Summary

• Bards can be powerful in combat with buffing spells like Bless, True Strike, and Bane.
• College of Lore subclass is best for bards in Baldur's Gate 3 for spell access and Cutting Words.
• Dual-classing with a melee class like monk can enhance a bard's combat skills and defense.

Many classes in Baldur's Gate 3 sound as though they would be much more powerful than a bard would be, in theory. Bards are the singers, comedians, and storytellers of the Forgotten Realms, and can use their acting skills to effectively charm their way out of situations and influence people. This doesn't typically carry over to being a good class for combat, and they do not start with many weapon or armor proficiencies, nor do they get a high Armor Class or Strength. That said, in Baldur's Gate 3, a bard can be extremely effective with the right build.

In general, bards just seem to make more sense in the roleplay-heavy arena of tabletop gaming rather than in a video game. When playing face-to-face, there are more opportunities for bards to improvise amusing, lyrical dialogue and pester the rest of the party with incessant little ditties. Baldur's Gate 3 allows for a lot of flexibility in character builds for bards, and a deadly combination of spells, skills, and subclasses can turn a mellifluous bard into a menacing battle master.

You've Been Playing Bards Wrong In Baldur's Gate 3

Bards Can Offer An Array Of Skills In Combat

Bards are primarily considered a class in Baldur's Gate 3, yet there are ways to make them incredibly powerful in combat, too. isn't just about healing, and while bards can heal pretty well, there are many options in the bard's spell book for buffing allies and nerfing enemies. Focusing on these instead of attack spells can make a skilled bard indispensable on the field of battle.

Just don't expect it to be easy from the beginning. Bards get off to a rough start in Baldur's Gate 3, with weak melee attacks, few damaging cantrips, and highly specific weapon proficiencies. Still, even the most basic spells can make a world of difference. True Strike grants a party member advantage on their next attack roll, and Bless can give the whole rest of the party bonuses to attacks and saving throws. These can help more damage-oriented allies until the bard comes into their own.

However, for every buff, there's an equal and opposite debuff. Baldur's Gate 3 spells like Vicious mockery, a cantrip, curses the target with disadvantage on their next attack. The level one spell bane gives up to three creatures penalties on all their attacks and saving throws for ten turns. Meanwhile, other spells, like Dissonant Whispers, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, and Crown of Madness can inflict unique status effects to take enemies out of commission. When a bard is attentive, well-ed, and properly kitted out, their opponents won't even know what hit them.

If they somehow still struggle with an encounter, spells like Friends and Charm Person can help soften an adversary's attitude.

As a bard is canonically a smooth talker, it comes as little surprise that they are some of the most effective characters in dialogue scenarios. Their high Charisma stat can be used to cast spells, and gives them a unique advantage in dangerous conversations. Even in difficult situations where Deception, Intimidation, Performance, or Persuasion rolls are not likely to be won by an average player, a bard is generally up to the task. This also applies to getting lowered trade prices in Baldur's Gate 3, and, at level three, bards can gain expertise in two skills. This is an excellent way to round out whatever a party lacks and opens up even more dialogue options.

Bards Synergize Well With The Origin Characters In Baldur’s Gate 3

Versatility Of Bards Allows For Several Types Of Teams

Another great aspect of bards in the game is that their versatility makes them synergize well with all of the other Origin characters and possible companions. In fact, a lot of them are focused on dealing damage and, with that in mind, it is quite possible for players to use their custom bards as a healer, especially if they are not using Shadowheart as the team’s damage mitigator. With great ing and healing capabilities, a bard character in Baldur’s Gate 3 can easily substitute a cleric if players desire.

"Several of the Origin characters have a versatile tool kit but are often stuck with archetype limitations."

Alternatively, if players want to use Shadowheart as the main healer and, instead, use their bard as a damage dealer, they can. While their damage output potential may not match that of a well-built and raging barbarian, for instance, bards can be a nuisance to opponents they face. They can mix and match spells to not only deal a load of damage but also continuously debuff opponents. The ability to seamlessly transition between offensive, ing, and healing abilities make bards some of the most balanced classes in Baldur’s Gate 3 and a valuable ally to any Origin character.

Additionally, outside of combat, bards can also be very useful. If players are not running Astarion or fail when lockpicking, a bard can use Knock to unlock a door or a chest, for instance. They can also use very useful spells like Detect Thoughts, Dimension Door, and even Invisibility to solve puzzles and avoid conflict when needed. Several of the Origin characters have a versatile tool kit but are often stuck with archetype limitations, whereas a bard in Baldur’s Gate 3 can help even out the odds and allow otherwise obligatory characters to be left behind at camp, for instance.

