Bards are the favorite class for players who want to play a jack-of-all-trades character that can excel in social situations. They're often the face of their party even if they aren't the strongest or most powerful, and recent bard builds actually have given this support class more credit as a damage dealer. Not all bards are created equally, however, and some Colleges are better for the ideal bard character build.
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In D&D, a bard College isn't a physical place. It's a school of thought and a training philosophy that a bard follows. The College that a bard chooses is often an important part of their backstory and can explain their present role in the party or other personal details, like the deity they worship or their moral alignment. Here is a list of the official Bard Colleges in D&D 5e, ranked from worst to best.
Updated August 11, 2024 by Marissa Fiore: The Dungeons & Dragons landscape is ever-changing as material is introduced through additional sourcebooks. This article has been updated with another subclass for Bards. It has also been updated to conform to current standards.
8 College Of Valor
Source | D&D Player's Handbook |
|---|---|
Main Spells or Benefits | Combat Inspiration (3rd level) and Battler Magic (14th level) |
Ideal Race | Human |
Party Role | Damage, Healing, Defense |
One of the oldest bard subclasses is also, tragically, one of the weakest. The problem with the College of Valor is that it's being pulled in too many different directions. You're a full spellcaster, but you also get two attacks. You've got proficiency with every weapon imaginable, but you can't be as effective with them if you devote yourself to spellcasting.
The College of Valor does offer Combat Inspiration, which lets your allies add a Bardic Inspiration due to their damage rolls, as well as Battle Magic to gain a bonus action weapon attack after casting a spell. However, this lack of focus makes the College of Valor bard a jack-of-all-trades but a master of none.
For tips on playing a College of Valor bard, check out this guide here.
7 College Of Whispers
Source | Xanathar's Guide to Everything |
|---|---|
Main Spells or Benefits | Psychic Blades (3rd level) and Mantle of Whispers (6th level) |
Ideal Race | Half-Elf or Changeling |
Party Role | Damage |
What will likely draw you to the College of Whispers is being able to use your Bardic Inspiration dice to boost your own damage. That's something only this subclass and the College of Swords bard can do. Combine your Psychic blades with abilities like Mantle of Whispers and Shadow Lore, and you've got an ideal infiltration and assassination specialist.
But as with the College of Valor, being good at stabbing people means being not as good at spellcasting. You'll probably want to lean into the spycraft and infiltration side of your spells, so this isn't as much of a detriment for a College of Whispers bard Disguise Self doesn't need the highest spell save DC.
For tips on playing a College of Whispers bard, check out this guide here.
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6 College Of Spirits
Source | Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft |
|---|---|
Main Spells or Benefits | Guiding Whispers (3rd level), Tales From Beyond (3rd level) and Mystical Connection (14th level) |
Ideal Race | Changeling, Half-Elf, Human |
Party Role | Buffing |
Bring the heroes and legends of the past back to life (briefly) through your telling of their tales. The College of Spirits focuses on bringing you and your party additional power through the help of these stories and spirits. While some abilities can be relied on, like Guiding Whispers, a big part of this kit is left up to the dice to decide.
Tales From Beyond allows you to roll on a d12 table to determine what benefit you and your party gain from your ability to call out to the spirits for aid. While not as daunting as a Sorcerer's Wild Magic table, it does mean that you are at the mercy of what you roll.
It's not until you gain the Mystical Connection feat that you can better control which benefit you get, as it allows you to roll 2d12 and choose which number you prefer.
These are the options provided from the Tales From Beyond feat:
Bardic Inspiration Roll | Tale Told Through You | Summary |
1 | Tale of the Clever Animal | For ten minutes, the target can roll a Bardic Inspiration die and add it to any Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma check. |
2 | Tale of the Renowned Duelist | You make a melee spell attack. On a hit, roll and add two Bardic Inspiration dice + your Charisma Modifier for force damage. |
3 | Tale of the Beloved Friends | The target and one other creature of its choice gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma Modifier + a number rolled of your Bardic Inspiration die. |
4 | Tale of the Runaway | The target and a number of creatures equal to your Charisma Modifier can teleport up to 30 feet away as a reaction. |
5 | Tale of the Avenger | For one minute, any creature who attacks the target of this effect takes force damage equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration. |
6 | Tale of the Traveler | The target gains temporary hit points equal to your Charisma Modifier + your Bard level. Until these run out, they also gain 10 to their walking speed and +1 to their AC. |
7 | Tale of the Beguiler | If the target fails a Wisdom Save, they take psychic damage equal to two of your Bardic Inspiration dice and becomes incapacitated until the end of their next turn. |
8 | Tale of the Phantom | The target becomes invisible until the end of its next turn or it hits a creature. If it attacks, the hit creature takes necrotic damage equal to two of your Bardic Inspiration dice and becomes frightened. |
9 | Tale of the Brute | All creatures of the target's choice within 30 feet roll a Strength Saving Throw. On a fail, they take thunder damage equal to three of your Bardic Inspiration dice and are knocked prone. On a success, they take half damage and aren't knocked down. |
10 | Tale of the Dragon | The target uses a fire breath weapon in a 30-foot cone. Every creature makes a Dexterity Saving Throw. On a fail, they take fire damage equal to four of your Bardic Inspiration dice. On a success, they take half that damage. |
11 | Tale of the Angel | The target receives temporary hit points equal to your Charisma Modifier + two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration. You can also end one condition afflicting that target. |
12 | Tale of the Mind-Bender | The target makes an Intelligence Saving Throw. On a fail, it takes psychic damage equal to three rolls of your Bardic Inspiration dice. It is also stunned until the end of its next turn. |
For tips on playing a College of Spirits bard, check out this guide here.
