D&D 5e Bard Guide (2014)

Introduction

The Bard is D&D 5e's most versatile class. Full spellcasting on Charisma, more skill proficiencies than any other class at level 1, Expertise that doubles two skills as early as level 3, Jack of All Trades adding half proficiency to every skill you are not proficient in, and Magical Secrets that eventually lets you steal any two spells from any class list in the game. You are the Swiss Army knife of the party, never the absolute best at any single thing, but always the best at doing three things simultaneously.

The Bard's spell list covers crowd control (hypnotic pattern, hold person), support (bless, healing word, enhancing abilities), utility (invisibility, dispel magic), and through Magical Secrets, damage (animate objects, spirit guardians). You will run the party's social interactions, provide the critical save-or-suck spell in the boss fight, and give your Fighter a Bardic Inspiration die at the exact moment it matters most.

The 2014 Bard has one of the most satisfying level 1-20 progressions in the game. Each tier adds meaningful power: Font of Inspiration at 5 makes your resource economy sustainable, Countercharm at 6 protects the party, Magical Secrets at 10 adds two permanent spells from any class list, and the capstone Superior Inspiration at 20 gives you a free Bardic Inspiration at every combat.

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Disclaimer

Ratings use colored dots to indicate option quality:

• ● Red: Bad. Actively weak or superseded.
• ● Orange: Situational. Correct in specific builds or campaigns.
• ● Green: Good. Reliable and consistently strong.
• ● Blue: Fantastic. Best-in-class, almost always the right choice.

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Class Features

Spellcasting (1st Level) ●

Full caster (9th-level spells by level 17), CHA-based, prepared as known. You know a fixed number of spells, unlike Clerics or Druids, who prepare from a list daily. Spell selection is your most important build decision. The Bard's spell list has fewer blasting options than Wizard or Sorcerer but more utility and control. Know spells that work in multiple scenarios.

Must-know Bard spells by level:

• 1st: ● Healing Word (bonus action, range heal, the best healing spell in the game), ● Thunderwave (AoE push + damage), ● Dissonant Whispers (psychic damage + flee reaction), ● Faerie Fire (advantage on attacks against targets)
• 2nd: ● Hold Person (paralyzed condition, save each turn), ● Invisibility, ● Suggestion
• 3rd: ● Hypnotic Pattern (incapacitate a crowd, concentration), ● Dispel Magic, ● Fear
• 4th: ● Polymorph (transform enemy or ally), ● Greater Invisibility
• 5th: ● Hold Monster, ● Mass Cure Wounds
• 9th (Magical Secrets): ● Wish (Wizard), ● Mass Heal (Cleric)

Bardic Inspiration (1st Level) ●

Bonus action: grant one creature within 60 feet a Bardic Inspiration die (d6 at levels 1-4, d8 at 5-9, d10 at 10-14, d12 at 15-20). The creature can add the die to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw within 10 minutes (before or after the roll). Uses per long rest equal to CHA modifier (minimum 1). At level 5, Font of Inspiration recovers all uses on short rest.

This is the most flexible party buff in D&D. One die added to a death save, a concentration check, or a crucial attack roll can change outcomes. Give it to the party's most important character for that encounter, usually the Fighter or Paladin who will land the decisive hit, or the Cleric who needs to maintain concentration.

Jack of All Trades (2nd Level) ●

Add half proficiency bonus to all ability checks that do not include proficiency bonus. This includes initiative rolls (effectively +2 to +3 initiative, depending on level). In practice, the Bard becomes moderately good at every skill in the game. It matters less than Expertise but stays broadly useful.

Song of Rest (2nd Level) ●

During short rests, creatures that can hear you recover additional HP when spending hit dice: 1d6 extra per hit die at levels 2-8, scaling to 1d12 by level 17. In a party that takes regular short rests, Song of Rest meaningfully extends the party's resource pool between long rests. Its value scales with how often the campaign allows short rests.

Expertise (3rd, 10th Level) ●

Double proficiency bonus for two chosen skills at level 3, two more at level 10. A CHA 20 Bard with Persuasion Expertise at proficiency +5 has a Persuasion modifier of +15. This is among the highest skill modifiers achievable in 5e. Expertise in Perception, Persuasion, Deception, and Stealth makes the Bard functionally untouchable in social and investigative scenarios.

