Why My Magic is the Best

Amon and Solin often belittle my magical prowess but I cannot think of a more deranged position. It shouldn't really surprise anyone though that I am right where they, and in fact most people, are wrong. Bards, by their very nature are the most impressive of all other creatures able to manipulate the weave. All others either coerce the weave or are subservient to some other being in order to have access to power.
 
Take for example Solin and the rest of the holy warriors. Though Paladins often separate themselves from the warlocks they can find themselves fighting against, there is not much of a difference. Both the Paladin and the Warlock agree to enter into a compact with some powerful being. So long as they uphold their end of the bargain, and in the case of the latter do some additional tasks for their masters, they are provided access to little portion of their power. In fact it is worse for the Paladin than the Warlock. Since if the Paladin breaks their oath, the God is more than capable of denying the powers they once granted from being used by the Paladin. So it is as well for the Clerics of gods. They simp so hard that, I assume out of pity, Gods allow clerics to channel power through them. Though they may seem powerful, this is a mistake. They are powerful only because they are a tool for a greater master. Would you call a hammer skillful because it is being used by a good carpenter? It is a euphemism and an error to say that a bag is heavy when in reality it is just holding something heavy. In the same sense it is a mistake to call a Cleric or Paladin powerful just because they are being used by someone powerful.
 
Warlocks can (but don't have to) be in a compact where power is siphoned from their master rather than borrowed. This does not change the fact that their power is not their own and that their abilities and progression are limited by some master. If they are borrowing power, they are no different than paladins but in the latter case they can have a little more freedom, as a treat. Though they do not create their own power, they can obtain it for themselves. They of course are still bound by a pact and breaking this agreement can have dire consequences whether that be losing the powers they once had or being stopped in their progression. Warlocks' masters are often weaker than the Gods that paladins and clerics simp for. So while warlocks can gain power for themselves, they are a still a tool and a tool used by a less skillful master.
 
Rangers, who can apparently cast magic, are so weak that it is clear that they are not a threat. Just like the druids who I will also discuss here, they pull their power from Nature. These old faiths are no different than the clerics and paladins before them but often Nature's name or embodiment is not known. Druids and rangers are compromise from the powers of the world to allow the expansion of men without disrupting what little power the world has left. They are likewise tools and serve a master, though they never meet them.
 
Then there are those who use arcane magics. The loudest of which amongst these casters are the sorcerers who claim to have real power on their own accord. They are the most delusional. Just like the others mentioned so far, their power is not their own but is instead an inheritance or matter of circumstance. Just like all spoiled kids born with a magical silver spoon in their mouth or those who stumble upon riches, sorcerers falsely believe that it is their hard work and dedication that is responsible for their power. Just as they are arbitrarily granted power by circumstance, they are likewise arbitrarily limited. Whether its because their great-great-grandad was not as powerful or because the magic river they were dipped into missed a spot, they can be halted at any time. This is because they do not create their own magic, and unlike the rich who can siphon wealth from others they have no real ways to gain more without risking their lives even more or by simping for some other creature.
 
Then there are the wizards, who have the most of a claim to actually have power because unlike the others a wizard's skill actually has an impact on their abilities. Upon looking at this a little closer however reveals how stupid this is. The wizards gain knowledge, but the only knowledge they gain is the power to coerce and constrain the weave. They produce nothing beautiful, they exploit the natural movements of the weave to do their bidding. Just as water does not consent to be sent down canals, the weave does not consent to be manipulated by wizards. Unlike water however, the weave is a living, breathing structure. Their power as well is a sort of inheritance but unlike sorcerers, it is the common inheritance of mankind so long as they can afford it and so long as enough time has been wasted in the pursuit of this knowledge. How many have died trying to perfect the fireball? How much platinum was spent to unlock the secrets of transmutation to create silver? How many hours did the old masters pour into manuscripts and insane ramblings to manipulate the weave enough to cast shield? The secrets of the arcane are so obtuse that wizards cannot hope to create spells on their own without dedicating a lifetime to minor progress or a target so far from the ideal of the actual goal. Most cannot ever hope to be masters and most, such as Amon, are stuck as mere students. Even then the masters of this craft are so indebted to the old master before them that their power is not their own. Waterdeep wasn't built in a day and even a simple spell such as the most minor of illusions was not brought to its present state in one or even ten elves' lifetimes.
 
Only bards are able to, through their own beauty and greatness, cooperate with the weave to produce magical effects. I have only my own skill and style to blame for my power or lack thereof and since I am so amazing, I can cast the most powerful spells of the party. I am beholden to nobody and the weave is my friend rather than my tool. This relationship and the grace of my skill is obvious in the fact that I am able to cast spells that wizards have studied years to obtain, such as Teleport, or powers that paladins can only get by sucking off some god, like Destructive Wave. Simply by plucking different notes and slapping lute, I am able to do the most amazing things and unlike all the others my power and skill is my own. I am my own master.