Top 10 D&D 5e Magical Secrets Spells for Bards | Nerd Immersion

Later than planned here's my day late Top 10 Tuesday! This time we're talking about my Top 10 Magical Secrets for Bards. Bards have access to the entire spell list of all of D&D 5e, so picking just 10 can prove difficult. That being said, here's 10 of my favorites. What is your go to Magical Secret spell?
Introduction 00:00
10 - Destructive Wave 02:46
9 - Wish 04:30
8 - Pass Without Trace 07:58
7 - Telekinesis 09:15
6 - Rary's Telepathic Bond 13:03
5 - Fireball/Lightning Bolt 15:08
4 - Wall of Force 16:26
3 - Find Steed/Find Greater Steed 19:20
2 - Spirit Guardians 21:25
1 - Counterspell 23:09
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[@NerdImmersion]

5️⃣0️⃣ 50K Giveaway! gleam.io/ZHW1b/50k-youtube-subscriber-giveaway 5️⃣0️⃣ 10 - Destructive Wave 02:46 9 - Wish 04:30 8 - Pass Without Trace 07:58 7 - Telekinesis 09:15 6 - Rary's Telepathic Bond 13:03 5 - Fireball/Lightning Bolt 15:08 4 - Wall of Force 16:26 3 - Find Steed/Find Greater Steed 19:20 2 - Spirit Guardians 21:25 1 - Counterspell 23:09

[@aaronjjacques]

can't believe you didn't include conjure fey. it can be used in combat to summon meat shields, do damage , with pixie and dryad it trade one spell slot for multiple spells. And you can use it during down time. It also a great pre rest burn spell. Use all your spell slot to cast it/upcast it and summon dryad and get a ton of good berries for the next day. Summon giant snake and get enough poison to coat ll your weapons etc.

[@aaronjjacques]

you could replace pass without a trace, find steed, and spirit guardians on that list just with that one spell.

[@NerdImmersion]

@@aaronjjacques I assume you mean conjure woodland beings? Because conjure fey only summons an fey shaped as an animal.

[@NerdImmersion]

So you know with Conjure Woodland beings you don't get to pick what you summon right? You don't get to pick what you summon for any of these spells. You pick a challenge rating and then the DM gets to decide whatever they want. Also no where does it say you can milk a giant snake to get poison to coat your weapons? What rule are you sighting for that? If the creature dies and leaves no corpse behind, what makes you think you can gather venom from a creature that doesn't technically exist.

[@NerdImmersion]

You also know that Find Steed is non concentration, non dispell-able and lasts until the creature dies right? If it doesn't get destroyed, it stays indefinitely. But no let's replace a constant companion that can watch all night while we sleep and travel with us as long as we want for our one concentration spell.

[@lietz13]

"I've learned the secrets to magical power, the possibilities are endless, I can manipulate the weave and bend it to my will, I have-" "So you picked fireball again" "Yes."

[@VBane]

Can say without a doubt that a Scanlan picking Counterspell as one of his secrets was the best choice made by any player for the entire first CR campaign.

[@abcrasshadow9341]

Yep from watching critical role I think a lot of people thought, myself included, that counter spell was on the bard list. It is honestly such a must have on bard that it is weird that it is not on the list by default. Hopefully Tasha's fixes this!

[@zulokraanhercule4128]

Just imagine what would happen if he had Glibness. That one 9th level counterspell against Vecna would have not been needed, he could have just used the regular 3rd level spell slot and wouldn't have had to even roll, cause the minimum would've been above 20.

[@abcrasshadow9341]

@@zulokraanhercule4128 Yeah I realized that too while watching this video, but man was that player exchange amazing.

[@Thankfuldead]

i noticed that it didnt seem like scanlan was rolling it properly tho, its a spellcasting ability check, but he didnt add jack of trades to that, could have been a stronger counterspell lol

[@hanbeihood3202]

Better than Percy giving Grog a title?

[@nickschile4807]

Find Greater Steed combined with a 1-2 level dip in Hexblade is a powerful combination. Access to Shield and Armor of Agathys, which affect both you and your mount, gives you survivability and maneuverability to do all your bard stuff and deal some damage.

[@kylemullen5341]

Under rated combo there

[@crr4kk810]

take primal savagery for even more martials lul

[@whitleypedia]

the big advantage of a bard getting find steed is that the number of spells you can then use for share spells is huge -- enlarge is on the bard spell list now so BAM you become large and your steed becomes huge.

[@devin5201]

@@crr4kk810 OMG yes! I was just leaving a comment that spells like PS and Vampiric Touch technically target the caster while harming another creature so you can have a vampire horse or an acidic horse or if you pick Dragon Breath a MFing fire breathing horse.

[@jAfr0Thunder86]

I planned on taking hexblade as a 2 level dip for my lore bard (that already has 1 lvl of arcana cleric). Adding the steed and AoA never even occurred to me and it’s brilliant. Thanks.

