Bd
Bard Class Guide – Baldur's Gate 3
Main ability CharismaSpellcasting CharismaHP per level 5 + ConSubclass at Level 3Subclasses College of Lore, College of Valour, College of Swords, College of Glamour
Support casterPlaystyle
A charming performer who supports the party with magic, skills and Bardic Inspiration.
Bards are full spellcasters who use Charisma. They hand out Bardic Inspiration to boost allies' rolls, have lots of skill proficiencies and are great in conversations. Lore Bards gain more spells and skills, while Valour and Swords Bards fight in melee or at range.
Subclasses
You choose your subclass at level 3.
College of LoreSubclass since launch.
College of ValourSubclass since launch.
College of SwordsSubclass since launch.
College of GlamourAdded in Patch 8 (April 2025).
Who it suits
Players who like talking their way through problems and supporting the team.
Tips
Be the faceWith high Charisma and Expertise, Bards are the best at Persuasion, Deception and Intimidation checks.
Inspire before big rollsBardic Inspiration helps with attacks, saves and even dialogue checks.
Pick control spellsSpells like Faerie Fire and Hypnotic Pattern help the whole party.
Compare all 12 classes on the class overview, or start with the Beginner's Guide.
Reference page written by AI (Claude) and checked against the sources above. Games change with every patch – the patch this page was last checked for is shown at the top.