Best Bard Spells in D&D 5e (2014) — Ranked by Level

Introduction

The Bard has one of the strangest spell lists in D&D 5e: barely any direct damage, no dedicated blasting cantrip worth the name until level 10, and a huge share of its best options gated behind saving throws the Bard didn't even force. What it has instead is control, support, and utility spread across every level, plus a feature no other full caster gets: the ability to permanently steal spells from any other class's list.

That combination makes Bard spell selection a different exercise from picking spells for a Wizard or a Sorcerer. A Wizard chooses from a wall of options and narrows down. A Bard chooses from a narrower list built for breadth, then widens it back out with Magical Secrets at 10th, 14th, and 18th level. Get the base list wrong and you're stuck with it. Bards are a known caster, not a prepared caster, so you don't get to reshuffle your whole spellbook overnight the way a Cleric or Druid can.

This guide ranks the Bard's actual spell options level by level: cantrips, 1st through 5th level (the highest level a base Bard spell can be, since 6th-9th level Bard spells only exist through Magical Secrets), then the Magical Secrets picks worth burning a permanent slot on. Every entry assumes you're building a spell list from the ground up, whether you're a fresh 1st-level Bard or replacing a weak pick at your next level-up.

Hot Take: Healing Word is a trap for a Bard specifically, even though it's an objectively great spell. Take one copy for emergencies, but a Bard who fills more than one spell-known slot with healing is wasting the class's actual advantage: nobody else in the party can hand out Bardic Inspiration, cast Hypnotic Pattern, or steal a 9th-level spell from another class's list. Let the Cleric or Druid carry sustained healing; the Bard's healing spells exist for the round someone drops to 0 HP mid-fight, not as a primary job.

Bottom line: Build your base Bard list around control (Hold Person, Hypnotic Pattern, Suggestion), one or two support spells (Faerie Fire, Healing Word), and a couple of utility options that solve problems combat can't (Dispel Magic, Invisibility). Save your Magical Secrets slots for the things the base list is missing entirely: reliable damage and reaction-based counters.

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Rating Legend

Ratings use colored dots to indicate how strongly a spell earns a permanent spell-known slot:

• ● Red: Bad. A weaker option than something else available at the same level.
• ● Orange: Situational. Strong in specific campaigns or party compositions, skippable in others.
• ● Green: Good. A reliable pick that earns its slot in most builds.
• ● Blue: Fantastic. Close to a must-know for any Bard of that level.

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How Bard Spellcasting Actually Works

The Bard is a full caster on Charisma, reaching 9th-level spell slots by 17th level, same progression curve as a Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, or Wizard. The difference that matters for this guide is how you get spells onto your list in the first place.

Bards are a known caster, not a prepared caster. You learn a fixed number of spells at 1st level and add more at nearly every level after, choosing permanently from the Bard spell list (plus anything from Magical Secrets). This is the same structure as a Sorcerer or Warlock, and the opposite of a Cleric or Druid, who can swap their entire prepared list every morning. A Bard who picks a bad spell at 3rd level is stuck casting it (or wasting a level-up's swap option to fix the mistake) until that correction happens.

The spells-known jumps at 10th, 14th, and 18th level (14, 18, 22) are larger than the surrounding levels because that's exactly when Magical Secrets adds two spells on top of the normal progression. Every level-up, you can also swap one known spell for a different one from the Bard list. This is your only way to correct an early mistake, so don't spend it on a spell you'll want to keep.

Ritual casting applies to any Bard spell you know that has the ritual tag (Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Identify, Speak with Animals, and others): cast it without expending a slot, at the cost of ten extra minutes. This effectively gives you free utility spells if you're patient, and it's a strong argument for learning at least one or two ritual options even if they'd otherwise rank low on a pure combat-value list.

Your spellcasting focus can be any musical instrument (the class's flavor default) or a component pouch/spellcasting focus as normal. This doesn't change any mechanics, but keep it consistent with your instrument choice from Bardic Inspiration for roleplay coherence.

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Best Bard Cantrips

Cantrips are cast at will, no slot required, and scale automatically with character level. A Bard should know both cantrips available at 1st level and pick the third and fourth up at 4th and 10th level respectively.

