Are you ready to unleash the power of music and magic in Baldur’s Gate 3? As a Bard, you have the ability to control the battlefield with your spells and enchanting songs. But to truly master your Bard skills, you need the perfect build. In this guide, we will help you create the best Bard build by choosing the right race, spells, and multiclass options.
Choosing the Best Race for a Bard in Baldur’s Gate 3
There are several races that can excel as Bards in Baldur’s Gate 3, each offering unique abilities and features. However, we recommend selecting the Drow Half-Elf for that extra edge, thanks to the Dancing Lights cantrip.
The Ideal Subclass for Your Bard
Although you won’t need to worry about choosing a subclass until level 3, the College of Valor is the best option for a Bard in Baldur’s Gate 3. This subclass focuses on combat-based spells and offensive abilities, allowing you to hold your own on the battlefield, whether you are fighting alone or with a group.
The Perfect Background for a Bard
Naturally, the best background for a Bard is the Entertainer. It not only enhances your charisma-based skills like Performance but also provides a valuable bonus to Acrobatics. Additionally, we recommend prioritizing skills such as Deception, Persuasion, Insight, Perception, and Survival to aid you on your journey.
A Balanced Ability Score Spread
For a Bard, charisma is the primary attribute, so it’s essential to prioritize it. We recommend the following Ability Score spread for your Bard:
- Strength: 12
- Dexterity: 14
- Constitution: 16
- Wisdom: 10
- Intelligence: 8
- Charisma: 16
This distribution maximizes your Bard’s potential in both spellcasting and combat. Charisma determines the effectiveness of your spells, while Constitution ensures your health and concentration checks remain strong.
Essential Spells for Your Bard
As a Bard, you have a wide array of spells to choose from in Baldur’s Gate 3. Here are some of the best spells for a Bard:
- Cantrip: Vicious Mockery
- Cantrip: Light
- Cantrip: Blade Ward
- Cantrip: Friends
- 1st Level: Healing Word
- 1st Level: Thunderwave
- 1st Level: Dissonant Whispers
- 1st Level: Tasha’s Hideous Laughter
- 1st Level: Heroism
- 2nd Level: Phantasmal Force
- 2nd Level: Lesser Restoration
- 2nd Level: Shatter
- 3rd Level: Glyph of Warding
- 3rd Level: Speak With Dead
- 3rd Level: Fear
- 4th Level: Greater Invisibility
- 4th Level: Polymorph
- 4th Level: Dimension Door
- 5th Level: Mass Cure Wounds
- 5th Level: Greater Restoration
- 6th Level: Otto’s Irresistible Dance
These spells will empower your Bard and give you the flexibility to handle various situations.
Exploring Multiclass Options for the Bard
Bard and Cleric
The Bard is already a potent support character, with a range of useful spells and limited healing abilities. However, if you want to take your healing prowess to new heights and gain extra protection, consider multiclassing into the Cleric. The Cleric offers an excellent selection of healing spells and enhances your effectiveness in melee and ranged combat. While their stats may not align perfectly, the benefits of this multiclass make it worth considering.
Bard and Paladin
If the Cleric doesn’t appeal to you, an alternative option is multiclassing as a Bard and Paladin. While not as versatile as the Bard/Cleric combination, the Bard/Paladin offers additional healing capabilities and protection, especially if you primarily focus on the Paladin class. This combination can be a fun and effective choice for those who want a mix of supportive and combat abilities.
The Best Bard Build in Baldur’s Gate 3
To summarize, here is the best Bard build for Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Race: Wood Half-Elf
- Background: Entertainer
- Recommended Skills: Persuasion, Insight
- Ability Score Order (highest to lowest): Charisma, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, Strength
So, there you have it! With this Bard build, you’ll be well-equipped to conquer the challenges of Baldur’s Gate 3. If you want to further enhance your knowledge of the game, check out our other helpful guides and content:
- Best Sorcerer build
- Best Rogue build
- Best Fighter build
- Best Ranger build
- Best Barbarian build
- Best Druid build
- Best Warlock build
- Best Wizard build
- Baldur’s Gate 3: What’s the max level cap?
- Best Baldur’s Gate 3 classes tier list
- How to revive characters in Baldur’s Gate 3
- Can you multiclass in Baldur’s Gate 3
- Baldur’s Gate 3 Soul Coins: How to get them & what they are
- Baldur’s Gate 3: Fastest ways to get XP & level up
- Baldur’s Gate 3: How to respec your character
- Baldur’s Gate 3 Karmic Dice: What are they?
- How to unlock Displacer Beast in Baldur’s Gate 3
Get ready to embark on an epic adventure as the ultimate Bard in Baldur’s Gate 3!
