Cutting Words: Free action, on your turn, target one creature within 60 feet and expend a bardic inspiration die to cause its next attack or saving throw to be reduced by a roll of your bardic die.
Simple, lazy, unsatisfying and the minimum effort way of actualising the ability into the current system. Just watch.
I’ll take those odds. Call it the naiveté of a non-veteran, but the reaction system is such a juicy low-hanging fruit that I absolutely can’t see Larian leaving it untouched.
Patch 7’s UI clearly indicates the reaction as a resource alongside normal and bonus actions. This foreshadows a revamp, since that information is completely useless under the current system.
The cynical version of Cutting Words should at least use up your reaction (it becomes a third type of action used on your turn). That looks gross, though, so let’s be hopeful for a moment.
Here’s my guess.
Cutting Words: at the cost of a reaction, if using this ability would matter, an enemy’s attack or saving throw is reduced by a roll of your bardic die.
In this version, I envision a situational prompt for the ability. No pop-up appears if the attack already missed, the throw already failed, or in either case if the max bardic die value couldn’t change the outcome.
I’m aware that makes the ability crazy powerful, but it’s not out of line with Larian’s design so far. Maybe they’ll drop the range to 30 feet or something.
Just watch. ^^
