Just me or does bard seem weak?

[Tully]

Just seems way weaker than all of my other classes. Some of my other classes hit for up to 90 damage, others heal forup to 40+ HP (AOE).

Bard doesn't really heal very well, doesn't do very much damage but the only useful thing it has is the elemental summon. Bardic inspiration doesn't seem like it adds a lot of damage either. Sorta disappointed with the class, using dual xbow single hand and I hit for maybe 20 damage max. I get it's the jack of all trades but damn the damage and heals seem weak.

[Ironwu]

Most folks seem to support Bards in a Multi-Class build as they are somewhat limited in Pure Bard form. Don't know for sure as I have not run one up, yet. :)

[Gracey Face]

Pure bard is weak, but that's kind of their whole point. They're a jack of all trades in a ruleset that rewards specialisation.

They're better on the tabletop because they generally have more ways of dealing with any situation they run in to, but in a videogame (especially a party based videogame where your entire party essentially acts as a compound organism) they do not have as much value.

They supposedly gain a lot of extra power with certain multiclasses, but I dislike multiclassing as a concept so I have no idea.

[Ovan]

Bardic inspiration used to buff up the entire party, and the bonus would increase as it leveled up, it wasn't amazing but it had its role. But in D&D 5th edition it's a crippled class.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Just you.

[LordOfTheBread]

Just you, a bard can be extremely deadly and give more short rest and bonuses to the all team on top of that.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

The combination of Cutting Words, Portent and Bane virtually ensures that your enemies will always miss/fail, all the time.

Add a Cleric or Paladin to Bless the party and you're pretty much a Gigachad party that always hits and succeeds every saving throw, while the enemy twiddles their thumbs and fails.

[victorvnv]

Just you for sure

[Beast of War]

The game has more aspects then combat alone. Heaploads of content is hidden in dialog options you will never see, or interactive things in the environment you will never see if you don't build these non-combat skills. A bard is good for that.

But in combat, not multiclassing it, it is rather weak. It is more of a support class.

[Popsicles]

Bards on their own may be 'weak,' but they are great to have in a party because they can do so many things well. 'Jack of all trades, master of none...'

[Meowella]

You need to build the Bard for BG3 as there are some large changes from the tabletop version.

1. Dex-based Sword Bards are really powerful because they'll mix up how flourish differs from tabletop with the full dex to ac in certain suits of medium armour.
2. Dissonant Whispers is a powerhouse of a spell in 5e, but weak in BG3. TT forces them to use their reaction and run away, triggering OA, while it just causes frightened in BG3. This reduces it's damage appeal.
3. No Animate Object spell. TT this is crazy strong damage with a 5th level spell slot, but it doesn't exist in BG3. Coupled with no flying pegasus this really clamps down on a reason to bother with level 9+ of Bard.

Don't forget you get hand crossbow proficiency and full spellcasting, plus expertise to in a dex/cha character (meaning sleight of hand and persuasion DCs of 30 are obtainable).

Consider trying a Dual Crossbow Sword Bard with expertise in sleight of hand/persuasion to cover your lockpicker, party face, healer.
Alternatively, consider Paladin 2 Sword Bard X and enjoy insane smiting... on your lockpick, face, healer etc.

[Tully]

Originally posted by Meowella:

You need to build the Bard for BG3 as there are some large changes from the tabletop version.

1. Dex-based Sword Bards are really powerful because they'll mix up how flourish differs from tabletop with the full dex to ac in certain suits of medium armour.
2. Dissonant Whispers is a powerhouse of a spell in 5e, but weak in BG3. TT forces them to use their reaction and run away, triggering OA, while it just causes frightened in BG3. This reduces it's damage appeal.
3. No Animate Object spell. TT this is crazy strong damage with a 5th level spell slot, but it doesn't exist in BG3. Coupled with no flying pegasus this really clamps down on a reason to bother with level 9+ of Bard.

Don't forget you get hand crossbow proficiency and full spellcasting, plus expertise to in a dex/cha character (meaning sleight of hand and persuasion DCs of 30 are obtainable).

Consider trying a Dual Crossbow Sword Bard with expertise in sleight of hand/persuasion to cover your lockpicker, party face, healer.
Alternatively, consider Paladin 2 Sword Bard X and enjoy insane smiting... on your lockpick, face, healer etc.

That's a good idea, I was using astarian for lock picking and I could just swap him over to a fighter and swap my bard over to the lock picker so my team is even stronger.

My other to party members are Shadowheart rerolled as a cleric using radiant damage and she just freakin OP as hell, great damage, tanky and a OP healer, then I have Minthara as an ice mage which does up to 90 cold damage with a bunch of equipment that buffs cold effects and damage.

[Lil Grandpa]

Bards are a support role, and any support role that can use hunger of hadar is busted

[Gamefever]

Bard is a support character, although there are some guides on getting them to work like a nuker DPS character, mostly Bard is just flexible enough to give options to fit the 4 character limitations.

[Zedrin]

Swords bard with dual hand crossbows can be a very potent sharpshooter, since their flourish can let them shoot twice per attack action, for a total of 5 attacks a round (2 flourishes, 1 offhand)

[hornsounder97]

Google Scanlan Shorthalt. Bard is dope.