Post/Author/DateTime	Post
LGMoses 12-13-06, 10:44 PM	At 1st level, what are the 4 most useful spells for my bard to know?
kegdrainer 12-13-06, 11:03 PM	Sit, Roll-over, Play Dead and Fetch are good ones for a bard :D Depends on what you want to do. Read/Detect magic are good if there are no other spell casters in the party. If you are using a bard with a perform skill that requires an instrument, Summon Instrument is handy. Daze and Flare help but lose power quickly at higher levels. Mage hand/mending are good utility spells.
kenobi65 12-13-06, 11:58 PM	Detect Magic (seems to come up more often than Read Magic) Dancing Lights (good for distractions) Mage Hand Resistance I love Prestidigitation, despite its limitations, but that one would probably be #5 on my list.
FaintestInkling 12-14-06, 12:18 AM	I agree that detect magic is generally better than read magic, but I think that read magic is still worth taking. I also like "lullaby" as a unique-to-bards spell that can help other party members get more out of their abilities (i.e. sneaky-guys and other arcane casters).
Morgen 12-14-06, 12:22 AM	You do want to have Read Magic to justify any scrolls you might have on you and how you can read them, but that's only if a judge asks how your reading scrolls.
clannagh 12-14-06, 12:28 AM	Really depends who you play with and how you want to play your bard ... some good choices include ---- summon instrument .. in character and handy for non singing bards in those situations where you arent allowed to have your stuff with you mage hand .. wonderful if you have a disarm-meister in the party knocking items weighing less than 5 lbs out of peoples hands .. also good for lifting keys and such like discreetly off hooks detect magic .. rogue rolls 24 to search for traps .. is it magic ?? read magic .. essential if you are going to use scrolls ... by the book you must read a scroll first and then cast it, with read magic you can pre-read all your scrolls earlier in the day with no D20 check daze .. when the monster gets 5 attacks and daze limits it to just one attack it suddenly becomes very powerful resistance .. when teh rogue really doesnt want fail that save if his disarm fails
kenobi65 12-14-06, 12:49 AM	daze .. when the monster gets 5 attacks and daze limits it to just one attack it suddenly becomes very powerful Daze only works on a humanoid creature of 4 HD or less...so, anything that's getting 5 attacks a round isn't likely to be affected. And, it keeps the target from being able to take *any* actions for 1 round. Will negates, and, as a 0-level spell, the DC won't be too high...but it tends to be nicely effective against orcs and ogres. :)
LGMoses 12-14-06, 12:52 AM	u just said it yourself though, ogres are giants so they aren't affected by daze as I understand it.
kenobi65 12-14-06, 12:59 AM	u just said it yourself though, ogres are giants so they aren't affected by daze as I understand it. Oop, you are correct. Good against orcs and BUGBEARS, then. I know your issues with bugbears. ;)
LGMoses 12-14-06, 09:39 AM	Kenobi you are incorrect again. Bugbears are goblinoids. Please try again. :P
kenobi65 12-14-06, 10:29 AM	Kenobi you are incorrect again. Bugbears are goblinoids. Please try again. :P No, I win on this one. :) From the SRD: BUGBEAR Medium Humanoid (Goblinoid) "Goblinoid" is only the subtype of humanoid, in the same way that you or I would be a "Medium Humanoid (Human)."
blood_kite 12-14-06, 12:27 PM	The message spell looks like it might have certain specialized uses. It would let the sneaky rogue relay what he sees to the party without having to come all the way back. It might also be possible for bard/marshals to use message to use their auras quietly. Could it be used with bard songs using Perform (oratory)?
Mommy was an Orc 12-14-06, 01:15 PM	The message spell looks like it might have certain specialized uses. It would let the sneaky rogue relay what he sees to the party without having to come all the way back. It might also be possible for bard/marshals to use message to use their auras quietly. Could it be used with bard songs using Perform (oratory)? Message is a very useful spell for those reasons - you don't really need it at 1st level, though...
LGMoses 12-14-06, 02:51 PM	No, I win on this one. :) From the SRD: "Goblinoid" is only the subtype of humanoid, in the same way that you or I would be a "Medium Humanoid (Human)." You are correct sir. Point for Kenobi. :bow:
solbergb 12-14-06, 03:24 PM	At 1st level, what are the 4 most useful spells for my bard to know? Read magic - lets you use scrolls No spont caster should ever be without this spell Daze - because you have no other offensive spells. Swap it out later. The other two don't really matter. Popular choices are light, dancing lights and detect magic.
solbergb 12-14-06, 03:25 PM	Message is really good, but much better when it affects more than one target. It's usually a good pick as the next cantrip from leveling up, or the one you swap daze for.
Frumpkis 12-16-06, 04:33 AM	People have already mentioned the various uses of Detect Magic, Message, Daze, Summon Instrument, and Mage Hand. Dancing Lights is good for shining down wells, sewers, dark staircases, etc. to see what's at the end before you go down. Also, I played in a mod once where there was an evil-corrupt-darkness-thing, and the only way to destroy it was to cast Evocation(light) spells at it. Well, my bard was the only spellcaster who had Evo(light) spells available, so I just cast like 5 Dancing Lights on the thing to destroy it.