[@peterrasmussen4428]

so in the intro, he mentions this is his personal top 10, so we can't really say anything is wrong with the list, as he might just like those spells. But I still want to point out a few weaknesses and strengths of the spells he mentions. But first a few general things to keep in mind. 1: Bards actually have good damage on their list, not a lot of options, but those they have are good. (Dissonant whispers, Animate Object, Synaptic static). So if you are picking up a damage spell, you are either doing it for flavor, or because it is so much stronger than these options that it is still worth it. (I mention this, because I see the misconception that bards do poor damage, I think it stems from them having few damage spells, but the actually do good damage if you want them to). 2: a lot of the bards best spells are concentration. (Heat metal, Hypnotic pattern, Fear, Polymorph, Animate objects) So picking up even more concentration might not be the best idea. On to the list: 10: Destructive wave. Deals okay damage, it is cool it avoids hitting allies, but not particularly spectacular. By the level you can get this, the bard has decent damage options of their own, this might be a slight upgrade, but not by much. 9: Wish, I would have put it higher on the list, copying all spell lists is awesome. Depending on what other magical secrets you have, this might give you, a familiar, Find greater steed, simulacrum, contingency, Antipathy/sympathy, all cast well ahead of your adventure. 8: Pass without Trace, a pretty good option, you only need one party member to know this, but that might be you, a worthy addition to the list. 7: Telekinesis. this is concentration, so that is not good. Animate Objects fulfills some of the same utility, and is one of the great picks already on the bard spell list. It also competes with wall of force, why give an enemy a check to escape at all? 6: Telepathic Bond, I like this spell, just not this much. Also it might only be on the wizard spell list, but being a ritual means if anyone picks up the ritual casting feat and pick wizard (which is a good idea because wizards have the most rituals), they can pick this up. Good spell though. 5: Fireball/lightning bolt: I would usually not pick these up, the great thing about them is they are not concentration. The bad thing is, you can already do damage. I think they are most appropriate on a lore bard, in a campaign you don't suspect to go much above level 9, where you get synaptic static. 4: Wall of Force, should be number one on this list. He mentions a lot of good uses for it, but not the most basic use. Which is to cut off half the enemies from the battle, essentially turning 1 deadly encounter into 2 cake walks. Don't trap all the enemies, they will come back to hunt you down in 10 minutes. Trap half the enemies, and if there is some sort of synergy between the enemies, break that up. The most simple synergy is melees protecting archers/casters, trap the archers, deal with the melees. Then send your fighters all the way up to the wall trapping that is trapping archers, before you drop concentration. 3: Find steed/Find Greater Steed: Good picks, I would hold out for greater steed, as you can usually just buy a warhorse if you want a steed. 2: Spirit Guardians: This is an amazing spell, but it requires concentration, and you are no cleric, you don't (usually) have the AC to stand on the frontline. Remember, every time you are concentrating on Spirit Guardians, you are not concentrating on Hypnotic Pattern, which is at least equally amazing, and already on your list. Spirit guardians, might still be a good pick, the damage is really good . But it doesn't deserve the number 2 spot, concentration is really holding this back. 1: Counterspell: Yes, this would be my number 2 after wall of force. Just all the yes for counterspell. Spells I feel are missing from the list, -Revivify: You might not cast it much, but it is great when you need it. This adds something to the bard they couldn't do before at all, and is not concentration. -Shield: Because not dying is great. -Simulacrum: This spell is awesome, you now have 2 counterspellers, and two people to hold concentration on those wall of force spells, cutting any encounter into nice little bite sized chunks for your fighters to eat up. Because what is better than 1 high level spell caster? 2 high level spell casters. Regardless, I always say this about the bard, pick hypnotic pattern, and you will be fine, so if you feel like picking something weird with your magical secrets, go for it, and if an encounter looks tough, throw down a hypnotic pattern, and you will usually be fine.

[@ZyroShadowPony]

If im correct thanks to tasha's cauldron of everything telepathic bond should be available as bard spell so that means you dont need to waste magical secrets to obtain it

[@asparagii]

​@ZyroShadowPony yeah, it's an optional class feature for Bard. So, if your DM allows it, you can choose Rary telepathic bond as a normal spell pick

[@thatnerdcalledzanni3957]

I really like Spiritual Weapon for my Melee-oriented bards, specially when I'm using my bardic inspirations for flourishes and things of the sort. Tenser's Transformation, Storm Sphere, Fabricate, Death Ward, Holy Weapon, all offer some great options too from my past characters' experience

[@docnevyn5814]

1/2 caster spells are powerful for the level of spell: aura of vitality, crusader's mantle, swift quiver, etc. I love spirit guardians but your average lore bard is not gonna want to be that close to the enemies.

[@joelmills4304]

My level three bard with only 18 hit points agrees, I'm stayinh 35 feet from any enemy

[@captianbacon]

The lvl 11 bard with swift quiver...

[@williamturner6192]

Not swift quiver.

[@williamturner6192]

@@captianbacon no need to poke fun.

[@captianbacon]

@@williamturner6192 pokefun? Thats actually a really good build.

[@Deathmvp1]

I was so surprised you did not have Find Familiar in the top 10 as you seem to love it and it would even allow you to use it as a Ritual. I also feel that all Spell casting primary classes should have counterspell.

[@samuelpierce639]

Someone probably already mentioned this, but the 33% chance applies any time you use wish for anything other than casting another spell.

[@thornelson1411]

I agree. Counterspell should be available for everyone

[@alfonsovallejo2665]

The Azorius Functionary background gives you counterspell as extended spell list.

[@Florian0799]

Divine spellcasters suffer so much because of it. Well except your a monster slayer ranger but they get it only at very high levels.

[@nicka3697]

If every spell caster in the game gets counterspell that includes all the monsters. There's a big danger that once someone casts a spell you end up in a big counterspell counterspell chain everytime. That's really going to drain every magic users spell slots. Leaving your innate spellcasting monsters to run amok. Careful what you wish for ...

[@darkenedblade2585]

Noooooo

[@theprinceofawesomeness]

Counter Spell, Dispell Magic, a sort of Zone of Anti-Magic and some sort if targeted Silence scould be avalible for all spellcasters

[@estebanramirez1178]

One of my favorite spells was Conjure Animals. To make it easier for my DM, I created laminated cards of creatures that I liked to summon with all the stats necessary. My in-game bard made his own deck of cards with all the animals he has seen and read about. If he was in combat, he would basically play Yu-Gi-Oh.

