What are some good offensive bard spells?

[ChaseC311]

I'm currently in a level 6 campaign where I'm playing an Eladrin Glamour Bard. With a party of four (A Sorcerer, two Druids and a Bard (Me!)), I decided I'd be the team's primary healer and support. I drop Aid and Mantle of Inspiration round one and I provide heals throughout the fight to protect my squishy teammates.

One of the resulting problems is that because of this, I never thought to pick up any damaging spells. This tends to bite me in the ass whenever the enemies get into melee range and I have no ways of protecting myself besides using Fey step and hoping they don't follow me.

But the main problem is when the party doesn't need healing and I wind up having to fall back on using vicious mockery as my only way of contributing to the party's damage... And then half the time the enemy succeeds and I just stand there like a fool. I use my BA for inspiration too of course but that doesn't really help when it comes to direct damage or getting enemies off of me.

So I came to this forum asking what would be some good offensive spells I could learn as a bard. These could Include damaging spells as well as charm spells I could use to disable enemies.

The main spells I'm looking at are dissonant whispers, Rautholms Psychic Lance when I reach 7th level, and Animate Objects when I reach 9th. Would any of these be good options? Should I focus on charms instead?

I'm also debating on using 10th levels magical secrets for Steel Wind Strike, but I'm conflicted because Im also debating on using Magical secrets for Counterspell and Healing Spirit.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated ^-^

[sithlordnergal]

So, Counterspell in the hands of a Bard is insanely good. You are, hands down, one of the best counterspellers in the game. Though I miught look at Paladin spells as well. My favorite offensive Bard spells by level are:



- Bane
- Command
- Dissonant Whispers
- Tasha's Hideous Laughter
- Thunderwave



- Blindness/Deafness
- Cloud of Daggers (provided you have someone who can Grapple)
- Heat Metal (if you fight a lot of things wearing armor)
- Nathair's Mischief
- Shatter



- Bestow Curse
- Enemies Abound
- Fear
-Plant Growth



- Confusion
- Polymorph
- Raulothim's Psychic Lance



- Animate Objects
- Hold Monster
- Synaptic Static



- Eyebite
- Mass Suggestion
- Otto's Irresistible Dance



- Forcecage
- Prismatic Spray



- Dominate Monster
- Feeblemind
- Power Word: Stun



- Prismatic Wall
- Psychic Scream

[Psyren]

Bard Handbook: Spells (https://rpgbot.net/dnd5/characters/classes/bard/spells/)

Check any offensive spell that's blue or green and fits your concept.

[AttilatheYeon]

Vicious Mockery is pretty offensive. I'd be offended if some bard talked that way about my monther!

[Snivlem]

Tashas hideous laughter, bane, command, fairy fire, thunderwave, shatter, suggestion, heat metal, blindness, hypnotic pattern, fear

[Snivlem]

Forgot to mention dissonant whispers. Honestly it is probably the best answer to your problems.

[KillingTime]

Indeed
Dissonant Whispers is one of the strongest of the level 1 single target attack spells.
Damage is fine (and of an excellent type), but the rider is excellent, and offers both control and additional OA damage.

[Frogreaver]

A few suggestions:

1. Cast aid long before the encounter. It lasts 8 hours. Gives you an extra action at the start of the combat.

2. Use your newly recovered turn 1 action to cast a concentration spell. Typically, concentration spells are much more impactful in combat than similar level non-concentration spells or direct damage spells.

3. Don't use healing word unless someone drops.

4. Keep a crossbow so you can attack with it instead of vicious mockery when you want damage. (Assuming you have a decent Dex).

If I was a level 5 bard trying to play more support, my spells known list would look something like:

Healing Word
Aid
Slow
Silvery Barbs

After that it's really up to you. Possibilities might look something like
Bane
Tasha's Hideous Laughter
Dissonant Whispers
Blindness/Deafness
Heat Metal
Hold Person
Faerie Fire
Lesser Restoration
Silence
Hypnotic Pattern
Dispel Magic
Fear
Plant Growth

4th and 5th Level Spell Options
4th
Polymorph
Raulothim's Psychic Lance
Dimension Door
Confusion

5th
Animate Objects
Greater Restoration
Hold Monster

[Samayu]

Hypnotic Pattern is a bit of a force multiplier. Remove half the enemies from the combat so your friends can focus fire and start eliminating them. Plus, fewer enemies in play leaves fewer to chase down the bard.

