The Bard: Voice of the World, Weaver of Magic

Bard — D&D 5.5e (2024)

The Bard is a Charisma-based spellcaster with a d8 Hit Die, light armour and broad skills. Its magic works through words, music, dance and performance. Bardic Inspiration is granted to an ally as a Bonus Action; within the next hour, that ally can roll the die after failing a D20 Test, potentially turning failure into success. The number of prepared spells is fixed by the Bard class table, and spells are normally changed when gaining a Bard level—not recalculated each morning from Charisma. Colleges of Dance, Glamour, Lore and Valor offer distinct paths from 3rd level.

Core Bard Traits

• Primary Ability: Charisma
• Hit Die: d8 per Bard level
• Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
• Skill Proficiencies: Any three
• Weapon Proficiencies: Simple weapons
• Tool Proficiencies: Three musical instruments
• Armor Training: Light armor
• Starting Equipment: Choose (A) leather armour, two daggers, one musical instrument, an entertainer’s pack and 19 gp; or (B) 90 gp.

Bard Class Table (Levels 1–20)

Spell Slots refresh on a long rest.

Bardic Inspiration

• You gain a pool of Inspiration dice equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
• Grant the die: As a Bonus Action, give a Bardic Inspiration die to another creature within 60 feet that can see or hear you. The creature can roll that die after failing a D20 Test within the next hour and add it to the d20 result; the die is then expended.
• Duration: The die lasts for 1 hour.
• Scaling: d6 at levels 1–4, d8 at 5–9, d10 at 10–14, d12 at 15+.

Spellcasting

• Prepared spells: Use the exact number in the Prepared Spells column of the Bard class table (four at level 1). Add spells as that number increases; replace one prepared spell when you gain a Bard level. You do not prepare a new Charisma-based total after each Long Rest.
• Cantrips: 2 at 1st, a 3rd at 4th, a 4th at 10th.
• Slots: Full progression through 9th‑level spells.
• Focus: Any musical instrument.

Key Class Features by Level

• 2nd: Expertise (double proficiency in two skills) & Jack of All Trades.
• 5th: Font of Inspiration (regain expended Inspiration dice on a short rest or expend a spell slot to regain one).
• 7th: Countercharm—when you or a creature within 30 feet fails a save against Charmed or Frightened, use your Reaction to let that creature reroll the save with Advantage.
• 10th: Magical Secrets—newly prepared spells and later replacements may come from the Bard, Cleric, Druid or Wizard lists, subject to your available spell slots.
• 18th: Superior Inspiration—when you roll Initiative, regain expended uses of Bardic Inspiration until you have two uses, if you had fewer.
• 19th: Epic Boon or Feat.
• 20th: Words of Creation (always have Power Word Heal/Kill prepared; can extend effect to a second target).

Bard Colleges (Subclasses)

Choose one at 3rd level; you gain features at 3rd, 6th, and 14th.

• College of Dance (new): Graceful defense, dance‑powered strikes, extra movement.
• College of Glamour: Mantle of Inspiration & Majesty enhancements, beguiling magic.
• College of Lore: extra skills, Cutting Words, Magical Discoveries and Peerless Skill (see the complete example below).
• College of Valor: Armor/weapon training, extra attack synergy, Combat Inspiration.

College of Lore — 2024 Subclass Example

Lore bards gather stories, spells and hard-won knowledge, then use sharp observation to protect their companions. Their subclass features are distinct from the 2014 College of Lore.

• Level 3 — Bonus Proficiencies: Gain proficiency in three additional skills of your choice.
• Level 3 — Cutting Words: When a creature you can see within 60 feet rolls damage or succeeds on an ability check or attack roll, you can use your Reaction and expend Bardic Inspiration. Subtract the inspiration die from that roll, potentially changing a success to a failure.
• Level 6 — Magical Discoveries: Choose two cantrips or spells you can cast from the Cleric, Druid or Wizard lists. They are always prepared and do not count toward your normal Bard prepared-spell limit. When gaining a Bard level, you can replace one with an eligible spell.
• Level 14 — Peerless Skill: After you fail an ability check or attack roll, you can spend Bardic Inspiration and add its die to the d20. If the check or attack still fails, the inspiration is not expended.