[@matterburnerthewolf8227]

I highly recommend the spell steel wind strike. Not just is it the most anime sounding spell you also get to choose 5 creatures within 30 feet and against each of them you make a melee spell attack and on a hit deal 6d10 force damage and if your a sword or valor bard that needs to close the distance you can teleport to any of the 5 targets

[@alexpopovici2371]

Also, you have the potential of critting on those attacks. First thing I'm picking up at level 10.

[@typoko]

Only two I can think of to add are Aura of Vitality for more healing focused bard and Steel Wind Strike for more interesting damage option.

[@cameronpearce5943]

I’m all for other classes having access to Counterspell but a lore reason for not having it might be that it requires an in depth knowledge of how spells are cast. With all the other casters who don’t get it a lot of their magic is them believing in something or following ritual. Like, they don’t know how the sausage is made most of the time

[@charliescheirmann2926]

*Sorcerer laughs in inheriting magic powers because dad stuck his dick where it didn't belong* and *Warlock laughs in receiving magic from their magical sugar daddies*

[@Bokmoh]

I couldn't agree more with OP

[@TyranusRex721]

When I play Valor Bard, I love to pick up Steel Wind Strike and Holy Weapon.

[@noah509]

Wait, in regards to wish, those listed options DO trigger the chance to never cast wish again. The quote is "The stress of casting this spell to produce any effect other than duplicating another spell weakens you," which includes the ones listed in the spell description, doesn't it?

[@abcrasshadow9341]

Yep seems to be the case, from what I could gather with my research and reading comprehension skills.

[@NerdImmersion]

Correct, they just have no chance of not working properly

[@alexesterly3448]

One of my 3rd lvl picks for lore bard is Conjure Animals so I can summon 8 elk and beat my drum as I have them all charge into battle. I think it’s an underrated pick.

[@ramiroj.2381]

tecnically you can't choose the animals, it gets a bit OP if the player does this. Some DM still allow for it though...

[@Sentinel851]

for me, some of the best spells are from the paladin/ranger list. I prefer a more Magus-y playstyle, casting spells to enhance my weapons, and I love the idea of the Whispers college, so the spells Steel Wind Strike and Swift Quiver are awesome. Circle of Power is also an amazing buff spell, which really fits in with the Bard, being able to reduce damage that their allies take also means that they won't have to spend spells on healing them, nor inspiration on saving throws as often. Elemental/Holy Weapon is really good to buff an ally, or even yourself in a pinch. Banishment is also a good option. particularly on the Eloquence bard. you can set yourself up for them to subtract a BI die roll from the save, which is nasty. Find Greater Steed can also be OP, as you mentioned. if you're able to get your hands on a Ring of Spell Storing, that's arguably a mount for the whole party, given a week or so to pass it around, at which point you as a party have flying mounts. Conjure Woodland Beings is also really nice, and as an added bonus, you get to roleplay that "Snow White singing the birds out of the trees" as a bard. Stoneskin is also nice to get, either for yourself as a "get out of jail" card, or for someone else in the party. Call Lightning is my go-to spell for damage, it's concentration, so you can get a good amount of damage out of it other than that, I do like the "staple" spells that the bards don't get. Counterspell, Lightning Bolt, Fireball, etc.

[@comicserif]

Thank you for making this! I requested in a livestream and am excited to watch your answers!

[@DanDragon92]

I think all Arcane full-casters should have access to Counterspell, makes sense to allow the wielders of full arcane magic to disrupt other caster's magics.

[@yacobvlogs1238]

Started playing a bard this weekend, so I’m super happy about this video

[@brianjones1712]

Steel wind Strike, Haste

[@anthonynorman7545]

I think it's fine that only arcane gets counterspell as they don't typically get healing

[@alexpopovici2371]

That's a prettt good point actually

[@anthonynorman7545]

Thanks, I try

[@ryansprenkle6356]

I think bard technically are arcane casters, but I agree. I think it's a fair trade off. Counterspell makes for really cool moments, but every single caster on the field having it could turn into a mess very quickly.

[@anthonynorman7545]

@@ryansprenkle6356 I think bards use bardic magic which is it's own thing

[@aberrantsoul6697]

@@anthonynorman7545 I think technically theres only arcane and divine magic. It also depends on the DM and the world they're running.

[@changelingschance9424]

Personally my favorite magical secret choice is Armor of Agathys, especially on college of swords and valor bards. It's always a great way to do more damage and increase survivability in melee, and it scales really well for a first level spell.

[@mduckernz]

It's especially great for facing armies of minions, like a horde of skeletons or similar, because their attacks don't do much damage, and the spell only ends once the temp HP is completely removed - but the attacker receives the full amount of damage each time! It totally wrecks them... It's totally passive too, no spending your reaction or anything... so like if you get surrounded by 6 skeletons, you cast a 6th level Armour of Agathys to protect yourself, and they attack, each doing 5 damage, that's 30 damage total, ending it on the last one that attacks - but each skelly will get a 30 cold damage blast, killing all of them one by one as they attack... you've effectively spent 6 actions worth of economy and didn't have to move to reposition (like if for an AoE like a fireball) or anything

[@Alternatestories]

One level dip in hex blade warlock would be infinitely better.

[@changelingschance9424]

@@Alternatestories the hexblade warlock build is stronger mechanically as far as the melee attack elements go, but flavorwise there are a lot of reasons you may not want your bard bound down to a patron. plus sticking to bard means higher level spell slots are gotten sooner. Casting it one level higher means an extra 5 damage to anyone that hits you per attack, so the stronger armor of agathys can largely balance things out against the hexblade dip. It is especially powerful against enemies that get several weak attacks. So there are plenty of reasons to just stay pure bard.

