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- College Of Lore Bard Overview
- The Best Starting Stats, Species, And Spells For A College Of Lore Bard Character
- Tips To Best Play A College Of Lore Bard
- The Best Spells For A College Of Lore Bard
- The Best Equipment For A College Of Lore Bard
- Every Level Up Choice For A College Of Lore Bard
As fun as the many different party members in Baldur's Gate 3 might be, none of them take up the Bard class. If you want to fill that game in party balance, why not do so as a College of Lore Bard? This subclass offers a more support-centric option, providing a wide variety of spells and abilities perfect for hindering your enemies. Blind, hypnotize, and insult your enemies into submission while your tank goes in for the easy kill.
RELATED: Baldur's Gate 3: Complete Guide To Bards
But with all of the various debuff options available, it can be tough to decide how to best go about building your character. Sleep or laughter? Hold Person or Crown of Madness? How should you spend your precious Bardic Inspiration?? Fear no longer. Read a little further to learn everything you could need to know about making the best College of Lore Bard build.
Updated September 29, 2023, by Branden Lizardi: Act 3 is full of new things to fight, loot, earn, and steal. Now that the game has been out a while, our overall context has expanded, and secret, harder to find items have become aware to us. As such, we're updating this guide to include only the best gear, spells, and weapons for your time as a trash talking College of Lore Bard.
College Of Lore Bard Overview
The College of Lore Bard, thematically, shifts focus away from the idea of music and more toward the idea of storytelling. Words are your weapon more than a song is. This is primarily represented with the Cutting Words subclass feature, which allows you to use a reaction to hinder enemies.
Beyond that, you'll also be given access to additional spells otherwise unavailable to the Bard class.
With that, this subclass is often played in a more defensive, supportive, or utilitarian role. It also gives them access to some potentially powerful spells, opening the door for a more offensive build. Remember that much of this can change depending on your party composition. Don't be afraid to tweak the build further to make the most of your overall team.
The Best Starting Stats, Species, And Spells For A College Of Lore Bard Character
Building the initial character is vital in setting them up for success further down the class line. While you won't have access to the College of Lore subclass just yet, we can start laying the groundwork for your benefit later.
Species
Because there are no stat differences between species, none play a major influence in your class. For this reason, we recommend playing as a human. Their Human Versatility means more skills to be proficient in, supporting the all-arounder style they're good for. More importantly, it comes with Civil Militia, which will expand your weapon abilities and give you proficiency with a shield.
Cantrips And Spells
Start with Vicious Mockery and Mage Hand. Vicious Mockery is a Bard-only spell that, while not heavy on damage, can inflict disadvantage on attacks from the target. This is a great way to debuff enemies from the start. Mage Hand is useful in the overall game. It can be, however, replaced with another cantrip of choice if you intend on keeping Gale in your party since he already knows it.
For starting spells, we recommend the following spells for the following reasons:
Spell
Reason
Healing Word
Healing spells are valuable, especially if you don't intend to keep Shadowheart in your party. Healing Word may heal less than Cure Wounds, but it can be used as a bonus action and from a distance.
Tasha's Hideous Laughter
It's one of the best early-game spells for disabling an opponent for multiple turns
Bane
It hinders multiple enemies at once, which is very valuable if anyone gets surrounded.
Sleep
Its an early-game spell that can potentially disable multiple targets, with limitations, though.
Instrument And Background
The instrument you choose makes zero difference, so go with whatever one you fancy most.
As for Background, while Entertainer may make sense, Performance and Acrobatics checks are much less common. Instead, try Guild Artisan. Insight Proficiency is helpful in dialogue, and the many opportunities to use Persuasion checks will help with both dice rolls and Inspiration rewards.
Stats And Skills
The recommended stats for a Bard are close but not quite ideal. With that in mind, we recommend the following starting stats.
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
8
16
13
12
10
16
By taking one point off charisma and moving it to dexterity, we can get a better Dex score, boosting AC and weapons without lowering your charisma modifier. You can then increase your charisma more with a feat later on.
As for Skills, this will mostly depend on playstyle, but we recommend the following skills.
Stealth
Perception
Deception
Performance
Tips To Best Play A College Of Lore Bard
The best way to play a College of Lore Bard is as a powerful supportive role. You want to utilize both your Cutting Words feature and wider variety of spells to debuff or disable opponents, making them easy targets for your damage-dealing party members. Stay in the background instead of on the front lines, and choose spells that complement that playstyle.
