What is a Bard
Bards are the most musical and charismatic class in DND, they are full casters (gets spells at level 1) that use the charisma stat to cast spells musically and or stylishly. They are most social of classes and as a bonus action can give other players who can hear their songs, bardic inspiration dice for an hour or until they use it. If they fails a d20 test (such as attack roles, ability checks or saves) they can role that bardic inspiration dice to possible turn a failure into success.
The following are Bard subclasses:
- College of Dance: Stay on the move and dance circles around your enemies. (Player’s Handbook 2024)
- College of Glamour: Use your songs buff allies and Thrall your enemies. (Player’s Handbook 2024)
- College of Lore: One of the few Bards who did not go to art college, that does not mean you are without wit, on the contrary your wit is so sharp it cuts through skin, and your spell collection is just as deadly. (Player’s Handbook 2024)
- College of Valor: Your stories come from the front lines and the blade is your pencil, you gain the use of martial weapons. (Player’s Handbook 2024)
- College of the Moon: Use the power of the moon and fey magic to teleport and turn invisible. (Forgotten realms: heroes of Faerûn)
- College of spirits: The Dead can possess you to tell folks their story, it is not on you or them that their stories were so boring that they have negative side effects on those who hear them. (Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft)
- College of swords: The art of the blade is still an art form, so going to school to learn fencing or dual wielding is respectable in the eyes of the Bards. (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything)
- College of whispers: You are wolf in sheep’s clothing and an expert at turning people against each other and planting the seed of doubt. (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything)
- College of creation: Your cons and lies can be used to create, buff, and even bring objects to life. (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)
- College of Eloquence: Your speaking skills have gone unrivalled for so long you can use your bardic inspiration to debuff enemies and your allies can no longer waste their bardic inspiration on failed rolls (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)
- *College of Tragedy: Gain the ability to turn your misfortune into your enemy’s doom. (Tal’Dorei campaign setting reborn)
- College of Mercantile: You learn the art of gambling, a creature can forgo the roll of bardic inspiration dice to flip a coin, if it is heads, congratulations you just role the maximum number of bardic inspirations, if it is tails, your bardic inspirations is now the DMs bardic inspiration. (The Griffon’s saddlebag: book two)
- *College of masks: An actor with a bit of identity problem, you craft magical mask that allows you to play your role so well you get buffs from them. (Obojima: tales from the tall grass)
- College of fleshweaving: Imaging if a plastic surgeon and regular surgeon had a baby and told that both of their profession where an art form and should be treated as such. If your teammates new bioweaponry does not kill the enemy than you just created an new abomination for nothing. (Helliana’s guide to monster hunting: part one).
- College of Adventures: Improve your Bardic skills and later gain the ability to steal some of your talents from other classes. (Grim Hollows: player pack)
- College of Fools: Defeat your foes with the power of bullying and twisted humour. (Grim Hollows: player pack)
- College of Requiems: Your songs and words contain Necromantic power which you can use to fiddle with the Livings life force and raise the dead. (Grim Hollows: player pack)