Font of Inspiration (5th Level) ●

Regain all Bardic Inspiration uses after a short rest. This changes the Bard's resource economy. You go from hoarding 4-5 dice per long rest to spending freely and recovering on every break. At level 5, distribute Inspiration to every ally before every significant combat. The dice are not a finite resource anymore; they are a renewable cycle.

Countercharm (6th Level) ●

Action to start, no concentration required: the performance lasts until the end of your next turn and ends early only if you are incapacitated, silenced, or end it voluntarily. You and allies within 30 feet who can hear you have advantage on saves against being charmed or frightened. Situationally powerful (undead boss fights, fey encounters, dragon fear auras) and completely irrelevant in many campaigns. The action cost matters: you give up a turn to start it.

Magical Secrets (10th, 14th, 18th Level) ●

Learn two spells from any class list. Each Magical Secrets unlock is the single most powerful level-up for the Bard. Standard picks at level 10: counterspell (Wizard) + spirit guardians (Cleric). At level 14: animate objects (Wizard) + one situational pick. At level 18: any 9th-level spell, including wish. These spells use Bard spell slots and are permanently known.

Superior Inspiration (20th Level) ●

If you have no Bardic Inspiration dice remaining when you roll initiative, you gain one immediately. A free die at the start of every combat ensures you always have something to give. Minor, but pleasant.

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Ability Scores

Recommended Array (Standard Array: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8):

● CHA: Feeds spell save DC, Bardic Inspiration uses per long rest, Jack of All Trades social interactions, and all CHA skill checks. Max to 20 first. Every point matters.

● DEX: Your AC (light armor) and initiative. DEX 14 gives +2 to both. Going higher costs ASIs you need for CHA.

● CON: HP and concentration saves. Concentration is central to the Bard's combat role. CON 13+ is minimum; push toward 14-16 after CHA is maxed.

● WIS: WIS saves are common (charm effects, illusion, certain damage). 12 provides a small buffer.

● STR: No Bard feature uses STR. Dump to 8 without concern.

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Races

● Half-Elf: +2 CHA, +1 to two other stats, Darkvision, Fey Ancestry (advantage vs. charm, immunity to magical sleep), and two extra skill proficiencies. The Bard already gets 3 skills; Half-Elf brings this to 5 before Expertise. The best Bard race.

● Tiefling: +2 CHA, +1 INT, Darkvision, resistance to fire, Hellish Rebuke (2nd-level spell once per day on CHA), Darkness (2nd-level, once per day). CHA is the primary stat; the innate spells are bonus utility. Strong in most campaigns.

● Variant Human: +1 to two stats, a skill, and a feat at level 1. War Caster at level 1 solves concentration immediately. The Bard's concentration dependency makes War Caster at level 1 arguably worth sacrificing the CHA bonus.

● Yuan-Ti Pureblood (Volo's): Magic Resistance (advantage on saves against spells and other magical effects) is among the best defensive features in the game, especially for a full caster. +2 CHA is excellent. This race is somewhat controversial for being very powerful.

● Elf (High): +2 DEX, +1 INT, Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, one free Wizard cantrip. The Wizard cantrip (often Booming Blade for Valor Bards) adds combat options. Not CHA-primary but the Fey Ancestry and Wizard cantrip are strong. Better for Valor Bards.

● Dwarf, Halfling: No CHA bonus. Functional but the primary stat mismatch costs you.

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Skills

Bards choose any 3 skills at level 1 (the broadest skill selection in D&D).

● Persuasion: CHA-based, the most common social interaction skill. With Expertise, your modifier exceeds what any other party member can achieve without magic.

● Perception: The most called skill in D&D. Even with average WIS, proficiency plus Jack of All Trades makes your Perception competitive.

● Deception: CHA-based. Useful in deception-heavy social scenarios. Combine with Persuasion Expertise for the complete social coverage.

● Insight: WIS-based. Detect lies, read intentions. Less reliable than Persuasion but frequently called.

