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The Bard’s reputation inDungeons & Dragonsis that of a whimsical, happy-go-lucky figure whom the party can always rely on for their next punch line. Funnily enough, comical characters like these may seem like a joke at first, but they often manage to become some of the most memorable and heartwarming figures in a campaign.
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It’s hard to put a finger on how this process works, but perhaps laughter really is just that infectious. Whatever the case, the College of Lore Bard is the most popular Bard subclass thanks to its versatility and effectiveness. Let’s take a look at how to get the most out of it.
Species
For the most optimized build, you reallycan’t refuse the free featthat you get from going eithervariant humanorcustom lineagefrom Tasha’s. However, many DMs (dungeon masters) allow all species a free feat at first level. If you happen to play at one of these tables, there are quite a few other great options on the table.
Thehalf-elf, tiefling, changeling, hobgoblin, kenku, satyr, fairy,andtortleall provide great roleplaying or mechanical benefits to a Bard character. As a Bard, you have access to more skill proficiencies than most other classes. Consequently,species that allow you to pick up even more skill proficiencies, like the half-elf, compliment your kit quite nicely.
Both thechangelingand thekenkuare great species choices for a Bard as each allows you todeceive NPCs (non-player characters)more easily. The kenku’s mimicry ability makes it so that you can copy other’s voices while the changeling’s shapechanging ability lets you change your appearance and your voice.
On the other hand, thesatyrand thefairyare bothclassic archetypal choicesfor a Bard as they both come from the fantastic and whimsical Feywild. The satyr provides you with advantage on saving throws against spells and additional skill proficiencies while the fairy benefits you with a flying speed as well as some innate spellcasting in faerie fire and enlarge/reduce.
Meanwhile, thehobgoblinis yet another option from the Feywild, and its fey gift and fortune from the many abilitiessupplement a Bard’s abilities perfectly. Fey gift lets you use the help action as a bonus action with additional benefits while fortune from the many gives you a bonus to a roll equal to the number of allies within 30 feet of you.
Lastly, thetieflingand thetortleare moreunique choicesthat happen to have somegreat mechanical benefits. Tiefling’s resistance to fire damage is always a welcome boon and the ability to cast hellish rebuke is rather fitting for a Bard. Then there’s the tortle whose natural armor provides you with an AC of 17 which you can bump up to 19 by equipping a shield.
Typically, a Bard’s AC is one of their weak points.
Ability Scores
Obviously, the name of the game here isCharisma. You should look tomaximize your Charisma score as soon as possibleas it’s your spellcasting ability modifier and influences the number of spells you know as well as their effectiveness. You also gainmore bardic inspirationsthe higher your Charisma score goes, so every feature you have is made better by increasing this score.
Unlike most other classes who want Constitution as their second highest ability score, the College of Lore Bard makes a good case for choosing eitherDexterityorWisdominsteadthanks to its plethora of skill proficiencies. At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in three more skills of your choice.
You may be influenced to chooseDexterityas you already haveproficiency in Dexterity saving throws, and this ability scoreinfluences your ACand yourinitiative. Additionally,stealth is one of the most important skills in the gameand bothsleight of handandacrobaticshave a place in a Bard’s toolkit as well.
Speaking of initiative, did you know that initiative is a Dexterity ability check? This means that you can use your bardic inspiration to increase your own or another character’s initiative roll!
Alternatively,Wisdomis the most important ability score fordefending yourself from opposing spellcastingandother saving throw based abilities. On top of that,perception is the most important skill in the gameandinsightis monumentally helpful in social situations.
You may want to see what your other party members are bringing to the table before deciding on Dexterity or Wisdom as your second highest score. A party with a Rogue might be better served with a Wisdom focused Bard while a party with a Cleric would likely prefer a Dexterity focused one.
Whatever your choice between Dexterity and Wisdom,Constitutionshould certainly be your next most important ability score. A party that’s lacking in melee classes may even lead you to consider prioritizing Constitution over the aforementioned Dexterity or Wisdom, however, this would be an unfortunate concession for your character.
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Spells
Bards arethe premiere support classof Dungeons & Dragons. As a result,your spell selection should reflect this role. Bards are the only class that has access to thevicious mockery cantrip. While this cantrip doesn’t deal much damage,the disadvantage it incurs on an enemy attack rollis absolutely huge. This is your go-to move in situations where you want toconserve spell slots.
Vicious mockery only works on targets that can hear you. Be wary of using this cantrip on enemies that may not be able to hear.
You’ll want toinitiate most combats by dropping a concentration spelllikeFaerie Fire, Bane, Heroism,orHideous Laughter. Doing so allows you to churn out value from your concentration turn after turn which will make a big difference in the long run.
