Among the diverse selection of classes available in Baldur’s Gate 3, the Bard stands out as a class that combines magic, music, and inspiration. Bards in Baldur’s Gate 3 have a vast spell list, allowing them to fulfill various roles within a party. From charming enemies to healing allies, Bards can provide both offensive and defensive support. However, with a plethora of spells to choose from, selecting the best Bard spells can be a daunting task. This article analyzes and ranks the top Bard spells in Baldur’s Gate 3, delving into their strengths, versatility, and impact on gameplay.
At the outset, it is important to note that Bard spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 are divided into two categories: Bard Spells and Spells known from any class. Bard Spells are exclusive to the Bard class, utilizing the Bard’s spellcasting ability. Meanwhile, Spells known from any class represent spells that can be learned by any class in the game. This distinction influences the availability and strategic significance of various spells for the Bard. Nevertheless, both categories offer a wide array of options that can augment the Bard’s capabilities and contribute to the success of a party.
Divine Smite: A Holy Weapon of Righteousness
Divine Smite is a powerful combat spell that allows a spellcaster to imbue their weapon with radiant energy, dealing extra damage to undead and fiends. It is an incredibly versatile spell that can be used in a variety of situations, making it a valuable asset to any adventurer’s arsenal.
When you cast Divine Smite, you spend a spell slot to empower your weapon for the duration of the spell. This grants you a bonus to your attack rolls and damage rolls, and it also causes your weapon to deal an additional 1d8 radiant damage on each hit.
Divine Smite is particularly effective against undead and fiends, as it deals additional damage to these creatures. This makes it an ideal spell for dealing with pesky skeletons, zombies, and other undead foes. It is also useful against fiends, such as demons and devils, as it can help you to overcome their resistances and vulnerabilities.
Components
* Verbal: A prayer to your deity
* Somatic: A gesture with your hand that invokes your deity’s power
Duration
* Concentration, up to 1 minute
Range
* Self
Target
* You
Spellcasting Duration
* 1 bonus action
Damage and Effect Table
| Spell Slot | Bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls | Additional Radiant Damage |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | 2d8 |
| 2nd | +3 | 3d8 |
| 3rd | +4 | 4d8 |
| 4th | +5 | 5d8 |
| 5th | +6 | 6d8 |
| Bard Spell | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Guiding Bolt | 1 | A beam of divine energy that can be used to attack an enemy or heal an ally. |
Guiding Bolt: Illumination and Direction for Combat
Divine Empowerment
The Guiding Bolt spell manifests as a radiant beam of celestial energy, emanating from the caster’s fingertips. Its versatility allows for both offensive and defensive measures. When directed at an enemy, the beam inflicts radiant damage, potentially leaving them weakened and vulnerable. Conversely, when cast upon an ally, the bolt provides healing, mending their wounds and restoring their vigor.
Illumination and Insight
Beyond its direct effects, Guiding Bolt also serves as a beacon of illumination. The radiant energy it emits casts an otherworldly glow upon the target, making them easier to locate amidst the chaos of battle. This enhanced visibility proves invaluable for coordinating attacks, providing allies with a clear line of sight and ensuring their strikes land with greater accuracy.
Tactical Advantage
The Guiding Bolt also grants the caster an advantage on attack rolls against the target for one turn. This temporal empowerment allows for more precise strikes, increasing the likelihood of critical hits and devastating blows. The amplified accuracy serves as a significant advantage in combat, empowering the caster and their allies to seize the initiative and gain an edge over their adversaries.
Defensive Utility
In addition to its offensive capabilities, Guiding Bolt can also be employed defensively. When cast upon an ally, the radiant energy provides the target with resistance to radiant damage for one turn. This protective aura shields the recipient from potential harm, mitigating the impact of radiant attacks and enhancing their resilience in the face of adversity.
Versatile and Indispensable
Guiding Bolt is a versatile and indispensable spell for bards, offering a range of offensive, defensive, and tactical benefits. Its ability to damage enemies, heal allies, illuminate the battlefield, grant attack advantages, and provide damage resistance makes it an invaluable tool in any bard’s arsenal.
