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Although Bards are mostly seen as a support class in Baldur's Gate 3, there are strategies to make them quite effective in combat as well. Support goes beyond healing; even if Bards can heal somewhat effectively, their spell book offers several choices for enhancing allies and nerfing opponents. By concentrating on these rather than assault spells, a talented bard becomes very important on the field of combat.
Just don't assume it will be simple right from start. With weak melee attacks, limited destructive cantrips, and extremely particular weapon proficiencies, Bards start off in Baldur's Gate 3 in terrible shape. Still, a world of difference can be made by even the most fundamental support spells. True Strike gives a party member advantage on their next attack roll; Bless can award the whole remainder of the party benefits for attacks and saving throws. Until the Bard arrives, these can assist sustain more damage-oriented teammates.
In principle, many of the classes in Baldur's Gate 3 sound as like they would be far more potent than a bard could be. The singers, comedians, and storytellers of the Forgotten Realms, bards can use their acting to gently charm their way out of events and inspire others. This usually does not translate into a good class for fighting; they do not begin with many weapon or armor proficiencies, nor do they acquire a high Armor Class or Strength. Said otherwise, with the correct build, a bard can be rather successful in Baldur's Gate 3.
Generally speaking, bards seem more logical in the role-playing-heavy world of tabletop gaming than in a video game. Playing face-to--face gives bards greater chances to pester the rest of the party with nonstop small ditties and improvise funny, lyrical banter. Baldur's Gate 3 lets a lot of freedom in character builds for bards, and a deadly mix of spells, talents, and subclasses can turn a mellifluous bard into a terrifying battle master.
The class bonuses a bard gains start to slow down after level six, even while the subclass College of Lore helps. This is the ideal moment to start investigating dual-class options to support and fortify the bard. Since both use a lot of Charisma in their spellcasting, players will often select another magic class, such Valhalla, which can be decent. Better still, though, is to include a melee class—especially the monk class—to balance out a bard's abilities.
While a level or two in monk will help a bard compensate for what they lack in Baldur's Gate 3, it will also enhance their natural abilities. Though monks are simply plain swift, bards are already nimble. Although Bards might not have many choices for weapon or armor competence, monks have great defense even without armor and their fists are as strong as any weapon. Moreover, monk attack rolls are assessed on dexterity rather than strength, which bards also shine at. Monks in Baldur's Gate 3 have access to Ki, a pool of points they can use on particular combat tactics. For instance, the Ki talent Flurry of Blows lets them attack twice with one motion. Regarding monk subclasses, Way of the Open Hand is the finest option all around; Flurry of Blows has the options to knock, stagger, or push adversaries.
Baldur's Gate 3 bards are allowed one of three subclasses at level three. The most intriguing are College of Valor and College of Swords since they offer to balance out the deficiencies of the classes. From medium armor to martial weapons to shields, the College of Valor subclass offers proficiency. More limited is College of Swords, with proficiency boosts solely for medium armor and scimitars. Valor is mainly about strengthening defense; Swords offers more chances for swashbuckling technique. Though none of them is particularly horrible, if one wants to be the best, choosing either would be a mistake in Baldur's Gate 3.
Though it's limited to light armor, College of Lore is the strongest option of subclass for the Baldur's Gate 3 bard mostly because it has wider-ranging weapon proficiencies than either of the alternative subclasses. From the moment they enroll in this subclass, bards acquire the Cutting Words. Cutting Words is a reaction rather than a spell slot that results in a hefty penalty on an opponent's attack prior to impact. Should it cut its attack roll sufficiently, a devastating strike meant otherwise would miss its target. Players even in the late game will find this penalty helpful since it will level with the bard over the game and become more severe.
Another wonderful feature of bards in the game is their adaptability, which helps them to interact harmonically with every other Origin character and potential companion. Indeed, many of them are more concerned in causing damage than in healing, hence it is quite likely that players will employ their custom bards as a healer—especially if Shadowheart is not the team's damage mitigator.
Should players want, a bard character in Baldur's Gate 3 can readily replace a cleric with strong supporting and healing powers. On the other hand, players can employ their bard as a damage dealer instead of Shadowheart as the main healer. Although their damage output potential might not rival that of a well-built and raging barbarian, for example, bards can be a nuisance to opponent they encounter. They may combine and match spells to not only constantly weaken opponent but also deal a lot of damage. Bards are some of the most balanced classes in Baldur's Gate 3 and a great friend to any Origin character because of their natural ability to move between offensive, supportive, and healing powers.
Fast talkers, bards have access to a range of unique, usually humorous dialogue choices. This largely speaks to Baldur's Gate 3's careful, thorough writing, but it also helps get the party out of some difficult circumstances. Almost every time they come across Volo, the roaming minstrel, in the open world, bards can perform with him. Like when they're allowed to tell True Soul Nere they will offer a scathing eulogy at his burial, they can likewise throw witty digs at foes before attacking them.
Though maybe the best bard moment in Baldur's Gate 3 comes when the party unintentionally walks in on the bugbear Grukkoh and ogre Buther during a private time. Usually, this meeting ends in battle, but with a strong Persuasion roll, a bard can persuade them they are researching a romantic ballade. Should they be successful, Grukkoh and Buthir will actually let them stay.