A Dungeons and Dragons YouTuber has devised an absurd Bard build using the 2024 Player’s Handbook, which can dish out an astonishing 334 damage per round at Level 17. The creator, D&D Deep Dive, made a devastating dual wielding College of Valor Bard, strengthened with a sprinkling of Fighter and a pinch of Warlock. In the video he seems a little surprised by the power of his own build, to the point where he asks Wizards for an official errata.
This terrifying PC option is boosted by one of the most overpowered 2024 spells, Conjure Minor Elementals. This Level 4 spell from the DnD 2024 Wizard spell list gives you a bonus 2d8 damage to each of your attacks for its duration. The really scary part though is how it scales: the damage goes up 2d8 for each extra spell slot level.
D&D Deep Dive’s build goes up to a Bard level 14, so the highest spell slot you have available to you is Level 7. If you use the Bard’s Magical Secrets to gain access to this spell, you can get the equivalent of an 8d8 buff to your attacks. And the DnD 2024 Bard has plenty of ways to access extra attacks.
For starters there’s weapon masteries. Not a feature of the Bard itself, this requires you to take an early level of Fighter. Using a shortsword for the Nick DnD weapon mastery, and later taking the DnD 2024 feat Dual Wielder, you get a none too shabby three melee attacks.
The Valor Bard also gets an additional attack at Level 6, but crucially it also lets you cast a cantrip in the place of that attack. At earlier levels you can use the 5e spells Green Flame Blade or Booming Blade, but D&D Deep Dive rounds out this build with a couple of levels of the DnD 2024 Warlock.
This gives you access to Eldritch Blast, a powerful attack cantrip that scales, firing off four beams at level 17. Each one counts as a separate attack, so each one will get the enormous damage boost from Conjure Minor Elementals.
You’ll have to watch the full thing to see exactly how it pans out, but by level 17 the PC should be able to deal an average of 334 damage per turn against an AC of 10.
Deep Dive ends his video suggesting that he’ll have to think carefully about how and when to use this conjuration spell in future DnD class builds. Conjure Minor Elementals is so good it risks warping all theorycrafted builds around it, and the YouTuber says he hopes Wizards will issue an errata for it. However, he does add that the build has potential even if you ban CME at your table.
Again, remember to check out the video above to see exactly how this destructive Bard functions. And for more Dungeons and Dragons material, enjoy our guide to the DnD Bard subclasses and all the DnD races.
Source: Wargamer