5 College Of Glamour
.jpg "Dungeons & Dragons: All Official Bard Subclasses, Ranked (6)")
Source | Xanathar's Guide to Everything |
|---|---|
Main Spells or Benefits | Enthralling Performance (3rd Level) and Mantle of Majesty (6th Level) |
Ideal Race | Half-Elf, Elf, or Satyr |
Party Role | Crowd Control |
Add a little Feywild magic to your barding. The College of Glamour is all about inspiring raptured awe from your audience, charming them with your seductive notes. Enthralling Performance will ensure most of the bar is on your side if a brawl breaks out, but Mantle of Majesty is where the real fun begins. Being able to cast Command as a bonus action every turn for a full minute can ruin an enemy's defenses as you keep causing them to drop their guard repeatedly.
One shouldn't discount Mantle of Inspiration, which can provide your entire party with extra hit points and movement for the turn. Unbreakable Majesty is less impactful if you consistently play on the back lines, but it can ensure you're relatively safe even if an enemy manages to sneak past your front line.
For tips on playing a College of Glamour bard, check out this guide here.
4 College Of Swords
Source | Xanathar's Guide to Everything |
|---|---|
Main Spells or Benefits | Blade Flourish (3rd level) |
Ideal Race | Human or Half-Elf |
Party Role | Damage |
If you ever want to be a swashbuckling adventurer, the College of Swords is likely to be your go-to. Similar to the College of Valor, the College of Swords bard gets an extra attack and can use its Bardic Inspiration dice for damage. Unlike the College of Valor, you can use those dice on yourself to do extra damage and receive other benefits.
Blade Flourish is the College of Swords' signature ability. With it, you deal extra damage to the target, and you move, guard, or strike another target nearby, depending on the type of flourish chosen. You'll also get to choose a Fighting Style normally reserved for the fighter class, providing extra damage to your chosen sword style.
For tips on playing a College of Swords bard, check out this guide here.
3 College Of Creation
Source | Tasha's Cauldron of Everything |
|---|---|
Main Spells or Benefits | Performance of Creation (3rd level) and Animating Performance (6th level) |
Ideal Race | High Elf, Kobold |
Party Role | Damage and Defense |
Being able to create anything at all just by strumming a few notes or singing a few bars is incredible. Accidentally spill your drink? Create a mop to soak it up. Forgot your towel during the beach episode? Sing a bit and suddenly there's a shimmering cloth covering your soaked self. Forgot your crowbar to break into the local constabulary? Hum a tune and suddenly you're locked and loaded.
As great as Performance of Creation can be, Animating Performance is just as good. By singing a song, you animate a mundane object into a Dancing Item that can attack as a bonus action every turn. Plus, it can automatically trip up any nearby enemies through its incessant dancing.
For tips on playing a College of Creation bard, check out this guide here.
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2 College Of Eloquence
Source | Tasha's Cauldron of Everything and Mythic Odysseys of Theros |
|---|---|
Main Spells or Benefits | Silver Tongue (3rd level) and Unfailing Inspiration (6th level) |
Ideal Race | Satyr or Half-Elf |
Party Role | Crowd Control and Talking to NPCs |
In a lot of ways, the College of Eloquence feels like the best possible bard you could be. Since most bards wind up as the face of the party, abilities like Silver Tongue and Universal Speech are incredibly useful for dealing with NPCs.
Unsettling Words is also an excellent ability. Rather than give yourself extra damage or attack, you can use your Bardic Inspiration die to lower the next saving throw of an enemy. Then cast something like Tasha's Hideous Laughter and watch the big bad descend into fits of uncontrollable giggling.
Perhaps best of all, Unfailing Inspiration prevents an ally's Bardic Inspiration from being lost if they fail on their ability check, attack roll, or saving throw.
For tips on playing a College of Eloquence bard, check out this guide here.
1 College Of Lore
Source | D&D Player's Handbook |
|---|---|
Main Spells or Benefits | Cutting Words (3rd level) |
Ideal Race | Kobold, High Elf |
Party Role | Damage and Healing |
There's one bard subclass that has always been head and shoulders above the rest, and that's the College of Lore. There's simply nothing a College of Lore bard can't do, from extra bonus skill proficiencies to learning more spells from any class in the game.
Cutting Words is also one of the best alternate uses of Bardic Inspiration. As a reaction, you can expend your Bardic Inspiration to subtract that die roll's number from an enemy's attack roll, ability check, or damage roll.
Since this subclass is all about spellcasting, pick a species that offers a better damage-dealing cantrip than Vicious Mockery. Kobolds or High Elfsmake excellent Lore bards for being able to learn Fire Bolt from the start.
For tips on playing a College of Eloquence bard, check out this guide here.
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