Don't dish out Bardic Inspiration. Instead, save it for Cutting Words. This subclass-exclusive reaction allows you to roll your bardic dice as a reaction to an enemy's attack, ability check, or damage. This can be the difference between life and death in some moments.
Once you reach level 5, be more liberal with your usage since you can restore bardic inspiration from a short rest. This pairs very well with your Song of Rest ability, which is essentially an extra short rest.
Go to your character's info screen and find the reactions panel. Set Cutting Words to ask for confirmationfirst, or you'll burn through them in early encounters.
College of Lore Bards also get an extra instance of Magical Secrets. For how to make the most of that, consult our Best Spells section below.
The Best Spells For A College Of Lore Bard
Following the aforementioned theme of being a support role that debuffs and hinders the enemy, we recommend the following spells. This will be how it looks when you've reached a maximum level of 12. For details as to why for each spell, consult the recommended levels to learn each spell in the Level Up Choice section below. Otherwise, pick them at your leisure.
Spell Level
Spells
Cantrips
Vicious Mockery, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Blade Ward
1
Healing Word, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Bane, Sleep, Dissonant Whispers, Magical Secrets (Chromatic Orb), Ritual Caster Feat (Jump, Speak With Animals)
2
Crown of Madness, Misty Step, Invisibility (replace with Greater Invisibility later), Phantasmal Force
3
Hypnotic Pattern, Magical Secrets (Bestow Curse, Counterspell)
4
Confusion, Greater Invisibility (replaces Invisibility), Magical Secrets (Banishment)
5
Dominate Person, Mass Cure Wounds
6
Eyebite, Otto's Irresistible Dance
RELATED: Baldur's Gate 3: The Best Cantrips
The Best Equipment For A College Of Lore Bard
Best Weapons
For your main hand, you should start a Rapier. Already dealing 1d8 damage, the finesse quality means you can still use dexterity as your attack modifier. It also comes with two debilitating weapon skills and Flourish. Flourish lets you make an attack as a bonus action and potentially inflict yet another debuff.
For magical options, the Phalar Aluve can be found early in the Underdark, and it's an amazing weapon that will carry you to the end of the game. It's Sing and Shriek abilities provide excellent buffs and debuffs respectively, and it's one of the only longsword weapons with the finesse quality.
For ranged attacks, we recommend a Light Crossbow. It deals more damage than the starter Hand Crossbow, hitting for 1d8. You can also find a magic Light Crossbow +1 very early, purchased from Dammon at Druid Grove,
Best Armor And Accessories
While there are arguably better pieces of equipment available, those will be better suited for your other party members, whereas this setup is designed to make the most of your support-role position on the team. The only hard 'must-have' on this build is the Boots Of Brilliance.
Helm
Cape
Coldbrim Hat
Any condition you inflict on someone also comes with "Encrusted With Frost"
Cloak of Protection
+1 to AC and Saving Throws
Armor
Amulet
Studded Leather Armor +2
Highest AC armor available
Amulet of Misty Step
Free use of a powerful teleportation spell
Gloves
Ring
Braindrain Gloves
When you deal Psychic Damage, you also apply "Mental Fatigue." Vicious Mockery is psychic damage, making for even greater debuffs from a cantrip
Ring of Mental Inhibition
When an enemy fails a saving throw you inflict, they also get "Mental Fatigue." This, combined with the gloves, make most spell attacks give the effect.
Boots
Ring
Boots of Brilliance
Can restore Bardic Inspiration charges
Shifting Corpus Ring
Provides a free casting of Invisibility and Blur, two great buff spells.
Off Hand/Shield
Instrument
Wood Woad Shield
Can cast Ensaring Strike (may conflict with concentration needs). Can swap for a +1 Shield for +3 to AC instead
Your Choice
If you want to swap out defensive cover for extra health and damage, you can replace the Studded Leather Armor +1 for the Potent Robes. While your AC will be notably lower, it adds your charisma modifier to cantrip attacks and grants Temp HP every turn. We only recommend this if you don't have a Warlock on your team, however, since they would make greater use of the robe's effects.
It's common to wear the Blazer of Benevolence since it gives Temp HP when you give someone bardic inspiration. But since this build focuses on using Cutting Words instead, we don't recommend this armor. But if you like how fancy it looks, don't let us stop you.
