Bards mostly got quality of life impovements in the new 2024 rules. The class was generally fantastic in the 2014 rules, but had a few pain points like Bardic Inspiration dice expiring and Countercharm being unusable. All of those pain points have been addressed, and with the ability to convert spell slots into Bardic Inspiration dice and with many subclass features fueled by those same dice, Bards are even more flexible and exciting.
Magical Secrets got an especially big change. Previously, Bards got just a handful of secrets. Now, high-level Bards get access to the Bard, Cleric, Druid, and Wizard spell lists without restriciton, giving them more options than any other spellcaster. Retraining known spells once Magical Secrets comes online will be a huge optimization point.
