D&D's Bard: College of Swords in Xanathar's Guide to Everything

You can preorder Xanathar's Guide to Everything right here goo.gl/SsdyUj on dndbeyond.com
An official digital toolset for Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition.

[@BothGabor]

All I could think of was the duel scene in The Road to El Dorado. Hyped!

[@halfling62]

I know something you don't, I'm not left-handed.

[@user-fy3lg1hu2i]

"any last words?" 'i want to use snide intimidation' rolls 20 "i'll cut you to ribbons"

[@jeffwilliams1618]

*taught

[@xpgaines]

Don’t you DARE touch my bonus action.

[@MisterSmith00]

So many applications...Flourishes work with any weapon. A chef or butcher bard who uses cutlery and cooking utensils with precision and grace. A "trick shot" specialist who fires a hand crossbow at targets. An animal tamer from a circus, who wields a whip. A geisha or exotic dancer who wields concealed daggers amidst their performance. ...so many possibilities.

[@MisterSmith00]

College of Swords Goblin Bard. A dashing, charismatic bard who happens to be a goblin, they want to be a legendary hero like in the stories he would read about in books. Good conflict, in that the goblin would prove himself through good deeds and not his appearance...though he tried to improve that, too. Keeps himself clean, speaks eloquently, waxes his mustache...a very classy goblin. Completely surprises people. He fights well, too...the goblin's bonus action Hide and Disengage makes him hard to hit, and his Blade Flourishes gives him a ton of options to fight with. Fury of the Small helps stack his damage, too...honestly, strange as it seems, goblins seem to have been MADE to be bards!

[@jdatallah1284]

If y'all don't make a bard college called the Lyricist and give a buff to vicious mockery so I can rap battle enemies to death

[@fizzlock]

WAIT A MINUTE

[@PartridgeQuill]

This sounds really intriguing. I could totally see this theme fitting a circus bard.

[@Abelhawk]

Honestly, for simplicity's sake, I can't see anything better than having the bonus action. I mean, think of Pathfinder. A full-move action, a standard action, a free action, a move action, a swift action, and an immediate action? Come on!

[@otinane89]

I think he wants to say that with so many things being a bonus action, you end up being restricted in what you can do...

[@Abelhawk]

I feel like that's so easy to fix, though. Just say that double-weapon attacking only takes an action, or that you can use two bonus actions instead of one action and one bonus action.

[@otinane89]

Yeah the two weapon fighting fix is actually a very good idea!

[@yamatoblaze]

IMO Saga Edition Star Wars and 4e D&D both broke down actions perfectly. In SWSE (which was published first of the two) it was a Standard Action, Move Action, Swift Action. You can trade a Standard down to a Move or Swift, and a Move down to a Swift. 4e was exactly the same, except they called the smallest type of action a Minor Action rather than a Swift Action. They could have kept that mechanic, which worked very well and served to give all characters interesting tactical choices every turn without adding significant complexity. But if simplicity was the goal they could simply have taken out the part about trading actions down.

[@jesseward4115]

Why not give people a second bonus action at higher levels.

[@AJPickett]

Yay! I loved playing a Duelist back in the day, so this will do nicely.

[@Neverfate]

Is it wrong that after 2 years of playing the swashbuckler rogue I'm still excited for a similar theme on another class? All classes need an Errol Flynn subclass option.

[@sylvanvixen6887]

Especially the barbarian :D

[@Neverfate]

Charming, suave barbarian? Hell yeah!

[@captianbacon]

Honestly the rouge swashbuckler sword bard multiclass looks hella fine. Adding ur cha to initiative is huge and those being ur prim and secondary stats can feel really good. By lvl9 u get 3 hits per tur (if ur dual weilding) u get cha and dex int 2d6 snake attack skirting around enemies with ease blade flourishes sustainability with ur healing magic and utility spells u get 7 profinecencies 1 instrument and 4 expertise and jack of all trades. This is with 1-3 rouge and 4-9 bard.

[@queenannsrevenge100]

Mike is going to have to REALLY convince me that doing away with bonus actions is a good thing -- they solve so many action economy problems that doing away with them would re-introduce, everything from two-weapon fighting cheese to damaging the convenience of swift spells.

