Baldur's Gate 3 College of Valour Bard Build Guide
Dec. 21, 2022Baldur’s Gate 3 College of Valour Bard Build Guide
Baldur’s Gate 3 College of Valour Bard Build Guide– In thisBaldur’s Gate 3 College of Valour Bard Build Guide, I’m going to cover myBard Build, and show you what I’ve found to work best. I’ll be doing moreBuild Guidesat the launch ofBaldur’s Gate 3, but for now, let’s look at how you can use aCollege of ValourBardeffectively.
Bards inherently get along with almost every type of creature due to their highCharisma. This lets them escape tricky situations where they would otherwise be attacked for bad behavior. Additionally, they inspire allies into performing well inCombat.
The College of Valour Bard is battle-hardened because of theProficienciesthey gain after selecting thisSubclassat Level 3. Unlike theirCollege of Lorecounterpart, they can wearMedium Armorand wield aShield, thereby improving their defenses. Moreover, the College of Valour Bards is also capable of equipping moreWeaponsdue to theirMartial Weapon Proficiency, making them versatile in the melee range. With these perks in mind plus theirSpellsthat deal huge damage, debuff enemies, and heal the party, they become very useful allies.
In this section, we’ll take a look at how to set up your Bard duringCharacter Creationfor the best results.
ForBackground, I suggest taking the rest of the CharismaSkillssince Bards need a good amount of thisAbilityfor their Spells to land on targets and to bolster the success rate of dazzlingNPCsin dialogue withDeception,Persuasion,Intimidation, andPerformance. So you can pick theCharlatan,Guild Artisan, orSoldier.
ForRace, if you’re not going to pick an Origin Character, then I recommend taking theWood Half-ElforDrow. Wood Half-Elves have Darkvision to see and attack better in dark places. They even gainFleet of Footto be able to move more effectively in encounters as well asMask of the Wildto becomeProficientinStealth.
Alternatively, you can pick the Drow who not only hasSuperior Darkvision, allowing them to see twice as far in the dark as the Wood Half-Elf but alsoDancing Lights. This Cantrip will serve as a light source to benefit allies who need it. Later on, at Level 3, you’ll gain Martial Weapon Proficiencies, allowing you to wield more Weapon types.
For Skills, again, it’s not super important, but you’ll have high Charisma and Dexterity, so selecting those that fall under these Abilities is ideal. Dexterity hasAcrobatics, Stealth, andSleight of Hand, and I’ve already listed what Charisma Skills there are.
You can also choose from a variety ofMusical Instrumentssuch as theLyre,Violin, andLute. They provide enough entertainment value but don’t have any impact on your performance in combat.
Your primary Ability as a Bard is Charisma as it makes your Spells more effective. For this reason, you’ll want to invest at least 16 points into this Ability during Character Creation, and likely 18 later on. Next, Dexterity and Constitution are the Abilities you should focus on for better durability since you’re initially only proficient withLight Armor, which doesn’t significantly raise your AC. Dexterity is a must to maximize the Bard’sArmour Class (AC)whereas Constitution raises max HP.
Additionally, a higher Constitution improves the success rate of Constitution Saving Throws, which are necessary for Spells that requireConcentration. As such, you should have 14 Dexterity and 16 Constitution at Level 1. Dexterity is set at 14 to gain +2 Dexterity Modifier that’s enough when equipping Medium Armor. And you gain thisArmor Proficiencyupon choosing the College of Valour Subclass.
You can then add points intoStrength,Wisdom, orIntelligencebut remember that it won’t matter as much since they don’t influence your Spells. However, it’s worth considering that they impact the outcome of your carry weight capacity and Skill Checks. Your Ability Spread should look something like this:
As aBonus Action, you gainBardic Inspirationin which you enthrall an ally with your songs, thereby granting them a 1d6 bonus to theirAttack Roll,Ability Check, orSaving Throw. You can use thisClass Feature3 times and replenish it by taking aLong Restfor now. In Baldur’s Gate 3’s combat, the bonus die will automatically be added to the target’s next Attack Roll to increase their chances of hitting the enemy.