D&D 2024 Bard and College of Lore rules.

Playing a Bard

A Bard changes a fight before an enemy swings: bolster the ally who must make a difficult saving throw, turn a failed skill check into success, or use an illusion to make an opponent waste its turn. Between encounters, lead negotiations, uncover forgotten songs and keep track of the people who know the truth. Choose a college at 3rd level to decide how the Bard puts those talents to work.

Bards also train in distinct regional traditions of poetry, storytelling, history, dance and song. Those traditions—and further examples from beyond Europe—are explored after the class rules.

Bard — D&D 3.5e

A bard learns magic through performance, study and a gift for making people listen. Their songs sustain allies in a fight, their spells confound enemies, and their knowledge opens doors that weapons cannot. In this ruleset a Bard has a d6 Hit Die, must be nonlawful, and uses Bardic Music and Bardic Knowledge. The class has 6 + Intelligence modifier skill points per level and casts Charisma-based arcane spells spontaneously up to 6th level.

Use the class advancement, spells-known and spell-slots tables below for character creation. D&D 3.5e Bard rules.

The bard class is versatile, capable of combat and of magic. Bards use their artistic talents to induce magical effects. The class is loosely based on the special magic that music holds in stories such as The Pied Piper of Hamelin, and in earlier versions was much more akin to being a Celtic priest or a Norse Skald. Listed inspirations for bards include Taliesin, Homer, Will Scarlet and Alan-a-Dale.

Alignment Any nonlawful

Hit Die d6

Class Skills

The bard’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Intelligence), Balance (Dexterity), Bluff (Charisma), Climb (Strength), Concentration (Constitution), Craft (Intelligence), Decipher Script (Intelligence), Diplomacy (Charisma), Disguise (Charisma), Escape Artist (Dexterity), Gather Information (Charisma), Hide (Dexterity), Jump (Strength), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Intelligence), Listen (Wisdom), Move Silently (Dexterity), Perform (Charisma), Profession (Wisdom), Sense Motive (Wisdom), Sleight of Hand (Dexterity), Speak Language (n/a), Spellcraft (Intelligence), Swim (Strength), Tumble (Dexterity), and Use Magic Device (Charisma).

Skill Points at 1st Level (6 + Intelligence modifier) x4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level 6 + Intelligence modifier.

1 Provided the bard has a high enough Charisma score to have a bonus spell of this level.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the bard.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A bard is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, and Whip. Bards are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields). A bard can cast bard spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a bard wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (most do). A multiclass bard still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Spells

A bard casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the bard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. Every bard spell has a verbal component (singing, reciting, or music). To learn or cast a spell, a bard must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a bard’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the bard’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a bard can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Bard. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score. When Table: Bard Spells Known indicates that the bard gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Charisma score for that spell level.

The bard’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A bard begins play knowing four 0-level spells of your choice. At most new bard levels, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Bard Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a bard knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table: Bard Spells Known are fixed.)

Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third bard level after that (8th, 11th, and so on), a bard can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the bard “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level bard spell the bard can cast. A bard may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.

As noted above, a bard need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level.

Bardic Knowledge

A bard may make a special bardic knowledge check with a bonus equal to his bard level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. (If the bard has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history), he gains a +2 bonus on this check.)

A successful bardic knowledge check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a hint as to its general function. A bard may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random.

Bardic Music

Once per day per bard level, a bard can use his song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around him (usually including himself, if desired). While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music and the descriptions discuss singing or playing instruments, they can all be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance. Each ability requires both a minimum bard level and a minimum number of ranks in the Perform skill to qualify; if a bard does not have the required number of ranks in at least one Perform skill, he does not gain the bardic music ability until he acquires the needed ranks.