Healing Word: A Lifeline in the Thick of Battle
The Bard is a versatile class that can adapt to any situation. Healing Word is a core spell for any Bard, whether they are focused on healing, support, or damage. It is an essential tool for keeping allies alive and can turn the tide of battles.
Healing Potency
Healing Word has a strong base healing effect, capable of restoring a significant portion of an ally’s hit points. The amount of healing scales with both your Bard level and your spellcasting ability modifier. This makes it a powerful and reliable healing option, especially in the early levels.
Range and Targeting
The spell’s range of 60 feet makes it easy to reach wounded allies even if you are not in melee combat. Additionally, the spell targets a single creature, allowing you to precisely choose who needs healing the most.
Fast Casting
Healing Word is a bonus action spell, which means you can cast it in addition to your normal action. This makes it highly efficient and allows you to cast it even when under pressure or when your allies need immediate medical attention.
| Level | D&D Version | BG3 Version |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1d4 + spellcasting ability modifier | 1d4 + 1 |
| 2 | 2d4 + spellcasting ability modifier | 2d4 + 2 |
| 3 | 3d4 + spellcasting ability modifier | 3d4 + 3 |
| 4 | 4d4 + spellcasting ability modifier | 4d4 + 4 |
| 5 | 5d4 + spellcasting ability modifier | 5d4 + 5 |
Faerie Fire: Unmasking the Unseen
Faerie Fire is a versatile spell that enables bards to reveal hidden creatures and illuminate darkened areas. Casting Faerie Fire outlines targets in an otherworldly glow, making them easier to spot. This effect is particularly useful for spotting stealthed enemies or creatures lurking in low-light environments.
Casting Details
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
|---|---|
| Range: | 60 feet |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic |
| Duration: | Concentration, up to 1 minute |
Faerie Fire’s concentration requirement allows bards to maintain the effect for an extended period, providing continuous vision in dimly lit areas. Additionally, the spell’s 60-foot range allows bards to affect a wide area, making it a valuable tool for battlefield control.
By illuminating hidden creatures, Faerie Fire significantly reduces their ability to launch surprise attacks. It can also assist allies in targeting enemies more effectively, increasing the odds of successful hits. Furthermore, Faerie Fire’s ability to provide light is useful for exploring dark dungeons or navigating dimly lit environments.
Hold Person: Paralyzing Power at Your Command
Hold Person is an enchantment spell that inflicts paralysis on a single target. When successfully cast, the target becomes paralyzed for the duration of the spell or until they are freed from its effects. Hold Person is a potent tool for controlling the battlefield, disabling dangerous enemies, and creating opportunities for your allies to attack.
Paralyzing Effects
The paralyzed target is unable to move or take any actions. They effectively become a sitting duck for your attacks, making them easy to hit and kill. Furthermore, any spells or abilities that require a somatic or verbal component cannot be used while paralyzed, severely limiting the target’s potential.
Concentration Check
Hold Person requires concentration to maintain. If you take damage or lose concentration, the spell will end. This means that casting Hold Person strategically is crucial. Consider using it during turns where you don’t need to take any other actions or before entering combat where you might face heavy enemy fire.
Saving Throw and Resistance
The target of Hold Person can attempt a Wisdom saving throw to resist its effects. Creatures with high Wisdom modifiers or proficiency in Wisdom saving throws have a better chance of resisting the spell. Additionally, certain creatures, such as constructs or undead, have advantage on saving throws against enchantment spells, making them more resistant to paralyzing effects.
Duration and Breaking Concentration
Hold Person has a duration of up to 1 minute, or until the target takes damage, a successful Wisdom saving throw, or concentration is broken. Successfully hitting the target with an attack will automatically break concentration, making it essential to be careful when attacking paralyzed enemies.
| Creature Type | Saving Throw Proficiency |
|---|---|
| Constructs | Advantage on saving throws against enchantment spells |
| Undead | Advantage on saving throws against enchantment spells |
Shatter: Earsplitting Disruption for Area Damage
Shatter is a powerful evocation spell that unleashes an earsplitting sonic boom, dealing thunder damage to all creatures within its area of effect. As the thunderclap reverberates through the space, it can shatter objects, disorient enemies, and cause significant damage.
