Bard
Whether scholar, skald, or scoundrel, a bard weaves magic through words and music to inspire allies, demoralize foes, manipulate minds, create illusions, and even heal wounds. The bard is a master of song, speech, and the magic they contain.
The Bard
| Level | Prof. Bonus | Features | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Spellcasting, Bardic Inspiration (d6) | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Jack of All Trades, Song of Rest (d6), Magical Inspiration (Optional) | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Bard College, Expertise | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement, Bardic Versatility (Optional) | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Bardic Inspiration (d8), Font of Inspiration | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Countercharm, Bard College feature | 3 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | — | 3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Bardic Versatility (Optional) | 3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | Song of Rest (d8) | 3 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Bardic Inspiration (d10), Expertise, Magical Secrets | 4 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | — | 4 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement, Bardic Versatility (Optional) | 4 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | Song of Rest (d10) | 4 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 14th | +5 | Magical Secrets, Bard College feature | 4 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 15th | +5 | Bardic Inspiration (d12) | 4 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement, Bardic Versatility (Optional) | 4 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 17th | +6 | Song of Rest (d12) | 4 | 20 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Magical Secrets | 4 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement, Bardic Versatility (Optional) | 4 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 20th | +6 | Superior Inspiration | 4 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Class Features
Hit Dice: 1d8 per bard level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per bard level after 1st
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: Three musical instruments of your choice
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose any three
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a rapier, (b) a longsword, or (c) any simple weapon
(a) a diplomat's pack or (b) an entertainer's pack
(a) a lute or another musical instrument
Leather armor and a dagger
Spellcasting
You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality to suit your needs and desires. Your magic is drawn from the cosmic forces of chaos and order that permeate the multiverse. Through word and music, you weave magical effects to inspire, manipulate, and damage.
Cantrips
At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn additional bard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Bard table.
Spell Slots
The Bard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. You regain all spent spell slots when you finish a long rest.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the bard spell list. The Spells Known column of the Bard table shows when you learn more bard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one spell you know with a different spell of your choice from the bard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your bard spells. Your magic comes from singing or speaking words of power. You use your Charisma whenever a bard spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Ritual Casting
You can cast any bard spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use a musical instrument as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.
Bardic Inspiration
You can inspire others through stirring words or music. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.
Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost.
The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Jack of All Trades
Starting at 2nd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.
Song of Rest
Beginning at 2nd level, you can use your musical or oratorical talent to help invigorate your allies during a short rest. If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.
The extra hit points increase to 1d8 at 9th level, 1d10 at 13th level, and 1d12 at 17th level.
Magical Inspiration (Optional)
If a creature has a Bardic Inspiration die from you and casts a spell that restores hit points or deals damage, the creature can roll that Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to one damage roll of the spell or to the number of hit points restored. The spell must be capable of targeting a creature, which could be the spellcaster itself.
Bard College
At 3rd level, you delve into the advanced techniques of a bard college of your choice, described later in this chapter. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th and 14th level.
| College | Source |
|---|---|
| College of Creation | Tasha's Cauldron of Everything |
| College of Eloquence | Mythic Odysseys of Theros / Tasha's Cauldron of Everything |
| College of Glamour | Xanathar's Guide to Everything |
| College of Lore | Player's Handbook |
| College of Spirits | Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft |
| College of Swords | Xanathar's Guide to Everything |
| College of Valor | Player's Handbook |
| College of Whispers | Xanathar's Guide to Everything |
Expertise
At 3rd level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of those skills. At 10th level, you can choose two more of your proficiencies to gain this benefit.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. You can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
As an optional feature, you can forgo this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Bardic Versatility (Optional)
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can do one of the following, as you gain that feature's benefits: replace the choice you made for the Expertise feature with a different skill proficiency, or replace the cantrip you chose from the bard spell list with a different cantrip from that list.
Font of Inspiration
Starting at 5th level, you regain all of your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short rest or long rest.
Countercharm
At 6th level, you gain the ability to use musical notes or words of power to disrupt mind-influencing effects. As an action, you can start a performance that lasts until the end of your next turn. During that time, you and any friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. A creature must be able to hear you to gain this benefit. The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or if your performance is forcibly interrupted.
Magical Secrets
By 10th level, you have plundered magical knowledge from a wide swath of reality. You choose two spells from any class, including this one. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or cantrip.
The chosen spells count as bard spells for you, but they don't count against the number of bard spells you know.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one spell you chose with the Magical Secrets feature with a different spell from any class. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Bard table.
At 18th level, you choose two more spells from any class, including this one. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or cantrip.
Superior Inspiration
At 20th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of Bardic Inspiration remaining, you regain one use of Bardic Inspiration.