Bard Class Guide: Best Builds and Subclasses

The Bard is one of the 12 available main classes in Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3). Check out our guide for an overview of the Bard class, including its related subclasses, class features, best races to use, and best builds.

Bard Class Overview

Bard Basic Information

Class Overview
	Bard You know music is more than a fancy - it is power. Through study and adventure, you have mastered song, speech, and the magic within.
Hit Die	d8
Primary Ability	Charisma
Saving Throw Proficiencies	Dexterity and Charisma
Starting Class Features
・Choice of 1 Starting Instrument ・Grants the Bardic Inspiration Class Action ・Level 1 Spell Slots Unlocked ・Light Armor Proficiency ・Simple Weapon Proficiency ・Hand Crossbow Proficiency ・Longsword Proficiency ・Rapier Proficiency ・Shortsword Proficiency ・Musical Instrument Proficiency

The Bard is a spellcasting class that weaves their music with the arcane, playing songs and slinging spells that inspire their allies and terrorize their foes in battle. Outside of combat, they are a jack of all trades, often able to pass multiple types of skill checks due to the sheer amount of proficiencies they have. Also, they play a lot of music.

Bard Skills with Proficiency

The Bard is a special type of class in that you can pick 3 out of the 18 skills in the game to be Proficient in. When you are Proficient with a skill, you get a bonus to any Checks tied to that skill. Proficiency bonuses increase as you gain levels for your chosen class.

What is a Proficiency Bonus?

All Bard Subclasses

Bards gains access to their Subclass at Level 3, allowing them to choose the Bard College they hail from. In Baldur's Gate 3, you can pick one out of the 3 Bard Colleges available: the College of Lore, the College of Valor, or the College of Swords.

Subclass	Subclass Description
College of Lore	You pursue beauty and truth, collecting knowledge from scholarly tomes to peasants' tales, and use your gifts to hold both audiences and enemies spellbound. Subclass Starting Features: ・Grants the Cutting Words Reaction ・Grants Arcana Proficiency ・Grants Intimidation Proficiency ・Grants Sleight of Hand Proficiency
College of Valor	You wander the land to witness and relate the deeds of the mighty, keeping alive the memory of heroes of the past and inspiring heroes of the future. Subclass Starting Features: ・Bardic Inspiration becomes Combat Inspiration ・Grants Medium Armor Proficiency ・Grants Shield Proficiency ・Grants Martial Weapon Proficiency
College of Swords	Bards from the College of Swords are called blades, and they entertain the masses through daring feats of weapon prowess. However, despite using their weapons to entertain, they are also highly trained and skilled warriors in their own right.

All Bard Features

Spellcasting Available at Level 1

As a Bard with many talents, you gain access to Level 1 Spell Slots as soon as you start the game. At Level 1, you will have access to 2 Cantrips and 2 Level 1 Spell Slots. These numbers increase as your Bard levels up.

Your spellcasting ability as a Bard will be Charisma. It will dictate everything related to spellcasting from spells saves down to how much damage you deal with your magic. When playing this class, make sure to prioritize this ability to improve your spells.

However, unlike some of the other spellcasting classes, Bards do not prepare their spells. This means you cannot edit your list of spells while adventuring. The only way to change it would be to use the Spell Replacement feature whenever you level up.

Bard Spells and Cantrip Slots Per Level

Bardic Inspiration Grants a Bonus to Attacks, Checks, and Saves

Yes, the Bardic Inspiration music changes depending on the instrument you're playing.

Being a Bard, you naturally inspire your allies with your music. At Level 1, your Bardic Inspiration class action allows you to play a song which adds a +1d6 bonus to any Attack Rolls, Ability Checks, or Saving Throws that your ally is about to perform. The bonus granted by Bardic Inspiration will increase as you reach levels 5 and 10 on your Bard.

In order to use Bardic Inspiration, you will need Bardic Inspiration charges. At the start of the game, you will have 3 charges that you can only replenish by performing a Long Rest.

Do note that Bardic Inspiration can be used both inside and outside of combat. The only restrictions it has is that it cannot be applied to your Bard (since you're the one playing) and it cannot be used on enemies.

Jack of All Trades Provides a Small Proficiency Bonus

Once your Bard hits Level 2, they will gain access to the Jack of All Trades passive. From this point on, any Ability Checks for skills that you are not Proficient in will gain a bonus of half of your current Proficiency Bonus, rounded down.

While you'll mostly want to have your specialized class handling certain ability checks (like having Rogues lockpick chests), the Jack of All Trades feature will ensure that you can always cover any Ability Checks with a slight advantage when needed in a pinch.

Song of Rest Grants an Extra Short Rest

Once your Bard reaches Level 3, they will gain the Song of Rest class action. When used, it will act and function like an extra Short Rest that you and your party can use outside of combat.

Since Song of Rest is essentially a Short Rest, you will heal your party and replenish any actions and spells that only require a Short Rest to recharge. To use Song of Rest again, you will need to perform a Long Rest.

Bard College Subclasses Determine the Bard's Combat Specialty

Your Bard gains access to their Subclass at Level 3, allowing them to choose the Bard College they hail from. In Baldur's Gate 3, you can pick one out of the 3 Bard Colleges available: the College of Lore, the College of Valor, or the College of Swords.

College of Lore bards gain extra Skill Proficiencies, often being able to wield additional spells at higher levels. College of Valor bards inspire their allies on the battlefield, granting bonuses to Attack Rolls while participating in the fights themselves. College of Swords bards are more proactive, often acting more like a martial class than their valorous contemporaries.

Expertise Grants Extra Proficiency Bonuses

As a Bard, your character will also gain access to Skills with Expertise upon hitting Level 3. Granting Expertise to a Skill means you get even larger bonuses to Checks for that particular skill. For your class, you get to grant Expertise to 2 of your Skills with Proficiency.

Note: You can only grant Expertise to Skills you are Proficient in. Choose between the list of Skills with Proficiency that you have based on your Origin, Race, and Class. As a Bard, this will be quite the lengthy list, especially if you choose to be a bard from the College of Lore.

Font of Inspiration Increases the Utility of Short Rests

Upon reaching Level 6, your Bard gains the Font of Inspiration passive which allows your Bardic Inspiration charges to replenish when taking either Short or Long Rests. With this passive, you can now be a bit more liberal with your use of Bardic Inspiration, seeing as you can recharge it at least 3 times (via Song of Rest) before having to take a Long Rest.

Countercharm Grants Advantage to Mind Effect Saving Throws

Once you hit Level 6, your Bard will gain the class action, Countercharm. When used during combat, your Bard plays a song that grants Advantage to any Saving Throws you need to perform against mind-influencing effects (like the Siren Song of Harpies) for that turn.

However, do note that allies will need to be within Countercharm's AoE to benefit from the Advantage buff. Additionally, the performance can be interrupted if your Bard is incapacitated or silenced (or if you decide to end the performance early).

Magical Secrets Grant Two Extra Spells

At Level 10, your Bard will gain access to the Magical Secrets feature, allowing them to pick add 2 spells to their arsenal from the spell lists of all classes (including the Bard). The only limitation is that you can only add spells that you have the required spell slots for. At Level 10, you will have access to 5th Level Spell Slots.

Bard Class Level Progression

Bard Builds

Best Races to Use As a Bard

Baldur's Gate 3 Related Guides

Class Guide: All Classes and Subclasses

All Classes

All Class Guides
Barbarian	Bard	Cleric	Druid
Fighter	Monk	Paladin	Ranger
Rogue	Sorcerer	Warlock	Wizard