During Character Creation you’ll be givenCantripsand Spells to choose from. But unlikeWizards, you won’t have to “Prepare” Spells from a Known Spell List to use them. Instead, you learn a limited number of Spells, which are readily available like theSorcerer Class. As such, you have to be very selective about the ones you intend to learn since Bards don’t have access to ALL of their Spells.
At Level 1, you can select 4 of them. I highly recommend choosingThunderwaveandDissonant Whispersas your offensive Spells. Thunderwave is a great AoE Spell that lets you knock back enemies, allowing you to potentially kill them. Due to its short range, you ought to use this against those who are moving close to you to push them away. However, be careful when casting Thunderwave if you have allies nearby because they will get caught in the crossfire.
Meanwhile, Dissonant Whispers is a powerful ranged Spell in which you deal 3-18 Psychic Damage and inflictFrightenedagainst the target. In doing so, they’ll incur aDisadvantageon their Attack Rolls and won’t be able to move.
The next Spells to consider areHealing WordandTasha’s Hideous Laughter. Healing Word lets you heal any party member you can see from a distance. Comparatively, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter leaves the target laughing like mad on the floor for up to 10 turns provided that you maintain Concentration. It makes them invaluable to their allies since they can’t do anything significant whileProne.
Concentration is broken if you cast another Cantrip or Spell that also requires Concentration. You can tell which these are because it will say so on the Spell itself. For example, if you cast Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, but then you castDancing Lightsnext, you would stop “Concentrating” on Tasha’s Hideous Laughter and begin Concentrating on Dancing Lights.
If you take damage while Concentrating on a Spell, you must make aConstitution Saving Throw, and if you fail, then the effect of that Spell ends. Should you succeed in your Saving Throw, however, you maintain your Concentration and the Spell continues. This is why Bards need to have a decent Constitution, otherwise, they’re wasted if it’s constantly broken.
At Level 1, you’ll be able to choose 2 Cantrips. I highly recommendVicious Mockeryand Dancing Lights. Vicious Mockery allows you to deal 1-4 Psychic Damage by hurling a series of insults against the target to impose a Disadvantage on their next Attack Roll. Meanwhile, with Dancing Lights, you can summon a wisp of light for allies who are not adept at seeing and attacking well in the dark. To avoid casting two Spells that require Concentration at the start, you can substitute this forLightto infuse one mobile and resilient ally’sEquipmentwith an aura of light.
At Level 2, you gainJack of All Trades, which lets you add half of your Proficiency Bonus, rounded down, to specific Skills that you do not have proficiency in. You get a +1 bonus to sayPerception, as long as you’re not proficient with it. Jack of All Trades is a decent feature of the Bard because this turns you into an all-around character, making non-combat encounters relatively easier to deal with.
Furthermore, you also gainSong of Restthat provides the party with HP as if you’ve triggered aShort Rest. If you haveWyllwith you, then he’ll greatly benefit from this since hisSpell Slotswill be instantly replenished. With Song of Rest, you essentially save Short Rests for more critical and perilous situations.
From Level 2 onward, you’ll be able to unlearn and learn old and new Spells, respectively, via the Replacement Spell, similar to the Sorcerer. Unlearning a Spell lets you select what you wish to remove from your list. As a replacement, you’ll get to pick one Spell when you level up. Alternatively, if you want to keep your current list, you can simply ignore this feature and continue to learn new Spells. In this College of Lore Bard Build, we won’t be unlearning Spells since the ones we’ve chosen are already essential in combat.
Here, you can pickSleep,Faerie Fire, orBanebecause they’re all good utility Spells. With Sleep, you’re able to affect several enemies or a single target as long as their HP doesn’t exceed 24. Doing so will let you focus on others. Faerie Fire prevents a target from turning Invisible while granting an Advantage on all Attack Rolls against them. And lastly, Bane imposes a 1d4 penalty on at most 3 foes’ Attack Rolls and Saving Throws, making their hits more likely to lead to failure. Just remember that Faerie Fire and Bane require Concentration.
