Best Bard Builds – Baldur’s Gate 3

Welcome to the best Bard Builds for BG3 (Baldur’s Gate 3). Bards channel their power through song, speech, or performance to cast Spells. Creativity is your weapon, both on and off the battlefield! Bards also often have extra dialogue options that unlock new ways to advance!

Build Spec	Playstyle
College of Glamour Bard	Commands the battlefield with fey charms and temp HP buffs.
College of Lore Bard	Master of utility and debuffs who steals spells from other classes.
College of Swords Bard	High-mobility martial expert using “Flourishes” for melee or ranged burst.
College of Valour Bard	Combat support hybrid that grants allies bonus damage and AC via inspiration.
Bardadin Build – Bard Paladin Multiclass	Combines Bard spell slots with Paladin Smites for massive single-target burst.
Bardlock Build – Bard Warlock Multiclass	Bardic utility and crowd control in combination with Warlock’s Eldritch Blast.
Lorecerer Build – Bard Sorcerer Multiclass	Merges Sorcerer Meta-Magic with Lore Bard versatility for ultimate spell control.

College of Glamour Bard Build

With the BG3 College of Glamour Bard Build, you’ll find you have the power to heal friends and command enemies in equal measure.

Cast Mantle of Inspiration to bestow your allies with 5 temporary hit points. And should an enemy attack while it is cast, they’ll find themselves Charmed.

Play your hand correctly and you’ll be able to use this to your advantage with Mantle of Majesty. Target Charmed enemies and you can command them to flee, move closer, freeze, drop to the ground, or drop their weapon.

College of Lore Bard Build

The BG3 College of Lore Build pursues beauty and truth, collecting knowledge from scholarly tomes to peasants’ tales, and use your gifts to hold both audiences and enemies spellbound.

At level 3, you first get the Cutting Words passive feature. This allows you to use a Reaction and a Bardic Inspiration Charge to give enemies a 1d6 penalty to an Attack Roll, Ability Check, or Saving Throw. You’ll also gain Proficiency in 3 extra Skills.

At level 6, you will get the Magical Secrets passive that allows you to select two additional spells, including spells usually not available to Bards. This allows you to learn two non-Bard spells up to level 3. This is great because now we can get access to Haste, which is one of the most powerful spells in the game when used correctly.

Magical Secrets makes the Lore Bard the best option for Bard players who want to specialise in spellcasting.

College of Swords Bard Build

A highly trained and skilled warrior, The BG3 College of Swords Build uses prowess with words and weapons to fight and entertain in equal measure.

As its name suggests, this subclass is more focused on martial combat than any other Bard type in BG3. You gain access to additional weapon Actions that can boost your Armour Class when you attack, attack two enemies at once or push enemies back when you strike them. Using these special attacks will consume a Bardic Inspiration Charge.

You also get an Extra Attack with your weapons once you reach Level 6.

College of Valour Bard Build

You wander the land to witness and relate the deeds of the mighty, keeping alive the memory of heroes of the past and inspiring heroes of the future.

The BG3 College of Valour Bard Build leans a little towards martial pursuits, getting Proficiency with Martial Weapons, Shields and Medium Armour, opening up more build possibilities for them. They can also make two attacks per Action with weapons once they reach level 6.

They also enjoy an upgrade to their Bardic Inspiration. Once it is applied to an ally, that ally can choose to consume it to buff one of their Attack Rolls or their Armour Class, helping to turn combat in your favour.

Bardadin: Bard & Paladin Multiclass Build

The BG3 Bardadin Build (Bard & Paladin Multiclass) combines the Bard’s range of spells with the Paladin’s weapon and armour prowess and Smite spells.

The result is a highly versatile melee heavy-hitter who brings heaps of party support and healing to the table when needed.

Bardlock: Bard & Warlock Multiclass Build

The BG3 Bardlock Build (Bard & Warlock Multiclass) combines the Warlock class with the College of Lore Bard. Warlock provides access to the Eldritch Blast cantrip, adding strong offensive potential that a Lore Bard alone lacks.

In contrast, Bard brings additional proficiencies and superior crowd-control options that Warlock does not offer otherwise. These classes work well together because they both favour Charisma as their most important ability.

Lorecerer: Bard & Sorcerer Multiclass Build

The BG3 Lorecerer Build (Bard & Sorcerer Multiclass) combines the control-focused College of Lore Bard with the Sorcerer’s unmatched spellcasting power, excelling at battlefield control while remaining highly adaptable.