Glamour bard help! :D

[StarLightPips]

Hiya everyone!!

Just started playing a glamour bard (we're like 3rd level) wondering if anyone who has played one has any tips or tricks?

I'm currently the party healer too so keep that in mind for any advice!

Race: Half orc

Stats-
STR: 14
DEX: 13
CON: 11
INT: 13
WIS: 11
CHA: 17

Thanks everyone!!!

[Willie the Duck]

If your character finds themselves getting targeted by attacks, a good idea for your level 4 ASI might be moderately armored (giving the +1 to Str or Dex to Dex), and thus having access to medium armor, shields, and having the max dex needed for normal medium armor use. If not, splitting an ASI between Con and Cha also would work.

From a tactical standpoint, remember that you can use your glamour special ability to get your allies out of the way before dropping an area effect spell like Hypnotic pattern.

[Wizard_Lizard]

Sounds cool!!!

[StarLightPips]

If your character finds themselves getting targeted by attacks, a good idea for your level 4 ASI might be moderately armored (giving the +1 to Str or Dex to Dex), and thus having access to medium armor, shields, and having the max dex needed for normal medium armor use. If not, splitting an ASI between Con and Cha also would work.

From a tactical standpoint, remember that you can use your glamour special ability to get your allies out of the way before dropping an area effect spell like Hypnotic pattern.

Ooo!! That's a great idea!! Thank you!!!

[sophontteks]

I wouldn't waste your ASI on a feat due to all those odd ability scores. I had my own way of keeping myself safe from combat I'll explain later.

I also wouldn't worry about being a healer. You use song of rest when the party is taking a short rest. You use healing word when someone goes unconscious. That's all the healer you are really capable of. You are much better at preventing damage then healing it after the fact.

With those stats you need to avoid combat like the plague. You are as squishy as it can get. For defense you may want to try out the bard classic. Act as helpless as possible. If the enemy doesn't think you are a threat they probably won't bother attacking you. Wear nice clean dandy clothes that show off your non-combat role, scream like a girl when the party is attacked, hide behind rocks whilst sobbing in the middle of the battle. Be the first to retreat, the last person to walk down that dark hallway, and the first one to surrender when things go south. Your life depends on it.

As a glamour bard you are an AOE spell master rivaling evocation wizards. Pick good AOE spells and use your bardic inspiration to move your party out of harms way. Essential spells include faerie fire, and hypnotic pattern. There is no other character in the game that can cast these spells in the middle of combat without hitting their teammates. Furthermore, doing so gives your teammates a good sack of temp HP too.

Your unique inspiration is also great for strategic retreats, saving endangered teammates caught in a bad position, and pushing your fighters up 30 feet so they don't have to dash. By level 5 you can use this inspiration 4 times per short rest, so be liberal with it.

Saving the best for last. The best thing about a glamour bard is Glamorous Performance...

You may want to take expertise in performance just to make sure your audience always listens long enough for the ability to activate.

Remember when I said "be the first to surrender?" Glamour bards are most dangerous tied up. Just give the guards a little show, and next thing you know, you've made several adoring new friends who will do whatever they can (outside of risking their life) to help you.

You may want to take expertise in persuasion so you can convince those charmed by you to go beyond what the ability allows. The ability won't make them risk their lives, but you could convince them to with an additional skill check. You can take advantage of the situation to make permanent allies long after the effects fade away.

By level 6 you can use Mantle of Majesty to make charmed targets obey 10 single-word commands from you.

[Mikaleus]

Great college choice !

You’ll be able to move your allies around and at the same time give them some temp HP.

Faerie Fire is awesome. though I did find that many people seemed to forget about the advantage they had when I applied the spell.

Don’t be too focused on healing - as a bard you have some awesome mind spells and the ability to inspire which can help allies attack hit etc.

An enemy on 1 HP is just as deadly as an enemy with half health - make sure your fighter friend hits that fiend !!!

Have fun bards are a great class.

Who else is in your party?

[Zetakya]

I would take a point each on DEX and CHA with your level 4 ASI; with the kind of money you should have around level 3/4 you can't afford the good Medium Armour types and the difference in AC isn't that big.

Compared to a better Spell/Ability Save DC, better Dex & Cha saves, better attack bonus (I'm assuming that you are using a finesse weapon) and an additional target for your Mantle Of Inspiration and Enthralling Performance abilities it's just not worth it.

As far as healing goes; the best healing is the kind you don't have to do. Use Mantle of Inspiration for the Temporary HP as well as the movement effect.

Vicious Mockery should be aimed at reducing a major threat. Sleep is incredibly powerful in the early levels (you'll probably want to drop it later on, the effective scaling falls off). Heroism is good, especially if you can engineer a choke point.

[nickl_2000]

I love the Half-Orc glamour bard. It's an amazing visual.

At level 4 I agree that you should look at +1 charisma, between an extra spell known, extra inspiration, and increased spell attack/DC it is almost necessary. You could do either +1 Con or +1 Dex to go with it. If your party has enough/sticky frontliners that keep you out of combat, I may actually consider the +1 Con instead.


What other classes/subclasses are in the party?

[Willie the Duck]

I wouldn't waste your ASI on a feat due to all those odd ability scores.

They have an odd number of odd ability scores, so I would consider it prudent to pick up a half-feat. Probably at level 8 (with +1cha/+1con at 4), when half-plate (or breast plate, if a sneaker) is less of a chunk of change. Alternately +1cha/+1 dex at 4 and resilient:con at 8 would make sense, if the odd concentration check is more of a hindrance than someone hitting their 14 AC.