Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Bard Feedback

The numbers just don't support that. If it seems good that's kind of placebo effect.

Stacking isn't automatically good, the actual expected damage contribution is super low. Any video game player knows how important action economy is. Even assuming the base 65% accuracy 5E is built around it's extremely situational that it's better than taking a pot shot with an off-hand hand crossbow. And pretty much impossible that it's better than the pot shot if the cross bow is dipped (and by extension dipping in a candle is much better expected damage contribution). Not even being worth a bonus action to use is appalling for a long rest resource. Contrast that with superiority dice for example: they are a separate resource a subclass gets on top of their class features, come back on a short rest, aren't used on a miss so will reliably get close to their 4.5 expected damage, deliver a secondary effect, don't take any action to apply to an attack.

I really can't see how Bardic inspiration is anything other than just bad at the moment. Even taking into account the hat it's still bad. At the moment a sorcerer can deal over 30 damage on a bonus action with the right equipment, admittedly at the expense of a first level spell slot and most of their unique resource. Or they can use a second level spell slot and get a bonus action back as well. Take away the busted items and the only real difference is you need a second level spell slot and better than 65% accuracy. That's where power curve is at right now, nerfing Bard's signature feature down to a fraction of it's effectiveness makes no sense.