Sleep is an incredible spell at low level play that is capable of shutting down entire combat encounters. If you do play around with sleep at low levels, don’t forget to switch it out for something better once you get to about 5th level.
Once you’ve got your concentration spell going, other spells to consider casting on future turns includeDissonant Whispers, Thunderwave, Shatter,andBlindness/Deafness. These spells will eitherinflicta debilitating conditionon an enemy ordeal a moderate amount of damage capable of finishing off already wounded foes.
As a support class,healingandutility spellsare also very important to prepare.Healing wordis a must have for any competent Bard, andsilvery barbsis so good it’s a necessary inclusion (assuming it isn’t banned at your table). Beyond that, spells likeCharm Person, Invisibility, Disguise Self, Enthrall, Knock,andDetect Thoughtscan all prove incredibly useful in the right situation.
At higher levels,Nathair’s Mischief, Suggestion, Heat Metal, Fear, Enemies Abound, Greater Invisibility, Major Image,andHold Monsteraregood uses of your concentration. However, they are all outclassed by eitherHypnotic PatternorPolymorphin the large majority of situations.
Needless to say, you’ll want to have both Hypnotic Pattern and Polymorph prepared at all times. These are your heavy hitter concentration spells once you hit 5th level.
Nonconcentration spells to consider adding to your available spells at higher levels includeDispel Magic, Speak with Dead, Sending, Dimension Door, Freedom of Movement,andSynaptic Static.
Feats
We’ve been talking about the importance of concentration a lot, so it’s a natural conclusion thatWar CasterorResilient (Con)areessential featsfor your Lore Bard. War Caster is better for maintaining concentration at early levels while Resilient (Con) outperforms War Caster once you enter the third tier of play around level 11.
Inspiring Leader is another top tier feat to consider for your Lore Bard as it provides your entire party with a sizable buffer of temporary hit points every short rest.
Otherfeats to consideron your Bard includeActor, Alert, Eldritch Adept, Fey Touched, Gift of the Metallic Dragon, Magic Initiate, Metamagic Adept, Observant, Prodigy,andShadow Touched. These feats either supplement your spellcasting, provide additional proficiencies, or make your Bard more perceptive of sneaky threats.
While each of these additional feats can add a lot of customization to your Bard, it’s probably best to maximize your Charisma score before taking any other feats beyond War Caster or Resilient (Con).
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Magical Secrets
While all Bards receive magical secrets at higher levels,Lore Bards gain two additional magical secrets as early as sixth level. This feature allows you tochoose two spells from any class spell listand add them to your prepared number of spells, allowing you an absurd amount of customization.
However,there’s definitely a way to go wrong here. Whatever choice you make is locked in for the remainder of your character’s career, so you really want tobe careful in your selection and make certain that you’re gaining access to spells that can do things your other Bard spells can’t.
Thanks to Hypnotic Pattern and Polymorph, you already have some of the best battlefield control spells in the game. Taking this into account,you don’t really want to use your secrets on control spells. Instead, consider spells with unique effects likeHaste, Aid, Counterspell, Find Familiar, Tasha’s Mind Whip, Revivify, Thunder Step, Conjure Animals,andSpirit Guardians.
At later levels,the same philosophy applies for your other magical secrets. These should be spent ongame-changing spellslikeWall of Force, Find Greater Steed, Conjure Woodland Beings, Disintegrate, Contingency, Reverse Gravity, Clone,andSimulacrum.
A Word On Cutting Words
Thecutting words featureis another part of what makes the Lore Bard in particular the best Bard subclass in D&D. This feature allows you toexpend your bardic inspiration as a reaction and potentially turn a successful enemy attack roll, ability check, or damage roll into an unsuccessful one.
Reducing an enemy damage roll is effective at low levels, but you should almost always avoid using cutting words in this way as you enter the middle tiers of play (level 5 and beyond) unless it might prevent an ally from going unconscious.
Maximizing your use of the action economyis what makes great D&D players stand apart from good ones. Most classes don’t receivea dedicated reaction use, sothis ability alone makes the action economy of a Lore Bard better than the majority of other builds. However, you’ll want to time your use of cutting words intelligently, only using it to influence the most important rolls.
A successful attack or saving throw from a boss monster is an example of a perfect situation to use your cutting words.
All of that being said, you’re now ready to jam out with your Lore Bard. The Lore Bard isone of the best individual subclassesin the game, and it issure to delight thinking players. Just don’t be tempted to do too much of your thinking with the wrong head.
