This version of the bard class follows the baseline 5e concept closely, but we gave abilities quality of life improvements, replaced the 20th level ability, and allowed bards to integrate musical performance with their spellcasting. Existing 5e subclasses will all work mechanically with this form of the bard class. Click here for a summary of changes.
- Progression Table
- Ability Scores
- Multiclassing
- Class Features by Level
- 1: Bardic Inspiration, Bard Spellcasting and Bard College
- 2: Jack of All Trades and Skill Expertise
- 3: Bard College Feature
- 4: Ability Score Improvement and Feat
- 5: Bardic Inspiration Improvement and Counterpoint
- 6: Magical Secrets and Bard College Feature
- 8: Ability Score Improvement and Feat
- 10: Bard College Feature
- 11: Bardic Inspiration Improvement and Magical Secrets
- 12: Ability Score Improvement and Feat
- 14: Magical Secrets and Bard College Feature
- 15: Bardic Inspiration Improvement
- 16: Ability Score Improvement and Feat
- 18: Magical Secrets
- 19: Ability Score Improvement and Feat
- 20: Limitless Inspiration
Progression Table
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Bardic Inspiration, Spellcasting, Bard College | 2 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2nd | +2 | Jack of All Trades, Expertise | 2 | 5 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 3rd | +2 | Bard College Feature | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement, Feat | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 5th | +3 | Bardic Inspiration (d8), Counterpoint | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 6th | +3 | Bard College Feature, Magical Secrets | 3 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 7th | +3 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Feat | 3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 9th | +4 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | |
| 10th | +4 | Bardic Inspiration (d10), Bard College Feature, Magical Secrets | 4 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| 11th | +4 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement, Feat | 4 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – |
| 13th | +5 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – | |
| 14th | +5 | Bard College Feature, Magical Secrets | 4 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| 15th | +5 | Bardic Inspiration (d12) | 4 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement, Feat | 4 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – |
| 17th | +6 | 4 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 18th | +6 | Magical Secrets | 4 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Superior Ability | 4 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 20th | +6 | Limitless Inspiration | 4 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Level 1 Bards
When you create a level 1 bard, follow these steps to add the following to your character:
Ability Scores
You can take one of these recommended ability score arrays, or you can roll or assign them yourself. You can switch any two ability scores, but you do not add any further bonuses (they’re already included).
Strength: 8 Dexterity: 16 Constitution: 14 Intelligence: 10 Wisdom: 10 Charisma: 16
Strength: 8 Dexterity: 14 Constitution: 14 Intelligence: 12 Wisdom: 12 Charisma: 16
Feat
You gain a level 1 feat of your choice. You can choose from the feats available to all classes or choose a level 1 class-specific feat, if there is one available.
Hit Points
At First Level: 8 + Constitution Modifier
At Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution Modifier
Hit Dice: 1d8 per bard level
Proficiencies
Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Hand Crossbows, Longswords, Rapiers, Scimitars, Shortswords
Tools: two Musical Instrument types of your choice
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skill Proficiencies: Performance, and three of your choice
Items
- a rapier -OR- a longsword
- any Simple Weapon -OR- a small shield
- padded armor and a dagger
- three Musical Instruments
- a backpack containing: 1 bedroll, 1 set of fine clothes, 5 rations, 1 rope, 1 tinderbox, 5 torches, 1 waterskin containing 5 pints of water
Multiclass Characters
Instead of leveling up in your original class, you can take a bard level when you level up. When you do, you gain only a portion of what first level bards gain.
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Multiclassing Ability Score Requirements
Taking levels in several classes requires exceptional ability. You must meet the multiclassing ability score requirements for both your original class and the class you are multiclassing into.
For bards you must have:
- Charisma: 14
Hit Points
Per Level: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution Modifier
Hit Dice: 1d8 per bard level
Proficiencies
Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Hand Crossbows, Longswords, Rapiers, Scimitars, Shortswords
Tools: three Musical Instruments of your choice
Skill Proficiencies: two of your choice (one of which must be performance if you don’t have it)
Class Features
Class features here are sorted by level. When you reach a level as indicated by the icons on the left, you gain all feature or feature improvements listed between the red lines. For example, at first level bards gain the Bard Spellcasting and Bardic Inspiration abilities.