[@jessicahampton5319]

I played the Bard College of Swords in my fiance's game! I loved it! Akira Thaas, Bard Extraordinaire! Sword & Circus Tricks Galore!

[@tomthumbstick1033]

Jessica Hampton -- You and your fiancé are so lucky to share this hobby. I'm jealous! Hehe. But seriously, I can't think of a more attractive character than a high-charisma female bard who essentially dances through battle and with her blade (or blades) twirling, slashing, and thrusting as gracefully as a ballerina. I'd love to read a novel of her adventures! Not demanding you write one, of course. Haha. I'm just trying to illustrate how appealing such a character is. If you record your gaming sessions as KZbin videos, I'd gladly tune in! In any case, have fun (and favorable dice rolls) with Akira's adventures, and best wishes for you and your fiancé to share your love for gaming and for each other during a long and happy life together! Cheers!

[@tomthumbstick1033]

The Princess Bride. 'Nuff said! Okay, I can't resist saying it: "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!" And if not that, then think of Westley's "Man in Black" acrobatics and switching his sword hand. Now I'm truly sold on picking up both the Sword Coast Adventurers Guide AND Xanthar's Guide to Everything. Thank you, Mike Mearls and team, for making 5th Edition D&D even more fun than it already is!

[@Barrlounge]

Tom Thumbstick well you don't need to get Sword Coast Guide as Xanathars has both this and the Swashbuckler.

[@tomthumbstick1033]

Thank you so much for letting me know this! I mostly wanted the Sword Coast Guide exactly because I wanted the Swashbuckler. You have now allowed me to be able to afford getting the updated DM Screen or something else instead of buying the Sword Coast Guide for one main thing. I am forever in your debt! Hurrah and Huzzah!

[@Bluecho4]

The way I would run a Swords Bard would be as a kind of swashbuckling masked vigilante. A courtly man of mystery in a costume and ornate mask, like some combination of Zorro, the Three Musketeers, and the Scarlet Pimpernel. In his normal guise, he's a nobleman who walks through courtly life. Other times, though, he dons his costume - even using Disguise Self to make his features and physical characteristics seem different every time he appears - and fights crime.

[@Dragonspassage]

He might not like them but teaching someone you move get 1 action and 1 bonus action is super easy.

[@Afinati]

The greatest bard of all time, Scanlan Shorthalt, barely used his sword Mythcarver.

[@alexp7016]

Afinati he prefers to mock his opponents to death. Viciously.

[@TMOFApollios]

He was also a lore bard soooooo, not the best use of the classes time.

[@PunkJr]

SO. EXCITED. FOR. THIS.

[@FirstnameLastname-kn5sw]

02:15 Bard: College of RAP

[@marcusblacknell-andrews1783]

I’m working on a pirate character with this subclass, Orangebeard the Pirate. He’s a swashbuckling satyr, who sails through the seas of Theros, searching for adventures and epic tales to share.

[@NickStratton15]

Gloom Stalker next please? Interested to hear how the Deep Stalker changed.

[@robbiehussey4723]

Nick Stratton I'd like to know too. They changed the name, so do they not want it to be too focused on the Underdark or something?

[@sarico7827]

I love it as a swashbuckler and I played it that way and couple other ways. We also had a rogue swashbuckler once in the party and it slowly group turned into like a party sinbad and the seven seas. But it was an airship that was replaced 7 times.

[@freman007]

19 levels of Sword Bard plus 1 level of Hexblade seems like a fairly decent mix.

[@captianbacon]

My second favorite bard subclass this and lore. And it depends do I wanna be the skirmisher or the full support.

[@GO_EZ]

I was so much hoping for this archetype!!

[@ZacK-ke6hh]

No bonus actions? What a monster

[@tommorgan9073]

Valenar Elf College of Swords that uses a flame tongue double-bladed scimitar. He was tired of conquering and murdering with his people, so he ran off with his family heirloom, the flamespinner, to join the circus. All he wanted to do was amaze people. One night after his performance a particularly intriguing lady found him in a bar and he proceeded to get wasted. He woke up the next morning, not remembering much from the night before, but his mistress off the night and blade are now missing. Since he no longer has a blade, he no longer has an act, and was kicked out of the circus. He is now adventuring in the hopes of tracking his family heirloom down so he can continue to fulfill his life purpose of being in the circus.

