Bards have it rough in Baldur’s Gate 3 because they get their subclass at level three. Once you reach level three and create your College of Swords Bard in BG3, here’s the best way to make them.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Best College of Swords Bard build
While College of Lore is arguably the best subclass for Bards since it gives them Cutting Words and Magical Secrets, College of Swords Bards are a lot of fun to playbecause of Flourishes and the Extra Attack you get at level six.
Related:How Cutting Words works in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)
Best College of Swords Bard Race in BG3
To me, the best Bards are the short characters;Gnomes, Dwarves, and Halflings, in particular. If you want to make a stealthy College of Swords Bard, I recommend the Lightfoot Halfing. Want to play a ranged College of Swords Bard? Pick Forest Gnome. If you want a sturdy fighter College of Swords Bard build, go with Gold Dwarf.
Best College of Swords Bard ability scores in BG3
No character can have it all in Baldur’s Gate 3, and the College of Swords Bard does best to forget about Wisdom and Intelligence. Since we’ll primarily be playing melee while doing some spellcasting and ranged attacks,Strength, Constitution, and Charisma are the focus. Dexterity is also useful, so don’t forget about that.
Related:Best Astarion build in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)
Best College of Swords Bard Background in BG3
While Backgrounds give you the lore of your character and how you gain Inspiration, they also give you Proficiency in two Skills. I’m an advocate forpicking what you think is fun to roleplay, but the best Backgrounds for College of Swords Bards to pick are Guild Artisan, Noble, Entertainer, Criminal, or Urchin.
It all depends on how you want to play. I’d choose Criminal or Urchin if youwant to play a bit sneakier, but Guild Artisan, Noble, and Entertainer are all safe picks for Bard sincePersuasion and Performance are key.
Best College of Swords Bard Skills, Spells, and Cantrips in BG3
The two best Bard Cantrips areVicious Mockery and Friends. Friends is amazing since it gives you Advantage on Charisma Checks and Vicious Mockery is always nice to have in your back pocket to deal extra damage.
The College of Swords Bard build isless of a support character and more of a fighter, but Cure Wounds is still important to have. I recommend Longstrider and eventually Freedom of Movement to ensure you can always get to your allies and they can always get to you. Dissonant Whispers is one of the best Bard spells and Charm Person is amazing, especially if you’re playing in the front.
Since you’re a College of Swords Bard, you’ll want to utilize your special Skills. Though you can be ranged if you like, I thinkall the melee Flourishes are greatand a bit more fun.
Related:Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Sorcerer build: Weapons, armor, subclasses & more
Best College of Swords Bard Feats in BG3
Like every class, College of Swords Bards getthree Feats. Regardless of how you play, I would absolutely recommend taking Heavy Armor Master first. College of Swords Bards have no way of getting Proficient with Heavy Armor, but it’s extremely beneficial if you are. I would also recommend Savage Attacker and Martial Adept if you’re going all in on melee, but Defensive Duelist and Mage Slayer are also great.
That is how you createthe best College of Swords Bard in Baldur’s Gate 3. You can get even more creative with this build by multiclassing into Fighter or Ranger. The possibilities are endless, but either way, when playing a Bard, you’ll need to knowhow to play your instrument.
Noah Nelson
From his early days of blog-style music, movie, and game reviews to working as the Esports Writer at Coastline Community College, Noah Nelson now works fulltime as a Staff Writer for Attack of the Fanboy and PC Invasion. He has been helping gamers everywhere with Destiny 2 god rolls, Warzone 2 DMZ missions, and collectibles in any indie game for over a year and a half. His Bachelor’s Degree in English Rhetoric and Composition with a minor in Journalism from CSULB has shaped him to be a strong writer and editor. His fondest gaming memory is playing Sly Cooper 2 after begging his mom (for hours) to play it before his birthday and he still cries myself to sleep remembering the time he accidentally saved over his 99% completion save file in Kingdom Hearts 2.
