The Bard is the ultimate support specialist of Baldur’s Gate 3, equipped with a plethora of useful buffs for combat, and masterful at the art of dialogue. The Bard in particular is a great choice for the player character, as there are no Bard companions currently available to recruit.
To no surprise, Charisma is the foundational ability for Bards, serving as both the primary Spellcasting ability that determines attack roll bonuses, while also playing a pivotal role in dialogue. Arguably, the Bard’s most important maneuver isn’t a cantrip or spell, it’s the class action Bardic Inspiration, a bonus action that adds a bonus to any ally’s next attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.
Related: Best races and Ability Scores for the Bard Class in BG3
Still, the right cantrips and spells can transform a Bard from a useful support character to a beacon of inspiration for the entire party, as well as a character that can completely neutralize tougher enemies with various debuffs.
Best cantrips for a Bard in Baldur’s Gate 3
Cantrips are the at-will abilities that you can cast without using up a spell slot. Here are some of my favorite cantrips for Bards:
- Vicious Mockery: Insult a creature, causing it to have Disadvantage on its next attack roll.
- Hurling insults across the battlefield is hilarious, and also significantly reduce the chance of successful enemy attacks.
- Blade Ward: Take only half damage from Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Striking damage.
- If the enemy is successful with their attack rolls anyway, this can at least negate some damage.
- True Strike: Target gains Advantage for the next Attack Roll.
- Effectively the opposite of Vicious Mockery; help an ally by giving them a better chance to connect on their next attack.
Best spells for a Bard in Baldur’s Gate 3
- Dissonant Whispers: Deal 3d6 Psychic damage with a chance to Frighten the target for two turns. Resisted by a Wisdom save.
- A solid spell that can deal both extensive damage and significant crowd control. Even if the target resists being Frightened, it will still take half damage.
- Bane: Up to three creatures receive a -1d4 penalty to attack rolls and saving throws.
- This stacked with Vicious Mockery and Bardic Inspiration will make it very tough on the enemy to achieve anything in combat.
- Cure Wounds: Heal an ally for 1d8 plus your Charisma modifier.
- Stick close to an ally for this melee-range heal.
- Sleep: Put up to 24hp worth of enemies to sleep for two turns.
- Excellent crowd control option, especially viable against groups of low level enemies.
- Speak with Animals: Gain the ability to talk to beasts and animals until a Long Rest.
- Speaking with animals just opens up so many possibilities for dialogue and quest completion.
- Crown of Madness: Instill Madness in a humanoid enemy, making them attack the creature closest to them, even if it’s allied.
- Great for causing chaos in a large group of enemies.
- Phantasmal Force: Deal 1d6 damage to a creature per turn. The type of damage changes to the last type that the creature suffered.
- Excellent damage over time option that can reduce tougher enemy health over time.
- Lesser Restoration: Cure a creature from disease, poison, paralysis, or blindness.
- Useful for clearing long-term negative effects from the party.
- Glyph of Warding: Inscribe a circle of arcane glyphs on the ground that trigger a magical effect when stepped on by an enemy.
- The different variants offered here are so useful. Put an enemy to sleep, push them back, or blast them with 5d8 damage of multiple types.