[KorvinStarmast]

Hypnotic Pattern is a bit of a force multiplier. Remove half the enemies from the combat so your friends can focus fire and start eliminating them. Plus, fewer enemies in play leaves fewer to chase down the bard. At level 6, HP is very good. If you have an instrument of the bards, even the uncommon one, it is nutso good. (Due to disadvantage on the save)

[Deadandamnation]

The Bard Is not a damage dealer. You gotta play It as a support.

Anyway if you dislike using Vicious Mockery (that in reality Is a fine option) you have the subsequent choice:


A) Ranged Attack with a crossbow

B) Dissonant Whispers (good damage if they flee and take OA's)

C) Magical Secret: Eldritch Blast (Is a waste but work)

D) Multiclass Warlock 2 for Eldritch Blast shenaningans

E) Dodge Action (if they Attack you they don't do against your allies, if they run past you you can OA's with a rapier for Little damage)

F) Paladin 2 for smite

I usually play valor bards and my AC Is acceptable, so if my concentration Is not so vital to keep in the spare rounds i Just use my rapier.

[RogueJK]

The Bard Is not a damage dealer.

Bards can be an decent damage dealer, even just with spells. In each Tier, the Bard has access to spells that deal fair amounts of damage for the level, plus you can poach additional ones using Magical Secrets if you want to build specifically towards a damage dealing Bard. And it's relatively simple to gain access to a solid ranged attack cantrip for added resourceless damage via a racial CHA-based cantrip, Magic Initiate Sorcerer/Warlock feat, or 1 level Warlock/Sorcerer dip.

And with a little multiclassing, Bards can even be built into melee/ranged weapon powerhouses: Paladin 2/Swords Bard X, Whispers Bard 5/Paladin or Hexblade Bladelock X, Fighter 1/Swords Bard X with Sharpshooter/Swift Quiver Magical Secret, etc.

You could even do something like a High Half Elf Lore Bard with the Moderately Armored feat utilizing racial Booming Blade + Spiritual Weapon Magical Secret + Spirit Guardians Magical Secret starting at Level 6, and be dealing as much damage as a semi-optimized frontline Cleric. (Or go with a different race and skip the MA feat, and instead dip 1 level into Hexblade Warlock or Artificer, and achieve the same result.)


Anyway if you dislike using Vicious Mockery (that in reality Is a fine option) you have the subsequent choice:


Picking a race with a racial CHA-based cantrip is also a good alternative to Vicious Mockery that you didn't mention. Stuff like Astral Elf (Sacred Flame), MotM Kobold (any Sorcerer cantrip), Levistus Tiefling (Ray of Frost), etc.

[Deadandamnation]

Bards can be an decent damage dealer, even just with spells. In each Tier, the Bard has access to spells that deal fair amounts of damage for the level, plus you can poach additional ones using Magical Secrets if you want to build specifically towards a damage dealing Bard. And it's relatively simple to gain access to a solid ranged attack cantrip for added resourceless damage via a racial CHA-based cantrip, Magic Initiate Sorcerer/Warlock feat, or 1 level Warlock/Sorcerer dip.

And with a little multiclassing, Bards can even be built into melee/ranged weapon powerhouses: Paladin 2/Swords Bard X, Whispers Bard 5/Paladin or Hexblade Bladelock X, Fighter 1/Swords Bard X with Sharpshooter/Swift Quiver Magical Secret, etc.

You could even do something like a High Half Elf Lore Bard with the Moderately Armored feat utilizing racial Booming Blade + Spiritual Weapon Magical Secret + Spirit Guardians Magical Secret starting at Level 6, and be dealing as much damage as a semi-optimized frontline Cleric. (Or go with a different race and skip the MA feat, and instead dip 1 level into Hexblade Warlock or Artificer, and achieve the same result.)



Picking a race with a racial CHA-based cantrip is also a good alternative to Vicious Mockery that you didn't mention. Stuff like Astral Elf (Sacred Flame), MotM Kobold (any Sorcerer cantrip), Levistus Tiefling (Ray of Frost), etc.



Everything pretty interesting, still: Bard Is not a damage dealer :D

[Zuras]

At level 6 your best options for getting out of melee and back to where you’re doing your support thing are Dissonant Whispers and Command. Command in particular scales well, adding a target for each upcast level.