[@jasonnewell7036]

This was one of my favoirite kits in 2nd ed.

[@steinarbergstl5799]

My upcoming character is a college of swords bard, so I'm glad this path made it into the book. Derriere le Pompeuse, swashbuckling halfling, superior sailor and owner of a mmmmmagnificent mmmmmoustache shall be pointing his rapier at his opponents with a flourish. The fact that his height makes that flourish be at crotch height for most opponents should only serve to make him a very intimidating little man. :)

[@brandoc.6610]

Am i the only one that though of jarlaxale when hearing the description of this class?

[@thecrasaeone]

Nope

[@xShadowsaur]

Anyone have any idea if the Artificer and the Mystic are making their way to Xanathar's Guide? As much as I love sub-classes, some new classes would be nice.

[@ViktorBengtsson]

The Mystic and Artificer will get additional testing at some point after XGtE is in stores. So no new classes in XGtE.

[@xShadowsaur]

Thank you. Do you have any knowledge of any upcoming UA classes?

[@ViktorBengtsson]

xShadowsaur Not really beyond what they have said already. More testing of full classes, no firm promise on when.

[@xShadowsaur]

Okay, thank you.

[@lysandriah8290]

WOW the salt in Mike Mearls' voice was palpable. Good on him for deciding not to change 5e though. Lol

[@bazsogabor8562]

As a DM how would you describe when the ancient dragon flies toward the character and he just throws a stone at it and it is pushed backwards 17 feet mid-air without any saving throw?

[@bazsogabor8562]

I mean there's no restriction on the weapon used (that's still ok), no restriction on the opponent's size and there's no saving throw.

[@jsizzlesaurusrex]

But can the sword bard rap battle his opponents to death?

[@FirmSoul4]

He can Rap Battle them. While Stabbing them to death. Does that count?

[@drowjack]

Baka

[@FirmSoul4]

Baka Tako

[@brenrypaige9956]

jsizzlesaurusrex Killer Bee much?

[@ThunderMonkey03]

Mechanically speaking, what's the advantage of choosing this over the college of valor

[@ThunderMonkey03]

My worry is that they will be too similar that one will become obsolete compared to the other.

[@LadyFirelyght]

Valor is about making the party better at fighting. Swords is about making themselves better at fighting.

[@Dragonspassage]

And lore is just better then them all.

[@pyrox2518]

i'm really confused with this. So you'r Bardic Inspiration what on it's own is already very limited because you normally can use it equal the amount of your CHA mod. and regain it after a long rest. What would mean is that this subclass is based on something you can use on average maybe 3 times until a long rest?? Why on earth would you play that?

[@rodrigobartos4633]

I know that is been a while since you commented on this but dont forget bards have Font of inspiration so they get Bardic Inspiration back with short rests too, and on 14th lvl u get to use blade flourish (using d6s) without using Bardic Inspiration.

[@pyrox2518]

i know that now yes :) thx for the reply. What i wonder now is if i regain my warlock spells on a short rest if i would multiclass with it being a bard.

[@rodrigobartos4633]

In the page 164 on PHB there is the rules for that, it is in pact magic, If you have both the Spellcasting class feature and the Pact Magic class feature from the warlock class, you can use the spell slots you gain from the Pact Magic feature to cast spells you know or have prepareu from classes with the Spellcasting class feature, and you can use the spell slots you gain fram the Spellcasting class feature to cast warlock spells you know.

[@mikkelmv3991]

If the College of swords do the Flourishes from the revised subclasses UA. I am not a big fan of, that you useBardic Inspiration to do them Flourishes . Which already is fairly limited. So i do think it crashes aginst their other resource being Bardic inspiration

[@isaactelesco2141]

Does anyone else notice that they just reskinned bladesinger?

[@edheldude]

The Bladesinger uses magic on his blade and is more wizard-y. The Blade (the bard kit from 2e) is more about flourishes with the sword.

[@Wtreadway0129]

Thom from Wheel of Time, the Glee man.

[@thefracturedbutwhole5475]

I know it's a necro post, but I love the Wheel of Time and Thom is my favorite character, and if i think of the college of swords I think of Thom.

