Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Nutthouse13 Dec 19, 2014 8:24:38	I am playing a College of Lore Bard currently level 5) and I would like to get your suggestions for the two "Additional Magic Secrets" at 6th level. I can pick 2 spells (upto level 3) of any class and add them to your known spells list. I have read a few guides online, but I would like to see if there are suggestions that they might have missed or players have find to be good.
#2 mellored Dec 19, 2014 9:17:55	What's the rest of your party?
#3 kimura121 Dec 19, 2014 11:00:45	Hex and Eldritch Blast are good choices if you want more at will blasting damage. Fireball is an awesome choice to give you some real AOE power. Haste will always make your melee guys smile. If you dont have a cleric, mass healing word might be nice for in combat healing otherwise aura of vitality heals more hps. Like the previous poster said, it really depends on your party make up. I'd pick up spells that fill in gaps in the groups abilities.
#4 Nutthouse13 Dec 19, 2014 11:56:11	We have a Fighter, Wizard, Cleric (Life), Monk, Ranger...
(Reply to #4) steelwulf99	Nutthouse13 wrote:
#6 mellored Dec 19, 2014 12:11:02	Nutthouse13 wrote:
#7 mellored Dec 19, 2014 12:13:56	steelwulf99 wrote:
#8 Ashrym Dec 20, 2014 2:10:27	Crusader's mantle comes right to mind based on the party makeup, I agree, but gets back to using up concentration.  The spells can also be from the bard list too.  Counterspell is possibly a solid choice.   The question I would ask, is what spells do you already have?
#9 GladiusLegis Dec 20, 2014 11:14:48	Yeah, I third (or whatever) Crusader's Mantle. Your Cleric has Bless covered, and your Wizard Haste.
#10 demon_idol Dec 20, 2014 13:32:31	Here are some alternatives to consider.   Blink is a good defensive spell that will be useful for all of your character's career, and does not use concentration.   Conjure animals and do something no one else in the party can do, it provides both a defensive barrier, and extra attacks.   With a cleric of life in the party, I would not worry about healing.   Fly is also a very useful spell. It solves many problems.
#11 steelwulf99 Dec 21, 2014 0:00:59	mellored wrote:
#12 GladiusLegis Dec 21, 2014 0:59:08	Elemental Weapon is great if nobody has a magical weapon (especially not your Fighter). If your Fighter or whatever does have a magical weapon already, then Crusader's Mantle blows it away.
#13 Ashrym Dec 21, 2014 1:42:25	Elemental weapon has the benefit of targetting vulnerability to that type of elemental damage and can be cast in higher level slots, but I would more likely want to use those higher level slots for higher level spells.  I can see the attraction, but I don't think it's worth the higher level slots, and not a better spell in the same slot as crusader's mantle.  It's also an eggs in one basket issue in comparison.   I wouldn't frown on the choice, but I would select crusader's mantle over it.   Conjure animals can also be fun.
#14 mellored Dec 21, 2014 9:01:20	Crusader's mantle works fine with monks. Unarmed strikes are still weapons. Elemental weapon is better when you only have 1 weapon user to support. Of course you can take both.
#15 Ashrym Dec 21, 2014 11:35:43	Elemental weapon can also be all but useless if everyone already has magic weapons. That can depend a lot on the campaign, but it can be switched out later. Summons or animate dead work well depending on campaign too.
#16 WizardV Dec 21, 2014 12:41:53	I second the wall of fur/animate dead + crusaders mantle approach. If you're level 6 you aren't worrying about your level 13 damage quite yet. Crusaders mantle stays strong at 3 and will leave you're higher slots free as you level rather than competing for your level 5 and then level 7 spells.   As a side note, I find the idea of holy power from a stolen paladin spell boosting my unholy skeletons from a stolen necromancer spell to be hilarious.   Edit: typo unholy
#17 ShinQuickMan Dec 21, 2014 12:56:28	It's not entirely clear whether you can switch your Magical Secrets, or, evenif you could, switch one for a non-Bard spell.
#18 guachi Dec 21, 2014 13:10:10	For something not powerful at all, you could steal the paladin's summon mount spell. I did that with my Bard with the Charlatan bacground and Actor feat. Nothing like summoning your own noble steed to convince the rubes you really, truly are a paladin!
(Reply to #17) Ashrym	ShinQuickMan wrote:
#20 Nutthouse13 Dec 22, 2014 7:50:43	First I like to say thank you everyone are their suggestions and feedback to my question. FYI, I play the bard in AL and a few players attendence is not always 100% due to work.   So based on the everything said I really like Crusader's Mantle ... how does this sound:   Crusader's Mantle & Counterspell Or Crusader's Mantle & Slow   I thought Slow might by good if in case attendence issue with people and CM might not be the best based on party build of that game. Or Counterspell to cancel that one spell that might do us in because I usually go before the wizard...   Thoughts...
#21 mellored Dec 22, 2014 8:01:44	Slow is a concentration spell, so it can't be used at the same time as crusader's mantle.   And bards have hypnotic pattern to fill a similar role.   So i would go with counterspell.