Vicious Mockery — Cantrip — ●

Vicious Mockery deals 1d4 psychic damage (WIS save negates the damage but not the secondary effect) and imposes disadvantage on the target's next attack roll before your next turn. It scales to 4d4 by level 17. It's the only Bard cantrip that does both damage and meaningful control in a single action, and the disadvantage effect works even on a successful save against the damage. Verbal component only, so it also functions while your hands are full holding an instrument or a weapon. Every Bard should know this from 1st level.

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Minor Illusion — Cantrip — ●

Create a sound or an image (not both at once) within range, no bigger than a 5-foot cube. As a distraction, a decoy, or a fake noise to draw a guard away from a post, Minor Illusion solves problems no other Bard cantrip touches. It rewards a creative player far more than its low power level suggests, and it never competes for a combat action slot since you'll typically cast it outside initiative.

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Mage Hand — Cantrip — ●

A spectral hand that can manipulate objects, open unlocked doors and containers, retrieve items, and pick pockets at range. Zero damage, but the party's most flexible remote-manipulation tool for traps, locked chests you'd rather not touch personally, and reaching items across a gap.

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Message — Cantrip — ●

Whisper a message to one creature you can see within range, and they can whisper back. Silent, targeted battlefield communication with no other party member able to overhear. Coordinating an ambush, warning an ally about a trap without alerting a guard standing between you, or passing a plan mid-negotiation are all situations where Message does real work.

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Blade Ward — Cantrip — ●

Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage until the end of your next turn. Halves incoming weapon damage for one round, but costs your action to cast, which means you're not casting an offensive or support spell that round instead. Only worth taking if you expect to be tanking melee hits directly, which most Bard builds are actively trying to avoid.

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True Strike — Cantrip — ●

Grants advantage on your next attack roll against the target, one turn later. Spending a full action to set up a single attack roll one turn from now is a bad trade at every level; you're better off casting literally any other cantrip, including a second Vicious Mockery. Skip it entirely.

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Best 1st-Level Bard Spells

Healing Word — 1st Level — ●

Heal 1d4 + spellcasting modifier HP at range, as a bonus action. The bonus action cost is what separates it from every other healing spell in the game: you can heal an unconscious ally back into the fight and still take your full turn afterward, including casting a second spell. Read the full Healing Word guide for upcast values and comparison against Cure Wounds. One copy on every Bard's list is close to mandatory; a second dedicated healing spell usually is not.

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Dissonant Whispers — 1st Level — ●

Target takes 3d6 psychic damage (WIS save for half) and must immediately use its reaction to flee from you by the fastest available route, provoking opportunity attacks as it goes. No concentration, decent damage for a 1st-level slot, and the forced-movement effect frequently pulls an enemy directly through your party's weapon line. Against a single dangerous target near your melee allies, this is one of the best 1st-level slots a Bard can spend.

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Faerie Fire — 1st Level — ●

Every creature in a 20-foot cube that fails a DEX save is outlined in light: attacks against them have advantage, and they can't benefit from being invisible. Read the full Faerie Fire guide for a breakdown of how it stacks with Pack Tactics and Sneak Attack. This is an area buff for your whole party's attack rolls in one action, and it also solves the specific problem of enemies who turn invisible mid-fight.

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Charm Person — 1st Level — ●

Target fails a WIS save and regards you as a friendly acquaintance for the duration. It won't work if you or your allies are visibly hostile toward it, and it doesn't force actions on your behalf, but as a social-encounter opener for a Bard's face role it consistently punches above its spell level. Read the full Charm Person guide for GM-adjudication notes on what a charmed creature will and won't do.

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Tasha's Hideous Laughter — 1st Level — ●

One target with an Intelligence score of 4 or higher falls prone, laughing uncontrollably, and must repeat a WIS save at the end of each of its turns. A single-target incapacitate at 1st level is efficient value against an early dangerous enemy, though the target repeating the save every round (rather than only when damaged) means it's less reliable at holding a tough enemy long-term than Hold Person one level later.