Bardic Inspiration
Your spells, words, or music take on an inspiring quality, empowering and pushing your ally to succeed rather than fail.
Reaction – 1 Ally (60 ft.) – 2/Short Rest* – Magical
Trigger: An ally other than yourself misses an attack roll, fails a saving throw, or fails a skill check. The ally must be able to hear you.
- You inspire your ally. You can roll 1d6* and add the number to the total, potentially turning the failure into a success.
- Regardless of whether you succeed or fail together, you expend a use of this ability. If you are at least level 5, you have the Counterpoint feature and don’t expend a use when the roll fails.
*Your Bardic Inspiration die changes from a d6 to larger dice and you get more uses of this ability when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Bard Progression Table.
Bard Spellcasting
You’ve learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in harmony with your words and music. Your spells are part of your artistic repertoire, magic that you can tune to different situations. You use charisma as your spellcasting ability for bard spells, since your magic draws on powerful emotion as you speak or perform music.
Bards are known spellcasters. The Bard Progression Table shows how many spell slots you have, as well as how many cantrips and spells you know. You can search the list of bard spells here or see full spell descriptions here.
Spellcasting Focus or Instruments
You can use an arcane focus, component pouch, or musical instrument as a spellcasting focus for casting bard spells. If you use a musical instrument as your spellcasting focus or you choose to sing, the music you make replaces your spells’ normal somatic or verbal components (though some spells require you to speak or perform specific gestures).
Bard College
Your choice of bard college represents which advanced techniques you learned to control the magic of language, performance, or sound. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
Bard Colleges published elsewhere are compatible with this version of the bard class, though most of them will gain a feat instead of a feature at level 10.
Cacophony
A cacophony bard is a master of manipulating sound, particularly to create dangerous waves of sound. Each cacophony learns to wield sound like a weapon, whether through artful performance or screaming and banging pots and pans together.
Cacophony: Extra Spells Known
When you reach certain levels as a bard, you gain the ability to cast higher level spells. When you do, you learn these additional spells. They do not count against the number of bard spells you know.
| Bard Level | Extra Spells |
|---|---|
| 1 | Thunderwave |
| 3 | Silence |
| 5 | Thundering Omen |
| 7 | Shockwave |
| 9 | Telepathic Bond |
Jester
Jesters learn to relentlessly mock their enemies, driving them to suffer failure and even psychic pain. They are sometimes stereotyped to be less sophisticated than other bards, but their wit bites harder than their most esteemed peers.
Jester: Extra Spells Known
When you reach certain levels as a bard, you gain the ability to cast higher level spells. When you do, you learn these additional spells. They do not count against the number of bard spells you know.
| Bard Level | Extra Spells |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hellish Rebuke |
| 3 | Enthrall |
| 5 | Major Image |
| 7 | Compulsion |
| 9 | Dominate |
Lorekeeper
Those who join a college of lore are extremely versatile and harness the magic of legends to empower themselves and allies. They are keenly focused on enhancing the skills of themselves and others, and learn a repertoire of magical rituals to rival a wizard.
Lorekeeper: Extra Spells Known
When you reach certain levels as a bard, you gain the ability to cast higher level spells. When you do, you learn these additional spells. They do not count against the number of bard spells you know.
| Bard Level | Extra Spells |
|---|---|
| 1 | Identify |
| 3 | Augury |
| 5 | Tongues |
| 7 | Divination |
| 9 | Legend Lore |
Warchanter
Warchanters blend music or dance with martial skill. Often some of the first into the fray, a warchanter’s performance riles up their fellow warriors and allows them to fight as well as most warriors. Some warchanters are boisterous glory-seekers while others are delicate artists on the battlefield.
