Baldurs Gate 3 has 12 courses so that you can select from if you create your character. The Bard is a performance-based caster that may play both offensive or help roles.
Bards combine music with magic to deal out injury like some other caster class, or to encourage (and sometimes heal) their allies. Their major stat is Charisma.
There’s no single finest class in Baldur’s Gate 3, and the sport offers you as many alternatives for artistic drawback fixing because it does for punching. Discovering the very best class actually simply boils all the way down to the way you wish to play. Even when taking part in solo, you’ll nonetheless handle the remainder of your get together, so that you’ll get to experiment with a number of courses directly.
Learn on to seek out out every thing it’s essential know concerning the Bard class in Baldur’s Gate 3, and study all about the very best Bard subclass, feats, and construct.
Replace (April 15): Added particulars of the brand new subclass launched in Patch 8, which additionally provides cross-play help and a photograph mode.
Is Bard the very best class for you in BG3?
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Bards are spellcasters with pizazz. They’re not frontline fighters, and serve a lot better as a help class. Dealing injury with a Bard entails a mixture of a restricted collection of spells and Dexterity-based assaults — with a finesse weapon like a rapier or a ranged weapon like a crossbow. Their Bardic Inspiration function means they will help teammates in most rolls (besides injury rolls — often).
Bards thrive exterior of fight. Since their spellcasting skill is Charisma, which means they’re additionally good with expertise like Deception, Efficiency, and Persuasion — all of which make them helpful in non-combat encounters and regular conversations.
Bards aren’t the best class to play particularly beginning out. It’s a must to handle spells and spell slots, and so they’re not the strongest fighters. Nonetheless, Bards are nice for if you wish to flex your non-combat muscle tissue in Baldur’s Gate 3.
- Hit Cube — 1d8 per Bard degree
- Hit Factors at 1st Stage — 8 + your Structure modifier
- Hit Factors at increased ranges — 5 + your Structure modifer per Bard degree after 1st
Bards can grant allies Bardic Inspiration as soon as per Lengthy Relaxation. This works just like the Steerage spell, however lets your allies roll a d6 as a substitute of a d4.
Bards begin with 2 degree 1 Spell Slots per Lengthy Relaxation.
- Weapons — Easy Weapons, Hand Crossbows, Longswords, Rapiers, Shortswords
- Armor — Gentle Armor
- Abilities — Deception, Perception, Efficiency, Persuasion, Faith
- Saving Throws — Charisma, Dexterity
Bards begin with 2 cantrips from the Bard spell checklist.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Bard cantrip checklist
Title |
Description |
|---|---|
| Vicious Mockery | Insult a creature: it has Drawback on its subsequent Assault Roll (WIS Save) |
| Blade Ward | Take half injury from Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing assaults |
| Mage Hand | Create a spectral hand that may manipulate and work together with objects |
| True Strike | Acquire Benefit in your subsequent Assault Roll |
| Mates | Acquire Benefit on Charisma Checks towards a non-hostile creature |
| Dancing Lights | Illuminate a 30ft radius |
| Gentle | Infuse an object with an aura of sunshine |
| Minor Phantasm | Create an phantasm that compels close by creatures to research |
Bards additionally begin with two degree 1 spell slots per lengthy relaxation. They know 4 spells out of the checklist of 15.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Bard spell checklist
Title |
Description |
|---|---|
| Animal Friendship | Persuade a beast to not assault you (WIS Save) |
| Bane | As much as 3 creatures recieve a -1d4 penalty to Assault Rolls and Saving Throws |
| Appeal Particular person | Appeal a humanoid to stop it from attacking you. You acquire Benefit on Charisma Checks in dialogue |
| Treatment Wounds | 1d8+3 therapeutic |
| Disguise Self | Magically change all elements of your look |
| Dissonant Whispers | Frighten a creature for two turns and deal 3d6 Psychic injury |
| Faerie Hearth | All targets throughout the gentle flip seen, and Assault Rolls towards them have Benefit |
| Feather Fall | You and close by allies acquire Immunity to Falling injury |
| Therapeutic Phrase | 1d4+3 therapeutic |
| Heroism | Make your self or a goal proof against the Frightened situation and acquire 5 momentary hit factors every flip |
| Longstrider | Enhance a creature’s motion velocity by 10ft. |
| Sleep | Put creatures right into a magical slumber. |
| Communicate with Animals | Acquire the flexibility to understand and talk with beasts |
| Tasha’s Hideous Laughter | Depart a creature Susceptible with laughter, with out the flexibility to rise up |
| Thunderwave | Launch a wafe of thunderous drive that pushes away all creatures and objects for 2d8 Thunder injury (CON Save) |
At degree 3, Bards can select a subclass (known as a Faculty).