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Heroism — 1st Level — ●

Target gains temporary HP equal to your spellcasting modifier at the start of each of your turns, plus immunity to being frightened. Solid for a martial ally about to walk into a scary encounter, but the concentration slot competes directly with Faerie Fire and Hold Person, both of which usually do more for the party per action spent.

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Comprehend Languages — 1st Level — ●

Understand any spoken or written language for the duration. It's a ritual spell, so a Bard with even a little downtime never needs to spend a slot on it. Investigation and diplomacy-heavy campaigns run into language barriers constantly; this removes the obstacle for the cost of ten extra minutes rather than a permanent resource.

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Best 2nd-Level Bard Spells

Hold Person — 2nd Level — ●

Target humanoid fails a WIS save and is paralyzed for the duration, repeating the save at the end of each of its turns. Read the full Hold Person guide for interactions with critical hits against paralyzed targets. Paralyzed means any hit against the target is an automatic critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet, which turns your martial allies' next few attacks into some of the highest burst damage in the game. Against a solo humanoid boss, this is close to a win button.

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Invisibility — 2nd Level — ●

Target becomes invisible until it attacks, casts a spell, or the spell ends. Read the full Invisibility guide for a breakdown of scouting and infiltration applications. As a utility tool for scouting, escape, or setting up a surprise attack, this is one of the most versatile 2nd-level spells in the game, though it does compete with your other concentration options in a straight fight.

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Suggestion — 2nd Level — ●

Target fails a WIS save and follows a course of action you describe in a single sentence, as long as it's not obviously self-destructive. Read the full Suggestion guide for phrasing tricks that expand what counts as a valid suggestion. "Leave this room and don't come back" removes a guard from a fight without a single attack roll. The 8-hour duration means it also functions as a long-con social tool, not just a combat option.

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Shatter — 2nd Level — ●

Deal 3d8 thunder damage in a 10-foot sphere (Con save for half), no concentration. The base Bard list is thin on direct damage, and this is the best of what's available: an area effect that doesn't tie up your concentration slot, useful against clustered enemies or as a follow-up the same turn you drop a Faerie Fire.

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Cloud of Daggers — 2nd Level — ●

Fill a 5-foot cube with spinning blades: 4d4 slashing damage to anything that enters or starts its turn there. Good zone-denial against a chokepoint or doorway, but the small area and concentration cost make it a niche pick outside of corridor fights specifically.

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Enhance Ability — 2nd Level — ●

Advantage on ability checks with one chosen ability score for one creature. Useful before a known skill challenge (a climb, a specific negotiation, a Strength check to force a door), but the effect is narrow enough that it rarely earns a permanent slot over a spell with wider application.

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Silence — 2nd Level — ●

No sound can be created or pass through a 20-foot-radius sphere for the duration. Shuts down enemy spellcasters who need verbal components, and covers a stealthy approach. The catch is it also silences you and your own party inside the area, which makes it awkward to use offensively without pre-planning positioning.

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Nathair's Mischief — 2nd Level — ●

Fills a 20-foot cube with fey and draconic magic, then rolls a d4 on the Mischievous Surge table every round: charm, blind, incapacitating giggling, or difficult terrain, whichever the die decides. From Fizban's Treasury of Dragons. The randomness is the whole problem: you cannot pick which of the four effects lands, which makes it strictly less reliable than Hold Person or Suggestion for shutting down a specific threat. It shines as a party-support chaos spell in a crowded room rather than a precision tool, and the S, M-only component list (no verbal) lets you cast it while silenced or gagged.

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Borrowed Knowledge, Kinetic Jaunt — 2nd Level — ●

Two picks from Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos. Borrowed Knowledge grants proficiency in one skill of your choice for 1 hour, a real fix for the one check that matters this scene but too narrow to prepare over a control or support spell most days. Kinetic Jaunt is a bonus-action mobility buff (+10 feet, no opportunity attacks, movement through occupied spaces), useful for a skirmishing Bard who wants to dart in for Vicious Mockery and out again, though it competes with Misty Step for the same niche and usually loses on raw distance.

