Building the Best College of Lore Bard in Baldur's Gate 3

Fans of personal flair and masterful storytelling are in luck, as Baldur's Gate 3 features the classic Bard class with an extensive character build. However, the Bard class is more than just singing your way out of tricky situations and looking pretty. In this guide, we'll delve into the intricate world of the College of Lore Bard and explore how to build the ultimate support class.

What is a College of Lore Bard?

The College of Lore Bard is a subclass that excels at providing support roles in the party with a dash of offensive skills through spells. This class emphasizes knowledge, wit, magic, and versatility, making it ideal for those who want more options for story progression, dialogue, and role-playing throughout Baldur's Gate 3. The infamous Vicious Mockery shines its brightest with this class, and College of Lore Bards also have access to more spells not readily available to the other two Bard subclasses.

College of Lore Bard Abilities, Features, and Mechanics in Baldur's Gate 3

Best Abilities for College of Lore Bard

Bards' abilities are all based on Charisma, with Dexterity being their second-best proficiency. One of their best support features is the Bardic Inspiration, which lasts until the next long rest. Bards are limited to how much inspiration they give, starting at only three casts, but that number increases as players level up. They also have the ability to Song of Rest, which provides the party with an additional short rest for the entire party.

When building a College of Lore Bard, choose skills like Deception, Sleight of Hand, and Persuasion to increase proficiency in non-fighting gameplay. Allocate starting ability scores as follows:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 16
• Constitution: 14
• Intelligence: 10
• Wisdom: 10
• Charisma: 16

Additionally, musical instruments have no impact on the bard's abilities, so choose one for aesthetic purposes only.

Best Feats for College of Lore Bard

With each level up, players will be able to choose more spells and eventually gain feats for extra abilities and increases in modifiers. We recommend selecting the following feats at each level:

• Ability Improvement +2 Charisma (for maximum spell-casting modifier and DC)
• War Caster: Gain advantage on saving throws to maintain concentration on spells and use Shocking Grasp as a reaction for targets moving out of melee range
• Spell Sniper: Learn a cantrip, and the number you need to roll for a Critical Hit is reduced by one (stacks)
• Ritual Caster: Learn two ritual spells of your choice

Character Build for College of Lore Bard in Baldur's Gate 3

Best Backgrounds for College of Lore Bard

When choosing a background, consider the following options for a College of Lore Bard:

• Entertainer: Proficiency in Acrobatics, Performance, History, Perception, and Medicine
• Guild Artisan: Proficiency in Insight, Persuasion, History, Perception, and Medicine
• Criminal: Proficiency in Deception, Stealth, History, Perception, and Medicine
• Noble: Proficiency in Religion, Persuasion, History, Perception, and Medicine

We suggest the Guild Artisan background, as it provides opportunities to put the player's persuasiveness and insight to the test through dialogue and passive insight checks.

Best Races for College of Lore Bard

Consider the following races when building a Bard in Baldur's Gate 3:

• Githyanki:
• Human:
• Tiefling:

College of Lore Bard Spells in Baldur's Gate 3

When selecting spells for the College of Lore Bard build, consider the following:

Cantrips: Vicious Mockery, Blade Ward, Minor Illusion, Mage Hand (if not part of race talents), and Magical Secrets – Eldritch Blast

Level 1: Thunderwave, Cure Wounds, Healing Word, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Sleep, Bane, Dissonant Whispers, Magical Secrets – Chromatic Orb, Ritual Caster Feat – Jump, Speak with animals

Level 2: Phantasmal Force, Invisibility, Crown of Madness, Misty Step (if you don't have the Amulet of Misty Step)

Level 3: Hypnotic Pattern, Magical Secrets – Bestow Curse, Counterspell

Level 4: Greater Invisibility, Confusion, Magical Secrets – Banishment, Blight

Level 5: Mass Cure Wounds, Dominate Person

Level 6: Otto's Irresistible Dance, Eyebite

Remember to consider the full party setup when selecting spells and allocate them according to your playstyle.