[@blakemeplz]

One of my favorite pick ups was Steel Wind Strike on my college of swords bard. Any capstone spell for half casters are amazing for magical secrets

[@danielchester7974]

Bigby’s Hand is an outstanding parallel to Telekinesis. Pros: Damage: Clenched Fist- 4d8 Force Damage/rd as a bonus action! Grasping Hand- 2d6+spell casting mod in addition to a very hard to resist grapple. -Both of these are scalable in very impressive ways. Forceful hand-Push up large creatures at advantage 20+ ‘ minimum every round. Amazing battlefield control Interposing Hand-wall off the caster from an opponent with less than a 26 strength , and +2 AC Cons: Telekinesis lasts longer, can exert fine control, and lift more pure pounds. Overall, however, as a Bard, Bigby’s overcomes the most significant handicap Bards face with their limited spells known, i.e., it’s highly versatile, offering damage, debuff, and utility features in spades. As mentioned before, the scalability is pretty amazing as well (+2d8/slot on clenched fist, and +2d6/slot on grasping hand). Throw this up and cast spells/cantrips every round on top of the damage/control you get with your bonus action.

[@cress564]

I’ve had a lot of fun with Steel Wind Strike on my Valor bard. My DM actually ruled that we would benefit from auto crits if the target was paralyzed, but even without that ruling, it’s a fun spell.

[@alexpopovici2371]

Can't wait to pick this up as a valor bard, two more levels to go. Undecided on the second choice though.

[@mke3053]

RAW, paralyzed is an auto crit condition.

[@predwin1998]

@@mke3053 RAW Paralyzed is only auto crit within 5 feet. And while Steel Wind Strike is flavoured as you teleporting around and cutting everyone in melee, by RAW I think you are considered to be standing where you stood when you started casting it until you truly teleport after having made your last attack. So by that reasoning (if I'm correct here) it would in fact be a (sensible) houserule to allow Steel Wind Strike to benefit from the auto crit unless you already stood within 5 feet when you cast the spell.

[@mke3053]

@@predwin1998 Yes, you are correct.

[@nickschile4807]

Big fan of Thunder Step, which I took at 6 as a Lore Bard. More than once it saved our wizard or druid from getting eaten by something XD. Also Bigby's Hand, which can serve offensive, defensive, and utility purposes.

[@Shadylikeatree]

This is a great list. I'd say a couple that I love that aren't mentioned are Aura of Vitality (especially pared with a life cleric dip), Disintegrate, Bless, Heal and Heroes Feast

[@Baph60606]

My girlfriend plays a college of whispers bard/horizon walker ranger (is actually pretty good hahah) and she got swift quiver...now she attackes A LOT of times + psychic blades + planar guardian + some buffs we use on they (the party have a fighter/paladin and a druid) and some times already she dissolves the other guys in like 3/4 rounds all by herself while we take care of the minions...I love it

[@Unknown_Eldritch]

I personally can't recommend Tenser's Transformation enough for bards that are even slightly melee-focused, escpecially Paladin/Bard Multiclass.

[@kbeazy_3050]

And steel wind strike

[@typoko]

Only problem I have with Tenser's is that it takes 10 minutes to put on heavy armor :D

[@benediktasvainoris6445]

Or otherworldly form if you're allowed to use ua

[@MrSlutzkin]

I feel like it’s only good if you aren’t taking Counterspell as Bard, or aren’t expected to use battlefield control to enable your party.

[@MrSlutzkin]

I feel like it’s only good if you aren’t taking Counterspell as Bard, or aren’t expected to use battlefield control to enable your party.

[@Knevix711]

I'm a fan of the combination of Find Greater Steed and Tenser's Transformation.

[@SilverHalsen]

Going for counterspell and revivify when I hit lvl 6 as my group has no cleric/druid or others that might bring people back.

[@CivilWarMan]

Actually pulling off the Glibness/Counterspell combo against a high level spellcaster is amazing, doubly so as a bard (you can also do it with Warlock, but they lack Jack of All Trades and don't have enough slots to really twist the knife). Unless the Bard is dumping Charisma for some reason, by the time they get Glibness the counter check is guaranteed to succeed against any level of spell if they have it up. If a Bard with this combo is really out to spite you, you can look forward to the first spell you cast for up to the next 15 rounds fizzling, and there is not much you can do to stop it beyond preparing a Contingency ahead of time, being a Sorcerer with Subtle Spell, or burning through your own reactions and spell slots Counterspelling their Counterspell.

[@WraithJT_]

Currently playing in my first campaign, and playing a Bard. I grabbed Counterspell and Bless (since we have no Paladin or Cleric). I'd say Bless is a top tier pickup if you don't have anyone else to cast it, either through Magic Initiate or Secrets. It provides a nice baseline Concentration spell when you don't need to use your other options, and upcasts nicely if you have more than 3 party members.

[@jAfr0Thunder86]

I’d love you to do this list again including any new spells from the last 3 years

[@NerdImmersion]

Here's one from 2022: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3a0ZYiblLuSn5Ysi=a0uBaBjqAClvljTz

[@clenzen9930]

Re: Meta-gaming telepathy, the group should have also practiced and discussed tactics outside of combat. Real fighters drill because of high stakes (death), so it's reasonable adventures would do the same. Also, it's a game, so I wouldn't let a little game chat get you down. Some DMs encourage talk, especially at the end of each round. It can make things more cinematic. Still, I take the point you were making. Great video!