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Best 3rd-Level Bard Spells

Hypnotic Pattern — 3rd Level — ●

Every creature in a 30-foot cube that fails a WIS save is incapacitated and its speed drops to 0, no additional save to break free unless damaged. Read the full Hypnotic Pattern guide for the exact wording on how damage ends the effect early on individual targets. This is the strongest single spell on the entire base Bard list: it neutralizes a group of enemies for the rest of the fight with one action, and unlike Hold Person's repeated saves, an incapacitated target that isn't attacked just stays down.

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Dispel Magic — 3rd Level — ●

End a spell affecting a creature or object. Read the full Dispel Magic guide for the ability check math against higher-level spells. Removing an enemy buff, breaking a hostile control effect off an ally, or stripping down a magically warded object are all situations that come up constantly at higher levels, and few other classes have this on tap as easily as a Bard.

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Fear — 3rd Level — ●

Every creature in the cone fails a WIS save and drops what it's holding, spending its turns moving away from you as far as possible. Multi-target crowd control at 3rd level that also strips weapons from enemy hands, useful specifically against a group of martial threats rather than casters.

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Major Image — 3rd Level — ●

A fully sensory illusion (sight, sound, smell, temperature) up to a 20-foot cube, that you can move and change during the duration. The Bard's premier out-of-combat problem-solving spell: fake a wall to block pursuit, disguise an escape route, create a diversion elsewhere in a building, or fabricate evidence for a social scheme. Rewards planning far more than raw combat math suggests.

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Stinking Cloud — 3rd Level — ●

A 20-foot-radius sphere of nauseating gas; each creature must succeed a Con save or waste its turn retching. Strong area control against a group, but it competes directly with Hypnotic Pattern for the same concentration slot at the same level, and Hypnotic Pattern's incapacitate is more reliable than a save-each-turn effect.

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Best 4th- and 5th-Level Bard Spells

Polymorph — 4th Level — ●

Transform a target into a beast of CR equal or lower, replacing its stat block and hit points entirely (a failed WIS save is required if the target is unwilling). Read the full Polymorph guide for CR breakpoints and the best offensive and defensive shapes. Turn a dangerous enemy caster into a giant toad and it can no longer cast spells, at all, for the whole duration. Turn a dying ally into a giant ape mid-combat and its new hit point total effectively acts as a massive heal. One of the best spells in the game at either extreme.

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Greater Invisibility — 4th Level — ●

Read the full Greater Invisibility guide for advantage-attack math against different enemy Perception setups. Unlike base Invisibility, this doesn't end when the target attacks or casts a spell, which turns it into an active combat buff: your rogue or ranger keeps attacking with advantage every round while staying nearly impossible to hit back.

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Dimension Door — 4th Level — ●

Teleport yourself, plus one willing creature within 5 feet, up to 500 feet. No concentration, verbal component only. Escape a losing fight, close a gap on a fleeing enemy, or reach an otherwise inaccessible location in one action. Bring an ally along with you and it also functions as a rescue.

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Compulsion — 4th Level — ●

Creatures in a line that fail a WIS save must move in a direction you choose on their turn. Forced movement can shove enemies off ledges or into hazards, but the effect requires setup around specific terrain to be reliably strong, which limits it compared to Hypnotic Pattern's near-universal usefulness at one level lower.

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Raulothim's Psychic Lance — 4th Level — ●

A single-target Intelligence save for 7d6 psychic damage, plus the target is incapacitated until the start of your next turn on a failed save. From Fizban's Treasury of Dragons. This is real burst damage for a class that rarely gets to nuke a single target: no concentration cost, so it stacks with Hypnotic Pattern or another control spell already running, and it can even target a named creature the caster cannot currently see, as long as that creature is within range. The V-only component list means it works with a hand full of instruments or a weapon. Weaker than Polymorph as a full answer to a boss fight, but a strong standalone damage option when you need one big hit without giving up your concentration slot.

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Mass Cure Wounds — 5th Level — ●

Heal 3d8 + spellcasting modifier HP, split across up to six creatures in a 30-foot radius. The only spell on the base Bard list that heals more than one creature per action, and worth a slot specifically for a party that lacks a dedicated Cleric or Druid. In a party with a full-time healer, this is the first Bard spell to skip in favor of a control option.

