Baldur’s Gate 3: All Bard Subclasses, Explained

If you are a fan of the inspiring, jack-of-all-trades class, then this article is for you. Read on to see everything there is to know about all Bard Subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is based on the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons. There, every Class gets to choose a Subclass at a certain point (usually the first three levels), that further improves their abilities. Bard is one of the most popular Classes in DnD, and in BG3. The sheer amount of utility it brings, and the ever-important social Skills and Charisma can really make your game more interesting. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at all the Subclasses Bard has in Baldur’s Gate 3, and what each of them provides.

Bard Subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3

Bard is a Charisma-based caster, with some combat potential. They are proficient in Light Armor, Simple Weapons, Rapiers, Shortswords, Longswords, and Hand Crossbows. They start with three Skills and Musical Instrument Proficiency. The main feature of the Bard is Bardic Inspiration ability. It is a Bonus Action that grants a d6 bonus (that later increases to a d8 and finally a d10) to an ally’s Attack Roll, Saving Throw, or Ability Check. With all that in mind, let’s take a look at how every Subclass influences your play style. On Level 3 you have to choose between three options: College of Valor, College of Swords, or College of Lore.

College of Valor – Defensive

College of Valor grants you additional proficiencies that make you better in combat as a Bard. You gain Proficiency in Medium Armor, Martial Weapons, and Shields. Moreover, at Level 6, you get the Extra Attack Feature.

The best part of this Subclass is that it upgrades your Bardic Inspiration to Combat Inspiration. The difference is that you can now use Inspiration to add to your ally’s damage roll or to increase their AC, in addition to the regular options. That d6/d8/d10 increase to someone’s AC can be a game-winner. This option is great if your party lacks some staying power, if it is mostly made up of low AC, squishy characters.

College of Swords – Offensive

College of Swords makes you proficient with Medium Armor and with Scimitars. Just like the College of Valor, you gain the Extra Attack feature at Level 6. This subclass focuses on being in the thick of it, dealing damage while staying safe in return, more centered on the Bard itself than on other party members.

It does so in two ways. First, you get to choose a Fighting Style (much like a Ranger): Dueling or Two-Weapon Fighting. It grants you a bonus as long as you are holding a single one-handed weapon for Dueling, or a weapon in each hand for Two-Weapon Fighting.

The second, even better ability is Blade Flourish: for a single use of Bardic Inspiration die, you will get a bonus on the Attack Roll, Damage roll, and a choice among three Flourishes to perform.

• Defensive Flourish – adds bonus AC if the attack hits
• Mobile Flourish – if the attack hits, it pushes the target and you can Teleport to it
• Slashing Flourish – you can attack up to two enemies

This Subclass is great if you are lacking some combat prowess in your party, especially if this is your main character (we all love seeing our main beating stuff left and right)

College of Lore – Utility

Arguably the best Subclass for Bards, College of Lore grants you even more Skills, an alternate use for Bardic Inspiration, and more Spells. You get to choose three more Skills to be proficient in. This is huge, as you can now fill in the holes in your party’s global skillset.

If that is not enough, two more features make the College of Lore shine.

• Cutting Words – as a Reaction, you can use a Bardic Inspiration die to give a penalty to an enemy’s Attack Roll, Ability Check, or Saving Throw. Think of it as a reversed Bardic Inspiration.
• More Magical Secrets – Usually, Bards gain access to Magical Secrets at Level 10, which grants them the ability to cast Spells that are not on their Bard Spell list. As a College of Lore Bard, you do that at Level 6, where you can choose two spells, up to Level 3. That means two Spells at Level 6 and two more at Level 10. If you ever wanted to throw Fireballs as a Bard, this is the way. Other notable Spells are Revivify, Haste, Gaseous Form, and Mass Healing Word.

This Subclass is great since it adds so much utility to your party. But, it is best to keep the Collage of Lore Bard out of harm’s way, as this is primarily a spellcasting Subclass.

For more on BG3, check out Is There a DLC, How to Get Mind Blown Achievement? Mild Spoilers Ahead, and All Trophies and Achievements.