If you'd like some easy healing, the Circlet of Mental Anguish will heal your for 1-4 hit points every time someone fails a saving throw you inflict on them. But given the heavy potential of the Coldbrim Hat in this context, we recommend sticking to that.
The Cloak of Elemental Absorption is another possible choice, allowing you to reduce incoming elemental damage, and applying it to your next attack. But since the focus is to not get hit, instead of taking hits, it may be better worn by the party tank.
Every Level Up Choice For A College Of Lore Bard
Want a level-by-level guide for accomplishing this build? Here's how to do that. Each table will represent reaching that level, citing the new things unlocked and what spells we recommend taking. Note that it will skip level one since that is covered above.
Things earned at every level, like more health and a greater number of spell slots, are assumed and will not be included in the table.
Level 2
New Unlocks
Song of Rest
Jack of All Trades
Recommended Spell
Dissonant Whispers
It's one of the stronger level 1 spells available, best to get early
Level 3
New Unlocks
2nd Level Spell Slots
Gain 2 Expertise (Deception, Performance)
Subclass (College of Lore)
Cutting Words
Sleight of Hand, Intimidation, and Arcana skill proficiency
Recommended Spell
Crown of Madness
Very helpful when you have one particularly powerful foe in a large group.
Level 4
New Unlocks
Additional Cantrip
Song of Rest
Jack of All Trades
A new feat
Feat
Ability Improvement: Charisma +2
Better to do early to improve your spellcasting modifier and DC
Recommended Cantrip
Minor Illusion
Create distractions to help avoid encounters or allow teammates to get into better pre-combat positions
Recommended Spell
Misty Step
An amazing teleportation spell, especially when needing to distance yourself.
Level 5
New Unlocks
Font of Inspiration (regain Bardic Inspiration on short rests)
Bardic Die is now a d8
Level 3 spell slots
Recommended Spell
Hypnotic Pattern
Great for disabling multiple targets, even ones you can't see (invisible)
Level 6
New Unlocks
Countercharm
Song of Rest
Jack of All Trades
Magical Secrets (learn 2 non-Bard spells)
Recommended Spell
Invisibility
Good for stealth, positioning, or escaping trouble.
Bestow Curse (Magical Secrets)
A powerful debuff.
Chromatic Orb (Magical Secrets)
It's the most diverse and powerful level 1 attack spell
Level 7
New Unlocks
Level 4 spell slots
Recommended Spell
Confusion
Very effective for delaying large groups of enemies.
Spell Replacement
Replace Invisibility with Greater Invisibility
Level 8
New Unlocks
A new feat
Feat
Ability Improvement: Charisma +2
Get your Charisma up to 20 now to make the most of the +5 modifier
Recommended Spell
Phantasmal Force
Good for prolonged additional damage when debuffs aren't effective.
Level 9
New Unlocks
Level 5 spell slots
Recommended Spell
Dominate Person
Great control spell. If taking on a healer role, can be replaced by Mass Cure Wounds
Level 10
New Unlocks
Bardic Die is now a d10
Gain 2 Expertise (Persuasion, Stealth)
New Cantrip
Magical Secrets
Recommended Cantrip
Blade Ward
Easy defensive option
Recommended Spell
Mass Cure Wounds
Unless you took that instead of Dominate Person. In which case, take Dominate Person now
Banishment (Magical Secrets)
One of the best ways to remove problem targets
Counterspell (Magical Secrets)
Interrupt and waste power enemy spells, can be a lifesaving option
Level 11
New Unlocks
Level 6 spell slots
Recommended Spell
Eyebite
A powerful debuff spell that can be repeatedly cast and offers multiple options
Level 12
New Unlocks
A new feat
Feat
Ritual Caster
Learn two ritual spells. Further diversify your spell selection with ones that won't eat up spell slots. If this doesn't appeal to you, consider the Durable feat instead
Recommended Spell
Otto's Irresistible Dance
Only thing left to get. It's one of the funnier debuffs to apply, especially against big dramatic enemies.
Jump (Ritual Caster)
Take advantage of hight bonus for ranged attacks
Speak With Animals (Ritual Caster)
Enables additional narrative and environmental options
NEXT: Baldur's Gate 3: Class Tier List
