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- Best Bard Features To Keep When Multiclassing
- Best Multiclass Options For Bards
Multiclassing is a feature of Baldur's Gate 3 that allows you to have levels in different classes for a single character. With multiclassing, you'll be able to take the best parts of different classes to make a very powerful build.
RelatedBaldur's Gate 3: Complete Guide To Bards
Here's everything you need to know about playing a bard in Baldur's Gate 3.
PostsOne class that's great for multiclassing is the bard. While already powerful as a class by itself, introducing other classes for your character at different levels can allow you to make an unstoppable character. Since a bard has useful skills throughout several levels, you’ll find that you’ll only need a few levels of other classes in your multiclass bard build.
Best Bard Features To Keep When Multiclassing
When you multiclass your bard, there are some skills per level that you'll want to keep. At level two, a bard can use Song of Rest to give the entire party a short rest. This will allow your party to heal and this is also useful for companions whose abilities recover after a short rest.
At level six, bards unlock a subclass feature. College of lore bards will be able to learn two spells from the magical secrets list. College of valour bards and college of sword bards will be able to use an extra attack.
At level ten, bards gain Magical Secrets, where they can learn two non-bard spells from the magical secrets list. This means that you'll be able to take the most useful spells from other classes while still staying in the bard class.
Best Multiclass Options For Bards
Each character can only gain up to 12 total levels. Also, regardless of at what character level you start your multiclass, the next class you introduce will always start at level one.
That being said, you'll want to get just enough of what each class has to offer.
Fighter
When you multiclass your bard into fighter, you'll have a powerful ranged unit that can dish out multiple attacks at a time. Thanks to the fighter's Action Surge at level two and the college of swords bard's Slashing Flourish ability, you can breeze through encounters easily.
If you want to maximize the damage you can do with this build, get the Band of the Mystic Scoundrel ring. This gives the wearer Illusion Quickening which allows you to cast illusion of enchantment spells as a bonus action after hitting a creature with a weapon attack.
The Band of the Mystic Scoundrel can be obtained by looting a backpack in the Jungle that you access through Akabi at the Circus of the Last Days.
Class
Build
Bard 1
Gain: Bardic Inspiration
Bard 2
Gain: Song of Rest
Bard 3
Subclass: college of swords
Bard 4
Feat: sharpshooter
Bard 5
Gain: Improved Bardic Inspiration
Bard 6
Gain: Extra Attack
Fighter 1
Gain: Second Wind Fighting Style: archery
Fighter 2
Gain: Action Surge
Bard 7
Bard 8
Feat: Ability Improvement (+2 dexterity)
Bard 9
Bard 10
Gain: Magical Secrets
Rogue
A great way to multiclass a bard into the rogue class is to also introduce two levels of fighter at the end. You'll end up with a unit that can wield hand-crossbows extremely well and can deal damage multiple times.
The extra damage you can deal using sneak attacks will only make this build more powerful as a ranged unit. You can kick off fights and clear out a few enemies early on.
Class
Build
Bard 1
Gain: Bardic Inspiration
Bard 2
Gain: Song of Rest
Bard 3
Subclass: college of swords
Bard 4
Feat: sharpshooter
Bard 5
Gain: Improved Bardic Inspiration
Bard 6
Gain: Extra Attack
Rogue 1
Gain: Sneak Attack (melee and ranged)
Rogue 2
Gain: Cunning Action (dash, disengage, hide)
Rogue 3
Subclass: thief Gain:
- Fast Hands: gain an additional bonus action
- Second-Store Work: you've mastered the art of falling and gain resistance to falling damage.
Rogue 4
Feat: ability improvement (+2 dexterity)
Fighter 1
Gain: Second Wind Fighting Style: archery
Fighter 2
Gain: Action Surge
Warlock
The warlock has attacks that deal damage based on the charisma modifier score. This works perfectly with the bard class.
With a pact of the blade warlock, you'll be able to summon a pact weapon or bind your current weapon, making it magical. Pact weapons use the wielder's charisma modifier, so the bard will have no problem wielding it.
The extra attack you get at warlock level five stacks with the bard's extra attack at level six too, granting you more opportunities to deal damage to your enemies.
Class
Build
Bard 1
Gain: Bardic Inspiration
Bard 2
Gain: Song of Rest
Bard 3
Subclass: college of swords
Bard 4
Feat: Ability Improvement (+2 charisma)
Bard 5
Gain: Improved Bardic Inspiration
Bard 6
Gain: Extra Attack
Warlock 1
- Pact Magic
- Subclass: any
Warlock 2
Gain: 2 Eldritch Invocations
- Agonising Blast
- Repelling Blast
Warlock 3
Pact Boon: Pact of the Blade
Warlock 4
Feat: Ability Improvement (+2 charisma)
Warlock 5
- Proficiency Bonus: +3
- 1 Eldritch Invocation
- Deepened Pact: Pact of the Blade
- Gain an extra attack with your pact weapon
Warlock 6
1 Eldritch Invocation:
- Lifedrinker: add your charisma modifier to the damage of your melee weapon attacks
Paladin
A paladin is also an awesome multiclass option for bards. For this, you'll also want two levels in fighter to get Action Surge.
This type of multiclass build is great because the paladin gives you the option to pick the fighting style: Great Weapon Fighting. You'll be able to gain the Defence fighting style with fighter later on too.
Divine Smite will also ensure that your paladin bard will be a serious damage-dealing tank on the field.
Class
Build
Bard 1
Gain: Bardic Inspiration
Bard 2
Gain: Song of Rest
Bard 3
Subclass: college of valour
Bard 4
Feat: Ability Improvement (+2 strength)
Bard 5
Gain: Improved Bardic Inspiration
Bard 6
Gain: Extra Attack
Paladin 1
Subclass: vengeance
Paladin 2
Fighting Style: Great Weapon Fighting
Paladin 3
Subclass Feature
Paladin 4
Feat: Ability Improvement (+2 strength)
Fighter 1
- Gain: Second Wind
- Fighting Style: Defence
Fighter 2
Gain: Action Surge
NextBaldur’s Gate 3: Best Oathbreaker Paladin Build
Break an oath, then break your foes.
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