[@devin5201]

There's a few spells that technically target oneself that could be used to give your steed extra damaging capabilities, Vampiric Touch being one of them, yeah, that spell has a range of self so teeeechnically if the DM allows such stuff you can have your horse be a vampire.

[@bagamer13]

Steel Wind Strike is a personal fav to grab. That spell is just anime as hell. It’s also really good if you combine it with Greater Invisibility the turn before. Better chance to hit, and subsequently to crit, on each strike.

[@alexpopovici2371]

Is it on each strike or just the first one though? Cause I've seen people contradict on this subject before.

[@code7943]

I almost always go for Find Steed/Greater Steed. Greater version has a lot of versatility that wasn't talked about though. You could have a direwolf with you to help track down thieves that went into the forest. Have a rhinoceros with you to bash down the front doors. Have a flying option be above you to yell when danger is coming. That's only a few examples of the top my head. There's a lot of creativity that you could use with the spell

[@samuelbroad11]

Greater version excludes the fighting seamlessly as a unit text, which is worth considering depending on the tables interpretation of mounted combat's clumsy rules. Your utility examples of course are great and don't require this, but worth noting. Double checked errata and it still hasn't been added sadly.

[@TheMemo659]

Bard is my 5e home and I usually play some variation of a melee bard. Yeah, sad to admit it but my characters in 4 different ongoing campaigns are all bards. 10: Banishing smite, hex, or some other bonus action melee damage boost spell (my hex dip sword bard will slip counter spell in here instead since he already has hex) and fireball 14: Sunbeam (valor only, will pick something else if my hex dip sword bard gets here), fly 18: Wish, True polymorph I favor bonus action/reaction combat spells and ritual utility spells. Healing word, as an example, is amazing for filling your party utility role while STILL applying pressure. Leaning heavily on ritual spells as a melee bard means you can still do lots of creative things outside of combat without wasting any resources. Sunbeam is my FAVORITE spell to team with the level 14 valor bard perk. As long as you can hold the concentration, the spell economy on that combo is fantastic. I've only used it in game 2 times now, and it was everything I had dreamed it would be each time.

[@Erenali.98]

I'm getting closer to picking my first magical secrets (probably still a year away from now 😂) I intend on picking Immovable Object alongside Counterspell. Seems like a really fun spell to mess around with

[@arisirote8404]

The spell Slow made a fantastic magical secrets choice until it was added to the Bard spell list in the class features UA. Haste is still top tier though.

[@kylemullen5341]

Idk why they don’t get those Normally , I think of bards as Control / Support and those 2 spells scream bard

[@arisirote8404]

@@kylemullen5341 I think it's a matter of making bards "too powerful" and taking away from the Wizard

[@kylemullen5341]

@@arisirote8404 w/ Secrets they can snipe any spells so I guess making an argument for them having any spell kinda don’t work Wizard has more spell flexibility I think their advantage, Played bard b4 and found that I always wanted more spells then I cud take . But haste is one of the best buff spells and think bards shud get it w/o have to use their secret

[@arisirote8404]

@@kylemullen5341 Actually, Bards get more spells than Wizards. Even though they can know (in the book) up to 386 spells, they can only have a small number prepared at a time. Where as bards with magical secrets actually get more total spells per day on average than any other class. Although having played a bard myself I do have to say that the appetite for having more spells is unending.

[@kylemullen5341]

@@arisirote8404 Wizards (DM dependence) if they find scrolls get Crazy spell counts , Also It sounds weird but that fact they don’t get healing spells frees up their choices abit , I find party’s kinda lean on bards to make sure they have those heal spells . Kinda wish bards had a arcane recovery feature connected to the more caster based sub classes

[@gametime2947]

I really like phantasmal killer. It's only available on a couple subclass and wizards and I really like the flavor of the spell. Lvl 4 spell isn't so bad either

[@ChrisCox-wv7oo]

Rary's is now on the Bard spell list from Tasha's btw.. glad you think so highly of it.

[@cameronpearce5943]

Perfect video to send me off to sleep, I just started making a new Bard :)

[@MrBiloxifireman]

Great Topic 👍

[@deloreigames8641]

Wall of Force plus College of Creation, in a mountain or some inclined place. You trap the bad guy in a sphere, create a Morningstar-esque metallic ball with sharp points, inside the sphere, and push to go spinning down the mountain. I dont know how much damage I could rack with the fall damage plus being continually hit with the metallic ball, but sounds like a lot of fun

[@Gladerunner2113]

Find Greater Steed and Haste are pretty good bread and butter picks. Your mount's gotta go fast, and it will typically allow them to make a second attack unless you decide to Dash or Disengage. The +2 AC plus any barding you might have is really solid too. Only downside is that failing your concentration check means you both lose your actions, making War Caster and/or Resilient Constitution really valuable safety measures.

[@NiklasBlom]

My Collage of Blades bard took Steel Wind Strike, partly because it's really good and thematic, partly because one of my inspirations for him is Nightcrawler.

[@jerrybeard8995]

I feel like Counterspell can wait until 10th level (for lore bards) unless you are in a caster heavy(as enemies) campaign, but I'm more surprised Haste wasn't on there. You can run away like crazy if you need to , but more to help your barbarian, or paladin (etc) really run around and do some damage with having a +2 to their ac at the same time.

[@absolutezero6423]

Magic Jar Simulacrum and Clone. Also Haste Shield and Mage Armor work well with Find Steed. I agree that Wish and Counterspell are a must.

