Bardic Wizard?

[Nagog]

So I'm starting a campaign soon where I have a character who is intended to be a Necromancer Bard, however due to the lack of Necromancy spells/subclasses/whatever for bards, I'm technically playing a Wizard with a one level dip into Rogue for Expertise, which is one of the things I enjoy about Bards. However, even a one level dip can cripple me slightly in spell progression and power scaling as a Necromancy Wizard. Should I instead pick up a level of Bard for Inspiration and spells? I'd still scale a bit slower, but I would gain more slots as both Bard and Wizard are spellcasting classes. On the other hand, Bard/Wizard is quite a bit more MAD, but considering I have decent Cha and Int already shouldn't be too big an issue. What would ya'll suggest?

[Teaguethebean]

So I'm starting a campaign soon where I have a character who is intended to be a Necromancer Bard, however due to the lack of Necromancy spells/subclasses/whatever for bards.

I would reccomend just going with a lore bard and with additional magical secrets take animate dead, and other spooky spells, then at higher levels stuff like contagion, dense macabre, create undead, and even finger of death.

[Evaar]

I would do 1 level of Knowledge Cleric, get the Expertise in two knowledge skills (hope that's what you were going to use them for), then go Necromancer Wizard the rest of the way. Then take the Entertainer background for a musical instrument proficiency and play up the bard stuff as much as you like.

[MrStabby]

I would reccomend just going with a lore bard and with additional magical secrets take animate dead, and other spooky spells, then at higher levels stuff like contagion, dense macabre, create undead, and even finger of death.

See if you can use the Ravnica backgrounds and select Orzhov - this will give you access to some more on theme spells.

[chando]

I would reccomend just going with a lore bard and with additional magical secrets take animate dead, and other spooky spells, then at higher levels stuff like contagion, dense macabre, create undead, and even finger of death.

This. been playing as exactly that with a character ever since 5e came out and I'm now at level 9 (we only play a couple times/year), and its been a blast.
The character is the sun of a general, his mother henged dead acused of witchraft when he was little, by the empire that his father protects, he develops strange power midwar in session 1, wins a grappling competition betwen knigths, becomes a knight nominated by the amazon queen, becomes one of the 5 fingers of the hand that runs the mercenary band of Harpy, went mad a couple times, become spelless for a few sessions after fireballing the party and the baby, added a BABY to the party (sun of the now deseased amazon queen, long story), animates shadows, skeletons, zombies, got a girlfrind orc life cleric that also animates skelletons (the goddes is a woman of bones that runs in the desert. orcs gods are great, better yet when created by fisrt time players.)

I took a variant Human with Magic Initiate(Warlock:Friends, Booming Blade, Hex), used hex, booming blade and high Dex, exp Athletics, gained shield proficiency by in game training with myrmidons, got into the fray quite a lot, usually use the now armored minions take the help action or grapple, blocking spaces and making attacks of opportunity. Used them to improve on the leader part of the bard. Thing is, you can easely refluff stuff and some dont even heve to be reflufed, but you can create a necromancer that doesn't really do the minionmancy part of undead (take for example spiritual guardians for a great necromancer vibe spell), or maybe takes one or a couple of the higher level ones, Animate Objects is exellent damage and great ghost stuff material, "why yes the fragments of every soul your sword has ever claimed are now animating this blade aggainst you, have fun avoinding your past"

My bard is crazy tormented, has a weird witchraft ammulet with mouths on it, all his spells manifest as effects related to voice and sound, hes usually whispering or hearing voices or eating strange food, body parts, weird ****. Made a undead owlbear ride into battle once. lost the owlbear. Got a nice owlbear cloak though.

as much as its been a fun ride, i do miss the HP of the minions of a necromancer, gonna take inspiring leader and inspire my undead army to victory, but still... Another solution would have been a glamour bard (but not a option at the time and having too much fun with cutting words by now)