Bard Magical Secrets spell selections

[tomato]

Does anyone know of a reasonably-good quality overview of the common Magical Secrets spell choices for bard? I've looked over the Bard Class guides, but most of them are horribly out of date, poorly written, or don't include references to spell choices for Magical Secrets at all.

[Xihirli]

What kind of bard are you making?

[Xihirli]

Counterspell's a great one to have. At least one person in your party needs it.

Melee bard? Banishing Smite.

Support bard? Haste, Aura of Vitality

Want to blast? Eldritch Blast works fine, I'd probably get this with Magic Initiate instead though. Fireball and Cone of Cold are also good blasties.

[Merudo]

There is only a handful of spells usually recommended. The most common are:

Cantrips:
- Eldritch Blast (best cantrip in the game and let your Bard do some damage, but a waste without Agonizing Blast IMO)
- Green flame blade / booming blade
- Shillelagh (for high WIS characters)

Level 1:
- Find Familiar
- Shield
- Sanctuary

Level 2:
- Healing Spirit (OP healing out of combat)
- Find Steed
- Spiritual Weapon
- Shadow Blade
- Pass without Trace

Level 3:
- Fireball (Bards don't have good damage spells)
- Counterspell (can take advantage of Jack of All Trades. Outstanding)
- Aura of Vitality (outdated, replaced by Healing Spirit)
- Revivify (if your party dies often or you lack a Cleric)
- Haste (good buff, but Greater Invisibility is often better)
- Spirit Guardians (effect is centered on you, so better for Valor Bard)
- Conjure Animals

Level 4:
- Banishment (excellent control spell, but almost all other casters can learn it)
- Find Greater Steed
- Conjure Woodland Beings

Level 5:
- Wall of Force (extremely strong & versatile control spell)
- Circle of Power (OP buff to party)
- Telekinesis (excellent grappling, combines with Jack of All Trades)
- Bigby's Hand (alternative to Telekinesis)
- Destructive Wave (good Paladin blasting spell)
- Steel Wind Strike (alternative to Destructive Wave for Valor Bards)
- Swift quiver (for Valor Bards)

Level 7:
- Reverse Gravity (excellent battlefield control with massive AoE)
- Simulacrum (can give you a good ally, but difficult to cast)

Level 8:
- Maze (removes a single enemy with no save, DC20 to escape)

Level 9:
- Wish (outstanding versatility, a must-have)
- Foresight (best buff in the game)

[KnotaGuru]

Also useful:
Level 2 - spiritual weapon
Level 3 - conjure animals

[Vogie]

If you go back a few months on these forums, you'd think it was practically required to get Find Steed or Find Greater Steed.

If you're going to be a blaster, I'd pick up one of the leveled cantrips - but Magic Initiate may be a better way to do that. Your d10 options are EB or Fire Bolt

One option not currently could be a Bestow Curse-based build, hampering Constitution saving throws, thus allowing you to use Contagion (picked up from Magical Secrets) and spam Poison Spray (leveled d12s, picked up by MI).

Without the MI, you could do the same with Bestow Curse and Toll the Dead for d8-d12 leveled damage

[iTreeby]

Unpopular opinion but.. Magic Jar.

[RSP]

If a Valor Bard: Shadow Blade or Shadow of Moil.

I'd weigh Fireball and other direct damage spells slightly less, particularly at level 10 as Synaptic Static is now on the Bard list.

[Merudo]

If a Valor Bard: Shadow Blade or Shadow of Moil.


Shadow of Moil is too similar to Greater Invisibility to be worth spending a Magical Secret on it.

Shadow Blades is pretty damn good, though. If you attack enemies in dim light or darkness, it's better than Haste as a combat buff, and only takes a level 2 slot.

[KillingTime]

Pass Without Trace.

Makes your heavily-armoured, Dex8 Dwarf less of a liability, while simultaneously turning your Dex20 Gnome rogue into a ghost.
Very strong spell for all parties, but particularly if you prefer to think your way around combat problems.

[RSP]

Shadow of Moil is too similar to Greater Invisibility to be worth spending a Magical Secret on it.


True, though it does have the damage on hit quality as well, resists radiant, and ignores See Invisibility. Kind of like GI and Fire Shield in one. I could see not wanting to spend a MS on it though.

I also really like Sanctuary as a MS.

[Aaron Underhand]

Pass Without Trace.

Makes your heavily-armoured, Dex8 Dwarf less of a liability, while simultaneously turning your Dex20 Gnome rogue into a ghost.
Very strong spell for all parties, but particularly if you prefer to think your way around combat problems.

I think this points out how party dependant MS picks can be. If this is unique in the party it's invaluable - in a party where a ranger and druid both have this spell a third copy is almost entirely redundant.

Interestingly I haven't see Fly mentioned as a 3rd level secret, nor Demiplane, which I like for various utility reasons...

[dnd2016]

Wall of force
bigbys
synaptic static
banishment