For this Build, we’re going to pick College of Valour, which grants essential perks that not only help the Bard survive longer but make them more equipped at martial combat since they gain Martial Weapon, Shield, and Medium Armor Proficiencies. What’s more, is that they can useCombat Inspiration, which improves Bardic Inspiration. Instead of only having the option of adding 1d6 to an ally’s Attack Roll, Ability Check, or Saving Throw, they can choose to use the same bonus on their succeeding Weapon Damage Roll or boost AC.
You must decide which among these actions should be taken by the target if it’s better to improve their attack, do more damage with their Weapon, or enhance their defenses. Remember that the bonus added to your Damage Roll or AC is taken as a Reaction instead of a Toggleable Passive Feature.
At Level 3, you get to choose 2 more Skills that you’re already proficient in to further double their corresponding bonuses, allowing your success rate in Ability Checks to skyrocket. This makes roleplaying fun since you have much more control over the outcome.
Next, you’ll gain access to 1 Level 2 Spell. Here, you can selectCloud of DaggersorShatterif you want to deal sustain or burst damage, respectively. Although Cloud of Daggers requires Concentration, it’s still incredible to have because the Spell can stay on the field for up to 10 turns. Here, you conjure daggers that continue to circle and attack multiple adjacent enemies per round. As such, Cloud of Daggers is all the more useful in chokepoints like doorways. But note that it can also attack allies who are nearby so you need to be careful when positioning them.
Meanwhile, Shatter deals 3-24 Thunder Damage from afar.
Alternatively, you can go withLesser Restorationif you prefer supporting the party because it allows you to remove any condition affecting them.
At Level 4, you’ll gain another Level 2 Spell Slot as well as a Cantrip. Furthermore, you can pick aFeat, and here, I highly recommend selectingAbility Improvementto raise Charisma to 18. As a Bard, you should prioritize boosting this as much as possible to improve the effectiveness of your Spells.
For the Cantrip,Blade Wardis good in cases when enemies get too close to you. What happens is the target gains resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing Damage, thereby reducing the damage they take by half.
For the Spell, you can pick Cloud of Daggers, Shatter, or Lesser Restoration, whichever you didn’t choose in the previous level.
As with the other spellcasters, the Bard gains access to 1 Level 3 Spell, and here I suggest takingGlyph of Warding. Glyph of Warding is an extremely potent offensive Spell that allows you to conjure circular glyphs on the floor whose effects will be triggered once the enemy moves so it’s instant. You can choose from a series of effects including dealing huge 5-40 Fire Damage, Lightning Damage, or even pushing back everyone provided that they fail their Dexterity Saving Throws. But for the damage effects, remember that they’ll still take half the damage if they succeed with this roll. With Glyph of Warding, you’ll need to make sure that none of your allies are standing on the AoE, otherwise, they’ll also get hit.
At Level 10, the Bard gains access to Countercharm, which lets you perform with the help of your instrument in combat as a form of Action. Doing so grants you and your nearby allies a Saving Throw Advantage against being Frightened orCharmed. It’s worth noting that the effect of Countercharm ends the moment you become subject to crowd control or you choose to end the Action, which is done without any cost.
As a College of Valour Bard, you gain the ability to execute anExtra Attack, which as the name implies, lets you perform another Attack Action in a single turn without cost. So you’ll likely destroy foes much quicker than your peers.
At Level 8, you’ll be able to choose another Feat. You can either select Ability Improvement to gain 20 Charisma overall orShield Masterto become much more durable. Shield Master grants +2 Dexterity Saving Throw Bonus since you’re wielding a Shield. Now if you’re forced to roll a Dexterity Saving Throw against a Spell, and it’s a success, you won’t take any damage whatsoever since you’re using your Reaction to protect yourself completely.
At Level 9, the Bard’s Song of Rest increases the amount of HP that can be restored from 1d6 to 1d8.
