Best Bard build in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)

Every Baldur’s Gate 3 party needs a face, and it might as well be a Bard. Bards are Charisma casters with an enviable spell list, but they also have access to subclasses that can turn them into formidable melee fighters.

All the Baldur’s Gate 3 classes are flexible, but Bards are one of the best options if you, like me, want your character to do a little bit of everything. Here’s what you need to know if you’re going to play a Bard on your next run. 

Best race for a Bard

There really is no right or wrong choice for a Bard’s race. Bards are meant to be versatile characters that can do a little bit of everything (they get an ability called Jack of All Trades, after all), so this choice really is up to your personal preference. I’ll shout out Drow as a solid option, however, because the skill proficiencies make good use of a Bard’s Charisma and it gives proficiency with hand crossbows – my preferred Bard weapon. 

Best ability scores for Bards

The most important ability score for a Bard is Charisma. Beyond that, Dexterity should be your second focus because you’ll mostly be using ranged or finesse weapon – and who doesn’t like going early in combat? Here’s the starting ability score array I’d recommend:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 15
• Constitution: 13
• Intelligence: 12
• Wisdom: 10
• Charisma: 17

Best backgrounds for a Bard 

The best background for your Bard is going to help you round out your skills with proficiencies that you didn’t get from your race. You might want to make the most of your Charisma score by taking a background with Persuasion proficiency, like Noble or Guild Artisan. Personally, I’m fond of taking the Urchin background to get Sleight of Hand and Stealth proficiencies that pair well with a solid Dexterity modifier. 

Best Bard subclass

Choosing your Bard’s subclass is the most consequential character decision that you can make. Bards have three options, and while none of them are bad, the College of Lore and College of Swords are your best bets.

A College of Lore Bard gets Cutting Words as a reaction and 3 extra skill proficiencies. They’re going to be good at everything and will likely play more of a support role in combat. It’s a fun subclass, but it’s not nearly as powerful as your other option.

A College of Swords Bard is going to be aggressive in combat, with the ability to make an extra attack and use flourishes while still having access to a huge range of powerful Bard spells. For pure combat efficiency, College of Swords is the best choice.

Best Feats for a Bard

The best feats for a Bard are going to depend on whether or not you decide to multiclass. I’m always going to give props to the basic Ability Score Increase option, because boosting your Charisma is going to make your spells and spell saves all the more powerful. Boosting your Dexterity is also a great option, especially if you’re fighting with crossbows or finesse weapons. 

There are other good options, though. Bards with a Paladin or Fighter multiclass and the Archery fighting style can make great use of the Sharpshooter feat. Dual Wielding can be a powerful option for more melee-focused College of Swords Bards. Last, but not least, Alert is good for pretty much every class, but if you play a control-style Bard, then getting to go as early as possible in combat is incredibly important. 

Best Bard spells

Bards get automatic access to some of the best spells in all of Baldur’s Gate 3. There’s no shortage of great spells to take, but here are some of my personal highlights:

• Friends – Is it good? Not especially, but it’s my favorite cantrip in the game and leads to some hilarious moments. 
• Minor Illusion – This is invaluable for sneaking through heavily patrolled areas.
• Hold Person – An early control option that stays good throughout the game. 
• Glyph of Warding – Huge damage potential with this spell, plus it can put enemies to sleep. It’s also a personal favorite of mine, because my tabletop party once used it to kill a dragon. 
• Hold Monster – Basically the monstrous complement to Hold Person, though it is a 5th level spell. 
• Command – You can only take this as part of the Magical Secrets feature at Bard level 10, but it’s a phenomenal control spell that doesn’t require concentration.
• Counterspell – This is also only available via the Magical Secrets feature, but it’s amazingly useful as a defensive option. 
• Otto’s Irresistible Dance – You can only get this as an 11th level Bard, but it’s one of the best single-target control spells in the game. 

Best multiclass for a Bard

People are going to argue about what the best Bard multiclass option is. Reasonable minds may disagree, but in broad strokes there are two different multiclass options that tend to be the most popular. Only one of them has a cool name, though. 

Introducing the Bardadin. The basic Bardadin is a level 10 College of Swords Bard and a level 2 Paladin. The Bard levels give you a healthy supply of spell slots that you can convert into Smites, and the two Paladin levels also give you access to a fighting style – archery is likely your best option. Either way this Bard is an absolute machine that still gets the benefit of two feats, though it does sacrifice access to Otto’s Irresistible Dance. 

The other Bard multiclass I’d recommend is less straightforward and arguably less powerful, but it gives you a ton of versatility. It’s six levels in College of Swords Bard, four levels in Thief Rogue, and a two level dip into Fighter. This build still gives you two feats, an extra bonus action, extra options with that bonus action, plus Action Surge and a fighting style. I’m guilty of always trying to do a little bit of everything with my characters rather than truly optimizing them, but I think this build is a blast.