Baldur’s Gate 3: Best College of Lore Bard Build In BG3

Fans of personal flair are in luck, as Baldur’s Gate 3 has an extensive character build with the classic Bard class as an option. However, the Bard class is more than just singing your way out of a sticky situation and looking pretty.

Bards have three subclasses that players can choose from when they hit level 3. The College of Lore is the subclass that specializes in using words to manipulate characters’ surroundings and situations they find themselves in. It is the ultimate support class, ready to strengthen allies or humiliate enemies into weak fodder to take out. Players need to know how to build the best College of Lore Bard to successfully survive the challenges of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Summoner Builds

What is a College of Lore Bard

The College of Lore Bard is a subclass that concentrates on being a support role in the party with a bit of offensive skills through spells. This class stresses knowledge, wit, magic, and versatility and is great for those who want more options for story progression, dialogue, and role-play throughout Baldur’s Gate 3. This is where the infamous Vicious Mockery shines its brightest. College of Lore Bards also has access to more spells not readily available to the other two Bard subclasses. Bards are one of the squishier classes, so players will need to be strategic on how their bard is built.

College of Lore Bard Abilities, Features, & Mechanics in Baldur’s Gate 3

Best Abilities for College of Lore Bard

Bard’s abilities are all based on Charisma with Dexterity being their second-best proficiency. One of their best support features is the Bardic Inspiration that they provide, which lasts until the next long rest. Bards are limited to how much inspiration they give, starting at only three casts, but that number increases as players level up. They also have the to ability Song of Rest which provides the party with an additional short rest for the entire party.

Build the College of Lore Bard like a rogue who actually wants all of the attention instead of hiding in the shadows. Choose skills like Deception, Sleight of Hand, and Persuasion to increase proficiency in non-fighting gameplay. When choosing the base ability scores in the beginning, take a point from Charisma and add it to Dexterity to increase the character’s AC without lowering the charisma modifier.

The starting ability scores should be the following.

Musical instruments have no impact on the bard’s abilities. They are there for the aesthetic, so feel free to choose your favorite one.

Best Feats for College of Lore Bard

With each level up players will be able to choose more spells and eventually gain feats for extra abilities and increases in modifiers. Bards can gain feats at levels 4, 8, and 12. The following are the recommended feats to select at each of the available levels. For two of the three times players can choose a feat, we suggest picking the Ability Improvement +2 Charisma to maximize their spell-casting modifier and DC. For the other Feat choice, players should choose from the following.

• War Caster: Gain advantage on saving throws to maintain concentration on spells and get to use Shocking Grasp as a reaction for targets moving out of melee range
• Spell Sniper: Learn a cantrip, and the number players need to roll for a Critical Hit is reduced by one; this can stack
• Ritual Caster: Learn two ritual spells of your choice

All three feats can be used in a support build for a College of Lore bard while also being able to help with some bonus damage dealing and self-protection.

Character Build for College of Lore Bard in Baldur’s Gate 3

Making the base and knowing what lies ahead is important for building the best possible College of Lore bard in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Best Backgrounds for College of Lore Bard

Choosing a background and race will affect the character’s class build in Baldur’s Gate 3. The best backgrounds for a College of Lore Bard are the following.

• Entertainer: proficiency in Acrobatics, Performance, History, Perception, & Medicine
• Guild Artisan: proficiency in Insight, Persuasion, History, Perception, & Medince
• Criminal: proficiency in Deception, Stealth, History, Perception, & Medicine
• Noble: Religion, Persuasion, History, Perception, & Medicine

We suggest the Guild Artisan background as that will increase the available dialogue options. The game also provides plenty of opportunities to put the player’s persuasiveness and insight to the test through dialogue and passive insight checks.

Best Races for College of Lore Bard

There are Baldur’s Gate 3 Races that fit better with the Bard class than others. The following are the ones we suggest when building a bard. However, it really comes down to the personal preference of the player.

• Githyanki:
• Human:
• Tiefling:

College of Lore Bard Spells in Baldur’s Gate 3

Here is a list of spells players should consider for the College of Lore Bard Build. Players should ultimately select their spells based on their style of gameplay and how they have the rest of their party set up.

Magical Secrets is available to College of Lore Bards at level six in Baldur’s Gate 3, where they have access to level three spells at first. All bards starting at level ten get access to Magical Secrets.