Faculty of Lore Bards love tales — each listening to them and telling them. You acquire Proficiency within the Arcana, Intimidation, and Sleight of Hand expertise, in addition to getting Chopping Phrases (use a Bardic Inspiration die and subtract the quantity rolled from an enemy’s roll).
Faculty of Valor Bards are a bit extra heroic. Bardic Inspiration die can now be added to break rolls as nicely.
The Faculty of Sword Bard fights as nicely with a weapon as they do their instrument. They will select:
- Slashing Flourish (melee) — assault as much as two creatures directly
- Defensive Flourish (melee) — assault defensively, growing your AC by 4 should you hit
- Defensive Flourish (ranged) — assault defensively, growing your AC by 4 should you hit
- Cellular Flourish (melee) — thrust your weapon with sufficient drive to push your goal again 20ft. Afterwards, you’ll be able to teleport to the goal.
- Cellular Flourish (ranged) — Shoot a goal with sufficient drive to push your goal again 20 ft. Afterwards, you’ll be able to teleport to the goal.
- Slashing Flourish (Ranged) — assault as much as two creatures directly
Added in April 2025’s Patch 8, this can be a subclass with a giant command and appeal focus. Mantle of Inspiration not solely offers your allies 5 hit factors for a brief time period, however any enemies who then assault will probably be charmed. Any charmed enemies can then be commanded with Mantle of Majesty to drop their weapon, flee, freeze, or transfer round.
Finest Bard subclass and construct in BG3
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Baldur’s Gate 3 races don’t actually have any direct impression in your class, however sure races and subraces include options that play nicely with sure courses like further motion or proficiency with sure weapons. For Bards, it’s finest to deal with padding out your spell checklist:
- Excessive Elves and Excessive Half-Elves get the Hearth Bolt cantrip
- All three of the Tiefling subraces get a cantrip — Produce Flame, Mage Hand, and Thaumaturgry respectively
- Each subraces of Drow get the Dancing Lights cantrip
While you’re creating and leveling up your Bard, Charisma (for being Charming) is your most vital stat adopted by Dexterity (for dealing injury). Make Charisma your highest stat and Dexterity your second highest.
You’ll choose your Bard subclass at degree 3. Faculty of Valor is the best way to go — you’ll get an additional assault every flip, proficiency in additional weapons and medium armor, and your Bardic Inspiration turns into much more useful to your allies. This can allow you to play your Bard rather less as a help character and extra as an all-around fighter.
Each 4 ranges, you’ll get the choice to both improve your stats or select a Feat. Feats are particular skills that add options to your character. Should you’re blissful together with your stats and begin taking Feats, Bards can profit from:
- Actor. Your Charisma Will increase by 1, to a most of 20. Your Proficiency Bonus can also be doubled for Deception and Efficiency Checks.
- Crossbow Knowledgeable (Should you struggle with a crossbow). While you make crowssbow assaults inside melee vary, the Assault Rolls don’t have Drawback. Your Piercing Shot additionally inflicts Gaping Wounds for twice as lengthy.
- Defensive Duellist. When attacked whereas wielding a Finesse Weapon you’re Proficient with, you need to use a response so as to add your Proficiency Bonus to your Armor Class, presumably inflicting the assault to overlook.
- Performer. You acquire Musical Instrument Proficiency, and your Charisma will increase by 1, to a most of 20.
- Sharpshooter. Your ranged weapon assaults don’t obtain penalties from Excessive Floor Guidelines. Ranged weapon assaults with weapons you might be Proficient with have a -5 penalty to their Assault Roll, however deal an extra 10 injury.
For extra info on the courses in Baldur’s Gate 3, seek the advice of our overviews on the Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard courses. Should you’re stumped by the selection, seek the advice of our information on what class to begin with.
Why it issuesBaldur’s Gate 3 is nearly singlehandedly accountable for reviving the pc RPG style. Set on the earth of Dungeons and Dragons, it’s additionally helped bridge the hole between video avid gamers and tabletop avid gamers.
— Ryan Gilliam, Service Author