[@TheRobversion1]

Not on this list that i love selecting: 1. tiny servant. Seems perfect like perfect targets for the bard's support abilities like bardic inspiration and support spells. Plus, singing hero with tiny talking silverware... be our guest, be our guest... 2. scorching ray. gives the bard an excellent single target dpr spell to combine with hold person/monster. 3. conjure woodland beings/giant insect/conjure animals. again another summoning setup like tiny servant to take advantage of the bard's support features and spells. Throw in dissonant whispers for tons of AOO attacks. 4. tasha's mind whip. gives the control bard an alternative non-concentration control spell to blindness/deafness. harder to save against to. 5. guardian of nature/swift quiver/spirit shroud. makes a martial bard more viable.

[@Stormeris]

I like Animate Dead for a Zombie/Skeleton army combined with Crusader's Mantle that causes each Zombie/Skeleton deal extra 1d4 radiant damage. It's both, kinda funny, with the holy skeleton army, but also pretty good, because when you stack enough mooks, they're pretty scary

[@macromondo8026]

21:10 My level 7 Lore Bard in our current campaign "someday I shall play Pegasus Fantasy while riding an actual pegasus, someday..."

[@liv4themoments]

One of my players played a Bard archer and chose Swift Quiver for their magical secrets. They were doing 3 or more attacks per round in combat!

[@ittyandpocky]

My Whispers bard 10 / Mastermind rogue 4 spy character got Shadow Blade, so he can sneak attack someone with an illusory blade and all of it does a ton of psychic damage with Psychic Blades from Whispers bard. It's his go-to combat spell, most of his other spells are more intrigue related, like suggestion or charm, or various illusions.

[@boboscarwoodley4776]

Spiritual weapon is my go to for lore bard

[@randomboy18]

my big ones i go for is Revivify and Spiritual Weapon

[@Mr_Maiq_The_Liar]

I'd recommend picking flashy reliable spell that are going to be iconic to you plus counter spell. Animate dead, resilient sphere, heroes feast, fireball, haste, slow, telekinesis, destructive wave, spirit guardians, bless, find stead, find familiar, wish, bigby's hand. Get a flashy old reliable, something to be known for, that's kinda the bards thing.

[@jefferyoneill1]

I'm surprised no one else in the comments has mentioned spiritual weapon.

[@samuelbroad11]

Simple answer:Action economy. Bardic inspiration, healing word and animate objects can conflict with this. Sure it's not concentration, but SO many excellent 2nd/3rd level spells and literally so little time. Leave the Spiritual weapon and Spiritual Guardians to the party Cleric. If no party Cleric then go for it! But it is rool noice.

[@kmoustakas]

I really like spiritual weapon but with amount of choice available it's hard to pick it over something else

[@augustolenzuen800]

I'm choosing Shield and Haste with my College of Valor Bard 18 / Paladin 2 build at level 10. This will hopefully make him much harder to hit (his AC can reach the mid-20s in any given round without magical items as long as I have the spell slots), which also means I'll need to roll less Concentration checks. Let's see if it works!

[@Kurgosh1]

Top two are pretty obvious. They're just so very, very good. The real interesting bits are the rest of the list and the reasoning. The one spell I'd be tempted to put on my list is Revivify. That can really save your group in a bad spot.

[@stugod5000]

nice set of spells. I'm about to multiclass into lore bard after playing a paladin I wasn't sure what to take, I was leading haste but this makes me rethink.

[@Greginda11]

if your main class is a paladin than I wholly recommend haste.

[@stugod5000]

@@Greginda11 cheers

[@mke3053]

Shield or counterspell can help you more than haste, IMHO concentration spells are no good for tank-like characters.

[@Greginda11]

@@mke3053 if one is looking for flat out damage than as a paladin haste is supreme. also paladins get to add their cha mod to con checks making it alot easier to concentrate, if one gets resilient or already has prof in con than the odds of failing are really low.

[@abcrasshadow9341]

Spells I have seen people suggest for magical secrets for those that want to get an expanded list of suggestions: Zephyr strike Tenser's transformation Steel wind strike Crusader's Mantle Haste Slow (Tasha's might change this) Mass healing word (Tasha's -||-) My own suggestions Revivify Bigby's Hand Circle of power Holy weapon Swift Quiver (to be a better ranger than ranger) Tree stride (for travel to any big tree) Heroes' Feast Honestly give 5th and 6th level spells a look a lot of really good spells are there that bards don't get access to.

[@KR1ST0F3R1]

Why would Tasha's coming out change Slows effectiveness as a Magical Secrets spell?

[@abcrasshadow9341]

@@KR1ST0F3R1 I heard that slow was on the bards spell list, so slow is not that valuable as a magical secret due to them updating it to the base spell list in Tasha's.

[@ROYal_Brewery]

Oho? Find (Greater) Steed as a magical secret? Great choice. If you really want to spice it up, I recommend getting Tenser’s Transformation as one of your lv14 magical secrets. Cast it while mounted, and now your steed has more hit points, extra force damage on their hits, AND can hit twice if they only had one attack (a pegasus for example). Want to spice up even more? After hitting lv14 bard, immediately multiclass into 2 levels of paladin. You now get that heavy armor proficiency without needing TT, and you can “cast” spells while under the effect of TT by smiting! With a greatsword in hand, that’s 2d6+2d12+str+xd8 (depends what slot you spend for smiting) per hit you make! Want a good bonus action while under TT? Spend that other lv14 magical secret for Crown of Stars. Cast that before TT (normally doesn’t apply on your steed unlike TT, but your dm could let it) since it lasts an hour, and now you have a 4d12 radiant damage bonus action! Just don’t go Valour or Swords bard if you do this. The extra attack gained by those two is wasted when casting TT.