● Stealth: DEX-based. The Bard's light armor allows stealth. In scouting situations, a stealthy Bard is an asset.

● Arcana / History / Investigation: INT-based skills. Useful in campaign-specific scenarios. Jack of All Trades already gives half-proficiency, so full proficiency approximately doubles the untrained value.

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Backgrounds

For a full ranking of all 13 PHB backgrounds and how each compares outside this class, see the D&D 5e 2014 Backgrounds Guide.

● Entertainer: Acrobatics and Performance, Disguise Kit and musical instrument. Performance is CHA-based and directly in-class. The By Popular Demand feature provides safe haven in towns (lodging and social protection). Thematically perfect, mechanically aligned.

● Noble: History and Persuasion, one gaming set, and the Position of Privilege feature (preferred treatment from nobles, invitations to events). Persuasion is CHA-based and important for the Bard face role. Position of Privilege is one of the best social background features.

● Charlatan: Deception and Sleight of Hand, Disguise Kit and Forgery Kit. Deception is CHA-based. The False Identity feature creates a fake second identity. Useful for infiltration campaigns.

● Guild Artisan: Insight and Persuasion, Guild Membership. Insight is WIS-based (weaker) but Persuasion is excellent. Guild Membership provides contacts and support in urban environments.

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Feats

● War Caster: Advantage on concentration checks, cast spells as opportunity attacks, cast spells with somatic components while holding weapons and shields. The concentration advantage is the most important benefit: the Bard's best spells (hypnotic pattern, polymorph) require concentration. Losing one of these mid-combat to a failed CON check is catastrophic.

● Resilient (CON): Proficiency in CON saves, which applies directly to concentration checks. Provides similar concentration protection to War Caster without requiring a free hand. Take one or the other; most Bards do not need both.

● Lucky: Three rerolls per long rest. The Bard's broad role means situations arise constantly where rerolling a failed skill check, save, or attack roll matters. Universal utility.

● Alert: +5 to initiative, can't be surprised. The Bard who goes first can drop hypnotic pattern or hold person before enemies act, preventing the incoming attacks that would threaten concentration. Strong in campaigns with ambush-heavy encounter design.

● Inspiring Leader: Spend 10 minutes to give temporary HP to six creatures equal to your level + CHA modifier. At CHA 20 and level 10, that is 15 temporary HP for the entire party before every combat. Requires CHA 13+ (automatic for a Bard). Excellent, passive, and scales well.

● Actor: +1 CHA, advantage on Deception and Performance in disguise. Situational flavor feat with minor stat benefit.

● Great Weapon Master / Sharpshooter: Damage feats for weapon attacks. Bards are not weapon attackers in most builds. College of Valor and Swords Bards might use these, but they are rarely the optimal choice even there.

For the complete feat priority list by level, see our Best Feats for Bard guide. For the complete spell priority list by level, see our Best Bard Spells guide.

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Subclasses

Every Bard college modifies the same resource: the Bardic Inspiration die. What changes between them is what that die becomes in play, which is the fastest way to make this choice.

Every college is analysed feature by feature, with Blade Flourish, Spirit Tales and Mote of Potential ratings, in the D&D 5e Bard Subclasses guide.

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Weapons

● Rapier (d8 finesse): The standard weapon for melee-adjacent Bards. d8 + DEX modifier, usable with light armor. Best single weapon for a non-Valor Bard who needs something in hand.

● Hand Crossbow / Light Crossbow: Ranged option with DEX. Hand Crossbow allows a bonus action attack with Two-Weapon Fighting; Light Crossbow d8 damage at range. Most Bards do not invest in ranged weapon attacks but having a fallback is prudent.

● Scimitar (Swords Bard only): d6 finesse. Lower damage die than Rapier but enables Two-Weapon Fighting with Scimitar + Dagger if your Fighting Style is TWF.

● Longsword (Valor, Swords): d8 versatile with medium armor. Standard martial weapon with decent damage. No feature interactions push it above the alternatives, but it is reliable.

● Greataxe / Greatsword: Two-handed heavy weapons with no armor option, no fighting style bonus (Bard has no GWF), and poor compatibility with the Bard's concentration-heavy playstyle.