**Key Features of Shatter:**
- Damage Type: Thunder
- Area of Effect: 10-foot radius
- Spell Level: 2
- Casting Time: 1 action
**Damage and Effects:**
Shatter deals 3d8 thunder damage to all creatures within its area of effect. The damage is indiscriminate, affecting allies and enemies alike. Additionally, creatures that fail a Constitution saving throw are knocked prone and deafened for 1 minute.
**Shattering Objects:**
The sonic boom created by Shatter is powerful enough to shatter objects made of glass, ceramic, or other fragile materials. Objects within 10 feet of the spell’s point of origin have a 50% chance of being destroyed.
**Disorientation and Deafness:**
Creatures that fail the Constitution saving throw are knocked prone and deafened. Prone creatures have disadvantage on melee attacks and ability checks to stand up. Deafness prevents creatures from hearing any sounds, including spells and abilities that rely on verbal components.
Counterspell: Nullifying Enemy Incantations
Counterspell is one of the bard’s most powerful abilities, allowing them to silence enemy spellcasters and disrupt their plans. When cast, Counterspell creates a magical shield around the caster, which deflects any incoming spells. This can be a devastating blow to enemy spellcasters, forcing them to waste their turns and potentially even putting them in danger.
Components
Counterspell requires verbal, somatic, and material components. The verbal component is a simple incantation, while the somatic components involve snapping one’s fingers. The material component is a small piece of silver wire.
Range and Duration
Counterspell has a range of 30 feet and a duration of 10 minutes. This gives the caster plenty of time to intercept enemy spells, even if they are at a distance.
Saving Throw
When Counterspell is cast, the target spell’s caster must make a Charisma saving throw. If the save fails, the spell is automatically countered and the caster is unable to cast it again for the duration of Counterspell.
Limitations
Counterspell does have some limitations. First, it can only be used against spells with a casting time of 1 action or longer.
Second, Counterspell does not work against spells that are cast at a higher level than the caster’s level.
Finally, Counterspell does not work against spells that are cast by creatures that are immune to magic.
Tips for Using Counterspell
Here are a few tips for using Counterspell effectively:
| Tip | Description |
|---|---|
| Use Counterspell aggressively. | Don’t be afraid to use Counterspell as soon as you see an enemy caster casting a spell. This can prevent them from casting powerful spells that could turn the tide of battle. |
| Be selective about which spells you counterspell. | Not all spells are worth counterspelling. Focus on countering spells that could have a major impact on the battle, such as healing spells or damage spells. |
| Be aware of your surroundings. | Make sure you are aware of your surroundings when you cast Counterspell. If you are not, you could accidentally counterspell a spell that is being cast by an ally. |
Hypnotic Pattern: Mass Manipulation and Control
Hypnotic Pattern is a powerful enchantment spell that allows a bard to incapacitate multiple enemies at once. Here are its key features:
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: Verbal and Somatic
Duration: 1 minute
Area of Effect: 30-foot cube
Affected Creatures
The spell affects all creatures within the area of effect that fail a Wisdom saving throw. Creatures with an Intelligence score of 2 or less are automatically affected.
Incapacitation
Affected creatures are charmed and incapacitated. They are unable to move or act and are automatically subdued. They will awaken if they take damage or if the spell ends.
Concentration
The bard must maintain concentration on the spell to keep it active. If the bard loses concentration, the spell ends prematurely.
Counterspells
Hypnotic Pattern can be counterspelled by other casters.
Resistance and Immunity
Creatures that are immune to the charmed condition are not affected by Hypnotic Pattern. Additionally, creatures with high Wisdom saving throws are more likely to resist the spell’s effects.
Additional Features
Hypnotic Pattern has the following additional features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Subtle Spell | Can be cast without verbal or somatic components. |
| Twinned Spell | Can be cast twice, targeting two different creatures. |
| Empowered Spell | Increases the spell’s DC by 1d4. |
Mass Cure Wounds: Healing Hands for the Masses
Bardic inspiration is not limited to combat; it can also extend to healing the wounded. Mass Cure Wounds is a powerful spell that allows bards to heal multiple allies simultaneously, making it indispensable in the heat of battle or when faced with a wave of injured comrades.
Healing for the Multitudes
Mass Cure Wounds is a 5th-level spell that targets up to six creatures within a 30-foot radius. When cast, each target regains 3d8 + 3 hit points, a significant amount of healing that can turn the tide of battle or stabilize a group of critically injured allies.