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Hold Monster — 5th Level — ●

Hold Person's mechanics, extended to any creature type instead of humanoids only. Paralyzed, repeats a WIS save each turn, auto-crits against melee attacks from within 5 feet. Against a single dangerous non-humanoid boss, this remains one of the strongest single-target control spells the Bard ever gets on its base list.

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Animate Objects — 5th Level — ●

Animate up to ten small nonmagical objects (or fewer, larger ones) into fighting constructs that act on your turn. This is the base Bard list's best sustained-damage option, throwing multiple extra attacks into a fight every round for the duration, though it demands a busy turn managing several individual attack rolls. Most Bards who want this end up taking it through Magical Secrets instead, since a base-list slot at 5th level competes hard against Hold Monster and Mass Cure Wounds.

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Magical Secrets: Best Picks at 10th, 14th, and 18th Level

Magical Secrets is the Bard's signature feature and the biggest single reason to build the class around flexibility rather than a fixed plan. At 10th, 14th, and 18th level you learn two spells from any class's spell list (Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard), as long as it's a spell level you can currently cast. College of Lore Bards get an extra pair at 6th level, four levels ahead of everyone else. Once learned, these spells behave exactly like Bard spells: they use your slots, they scale the same way, and there is no restriction on casting them.

The right picks depend entirely on what your base spell list is missing and what your party lacks. As a general rule, use Magical Secrets to cover the two biggest holes in the native Bard list: reliable single-target damage and a hard interrupt.

At 10th level (or 6th for Lore Bards): Counterspell and Spirit Guardians are the standard pair, and the class guide's own leveling recommendations lean on both for good reason. Counterspell fills the Bard's total absence of a reaction-based interrupt, letting you shut down an enemy spellcaster's biggest turn without spending your own action. Spirit Guardians gives you a sustained area-damage option the base list can't match: cast it, walk into melee range, and it ticks damage every round without needing further action economy. If your party already has a Wizard running Counterspell, take Fireball instead: the base Bard list has no equivalent burst damage spell at any level.

At 14th level: Revivify if nobody else in the party carries it (a downed ally past the 1-minute window is permanently dead without it), or Wall of Force if your party needs a hard battlefield-control option that doesn't rely on a save. Animate Objects also becomes available here if you skipped it at 5th level and want the sustained-damage option without competing against Hold Monster and Mass Cure Wounds for a base-list slot.

At 18th level: This is where 9th-level spells open up. Wish is the obvious answer if your table allows it at full strength. Duplicating any 8th-level-or-lower spell, or attempting a wide range of other effects, makes it the most powerful single spell in the game. If your DM restricts Wish's more exploitative uses (a common and reasonable table rule), a second strong control or damage pick like True Polymorph or Foresight is a safe alternative.

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Spells to Avoid

• True Strike (cantrip) — Spends your action to set up a single future attack roll. Every other cantrip on the list does more with the same action.
• Feather Fall (1st) — Solves exactly one problem (falling damage) and does nothing else. Worth a ritual-cast slot at most tables only because it's free to cast as a ritual; not worth a hard-learned spell slot when Longstrider or Comprehend Languages solve broader problems for the same level.
• Enthrall (2nd) — Charisma-based crowd distraction that a Bard's actual Charisma-based skill checks usually accomplish just as well, without spending a spell slot at all.
• Unseen Servant (1st) — A minor utility helper that most tables never get meaningful mileage from outside of specific puzzle-heavy campaigns. Skip unless your DM's adventures lean hard into item-fetching logistics.

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Building Around Your Spells: Bard Archetypes

The Control Bard (most common build): Vicious Mockery, Healing Word, Faerie Fire, Dissonant Whispers at 1st; Hold Person at 2nd; Hypnotic Pattern at 3rd; Polymorph at 4th; Hold Monster at 5th. Magical Secrets: Counterspell and Spirit Guardians at 10th. This spread covers social utility, one emergency heal, and hard shutdown on nearly every threat type the party runs into. It's the default for College of Lore and College of Eloquence Bards, both of whom want maximum spell flexibility over melee presence.

