Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Sixteen-Miles Jun 29, 2015 4:10:21	To preface this thread, I have not played D&D since maybe 2011 or so. I'm a bit behind, but trying to catch up. I will be joining in on a campaign with a group of players who have 5th level characters and have been playing them since L1. My character begins at 5th level. I have been finding character creation quite confusing in 5e; and I think that is because in 4e I always had the support of the online character creation tool that did most of the 'work' for you. Now that I'm trying to piece and link everything together myself I can't help but feel like I have missed vital information, and also misunderstood some elements of my character. If someone with a bit of experience could give this guy a look-over, I would very much appreciate the help.   Name: Anders Greycastle Race: Variant Human Class: Bard 5 Background: Criminal Languages: Common   AC: 16 (Leather Armor and Shield) Max HP: 40 (1d8x5?) Initiative: +3 (Is this right?) Speed: 30   Ability Scores:   Str: 8 (-1) Dex: 16 (+3) Con: 13 (+1) Int: 10 (+0) Wis: 12 (+1) Cha: 17 (+3)   These were generated by the base array in the players handbook. I added 1 to Dex and 1 to Cha from Variant Human and then 1 to each again at Level 4 for the ability score increase. Have I missed anything here? Should I have taken a feat instead of the +1/+1?   Skills (Proficiencies in Bold):   Acrobatics +6 Animal Handling +1 Arcana +0 Athletics +2 Deception +6 History +3 Insight +1 Intimidation +6 Investigation +0 Medicine +1 Nature +0 Perception +4 Performance +3 Persuasion +6 Religion +0 Sleight of Hand +6 Stealth +6 Survival   Have I taken too many proficiencies? Or not enough? This is how I worked it out: As a Human I get 1 proficiency, correct? I took Perception. As a Bard I can pick three skills to be proficient in. Athletics, Sleight of Hand and Persuasion. As a Criminal I am proficient in both Stealth and Deception. College of Lore then gives me 3 extra proficiencies: Acrobatics, History and Intimidation.   Equipment:   1H: Longsword (+6 attack) (1d8+3 damage) OH: Shield A: Leather Armor Burglar's Pack Caltrops Lute Crowbar Dark Common Clothes Belt Pouch   I didn't really know what to do here so I took some generic items (Longsword as that was my class proficiency, I believe). Guidance in this area would be awesome. Are my attack and damage calculations correct?   Spells:   Cantrips: Light Mage Hand Minor Illusion 1st Level Dissonant Whispers Dissonant Whispers Heroism Heroism 2nd Level Heat Metal Invisibility Suggestion 3rd Level Fear Fear Is this how spells works? I can prepare two of the same spell in my spell slots, so if I want to cast Dissonant Whispers twice in between rests I am able to do it this way?   Class Feats: Bardic Inspiration Jack of All Trades Song of Rest Expertise College of Lore Cutting Words College of Lore Proficiencies Font of Inspiration Racial Feats: Inspiring Leader (Variant Human lets me pick a feat) Background Feats: Criminal Contact   I think that's everything! Thanks for taking the time to look over this and help out a returning player. I'm definitely missing the ease of the 4e character creation tool. I just want to make sure I haven't missed something obvious or misunderstood something about the class. And hey, if you feel like throwing some optimisation tips my way, then that's appreciated too.
#2 Yunru Jun 29, 2015 4:20:56	Jack of all Trades also effects Initiative. Your HP is usually Max Die + Con mod at level 1, then 1dX+Con Mod for every additional level. You never ever prepare spells in spell slots. You have spells, and you have spell slots. But unlike previous editions you don't have spells in spell slots.
#3 Sixteen-Miles Jun 29, 2015 4:38:59	Yunru wrote:
#4 Yunru Jun 29, 2015 4:40:53	At first level your HP is whatever the maximum you could roll is plus your Constitution Modifier. &nbsp I mention Jack of all Trades effecting Initiative because it's really easy to overlook. &nbsp In 5e you have spells. Spellcasting class have spells known, and some might require you to prepare them to cast them. However none of that interacts with spell slots. &nbsp Spell Slots are the resource you use to cast a spell. When you want to cast a spell, you use a spell slot of that spells level or higher. Note this is when you would say "I cast", NOT when you're picking which spells you know/have prepared.
