Bard

Dnd 5e Version: 5th edition Bard

**Class Group:** Expert
**Primary Ability:** Charisma
Invoking magic through music, dance, and verse, Bards are expert at inspiring others, soothing hurts, disheartening foes, and creating illusions.

Bards believe that the creators of the multiverse spoke and signed it into existence and that remnants of those Words of Creation still resound and glimmer on every plane of existence. The magic of Bards is an attempt to harness those words—which transcend any language—and direct them to create new wonders.

Almost anything can inspire a new song or tale, so Bards are fascinated by almost everything. They have a wide-ranging knowledge of many subjects and develop an aptitude to do almost anything well. Bards become masters of many things, including musical performance, the workings of magic, and the formation of jests.

Not every singer or poet in a tavern or jester in a royal court is a Bard. Harnessing the Words of Creation requires hard work and some measure of natural talent that most troubadours and jongleurs lack. It can sometimes be hard to spot the difference between these performers and Bards, though. A Bard's life is spent wandering across the land gathering lore, telling stories, and living on the gratitude of audiences, much like any other entertainer. But Bards' depth of knowledge, level of musical skill, and mastery of magic sets them apart.

## Creating a Bard

To create a Bard, consult the following lists, which provide Hit Points, Proficiencies, and Armor Training. If you're making a 1st-level character, also consult the "Starting Equipment" section, and if you're using the multiclassing rules, see the "Multiclassing and the Bard" section.

Then look at the Bard table to see the Class Features you get at each level in this Class. The descriptions of those features appear in the "Bard Class Features" section.

***Hit Points***

**Hit Dice:** 1d8 per Bard level

**Hit Points at 1st Level:** 8 + your Constitution modifier

**Hit Points per Level after 1st:** 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier

***Proficiencies***

**Saving Throws:** Dexterity, Charisma

**Skills:** Deception, Performance, Persuasion (or any three Skills of your choice)

**Weapons:** Simple Weapons

**Tools:** Three Musical Instruments of your choice

***Armor Training:*** Light Armor

### STARTING EQUIPMENT

As a 1st-level character, you start with the following equipment, or you can forgo it and spend 100 GP on equipment of your choice.

* Dagger
* Entertainer’s Pack
* Leather Armor
* Musical Instrument (one of your choice)
* Shortsword
* 18 GP

### MULTICLASSING AND THE BARD

If your group uses the multiclassing rules in the Player’s Handbook, here’s what you need to know if you choose Bard as one of your Classes.

**Ability Score Minimum.** As a multiclass character, you must have a score of at least 13 in the Bard’s primary ability, Charisma, to take a level in this Class or to take a level in another Class if you are already a Bard.

**Proficiencies.** If Bard isn’t your initial Class, here are the Proficiencies you gain when you take your first Bard level: one Skill of your choice and one Musical Instrument of your choice.

**Armor Training.** When you gain your first Bard level, you gain Light Armor Training.

**Spell Slots.** Add all your Bard levels to the appropriate levels from other Classes to determine your available Spell Slots for casting Spells, as detailed in the multiclassing rules.

You prepare Spells for each of your Classes individually, referring to the Spell Slots of an individual Class to determine the number and levels of the Spells you prepare for it

## BARD CLASS FEATURES

As a Bard, you gain the following Class Features when you reach the specified levels in this Class. These features are listed on the Bard table.

### 1ST LEVEL: BARDIC INSPIRATION

You can supernaturally inspire others through words, music, or dance. This inspiration is represented by your Bardic Inspiration die, which is a d6.

***Using Bardic Inspiration.*** You can use your Bardic Inspiration die in the following ways:

**Boost a d20 Test.** When another creature within 60 feet of you that you can see or hear fails a d20 Test, you can use your Reaction to give the creature a Bardic Inspiration die. The creature rolls that die and adds the number rolled to the d20, potentially turning the failure into a success.

**Heal.** Immediately after another creature within 60 feet of you that you can see or hear takes damage, you can use your Reaction to roll your Bardic Inspiration die and restore a number of Hit Points to the creature equal to the number rolled.