Starting a bardic music effect is a standard action. Some bardic music abilities require Concentration, which means the bard must take a standard action each round to maintain the ability. Even while using bardic music that doesn’t require Concentration, a bard cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), or activate magic items by magic word (such as wands). Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf bard has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use bardic music. If he fails, the attempt still counts against his daily limit.

Countersong (Su)

A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to counter magical effects that depend on sound (but not spells that simply have verbal components). Each round of the countersong, he makes a Perform check. Any creature within 30 feet of the bard (including the bard himself ) that is affected by a sonic or language-dependent magical attack may use the bard’s Perform check result in place of its saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Perform check result proves to be higher. If a creature within range of the countersong is already under the effect of a noninstantaneous sonic or language-dependent magical attack,
it gains another saving throw against the effect each round it hears the countersong, but it must use the bard’s Perform check result for the save. Countersong has no effect against effects that don’t allow saves. The bard may keep up the countersong for 10 rounds.

Fascinate (Sp)

A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bard, and able to pay attention to him. The bard must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every three levels a bard attains beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with a single use of this ability.

To use the ability, a bard makes a Perform check. His check result is the DC for each affected creature’s Will save against the effect. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and listens to the song, taking no other actions, for as long as the bard continues to play and concentrate (up to a maximum of 1 round per bard level). While fascinated, a target takes a -4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat requires the bard to make another Perform check and allows the creature a new saving throw against a DC equal to the new Perform check result.

Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability.

Inspire Courage (Su)

A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including himself ), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the bard sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and +4 at 20th). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.

Inspire Competence (Su)

A bard of 3rd level or higher with 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to help an ally succeed at a task. The ally must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the bard. The bard must also be able to see the ally.

The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as he or she continues to hear the bard’s music. Certain uses of this ability are infeasible. The effect lasts as long as the bard concentrates, up to a maximum of 2 minutes. A bard can’t inspire competence in himself. Inspire competence is a mind-affecting ability.

Suggestion (Sp)

A bard of 6th level or higher with 9 or more ranks in a Perform skill can make a suggestion (as the spell) to a creature that he has already fascinated (see above). Using this ability does not break the bard’s Concentration on the fascinate effect, nor does it allow a second saving throw against the fascinate effect.

Making a suggestion doesn’t count against a bard’s daily limit on bardic music performances. A Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 bard’s level + bard’s Charisma modifier) negates the effect. This ability affects only a single creature (but see Mass suggestion, below). suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language dependent ability.

Inspire Greatness (Su)

A bard of 9th level or higher with 12 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use music or poetics to inspire greatness in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet, granting him or her extra fighting capability. For every three levels a bard attains beyond 9th, he can target one additional ally with a single use of this ability (two at 12th level, three at 15th, four at 18th). To inspire greatness, a bard must sing and an ally must hear him sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. A creature inspired with greatness gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target’s Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependant. Inspire greatness is a mind-affecting ability.

Song of Freedom (Sp)

A bard of 12th level or higher with 15 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use music or poetics to create an effect equivalent to the break enchantment spell (caster level equals the character’s bard level). Using this ability requires 1 minute of uninterrupted Concentration and music, and it functions on a single target within 30 feet. A bard can’t use song of freedom on himself.

Inspire Heroics (Su)

A bard of 15th level or higher with 18 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use music or poetics to inspire tremendous heroism in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet. For every three bard levels the character attains beyond 15th, he can inspire heroics in one additional creature. To inspire heroics, a bard must sing and an ally must hear the bard sing for a full round. A creature so inspired gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws and a +4 Dodge bonus to AC. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for up to 5 rounds thereafter. Inspire heroics is a mind-affecting ability.

Mass suggestion (Sp)

This ability functions like suggestion, above, except that a bard of 18th level or higher with 21 or more ranks in a Perform skill can make the suggestion simultaneously to any number of creatures that he has already fascinated (see above). Mass suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language-dependent ability.

Ex-Bards

A bard who becomes lawful in alignment cannot progress in levels as a bard, though he retains all his bard abilities.