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The Bards of Dungeons & Dragons have a mixed reputation. Generally seen as incredibly charismatic oafs who can talk just about anyone out of their clothes, people don't often take Bards seriously -- and that's their first mistake. With the perfect Fifth Edition Bard build, these characters can easily become powerful members of an adventuring party, all while recording their epic deeds for posterity's sake.

Factors like race, subclass and background choices can impact a Bard's potential. There are also a number of intriguing feats that, when combined with the right attributes, can more or less turn a Bard into whomever they need to convince the world they are. Bards tend to be jack-of-all-trades characters, which can be just as much of a hindrance as it is a boon. Taking time to carefully consider the impact the character will have on the party and the world around them is an essential part of creating the perfect Bard.

Bard Build 5E Summary

Ability Scores (in order of importance)

Charisma, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Strength

Skill Proficiencies

Performance, Persuasion, Intimidation, Deception

Race

Half-elf

Background

Celebrity Adventurer's Scion

Subclass

The College of Lore

Feats

Inspiring Leader, War Caster, Actor

Spells

Cantrips: Friends, Vicious Mockery; Spells: Charm Person, Calm Emotions, Gift of Gab, Enthrall, Modify Memory, Power Word Kill

Perks of a Dungeons and Dragons Bard

Bard Level

Feature

1

Bardic Inspiration - 1d6

2

Jack of All Trades, Song of Rest

3

Bard College, Expertise

5

Font of Inspiration, Bardic Inspiration - 1d8

6

Countercharm

10

Magical Secrets, Bardic Inspiration - 1d10

15

Bardic Inspiration - 1d12

20

Superior Inspiration

Related
Dungeons & Dragons: Every Bard College, Ranked
Bards are one of Dungeons & Dragon's most versatile classes. With multiple colleges to choose from, a Bard can be just about anything.

Bards begin their journey much like many other classes, exploring the world and practicing their class before settling on a specific subclass or Bardic College at level 3. After choosing a Bardic College, they will gain access to a variety of College-specific features that couple well with the innate abilities listed above. Their use of features like Bardic Inspiration allows them to buff their allies by adding another die they can roll to add to one ability check, saving throw or attack roll. As the bard becomes more experienced, that's reflected in the die, scaling all the way up to 1d12 at level 15. Certain bard subclasses may also add additional features to Inspiration, potentially adding its use to damage rolls or passing the Inspiration on to another ally when certain requirements are met.

Because bards have so many roles they can easily slip into as a support class, a feature like Jack-of-All Trades allows them to add half their proficiency (rounded down) to any ability check they make that doesn't already include their proficiency bonus. This means that even in their weakest area, they can roll with proficiency, giving them opportunities to always be involved in the action, no matter what's going on. Gaining Magical Secrets at level ten allows them to expand their spellcasting into other classes, potentially giving them opportunity to fill a role the party might be missing because they lack a specific spellcaster class.

DnD 5e's Bards Are Charisma-Based Magic Users

Witcher 3 Dandelion holding out a hand

Charisma is the most important stat in a Bard's repertoire. Not only does it guarantee epic performances in their chosen field of entertainment, but it grants the power to masterfully con, manipulate, charm, deceive and intimidate almost anyone they meet. This makes them the perfect person to throw into diplomatic situations that need a little finesse, including those moments the rest of the party may find themselves in a jam.

Nearly all of a Bard's abilities, including the magic they wield, are Charisma-based, so getting that Charisma as high as possible as quickly as possible is a must. Not only does this raise their Spell Attack modifier and Spell Save DC, but a good Charisma base offers a nice boost to important skills like Performance, Deception, Persuasion, and Intimidation. The next most useful stat is Dexterity, as Bards need to be nimble, agile, and just stealthy enough while pulling the wool over someone's eyes to get away.

The Best Skill Proficiencies For 5e's Bards

Related
Every Skill Proficiency In D&D 5e, Ranked by Usefulness
It's easy for new D&D 5e players to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of skill proficiencies, but some stand out as more useful skills than others.

Choosing the right proficiencies is the difference between a mediocre and amazing Bard. Bards don't need to be athletic or know how to handle animals. Using all available opportunities to boost their skill checks in things like Performance, Persuasion, Deception, and Intimidation is an absolute must.

The College of Lore's Expertise feature allows Bards the chance to double their proficiency in up to four skills by the time they reach level 10, which is just another great reason that college is the best option. These are the choices that will truly make a Bard the kind of jack-of-all-trades that is indispensable to the entire party. People won't hesitate to rely on them when it comes to bargaining, convincing, deceiving, and telling the epic tales of the adventures they undertake together while out saving the worlds.