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Armor

● Light Armor (Leather/Studded Leather): Base Bard armor. With DEX 14, Studded Leather gives AC 14. The starting point for most Bards.

● Medium Armor (Half Plate + Shield, Valor/Swords): College of Valor and Swords grant medium armor proficiency. Half Plate + Shield = AC 17. This dramatically improves survivability for a Bard who plans to spend turns in melee range. The Valor Bard in Half Plate and shield is a viable frontliner.

● Mage Armor (Magical Secrets): AC 13 + DEX, requires no armor. For Bards who do not take Valor/Swords but want better AC than leather, Mage Armor is an option via Magical Secrets. Rarely worth a Magical Secrets slot when Mage Armor only reaches AC 15 with DEX 16.

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Multiclassing

Multiclassing requirement: CHA 13.

● Warlock 2-3: Agonizing Blast + Eldritch Blast gives a reliable CHA-based damage cantrip. Hex adds damage. Two short-rest Warlock slots supplement your long-rest Bard slots. A Bard 14 / Warlock 3 with Lore subclass and Pact of the Tome is one of the most flexible casters in D&D.

● Paladin 2-6: Divine Smite burst on Rapier hits. Lay on Hands self-sustain. Aura of Protection at Paladin 6 applies to CHA (excellent if CHA is maxed). The ability score overlap is perfect: both classes want CHA. The delayed Bard progression costs Magical Secrets timing.

● Sorcerer 1-3: Subtle Spell (Metamagic) lets you cast without verbal or somatic components in any situation, perfect for a charismatic face character who needs to cast undetected in social encounters. Three levels for Metamagic two choices; one level just for the cantrips (Fire Bolt for damage) and Spellcasting is rarely worth it.

● Rogue 1-3: Expertise access at level 1 (before Bard gets it at level 3), Cunning Action for bonus action Dash/Hide/Disengage. Sneak Attack adds damage when you have advantage (Faerie Fire setup). The delayed Bardic Inspiration scaling makes this dip less efficient at low levels.

● Barbarian or Fighter: Neither class shares a stat or mechanic with CHA-based concentration spellcasting. Barbarians cannot cast spells while Raging. Fighter Action Surge is appealing on paper but Bards rarely need the extra action more than they need higher spell levels.

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Example Build: The Silver Tongue (Eloquence/Lore, CHA Primary)

Race: Half-Elf (CHA +2, two skill proficiencies)

Tactics: In combat, start with Unsettling Words on the most dangerous enemy (subtract Bardic Inspiration die from their upcoming save), then drop hypnotic pattern on a group or hold person on a single target. Your crowd control hits far more reliably because you pre-debuffed the save. Hand Bardic Inspiration to the Fighter or Paladin before combat. With Unfailing Inspiration, failed uses are free. In social encounters, Silver Tongue makes your minimum Persuasion roll 27 by level 20: CHA 20 gives a +5 modifier, doubled proficiency from Expertise adds +12, and Silver Tongue floors any roll of 9 or lower at 10. Few social DCs in a real campaign exceed that.

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Subclass Index

All eight Bard colleges are covered in one place: D&D 5e Bard Subclasses.

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Final Notes

The Bard is the best class in D&D 5e for players who want to contribute meaningfully in every pillar of the game simultaneously: combat, exploration, and social interaction. You will never be the best at any single thing, but you will be the most reliably useful across an entire campaign.

Lore and Eloquence are the two strongest subclasses. Lore for magical versatility (Additional Magical Secrets at level 6 cannot be overstated). Eloquence for social dominance and Bardic Inspiration efficiency. Glamour and Creation are strong and distinctive. Valor and Swords are playable melee options that sacrifice some casting power for frontline presence. Whispers is a niche infiltration subclass that underperforms in pure combat. Spirits offers the widest range of randomized effects for a table that enjoys improvisation, at the cost of guaranteed consistency.

Max CHA first, take War Caster to protect your concentration, and plan your Magical Secrets choices before you reach level 10. Those two stolen spells define what your Bard does in the Tier 3 game more than any other single decision.

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