The Support/Face Bard: Vicious Mockery, Comprehend Languages, Charm Person, Healing Word at 1st; Suggestion and Invisibility at 2nd; Dispel Magic and Major Image at 3rd. Leans into ritual utility and social manipulation over combat control, appropriate for a campaign with heavy investigation or negotiation content. This build gets more value out of Jack of All Trades and Expertise (see the D&D 5e Bard Guide for the full skill breakdown) than from its spell list alone, since half its actual power comes from skill checks the spells only supplement.

The Battle/Valor Bard: Vicious Mockery, Healing Word, Faerie Fire at 1st; Shatter and Hold Person at 2nd; Hypnotic Pattern at 3rd. This build spends fewer resources on out-of-combat utility since College of Valor and College of Swords Bards are already spending actions on weapon attacks rather than casting every round. Prioritize spells that work well alongside Extra Attack: Faerie Fire buffing your own attack rolls, Shatter as a no-concentration burst that doesn't compete with a weapon-focused turn.

Bardic Inspiration and Font of Inspiration don't directly interact with which spells you know. They run on a separate resource (Bardic Inspiration dice, recovered on a short rest starting at 5th level), but they do change how aggressively you can spend concentration on control spells. Once Font of Inspiration comes online at 5th level, you're no longer rationing Bardic Inspiration dice across a full day, which frees you to lean harder into concentration-heavy spells like Hypnotic Pattern and Hold Person without worrying you'll run out of dice to hand out later.

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Verdict

The Bard's base spell list rewards a player who builds for breadth over burst: Vicious Mockery and Healing Word at 1st level, Hold Person at 2nd, Hypnotic Pattern at 3rd, and Polymorph at 4th form the actual backbone of a strong Bard across every subclass. None of those five are situational. They're correct in nearly every campaign, every party composition, every level of play. Layer in Faerie Fire and Dissonant Whispers for early efficiency, then let Magical Secrets patch the two real gaps in the list: single-target burst damage and a hard interrupt. Counterspell and Spirit Guardians, or Counterspell and Fireball, close that gap completely by 10th level. Get through the first four levels with strong picks and the Bard's spell list stops looking thin and starts looking like exactly what it is: the most flexible casting toolkit in the game.

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FAQ

What is the best Bard spell in D&D 5e 2014? Hypnotic Pattern at 3rd level is the strongest spell on the base Bard list: an area incapacitate with no attack roll needed and no save on the Bard's part to maintain the debuff. For raw value at 1st level, Healing Word and Faerie Fire both see play in nearly every Bard's rotation.

Does the Bard prepare spells or know them? Bards are a known-spells caster, like Sorcerers and Warlocks, not a prepared caster like Clerics or Druids. You choose a fixed number of spells known at each level and can swap one for a different spell whenever you gain a level. You cannot change your whole spell list overnight.

What is the best cantrip for a Bard? Vicious Mockery. 1d4 psychic damage that scales to 4d4 by level 17, plus disadvantage on the target's next attack roll before your next turn. No other Bard cantrip combines damage and battlefield control in one action.

How many Magical Secrets spells does a Bard get? Two at 10th level, two more at 14th, and two more at 18th, for six total (College of Lore Bards get an extra two at 6th level). Each pick can be any spell from any class's spell list, as long as it's a level the Bard can currently cast, and it counts as a Bard spell from then on.

Should a Bard take Counterspell or Spirit Guardians with Magical Secrets? Both are commonly the two 10th-level picks when available, and for good reason. Counterspell gives the Bard a reaction that stops a hostile spell outright, filling a gap the base Bard list does not cover. Spirit Guardians gives sustained area damage the base list also lacks. Take both if your party has no one else covering these roles.

Is Magic Missile a Bard spell in D&D 5e 2014? No. Magic Missile is not on the 2014 PHB Bard spell list, it belongs to Sorcerer and Wizard. A Bard can only get it through Magical Secrets at 10th level or later.

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Continue Exploring

For the full class breakdown (subclasses, ability scores, race and feat synergy, and level-by-level builds) see the D&D 5e Bard Guide. For which feats to prioritize alongside these spells, see Best Feats for Bard. Or return to the D&D 5e Class Guides hub to compare every class.

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