Thunderwave, Hypnotic Pattern, and Fear are also decent, but they have friendly fire issues and are more tailored to your initial plan for combat, not your backup plan when something goes wrong and you end up in melee. Also, if you’re concentrating on a buffing spell already, you don’t want to cast another concentration spell to get out of a jam unless absolutely needed.

Also, based on your party composition, I’ll note if the party Druids use Conjure Animals extensively, Dissonant Whispers functionally becomes a Save or Die spell to an enemy surrounded by summoned wolves.

[AttilatheYeon]

You're not there yet, but at 9th level animate objects + dissonant whisper does a shocking amount of single target damage. If you can get boomung blade and warcaster, it's even more.

[Deadandamnation]

Yeah but the OP Is asking if he should pick many offensive spells and the short answer Is NO.

There are some useful and powerful like Animate Obj, expecially when firstly picked. Also synaptic Static Is One of my favourite.

But when you build the Bard as a Supportive ones and not trying to demote him to a damage dealer, even if It Is pretty effective, you gotta be flexible.

What i mean with flexible? A turn doing nothing it's not wasted for a Bard while It Is for a Fighter for example.

You gotta think proactively and reactively at the same time, use your concentration to keep the best spell you know for the situation while being ready to use the instant one for the Emergency.

Dimesion Door in the right Moment on the right Person Is gamechanger, Healing Word, Dispel Magic, Counterspell, Dissonant Whispers.

Most of the times with my Bard what i do Is cast a spell the First turn than Just observe the events. Let's Say you did a good Hypnotic Pattern on turn 1 blocking 3 enemies out of 7. Your priority now Is to keep the concentration at all costs, so hiding somewhere Is the smarter move in my opinion. Why would a couple of dices of damage change the things positively if you lose the concentration as a result?

If observing Is not fun for you, probably you should play a more damage oriented Bard that also sometimes Heal and Control. [Probably my pick in your party would be a sword Bard/Paladin frontliner with Polearm master using verbal spells in combat and smite]

Btw Healing Spirit Is a trap imho, i think Aura of Vitality could be Better. Still you trying to demote an awesome Bard to a healer. Healing Word Is all the Healing you Need. Also you have 2 Druids, that don't Need Healing, if they conjure or polymorph and can cure their own wounds.

Aid Is a mediocre spell, still can have uses as a Mass Healing Word. Inspiring Leader feat would be Better if you want to give the party some HP.

[Witty Username]

The main spells I'm looking at are dissonant whispers, Rautholms Psychic Lance when I reach 7th level, and Animate Objects when I reach 9th. Would any of these be good options? Should I focus on charms instead?


I am not a big fan of dissonant whispers (I have a general poor attitude when it comes to single target spells) but its pretty functional, not familiar with Psychic Lance (I have heard of it and know what book its in, that is as far as my opinion goes), Animate Objects is pretty fun and a good spell for damage.

I would say spells like hypnotic pattern or fear should be on your list, they don't deal damage, but damage isn't really the dharma of a Bard and disabling and disruptive effects are very potent to shift a combat in your favor.

But for damage, specifically when caught out in melee, thunderwave is a solid spell, the knockback can be very helpful if the goal is damage + escape, the damage does have a shelf life but it can still be worth it with an upcast in the situation you describe.

[Zuras]

You're not there yet, but at 9th level animate objects + dissonant whisper does a shocking amount of single target damage. If you can get boomung blade and warcaster, it's even more.

Animate objects is solid, but with two Druids in the party, if the DM is fine with summoned creatures, Conjure Animals is more effective. At 10th level your ideal teamwork pick is probably Crusader’s Mantle. If the Druids already summoned 16 friends apiece with Conjure Animals, you can cast Crusader’s Mantle and pop Mantle of Inspiration to put an extra +16d4 and 176 temporary hit points onto the battlefield on a single turn. If your DM was generous and handed out beasts with multiattack you’re talking 32d4.

If your party Druids aren’t big on summoning, it’s less powerful, but you’re hitting the point that their Wild shape forms get less impressive and the summoning spells look better, especially when you’re all casters.

[ChaseC311]

At level 6, HP is very good. If you have an instrument of the bards, even the uncommon one, it is nutso good. (Due to disadvantage on the save)

I actually do have an instrument of the bards! I've had it for months at this point but I never realized it imposed disadvantage on saves against charm effects until after you pointed it out and I went to reread it! Thank you for mentioning that, this makes the charms I already have prepared much more lethal 👀