A Scalable Spell
The effectiveness of Mass Cure Wounds scales with the caster’s level, as shown in the table below:
| Bard Level | Heal Amount per Target |
|---|---|
| 5th | 3d8 + 3 |
| 20th | 8d8 + 3 |
This scaling ensures that Mass Cure Wounds remains a potent healing spell throughout the bard’s career, adaptable to various encounter difficulties.
Strategic Considerations
While Mass Cure Wounds is a potent healing spell, it’s essential to use it strategically. The spell has a casting time of one action, making it susceptible to being interrupted or countered. Additionally, the spell’s range of 30 feet limits its reach, and it cannot be cast on unconscious creatures.
By understanding these limitations, bards can maximize the effectiveness of Mass Cure Wounds and ensure their allies’ well-being in the most critical moments.
Polymorph: Transforming Foes into Helpless Creatures
Polymorph is a powerful spell that allows you to transform your foes into helpless creatures. This can be a great way to control the battlefield, as it can turn your enemies into harmless animals or objects.
To cast Polymorph, you will need to have a spellcasting ability score of 13 or higher, and you will need to have the spell prepared. Once you have met these requirements, you can cast Polymorph by speaking the following words:
“O wondrous power, hear my plea,
Transform this creature, make it flee.
From mighty beast to harmless dove,
Its true form, I now remove.”
When you cast Polymorph, you will need to choose a target creature within range. The target creature must be able to see you, and it must be able to hear you. Once you have chosen a target, you must make a spell attack against it. If the spell attack hits, the target creature will be transformed into a creature of your choice.
The creature you choose can be any creature that is of the same level or lower than the target creature. You can choose from a variety of creatures, including animals, plants, and objects. Once the target creature has been transformed, it will retain its statistics, but it will lose its ability to speak and cast spells.
Here are some of the most effective uses for Polymorph:
| Effect | Creatures |
|---|---|
| Transform a powerful enemy into a harmless animal or object. | Rat, mouse, rabbit, or rock |
| Turn a group of enemies into a flock of birds or a swarm of insects. | Birds, bats, or bees |
| Create a distraction by transforming an ally into a different creature. | Doppelganger, mimic, or ooze |
| Escape from a dangerous situation by transforming yourself into a creature that can fly or climb walls. | Eagle, spider, or cat |
| Transform a creature into a powerful ally. | Giant ape, tyrannosaurus rex, or dragon |
Polymorph is a versatile spell that can be used in a variety of situations. It is a great way to control the battlefield, and it can be a lifesaver in a pinch.
Best Bard Spells in Baldur’s Gate 3
Bards are versatile spellcasters who can support their allies, control the battlefield, and deal damage. They have access to a wide range of spells, but some of the best bard spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 include:
- Cure Wounds: A healing spell that can restore a significant amount of health to an ally.
- Healing Word: A bonus action healing spell that can quickly heal an ally in a pinch.
- Bless: A buff spell that gives an ally a bonus to attack rolls and saving throws.
- Faerie Fire: A debuff spell that makes an enemy more vulnerable to attacks.
- Sleep: A crowd control spell that can put multiple enemies to sleep.
People Also Ask
What are some other good bard spells in Baldur’s Gate 3?
In addition to the spells listed above, some other good bard spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 include:
- Bardic Inspiration: A buff spell that gives an ally a bonus to ability checks.
- Dissonant Whispers: A debuff spell that forces an enemy to move away from the caster.
- Thunderwave: A damage spell that can knock enemies prone.
- Shatter: A damage spell that can deal significant damage to enemies with low hit points.
What are some of the best bard builds in Baldur’s Gate 3?
There are a number of different ways to build a bard in Baldur’s Gate 3, but some of the most popular builds include:
- Support Bard: This build focuses on healing and buffing allies, making them ideal for keeping the party alive and fighting at their best.
- Control Bard: This build focuses on debuffing enemies and controlling the battlefield, making them ideal for shutting down enemy spellcasters and disrupting their plans.
- Damage Bard: This build focuses on dealing damage, making them ideal for taking down enemies quickly and efficiently.
