Each individual class and subclass in Baldur's Gate 3 has a specific role, or several depending on the build. Each character is balanced so that even the most creative player can create something that suits their unique playstyle.
Bard is one class that can fill almost any role, including healer, spellcaster, melee fighter, ranged damage dealer, or a combination of all of the above. This means that even after choosing a subclass, there are several other important details to consider. The feats, equipment, and choices the main character makes along the way should be chosen to complement the Bard's subclass.
Updated on November 28, 2025 by Hamza Haq: One of the greatest things about Baldur's Gate 3 is the amount of variance players can always expect from play to play. While the story remains the same, the builds and different subclasses players can experience are almost endless. Theorizing about new possible builds and debating the merits and demerits of certain builds is therefore a favorite pastime of the community. With the introduction of Patch 8 and the arrival of a new Bard subclass, the College of Glamour, the existing balance was tipped. The article has been updated with some additional information to give players a clearer idea of what to expect when they choose their Bard's subclass in BG3.
4
College of Valor
The start of a combined build
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Subclass properties |
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Level 3 |
Gain Expertise in:
Fighting inspiration: Inspire an ally to add a +1d6 bonus to their next attack roll, ability check, saving throw, weapon damage, or armor class. |
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Level 6 |
Extra attack: Gain another free attack after making an unarmed or weapon attack. |
The idea behind the College of Valor Bards is that they combine the support abilities of the College of Lore and the combat prowess of the College of Swords into a single package. The College of Valor changes Bardic Inspiration to Combat Inspiration, an ability that allows allies to add a 1d6 modifier to their next attack roll, ability check, saving throw, or AC.
Combat Inspiration is a bonus action that consumes Bardic Inspiration charges to cast. College of Valor Bards also gain proficiency in medium armor, shields, and melee weapons as part of their subclass selection bonus, as well as an extra attack at level 6.
Knowing shields and medium armor means these bards are much more tanky compared to other subclasses, which is their biggest advantage. While College of Valor Bards can deal respectable damage when the situation calls for it, their main role is to support the main party by landing big AoE buffs with Combat Inspiration. Coupled with their inherent tanky nature, they can survive much better than some of the squishier classes in v BG3making them a somewhat difficult target to eliminate.
3
College of Glamour
Entertainer, face, healer and support class
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Subclass properties |
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Level 3 |
Mantle of Inspiration: Infuse 2 allies with your power and grant them 5 temporary health. If hit by a melee attack, the attacker becomes Charmed. |
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Level 6 |
Mantle of Majesty: Command a creature to flee, approach, freeze, fall to the ground, or drop a weapon. Targets that are Charmed automatically fail their saving throw. Mantle of Inspiration targets increased to 3, bonus HP decreased to 8 |
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Level 10 |
Mantle of Inspiration targets increased to 4, bonus HP increased to 11 |
College of Glamor is the newest subclass added Baldur's Gate 3and it was recently introduced to the D&D universe with the release Tasha's cauldron of everything. This is a DPS-based build that focuses on spellcasting power, and the spellbook includes buffs, heals, and battlefield management, as well as healing and damage.
Baldur's Gate 3: The best items for Charisma
Charisma characters in Baldur's Gate 3 will benefit immensely from the following items. Here's what bards, paladins, wizards, and warlocks should get.
This subclass has two signature abilities, and each is an AoE ability that affects the entire party. Mantle of Inspiration grants Bard's allies temporary lives and enchants their enemies. The effect of the Mantle of Inspiration spell can be manually triggered by approaching an enemy and then attempting to walk away, which triggers an Attack of Opportunity. This will have a 100% success rate in taking the enemy out of the equation in almost every fight.
The Mantle of Majesty gives the Bard the power to use an ability similar to the Command spell on his enemies, meaning they can be charmed into dropping their weapons, fleeing, or standing still. Mantle of Majesty can be cast once per long rest, but is a concentration spell similar to 
Call Lightningallowing players to cast the same spell again for the next 10 turns as long as their concentration is not broken. This means that players can recast the Mantle of Majesty during combat with their bonus actions and cast the command up to 10 times if necessary.
2
College of Lore
Devoted caster
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Subclass properties |
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Level 3 |
Gain Expertise in 3 skills (player's choice) Cutting words: Use your wits to distract the creature and undermine its confidence. He takes a -1d6 penalty on attack rolls, ability checks, or saving throws. |
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Level 6 |
Magic secrets: Learn 2 non-bardic spells from the Magical Secrets list of level 3 or lower. |
College of Lore Bards v Baldur's Gate 3 they are purely support and magic bards that want to stay out of melee range. They cast ranged spells and use Bardic Inspiration when necessary. As a counterpoint to the College of Valour's Combat Inspiration, they get an ability called Cutting Words, which is a reaction that can be used to debuff an enemy with a 1d6 penalty on their attack rolls, ability checks, or saving throws. It also consumes Bardic Inspiration charges to cast.
Baldur's Gate 3: The best build of the Sorcerer class
The best Baldur's Gate 3 Sorcerer build is one that avoids risking wild magic and instead relies on their draconic heritage.
Magic secrets are spells outside of the Bard's usual list that the Bard class has limited access to at certain levels. College of Lore Bards get two additional 3rd-level Magical Secret spells at level 6, allowing them to shore up their spellcasting weaknesses much earlier than other subclasses. This includes powerful spells like Fireball, Call Lightning, 
Rushand 
Ghost Guardians.
Picking the right magical secret is key to getting the full value out of a College of Lore Bard, as it can help them greatly in the right scenario. Also, at level 6, it's not necessary to only pick 3rd level spells; by choosing a useful lower level spell such as Magic Missile or 
Misty step can go a long way when spell slots become scarce.
1
College of Swords
Melee bard
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Subclass properties |
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Level 3 |
Gain Expertise in: Blade Flourish: Allows access to the following functions:
Fighting style: Allows access to the following fighting styles:
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Level 6 |
Extra Attack: Gain another free attack after making an unarmed or weapon attack. |
IN Baldur's Gate 3The College of Swords subclass turns Bards from ranged spellcasters into melee enemies on the battlefield. This subclass relies entirely on the combat role, abandoning spellcasting ability for combat prowess. This is not to say that the bards of the College of Swords cannot cast spells, but it is not their main focus.
A signature feature of the College of Swords is Blade Flourish, a unique weapon action that allows Bards to increase their AC on hit, hit two targets in one action, or teleport to a target after pushing them a certain distance. These weapon actions require the use of Bardic Inspiration rounds. Not only that, but College of Swords bards also gain access to two fighting styles, Dueling and Two-Weapon Fighting, further increasing their combat effectiveness.
A common misconception about College of Swords Bards is that they are only supposed to use melee weapons. In fact, one of College of Swords' most powerful builds revolves around the two hand crossbows that turn Bard into an artillery machine, thanks to 
Flourish triggers on ranged and melee melee attacks.