***Number of Uses.*** A Bardic Inspiration die is expended when it’s rolled. You can confer a Bardic Inspiration die a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

***At Higher Levels.*** Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this Class, as shown in the Bardic Die column of the Bard table. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.

### 1ST LEVEL: SPELLCASTING

You have learned to cast Spells through your bardic arts. See the Player’s Handbook for the rules on spellcasting. The information below details how you use those rules as a Bard.

***Prepared Spells.*** You have the following Spells prepared: Color Spray, Disguise Self, Prestidigitation, and Vicious Mockery. Alternatively, you can prepare two 0-level Spells and two 1st-level Spells of your choice. Any Spell you prepare for this Class must be an Arcane Spell, and it must be from one of the following Schools of Magic: Divination, Enchantment, Illusion, or Transmutation.

Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can practice your bardic arts and replace any Spell you have prepared for this Class with another Arcane Spell of the same level, abiding by the school restriction above.

At higher levels in this Class, you can prepare more Spells, as shown on the Bard table. The numbers there determine the number of different Spells you can prepare of each level. For example, as a 3rd-level Bard, you can prepare two different 0-level Spells, four different 1st-level Spells, and two different 2nd level Spells.

Consult the “Prepared Bard Spells” section for recommendations on which spells to prepare at higher levels. A Spell marked with a dagger (†) in that section is always prepared and can’t be replaced when you prepare Spells.

***Spell Slots.*** The Bard table shows how many Spell Slots you have at each level to cast your Bard Spells of 1st level and higher; the number of different Spells you can prepare of each level equals the number of Spell Slots you have at that level. For example, as a 5th-level Bard, you have four 1st-level Spell Slots, three 2nd-level Spell Slots, and two 3rd-level Spell Slots.

***Spellcasting Ability.*** Charisma is your Spellcasting Ability for your Bard Spells.

***Spellcasting Focus.*** You can use a Musical Instrument as a Spellcasting Focus for the Spells you prepare for this Class.

### 2ND LEVEL: EXPERTISE

You gain Expertise in two of your Skill Proficiencies of your choice.

Performance and Persuasion are iconic choices for a Bard if you have Proficiency in them.

### 2ND LEVEL: SONGS OF RESTORATION

You have learned how to use music, poetry, and dance to heal wounds and maladies. When you reach certain levels in this Class, you add a specific Spell to your Songs of Restoration repertoire, as shown on the Songs of Restoration Repertoire table. You always have that Spell prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of Spells you can prepare.

#### SONGS OF RESTORATION REPERTOIRE

Bard Level - Spell

* 2nd - Healing Word
* 4th - Lesser Restoration
* 6th - Mass Healing Word
* 8th - Freedom of Movement
* 10th - Greater Restoration

### 3RD LEVEL: BARD SUBCLASS

You gain the College of Lore Subclass or another Bard Subclass of your choice. The College of Lore is detailed after the Bard’s Class description, and other Subclasses will appear in future Unearthed Arcana articles.

A Subclass is a specialization that grants you special abilities at certain Bard levels. For the rest of your career, you gain each of your Subclass’s features that are of your Bard level and lower. This Class’s description tells you the levels when your Subclass provides features.

### 4TH LEVEL: FEAT

You gain the Ability Score Improvement Feat or another Feat of your choice.

### 5TH LEVEL: JACK OF ALL TRADES

You can add half your Proficiency Bonus (round down) to any Ability Check you make that uses a Skill Proficiency you lack and that doesn’t otherwise use your Proficiency Bonus. For example, if you make a Strength Check (Athletics) and lack Athletics Proficiency, you can add half your Proficiency Bonus to the check.

### 6TH LEVEL: SUBCLASS FEATURE

You gain a feature from your Bard Subclass.

### 7TH LEVEL: FONT OF BARDIC INSPIRATION

You now regain all your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a Short Rest or a Long Rest.

In addition, if a creature rolls your Bardic Inspiration die and gets a 1 (after any rerolls you might have), that use of your Bardic Inspiration isn’t expended.