Best Subclass For The Baldur’s Gate 3 Bard

Choice Between College Of Valor, College Of Swords, Or College Of Lore

At level three, Baldur's Gate 3 bards are permitted to choose one of three subclasses. College of Valor and College of Swords are the most tempting, as they promise to offset the classes' shortcomings. The College of Valor subclass provides proficiency with medium armor, martial weapons, and shields. College of Swords is more limiting, with proficiency bonuses only for medium armor and scimitars. Valor is more about boosting defense, whereas Swords provides more opportunities for swashbuckling style. Neither of them is especially bad, but choosing either would be a mistake in Baldur's Gate 3 if someone wants to be the best.

College of Lore is the best choice of subclass for the Baldur's Gate 3 bard mainly because it has wider-ranging weapon proficiencies than either of the alternate subclasses, even if it's limited to light armor. Bards gain the Cutting Words feature as soon as they take this subclass. Cutting Words can be used as a reaction, not a spell slot, to incur a severe penalty on an opponent's attack before it hits. If it decreases its attack roll enough, a devastating strike that would otherwise hit will miss its target. This penalty will continue to level with the bard throughout the game, with increasing severity, making it useful to players even in the late game.

More importantly, though, College of Lore bards get early access to one of the best class features, a special, hidden spell book called Magical Secrets, containing some of the best spells in Baldur's Gate 3. Most bards don't even get to look at it until level ten, but those who take the College of Lore subclass can start using it as early as level six. The Magical Secret Counterspell expands the potential of the bard's reaction, allowing them to also nullify spells before they take effect. Without Trace is perfect for sneaking around, adding ten points to the entire party's stealth checks for the duration.

Ultimately, what makes College of Lore the best bard subclass is that, instead of trying to compensate for weaknesses, it makes bards better at what they already do well.

Most notable for dealing damage in battle is the Magical Secret Call Lightning. Call Lightning can do up to 30 damage to multiple targets and will never fully miss. Even if a target succeeds at a saving throw, they'll still take half the damage. Moreover, once cast, Call Lightning lets the storm rage on, allowing the caster to continuously summon lightning strikes without expending spell slots for the next ten turns. Ultimately, what makes College of Lore the best bard subclass is that, instead of trying to compensate for weaknesses, it makes bards better at what they already do well.

Best Dual Class Features For The Baldur's Gate 3 Bard

Combining Aspects Of Other Classes Can Counter A Bard's Weaknesses

While the subclass College of Lore helps, the class bonuses that a bard gets begin to slow down after level six. This makes that a perfect time to start looking at dual-class possibilities to strengthen and the bard. Often, players will choose another magic class such as Warlock, which can be good since both utilize a lot of Charisma in their spellcasting. A better approach, however, is to add a melee class to help round out a bard's skills, particularly the monk class. Taking a level or two in monk can both improve a bard's innate skills and make up for what they lack in Baldur's Gate 3.

Bards are already nimble, but monks are just plain fast. Bards may not have many options for weapon or armor proficiency, but monks have excellent defense even without armor, and their fists are as powerful as any weapon. Also, monk attack rolls are measured in Dexterity, not Strength, which bards also excel at. Monks in Baldur's Gate 3 have access to Ki, a pool of points that they can spend on special combat maneuvers. The Ki skill Flurry of Blows, for example, allows them to strike twice with just one action. As far as monk subclasses go, Way of the Open Hand is the best choice all around, giving Flurry of Blows the option to topple, stagger, or push enemies.

Exclusive Dialogue Options And Best Bard Moments In Baldur's Gate 3

Bards Have Some Of The Most Fun Options

Bards are fast talkers, so they have access to a variety of exclusive, often hilarious dialogue options. This is mostly a testament to the thoughtful, detailed writing in Baldur's Gate 3, but can also help get the party out of some sticky situations. Bards can perform with Volo, the wandering minstrel, almost every time they encounter him in the open world. They can also sling clever jabs at enemies before attacking them, like when they're allowed to tell True Soul Nere they'll deliver an insulting eulogy at his funeral.

Perhaps the best bard moment in Baldur's Gate 3, though, comes when the party accidentally walks in on the bugbear Grukkoh and ogre Buthir during an intimate moment. This encounter almost always results in combat, but with a good Persuasion roll, a bard can convince them that they're doing research for a romantic ballad. If they do succeed, Grukkoh and Buthir will actually let them stick around.

There's no such thing as a bad class in Baldur's Gate 3. However, there is a series of ideal choices that bards can make to bring them up to their full potential. It's difficult to think of bards as the best class, but with the right build, they can become incredibly overpowered in Baldur's Gate 3.