#5 Coredump00 Jun 29, 2015 5:12:20	HIt points depends on if your group is rolling or using average. Normally your hit points for first level would be 9 (8+1) For second level, you would roll the D8 and whatever you get add 1, then add it to your 9. Same for 3-5.   If using average, that would add 6 per level instead. (5+1)  Which would be a total of 33hp.     At level 4 I would have put 1 pt in Dex and pt in Con.  (IOW, not into Cha)      Spells.  As a Bard there are a list of spells you know. You always know them, and can cast any of them you want.  The 'cost' for casting a spell is using up a spell slot, but you don't have to decide that until you want to cast it.  At 5th level you know 8 spells. Because of how rules are selected etc...   of the 8, at least 2 have to be 1st level, and no more than 3 can be 3rd level.   So lets assume you pick 1st: Dissonant Whispers Heroism Faerie Fire Healing Word 2nd: Heat Metal Invisibility 3rd: Fear Hypnotic Pattern   Those are the spells you can cast, and you can cast any spell you can 'pay for'.  You have spell slots to 'pay' for the casting.  4 1st level, 3 2nd level, 2 3rd level slots (4/3/2) So you can cast 4 first level spells.  You could cast Healing word 4 times, or you could cast each spell once, or any other combination.  And you don't have to decide until you want to cast a spell.  You just decide "I want to cast Heroism", so you 'pay' the spell slot and you cast the spell.   You could always cast a lower level spell with a higher level slot.  Some spells it doesn't make any difference in the spell.  If you cast faerie fire with a 1st level slot, or a 3rd level slot, the spell works exactly the same.  Some spells work better with a higher level slot. For you, Healing Word cast with a 1st level slot heals 1D4+3 HP, when cast with a 3rd level slot it heals 3D4+3 HP.
#6 Glimjack Jun 29, 2015 5:51:58	Minor issue: A longsword is not a finesse weapon. Change it to a rapier for the exact same damage but piercing instead.   Like others have said HPs should be 1st: 8 + 1 (Max of d8 + Con mod) 2nd: 5 + 1 (From the book i.e average of d8 + Con mod) 3rd: 5 + 1 4th: 5 + 1 5th: 5 + 1 Total: 33 HPs
#7 Danny_Montanny Jun 29, 2015 6:25:57	Things to consider. You could have the exact stat modifiers (or slightly better) and keep your feat if you go Half-Elf.   Half-Elf stats: STR: 8 DEX: 16 (15+1) CON: 14 (13+1) INT: 10 WIS: 12 CHA: 16 (14+2)   Not only would you pick up some HP, you'll also get another skill. Along with Darkvision and the other elf goodies. If you want to keep your Human stats, I'd say drop CHA to 16 and bump CON to 14, that 17 CHA isn't doing anything for you.   Definitely add your Jack of All Trades into your skill list, doing it on the fly is unnesscecary when you can write it down. Remember that it'll bump your Initiative to +4 as well as giving you a +1 in the skills you don't have proficiency in (so none of them will be at a 0). Consider putting proficiency in skills that are lower modifiers than having mainly training in the stuff your ability scores are high in. You should also note your Expertise skills in your skill list. Two of your proficient skills will be at a +3. You could have a +9 Deception!   You'll gain an additional language of your choice as a Human.   Lore Bards are not proficient in shields, so you can't use one. Your AC will be 14, though there's no reason why you shouldn't have studded leather at level 5.
#8 ObeseBoyWonder Jun 29, 2015 6:23:05	Also College of Lore isn't proficient in shields.
#9 mellored Jun 29, 2015 9:17:54	Hit points are 3(first level bonus) + (5+1 con) * 5 levels. =  3+ 6 * 5 = 33   Lore bards don't get proficency in shields.    You probably want a musical instrament in your off-hand, for casting spells.   I would have a rapier and bow, since they use Dex to attack. Longsword would be -1 Str + 3 prof = +2 to hit, for 1d8-1 damage. Though mostly you'll be insulting people for psycic damage.   Everyone has "spontainious" casting.  Expend a spell slot, cast any spell you know of that level or lower. You know 8 spells.   You can cast them in any combination. Note that many spells get stronger when cast in higher level slots.  But it's generally best to use a level 3 spell slot for a level 3 spell.   And i agree that boosting Con/Cha by 1 each is the way to go at 4th.  There's no reason to have odd scores, except for a few feats and multiclassing. Note that Con boosts are retroactive, so it would be 5 more HP = 38.
(Reply to #7) Lilika	Danny_Montanny wrote:
#11 Sixteen-Miles Jun 29, 2015 7:42:59	Thank you everyone!   I think I've managed to fix it all up. Switched the stats to CON/CHA for the HP boost. Changed to Rapier+Instrument in my hands. And fixed the way I was interpreting spells.   The campaign doesn't start for a couple of weeks, but I'm looking forward to it.
#12 Ze_Azrael Jun 29, 2015 11:14:57	As Danny_Montanny pointed out, going Half-Elf might be a better idea from an optimization standpoint. Stats at level 5 are the same (DEX and CHA at 16, CON at 14 and Inspiring Leader) but you get Fey Ancestry, an extra skill and language, and Darkvision.   Also you can very likely start with a Studded Leather armor that you presumably bought at some point before you join the party (it's only 45 gp) which would give you AC of 15.   Finally regardless of wheter you choose to go Human or Half-Elf, remember that CON boosts are retroactive. Your formula for HP is (8 + CON) + (level - 1)(5 + CON) if you are taking average (if rolling just replace the 5 with the rolled result). So whenever you increase your CON stat, you re-calculate your HP using this formula.