Bards are among the best classes in Baldur’s Gate 3. Much like their D&D counterparts, Bards offer incredible versatility, with the College of Swords subclass providing unmatched damage and utility.
Bards are often associated with music and Bardic Inspiration, but the class goes much deeper than that. The College of Swords that enables Bards with both incredible damage abilities and an entire spellbook to learn from. Here is our pick for the best College of Swords Bard build in Baldur’s Gate 3.
College of Swords Bard subclass summary in BG3
The College of Swords subclass is a great option for players that want a melee fighter with plenty of spells. Your Bardic Inspiration can be used on Blade Flourishes, which give an extra attack per action. Coupled with the Fighter’s level two Action Surge, you can get four attacks or spells in one turn per short rest.
The College of Swords still keeps many traditional Bardic features, such as Song of Rest or Fonts of Inspiration, which can both heal and give your allies advantage. You will mostly wear light to medium armor while also wielding one-handed or versatile weapons.
While your choice of spells is entirely up to you, I find it best to prioritize spells that either give you advantage or impose a disadvantage on enemies. While you certainly can invest into heavy damage spells such as Fireball, I think it’s better for the Bard to take utility-based spells such as Dimension Door or Invisibility.
College of Swords Bard level progression in BG3
As with all classes, you will slowly unlock the unique and powerful assets of your class as you level your character. Blade Flourish, Jack of All Trades, and Magical Secrets are all major facets of the class that you might want to know before getting started.
Below is a list of what is unlocked throughout the 12 Bardic levels, as well as what we recommend to pick up along the way. Note that this build suggests that you take two levels of Fighter as well which can occur at either the beginning or the end of your journey:
| Level | Unlocks | Suggestion |
| One | Gain three Bardic Inspiration charges Gain two First Level Spell Slots Gain two Cantrips Gain four Spells | Cantrips – Friends, Mage Hand Spells – Faerie Fire, Healing Word, Longstrider, Speak With Animals |
| Two | Gain Song of Rest Gain Jack of All Trades Gain one First Level Spell Slot Gain one Spell | Spell – Disguise Self |
| Three | Choose Subclass Choose Fighting Style Choose Expertise Gain one Spell Gain one First Level Spell Slot Gain two Second Level Spell Slots | Subclass – College of Swords Expertise – Deception, Persuasion Fighting Style – Two Weapon Fighting Spell – Cloud of Daggers |
| Four | Ability Score Improvement or Feat Gain one Cantrip Gain one Spell Gain one Second Level Spell Slot | Ability Score – Add two points to Dexterity Cantrip – Minor Illusion Spell – Invisibility |
| Five | Gain one Bardic Inspiration Font of Inspiration Gain one Spell Gain one Third Level Spell Slot | Spell – Plant Growth |
| Six | Countercharm Gain an extra attack Gain one Spell Gain one Third Level Spell Slot | Spell – Silence |
| Seven | Gain one Spell Gain one Fourth Level Spell Slot | Spell – Greater Invisibility |
| Eight | Ability Score or feat Gain one Bardic Inspiration Gain one Spell Gain one Fourth Level Spell Slot | Ability Score – Add two points to Dexterity Spell – Dimension Door |
| Nine | Gain one Spell Gain one Fourth Level Spell Slot Gain one Fifth Level Spell Slot | Spell – Greater Restoration |
| 10 | Gain one Spell Choose an Expertise Gain Magic Secrets Gain one Cantrip Gain one Spell Gain one Fifth Level Spell Slot | Expertise – Performance, Perception Magical Secrets |
| One (Fighter) | Gain Second Wind Choose Fighting Style | Fighting Style – Archery |
| Two (Fighter) | Action Surge | N/A |
Best College of Swords Bard Background in BG3
Like almost all other Bard subclasses, the best background for the College of Swords is the Entertainer Background. This gives you proficiency in Acrobatics and Performance. Alongside the Expertise that you will earn in later levels, you will have very few skill checks that you are not either proficient or an expert at.
The Guild Artisan and Soldier backgrounds also provide solid foundations for the class, but Entertainment remains the best for making your Bard a more well-rounded character.
Best College of Swords Bard Race in BG3
The best race for the College of Swords Bard is the Wood Elf. I prefer this combination as Wood Elves have the Fleet of Foot passive, which gives you extra movement. Fey Ancestry can also give you access to movement-based spells such as Misty Step, which are also incredibly useful.
If you do not want to roll an elf, then Zariel Tiefling is the second-best pick. The race’s Darkvision and immunity to fire are both incredibly useful traits. Searing Smite and Branding Smite are two high-damage options that you can use regularly with your Blade Flourish ability.