[@tentavision13]

Where's your magic come from though

[@thefracturedbutwhole5475]

Your performance, just like any other Bard.

[@drakkonusfrostburn4038]

why isn't it called the College of Blades if it was inspired ;) by the 2e Blade Bard?

[@jeannot7784]

But the college of Valor is the same: bard that aren't bad at fighting. What is the difference?

[@eflarsen]

College of Valor is more combat-buffs and about being that war drummer as someone said above. The College of Swords is the bard who would be at home on a pirate ship, fighting people and inspiring tales of glories to come.

[@antonioromano6362]

I think the difference is this Bard is actually good at fighting, while that is just not bad; but we have to wait and see

[@halfling62]

Imagine the guy throwing knives at spinning target at the circus. they're flashy/showy w/ tricks. pointy object jugglers as opposed to a guy that's knows the best way to filet you. Staple/ pin opponents to a wall, that sort of thing.

[@miahmagick]

Today we reveal the College of Swords: the subclass for Bards who don't wanna play Bard, and that totally doesn't conflict with the Valor Bard in any way, no sir. I can trade my valuable Inspiration dice for a weaker version of a first level spell, a weak AoE, a situational move ability that requires me to stay right next to the guy I just chose to move 40 ft, and the only way I get Extra Attack is to do these things, so until level 14, when it stops spending my class feature as a resource, I can only do it CHA modifier times per rest? Awesome! [Dripping with sarcasm.] I mean, I'm glad it sucks. If you look at the class, and the spell list, the Bard is not for people who wanna be awesome. The Bard is for people who want other people to feel awesome. Someone shows up to the table as a Bard, and she's already showing she's someone who wants to make the game epic. It makes sense! They're crafting tales! Bard players come away with players that accomplish larger than life feats. They're also great "healers". Lore Bards can use Cutting Words on DAMAGE ROLLS. Yep. Someone decides to be cheeky and shoot little biters at the dress wearing dude in the back? Oh, how about I subtract... all the damage you just dealt. Actually, with a one level dip, they're the best healer in the game bar none. Life Cleric 1/Bard X gets 40 HP from a first level spell slot, and 2d6+5 bonus action heals for 10 rounds for just one 3rd level spell slot. That's a MINIMUM of 70 HP. Never mind it's on a class that gets Counterspell, Wall of Force, Contagion, OMGSTOPBREAKINGTHISGAMEALREADY.exe. (Disclaimer: if you're going for the 1 Life Cleric/6 Lore Bard build, you can't have Goodberry, Aura of Vitality, and Counterspell until at least level 11.) They can even get Revivify. Alternately, if you've got a Cleric already covering all that junk, you can be rocking Extra Attack, grab Swift Quiver faster than the Ranger can, and be shooting 4 arrows per round. Grab Vitriolic Sphere or Fire Ball for AoE, and you're all the damage your party will ever need (but you want more; you always want more). Oh, and it still doesn't take away my primary class features. Neat. - or you can play this crap, that fails to accomplish what made the Blade so cool in the first place while being inferior to a Valor Bard at almost everything. That works too, I guess.

[@sandbrm7786]

Pink Ehh, I really like this archetype, probably cause I wouldn't play a bard. I still wouldn't but I would use this as a multiclass option for a swashbuckler rogie because high charisma is something a swashbuckler would want so it makes them more versatile. Cha-mod per day bonuses and some spells. To make my knife loving rogue fell right. I did the same with an mastermind rogue and the collage of glamor bard. It's just a sparkle of creativity, just because you don't like it or see the point doesn't mean it shouldn't be in the game.

[@xristosrizos8406]

Pink how can adding a D12 to your AC be considered weak? Take shield Spell and shadow blade and go shred some vapor bards

[@Skkorm]

The fact that the swords bard has to spend Bardic Inspo charges in order to use florishes, makes them unusable. Trash design, 0/10

[@thefracturedbutwhole5475]

What? they're great, especially once you get font of inspiration and at 14th level you can use a D6 instead of expending a Bardic Inspiration, and to save you from blowing through all your Bardic Inspiration too quick use Magical Secrets to get good combat spells like Haste, Hex, Hunter's Mark, Steel Wind Strike, one of the Many Smite spells etc..., you are free to not like them but they're far from "unusable".