Dungeons & Dragons' Half-Elf Is Perfect For Bards

Strong Racial Options for Bards

  • Eladrin
  • Elves
  • Drow
  • Tabaxi
  • Tieflings
  • Humans
  • Changelings
  • Satyrs

There are a handful of standard races perfect for Bards, but the best hands down remains the Half-Elf. Not only do half-elves get an automatic +2 Charisma boost, but they also get two more +1 stat boosts to other attributes. This is great for granting extra Intelligence and Dexterity, both highly useful skills for Bards. Half-elves also have darkvision, extra skill boosts, and advantage on being charmed -- which is perfect because they definitely need to be the most charming person on the field. Analyze other potential races carefully, looking through their spells and abilities to determine which one best suits the type Bard you're creating. Making sure they get an increase to their Charisma is always a good idea, so be on the lookout for that as well.

The Best Background For A Bard

It's all too easy to immediately jump on the Entertainer background when it comes to 5E's best bard build, and while it's definitely a worthy option, take a moment to consider the character's backstory before deciding. A background will not only provide useful skill proficiencies, but can also contribute to building the character's personal history. One great background option for an intriguing backstory is the Celebrity Adventurer's Scion from Acquisition's Incorporated. This character lives in the shadow of their celebrity parent, which means they'll do anything (including dropping names) to make their way out of that shadow of expectation. In addition to interesting backstory material, the Scion also gains proficiency in the Perception and Performance skills and with the Disguise Kit. They also gain access to two additional languages, which is never a bad thing for a traveling party of adventurers.

Other Character Background Options to Consider

  • Charlatan: Sleight of Hand, Deception
  • Faceless: Deception, Intimidation
  • Gladiator: Acrobatics, Performance

Choosing the Right Bardic College

A College of Creation Bard animating a golem in DnD 5e

Bard College

Source

College of Valor

Player's Handbook

College of Lore

Player's Handbook

College of Eloquence

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

College of Creation

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

College of Spirits

Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft

College of Whispers

Xanathar's Guide to Everything

College of Swords

Xanathar's Guide to Everything

College of Valor

Xanathar's Guide to Everything

College of Tragedy

Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn

Choosing a Bardic college grants access to the skills, spells, and abilities that will define the character throughout the campaign. As 5e continues to expand its many options for class specializations, the College of Lore continues to be one of the absolute best options for building outstanding Bards. It's the perfect balance between practically infallible skill checks and a list of nearly unstoppable spells from other schools of magic that only keeps growing as the Bard levels up. Lore Bards also gain access to one of the coolest features in D&D: Cutting Words. This allows a character to use one of their Bardic Inspirations as a reaction to affect the outcome of an enemy's attacks, ability checks, and damage rolls.

The College of Glamour is another powerful choice, with intriguing boons like Mantle of Majesty and Unbreakable Majesty that allow them to stop pesky enemies in their tracks by Commanding them to do their bidding or putting them at a disadvantage when the Bard attacks. Consider Colleges carefully, looking what each offers and thinking about how they will be useful.

The Best Feats For Bards

A College of Glamor Bard casting a spell in DnD 5e
Related
15 Best Feats For Bards In D&D 5e, Ranked
Since bards are one of the most versatile classes in Dungeons & Dragons, they can make great use of almost every feat in the game.

All classes have the option to either boost their core skills or take a feat at certain levels. There are a handful of feats that are particularly useful for Bards. Inspiring Leader couples well with the Bard's Song of Rest ability, granting the entire party temporary hit points after listening to an inspirational speech. War Caster is another great option, as it gives Bards a little more spellcasting flexibility when it comes to Concentration and Opportunity Attacks. Finally, Actor boosts Charisma a little more, and since most Bards are always looking for opportunities to flex their acting muscles, it's definitely a good fit.

The Best DnD 5e Spells for Bards

A split image of two dnd characters a bard and a cleric

Level

Spells

1

Charm Person, Faerie Fire, Bane, Silvery Barbs

2

Calm Emotions, Gift of Gab, Magic Mouth, Silence

3

Antagonize, Fast Friends, Motivational Speech, Tongues

4

Compulsion, Charm Monster, Polymorph, Dimension Door

5

Geas, Legend Lore, Mislead

6

Mass Suggestion, Otto's Irresistible Dance,

7

Project Image, Mordekainen's Magnificent Mansion, Regenerate

8

Feeblemind, Power Word Stun, Glibness, Mind Blank

9

Power Word Kill, Psychic Scream, True Polymorph

When it comes to the magic a Bard uses, some of it is very deceptive and manipulating, which is right on par with performers. They are always playing a role, which is why they'll want to pick up cantrips and early spells like Friends, Charm Person, Calm Emotions, Enthrall and Gift of Gab. As they grow more powerful, they gain access to spells like Modify Memory, Mass Suggestion and Glibness.

Bards who manage to make it into the upper levels can choose from powerful spells like Power Word Stun, True Polymorph, Power Word Kill and so many others that at times it's hard to choose. Stepping back at that level to take a hard look at whom the character has become across their journey is the easiest way to help determine what upper-level spells will suit them and their unique personality.