[@emy6732]

I recently discovered Synaptic Static, and have been blown away by the amount of damage and debuffs it gives the ennemy (20ft radius, 8D6 psychic damage and -1 D6 to every attack and saving throw for a minute, WITHOUT concentration from the caster is savage! ) and I can totally imagine a bard wielding that spell since it's psychic damage, best of all the saving trow is INT, how many monsters really have a decent INT?

[@NerdImmersion]

Well it's a Bard Spell, so not really a great choice for magical secrets (since they can get it normally)

[@emy6732]

@@NerdImmersion Didn't even notice... I used it as a sorcerer. Well then, one extra spot free for any other fantastic spell !

[@catherinesullivan5676]

I'd throw Revivify, Guardian of Nature, Contingency and Simulacrum. The new Create Magem spell would be good as well.

[@GameHunterMaster]

A spell that I hadn't quite gotten a full grasp of how amazingly brutal it could be and makes a decent candidate for Magical Secrets is the 4th Level spell Sickening Radiance. Yeah, it doesn't do anything if the creatures succeed and is a Constitution Save, but it's a Radiant damage spell, which just about guarantees that the enemy is gonna take the full brunt of the spell, and it causes Exhaustion, which is a heavily underestimated condition that stacks very quickly.

[@pacingandmuttering5106]

I love Sickening Radiance! One of the most brutal combos in the game, while not applicable to bard, is casting it in a small area as an Evocation Wizard using Sculpt Spell. As long as you don't have more that 5 party members, it doesn't affect any allied creatures, and you can just wear down a whole room full of enemies. As Bard it's a little less satisfying to use, because it amounts to a particularly brutal area control spell, much like Cloudkill, that is extremely punishing if you stay in the area for too long. There are other situations though. One of my favourite moments with the spell was ambushing a group of mercenaries that dramatically outnumbered us by throwing up a Wall Of Stone around them, putting a Sickening Radiance in the middle and concentrating for the duration. 100 rounds and all it takes is 7 failed saves, even if you have 1000 hitpoints.

[@jeremyv8647]

@@pacingandmuttering5106 It also is brutal when combined with forcecage.

[@pacingandmuttering5106]

@@jeremyv8647 Good point. Wall of Force too. It's probably the best spell for trapping a creature and then wearing them down to 0. I don't care how high your Con Save is; unless it's +16 you aren't succeeding 100 times in a row and all it takes is 7 fails to drop dead.

[@GameHunterMaster]

In all honesty, once anyone hits 3 levels of Exhaustion the fight is pretty much over.

[@TomTheBassRocker]

If you’re picking up a valor bard at later levels for a oneshot or something, magical secrets charisma-based shillelagh can save you a lot of ability score increases, especially if you can’t multiclass into pact of the tome warlock

[@melchiorkaczmarzyk5165]

Find greater steed+spirit guardians. The latter is cast on you as well as your steed, effectively doubling it's damage.

[@NerdImmersion]

That is not the case. That is what people used to think back in the day. Spirit Guardians does not only effect you, it also effects anyone with 15' feet of you. Just because it has a range of self (what people used to think it did), does not mean it affects only you. Trust me, we used to run with this rule as well until we dug into it a little deeper. A healing spell cast you on, haste, etc. those all affect only you, Spirit Guardians, sadly does not count.

[@melchiorkaczmarzyk5165]

Wow, thanks for correcting me, now that I look into it spirit guardians even has range of "self (15 feet radious)". My "genious" plan is ruined but at least I got some insight c:

[@NerdImmersion]

@@melchiorkaczmarzyk5165 we ran a whole campaign with Find Steed and Spirit Guardians on a Lore Bard. The DM HATED it. It wasn't until after that campaign ended that we figured out we were wrong

[@ShugoAWay]

Also the no duplicate spell effect rule might apply

[@melchiorkaczmarzyk5165]

@@ShugoAWay The case is already closed but 2 clerics with spirit guardians activated can make a single enemy take damage from both spells and I do not see why scenario with steed should bs treated dfferently. I do not think this particular rule applies here although I may be missing something again.

[@cmdrrespawn1329]

Do you think you will do an updated version with the release of Tashas Cauldron?

[@Diditallforthexp]

This is such a well traveled topic, but everyone's flavor is different and I live hearing people's opinion on it.

[@davea6314]

My top 2 choices for magical secrets are counterspell and revivify.

[@Natsirt666]

That intro bit had me thinking of Highlander, when he rescues the girl from the Nazis. "Shhh, it's a certain kind of magic". ...Need to go and re-watch Highlander now. :)

[@nicolaezenoaga9756]

Very nice.☆☆☆☆

[@Roguewarlock6319]

Just started playing a bard, so in sure this will help when I hit level 10

[@TokenOracle]

Lore bard has additional ones earlier, if you're going that subclass.

[@fledgling9097]

Glamour bard here: Wall of force, wall of stone, and wall of fire are the three I am debating to pick. With mantel of inspiration, wall spells are better than ever. Give the whole party a chance to react and move into where you're going to put the wall up, then use your action to put the wall up. I'm thinking wall of force will be my first pick. What other wall spells should I be looking at?

[@benfawefwaeffwaefawfdekk2080]

I'm a big fan of animate dead. Pretty much the only thing that defines a necromancer in 5e is having that spell, so getting it instantly makes you a bard based Necromancer, which is really nice having the bard features but that flavor

[@filoche4853]

I picked Haste + Fireball at lvl 5 and I think I will go Greater Find Steed + Counterspell at lvl 10!

[@a.z.pantera5577]

A few more that l like: Guiding Bolt Haste Armor of Agathys Conjure Animals/Woodland Beings Tenser's Tranformation Crown of Stars Elemental Bane Beacon of Hope/Aura of Vitality

[@AfroditeBell]

Building a lore bard version of Overwatch’s Sombra...Destructive Wave shall make a great EMP ult equivalent. Everything can be hacked, and everyone!

