of the bard instruments that give faerie fire helps.

Shoving somone out of your threat range does not provoke Opportunity attacks, no form of forced movement does except for Dissonant Whispers and like 1 other spell.

[Kenny Snoggins]

A very quick way I find to optimising a Bard for Damage, is a 3 level dip in Hexblade Warlock (or 5, if interested in a full multiclass).

Agonising Blast is all the ranged DPT you may need. Hexblade gives you the veraslity of melee DPT as well.

As a full caster, you may dedicate you Concentration Slot on Hex, or a Persistant AoE to control your opponents on via Repelling Blast.

Then, as a Lore Bard, you can take your pick of spells normally unavailable to you. As a Warlock, you have the option of the regular Blade Pact (the most obvious choice) or Tome Pact, that gives you extra cantrips (from any class!!) and all Rituals, adding to your Versatility a lot.

Played well, if the Sorlock is the Arcane Railgun of 5e, this is probably like an Arcane Minigun able to hide in your pocket, wile you can focus on other roles; When you need it, you take out your minigun, or your sword.

To get the rituals in the tome (I believe) you would have to burn an invocation, which would mean dropping one of the two really good damage evocations, either devil's sight or agonizing blast. Devil's sight being a 'damage' spell in the sense that it is a good way to give yourself effective greater invisibility for 10 minutes with a 2nd level slot. I dropped agonizing blast for the book, and although I like it from an RP perspective, it's probably better to drop devil's sight.

OP-- an option a lot of people are overlooking here that becomes VERY good at around level 12 (assuming you multiclassed, otherwise it arrives earlier) is the luchabard. Combined with a hexblade (my preference) it becomes extremely strong in terms of damage and control. Here's an overview.

--Take Lore Bard and expertise athletics. Eventually dip at least 2 levels in Hexblade to get some SAD gish, the Hex spell, and Eldritch blast. Don't worry about pumping your strength stat up too much, you can even dump it. Gauntlets of Ogre Strength and strength enhancing belts are fairly easy to come by as far as magic items go, and the expertise mechanic (especially by level 12) makes your baseline strength less relevant for the grapple check.

--For your magical secrets take whatever you want at bard 6 (I highly recommend spirit weapon and spirit guardians so that you can effectively do damage in your movement phase (setting it up) with your action, and with your bonus action, while using cutting words during your reaction. You'll have very full turns, which is fun.) At Bard 10 YOU MUST TAKE FIND GREATER STEED. This is crucial. Aside from the shenanigans involving doubling spells on the steed (which is all very DM dependent, but potentially brutal, especially with spirit guardians) find greater steed gives you an intelligent, Strength 18 flying mount with a fly speed of 80'.

So here's the punchline. In combat you cast Hex (from your warlock levels) on whatever bad guy you want to nuke. Give him disadvantage on either strength or dex, whatever you believe he has a better score in. If you took the book of secrets you probably have find familiar, so you have your familiar take the Help action to give you advantage on your next ability check. You grapple the target, applying your huge athletics modifier (assuming you've been able to find gauntlets of ogre power or something similar in the preceding 12 levels, your athletics mod should be something like +12 at this point).

At this point, you have advantage, the monster has disadvantage, and you have a huge flat bonus from your modifier. Counting advantage/disadvantage as +/- 5, you should be up something like +20 on the contested roll. If somehow you still goon up (extremely difficult to do) you have cutting words as a reaction to slice another D10 off the monsters best roll! If you still fail the grapple at this point you should probably retire your PC in shame.

Then you tell your steed to move then dash-- straight up. The griffon then goes either 80 or 160 feet in the air, depending on your DM and the size of the monster you are holding onto. Trade a bit of vertical movement to get yourself over another bad guy, or an environmental hazard, or whatever. Then at the end of your turn you release the grapple-- no action required. The monster falls, taking 8-16D6 damage and landing prone if they survive, and dealing some amount of damage to the thing that they dropped on (usually either the same or 1/2, depending on the DM. Sometimes the other monster gets a chance to make a dex save).

So that is 8-16d6 damage you can do every other turn, potentially using no resources if you skip Hex and don't need cutting words. You won't be able to do it every turn because of maneuvering limitations on the griffon, but in a regular combat outside against humans you can usually kill 4-8 mooks just with grappling and dropping, and using no spell slots or anything else. Keep in mind you could do this to a medium or large sized creature with legendary actions, and they wouldn't be able to do anything about it, since failing a contested ability check isn't the same as failing a saving throw. If you really want to get silly you can incorporate Polymorph into this, since it will doubly affect you and your steed.

[Crgaston]

OP-- an option a lot of people are overlooking here that becomes VERY good at around level 12 (assuming you multiclassed, otherwise it arrives earlier) is the luchabard. Combined with a hexblade (my preference) it becomes extremely strong in terms of damage and control. Here's an overview.

Snip...


That is amazing.