Meanwhile, at Level 10, Bardic Inspiration, Expertise, and Magical Secrets are improved. Bardic Inspiration’s die increases from 1d8 to 1d10; Expertise lets you choose 2 more Skills you’re proficient in to double their bonuses; Magical Secrets allows you to pick at most 2 Level 5 Spells from any Class! For this last part, I highly recommend checking out ourSpellspage on theBG3 Wikito be able to get the best one for your Bard.
When you reach the maximum level in BG3 at Level 12, you’ll be able to choose a final Feat. You can select Ability Improvement or Shield Master, whichever you didn’t pick at Level 8.
When it comes to the College of Valour Bard’s Equipment, you’ll most likely want a One-Handed Weapon with aShieldas an alternative to dealing melee damage together with a Bow likeThe Joltshooternear Waukeen’s Rest since you have a decent Dexterity Score. For the One-Handed Martial Weapon, wieldingLoviatar’s Scourgefrom theShattered Sanctumis enough to deal 3-13 Damage. It even hasConcussive Smashto daze the target. WhileDazed, they receive a Wisdom Saving Throw Disadvantage in addition to losing the Dexterity bonus from their AC. Upon hitting the enemy, adjacent foes as well as you and nearby allies will also receive 1d6 Necrotic Damage. But due to your resistance, you only take half.
In terms of Armor, you should wearScale Mail +1 Medium ArmororLae’Zel’sGithyanki Half Plateto grant you a total of 17 AC with your +2 Dexterity Modifier. Since you also have a Shield, your AC will be boosted to 19 AC, making it much harder to attack you.
ForAccessories, you ought to prioritize theCap of Curing, which can be obtained from the Gilded Chest near theDruid Grove. This is perfect for the Bard because it also lets you heal allies for a small amount of HP when you use Combat or Bardic Inspiration on them. Next, you should wearBoots of StridingfromMinthara. For every Concentration Spell that you cast, your Movement Speed increases by 3m. And in the process of Concentrating, you won’t be knocked back or Prone. Finally, you’ll want theAbsolute’s Talismansince this restores a portion of your HP when you deal damage as long as your HP is low.
At earlier levels, you need to manage Combat Inspiration as this can easily be consumed in a single challenging encounter, and it only increases to 4 when you reach Level 5. If you’re facing multiple enemies, be sure to use Combat Inspiration to enhance your party member’s hit rate or to prepare Valiant Reactions in response to the enemy’s attacks. Doing so will increase the chances of ending the encounter sooner. Additionally, it doesn’t require Concentration so the College of Valour Bard is free to cast a Concentration Spell in the same turn.
Luckily, there are no restrictions to the amount of Long Rests you can take in Early Access so as long as you have enough Camp Supplies, then you’ll always be ready to inspire allies with your melodies.
Next, Combat Inspiration only lasts for 1 action. This means that you can’t keep using it on the same character, expecting them to receive bonuses on their Attack Rolls, Damage Rolls, and AC. They’ll need to take a Long Rest to reap the benefits of Combat Inspiration once again. Your ally can either use it immediately with Valiant Attack or reserve it later on to trigger Valiant Damage or Valiant Defense. Valiant Damage is added on top of your Weapon Damage and is best used to initiate combat while Valiant Defense is initiated when an enemy attacks you.
Lastly, you’re not limited to the One-Handed Weapon and Shield setup since you’re able to wield Martial Weapons. Instead of taking Necrotic Damage from Loviatar’s Scourge, you can equip theEverburn Bladeby killingCommander Zhalk. This is an incredibly powerful Two-Handed Weapon due to the extra Fire Damage and the ability to set your surroundings on fire when coupled withGrease. Although your AC will go back to 17, your melee damage will be greater.
Stay tuned for more Baldur’s Gate 3 content as we update the otherBuilds, and be sure to drop by ourTwitch Channelif you have questions about the game. If you need something specific, check out ourBaldur’s Gate 3 Wikiwhich is being worked on night and day, as well as ourBaldur’s Gate 3 Guides.
Reiku
Writer at Fextralife. I enjoy playing RPGs, narrative-driven games, and platformers. Outside of gaming, I like watching meaningful movies and reading sci-fi and dystopian books.