[@phelps6205]

This came at the right time, as I am currently playing my longest running character, a lvl 8 eloquence bard.

[@danielenevoldsen7211]

Wait your longest running character is only lvl 8?

[@phelps6205]

@@danielenevoldsen7211 hard to get a group that stays playing for long, most campaings don't pass lvl10, you are aware of that right?

[@danielenevoldsen7211]

@@phelps6205 Yeah fair enough, just wanted to ask

[@samuelbroad11]

@@danielenevoldsen7211 35 years gaming, different systems, but 12th is the highest I've ever made, twice. One 15th level one shot in 4th ed aside. A fair few have nibbled 10th though.

[@hostileflesh4703]

honorable mention: pulse wave !! almost the same damage as fireball and lightning bolt and can push/pull

[@tyleralvarado3849]

jims glowing coin is a useful anf fun spell. Gift of Gab too buts that's a bard spell already.

[@ramiroj.2381]

No one's suggesting Mirror Image. Goes well with any of the steeds and its a good alternative to the usual 6th level Fireball/Lightning (those get old and damage isn't YOUR thing anyway). Also it doesn't require concentration which is usually a big problem with bards (no con save proficiency, low con stats, low AC, and a lot of other stuff that you use occupy it already-- charms, illusions, etc) Revivify is best left to clerics and wizards anyway imo. Maybe an escape spell like thunder step or misty. Usually you have that down already at 6th. Counterspell is a staple if you can't rely on other casters to have it and you use it best anyway.

[@ramiroj.2381]

Oh Haste is another one that couples both with your offensive frontline and your mount, though once again, concentration plus no saves makes for a pickle. And this one has a pretty big drawback on dropping concentration on it.

[@atriumgamesmore4336]

I agree that only Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard shoukd have Counterspell, except maybe give it to Bard too. My logic is that those classes are more themed for understanding both their spells and magic as a whole on a greater scale and depth. A wizard studies their magic, a warlock had to study the otherworldy, a sorcerer is fundamentally magic, and bards also study, but a Paladin or Cleric more just got magic for faith. They didn't have to study magic itself, they studied divinity. A druid or ranger harmonized with and studied nature, and were granted magic through an understanding of nature. That's my logic.

[@KCSutherland]

No shoutout for Conjure Volley and Steel Wind Strike? Same concept as Destructive Wave but more weapon-based. Perfect for Valor and Swords bards

[@Herbalizer28]

As a Lore Bard, I've been debating for the longest time between Telekinesis or Bibgy's Hand. I'm about to turn lvl10 and still can't decide. Any thoughts ? Suggestions ?

[@NoSteppie]

Circle of Power is a default pick for my bards. Almost any paladin exclusive spell works. Also took Healing Spirit for added support cause it was/is busted. I've seen some take the Conjure X and Animated Objects spells for just board control but that is lame~

[@knot1526]

Taking magic initiate (warlock) for eldritch blast combined with spiritual weapon and spirit guardians as a level 6 lore bard turns you into a blaster and it means all other spell can be pure utility and you don't have to worry about being useful in combat.

[@ryancparker]

You don’t need to make an ability check on counterspell if the spell level is equal to or less than the spell slot used to cast counterspell.

[@caesaraugustus3749]

Surprised fly didn't get mentioned. Its super useful especially if you are a lore bard and can get it at level 6

[@KevShaw808]

Steel Wind Strike. I know there are plenty of better options but my College of Swords Bard would feel badass after casting that spell.

[@dhaas4698]

Hmmm, just made a College of Whispers Bard 10/ Rogue Assassin 3 for an existing DotMM game. Took Steel Wind Strike and Booming Blade. Was gonna take Inflict Wounds but Booming Blade//Psychic Blades/ Sneak Attack is too good to pass up, specially as a cantrip.

[@-d_9894]

For cantrips and 1st-level spells like inflict wounds, why not take magic initiate instead of using a magical secrets choice on them?

[@dhaas4698]

@@-d_9894 That's a very good observation. For inflict wounds, the answer is pretty simple. I want to be able to upcast at will and cast it more than once a day. As for Booming Blade, my ASIs are accounted for. While I have strong DPs, class wise, I'm a controller so I need the CHA bumps. As a multi class, I only have 2 ASIs. Might go back and look at it though

[@simonburling3762]

On counerspell, certainly all full casters should have access.

[@simonburling3762]

On reflection, probably all casters should have it available, after all the third casters have it available at 13th or 14th level.

[@commandante6709]

Apparently, Guardian of Nature combined with Crossbow Expert and Sharpshooter on a Swords/Valor Bard is pretty broken. With Variant Human at level 10 a PC would get 2 attacks + 1 bonus action attack @Dex18 with advantage and the sharpshooter trait while being a full spellcaster.

[@dungeonscrew491]

Wow, I like the list but I'm surprised you didn't say aura of vitality. A lot of people recommend a level in life cleric and aura of vitality and goodberry

[@neilm838]

I always wanted tensers transformation to be available to more than just wizards.

[@NerdImmersion]

Yeah if the class feature variants are to truly adapted come Tasha's, I think it gets added to their list

[@antongrigoryev6381]

Getting it as Arcanum for melee warlocks would be amazing.

[@neilm838]

@@antongrigoryev6381 agreed, but any caster type really. Especially some with a melee focus and use spells to support themselves or others rather than attack with.

[@casterknot5094]

I get around the party talking strategy as a "they have been fighting as a team, they know" at least in my games case they train together