Warchanter: Extra Spells Known
When you reach certain levels as a bard, you gain the ability to cast higher level spells. When you do, you learn these additional spells. They do not count against the number of bard spells you know.
Warchanter: Martial Training
As a warchanter, you are proficient in medium armor and martial weapons.
Other College: Level 1 Feature
Choose this option if you’d like to use a Bard College that comes from a source that isn’t Elkan 5e. At this level, you gain access to the first of your Bard College‘s extra spells. It’s possible that your chosen origin might not grant you spells. In this case, we recommend you work with your GM to choose one appropriate spell for each spell slot level from levels 1-5.
Jack of All Trades
You are now a dabbler (half proficiency bonus, rounded down) in all skills with which you don’t already have proficiency or expertise.
Skill Expertise
Choose any two skills with which you have proficiency. You gain expertise (add double your proficiency bonus) with the chosen skills.
Bard College Feature
Cacophony: Blasting Volume
You blast nearby creatures with magical and extremely loud noise.
Action – 30 ft. Cone – Magical – 1 Round
You expend a use of Bardic Inspiration to use this ability.
Constitution Save
- Failure: Sonic damage equal to three rolls of your bardic inspiration die and target is deafened.
- Success: Half damage.
Cacophony: One With the Noise
You have the raging sound within you, always. You can now use any object capable of creating noise as a spellcasting implement (even if it isn’t meant to be an instrument). Additionally, you are resistant to sonic damage and cannot be deafened (unless in a zone of silence), as your magic controls the flow of sound around you and into your mind.
Jester: Cutting Words
You demoralize an enemy at a critical moment, pushing them to fail rather than succeed.
Reaction – 1 Creature (60 ft.) – Magical
Trigger: An enemy hits with an attack roll or succeeds a skill check (you cannot use this ability on saving throws). The enemy must be able to hear you.
You expend a use of Bardic Inspiration to use this ability.
- You roll your bardic inspiration die and subtract the number from the total, potentially turning the success into a failure.
- If you have the Counterpoint feature, you don’t expend a use of Bardic Inspiration when the target succeeds their roll.
Jester: Devastating Mockery
You learn the Vicious Mockery cantrip, or a different bard cantrip if you already know it. When you cast Vicious Mockery, it uses your bardic inspiration die for damage instead of a d4. For example, at level 5, your Vicious Mockery ability deals 2d8 psychic damage.
Lorekeeper: Extra Skills
You learn three additional skills, which you are now proficient with.
Lorekeeper: Voice of Legend
Your tales are legends in the making.
When you use bardic inspiration to inspire a creature other than yourself, you can roll the bardic inspiration die twice and take the higher roll.
| Bard Level | Extra Spells |
|---|---|
| 1 | Bless |
| 3 | Magic Weapon |
| 5 | Bloodlust |
| 7 | Guardian of Faith |
| 9 | Phantom Carnage |
Warchanter: Bladesinger
While in combat, your weapons play a part in your bardic performances. You can use charisma instead of strength or dexterity as your ability score for attack and damage rolls with weapons.
Warchanter: Fighting Style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take the same Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged and thrown weapons.
Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class.
Mounted Combat
When you are mounted on a creature, you fight as one. You gain the following benefits, unless you are incapacitated:
- The mount cannot take damage.
- All attacks against the mount target the rider instead, using the rider’s Armor Class.
- If the mount would otherwise take damage from something that doesn’t target the rider, the rider takes the damage instead.
- The mount can otherwise be affected by terrain, spells, and abilities normally.
- See Mounts for general mounted rules.
Protection
Reaction – 1 Ally (5 ft.)
When a creature hits one of your allies with an attack and that ally is within 5 ft. of you, you can force the attacker to reroll the attack, targeting you instead. You must be holding a shield or melee weapon to use this ability.
Single Weapon Fighting
When you are wielding a single one or two-handed melee weapon and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you make an attack with an off-hand weapon, you do not suffer disadvantage on the attack roll. As normal, your off-hand weapon must be Light.
Warchanter: Warchant
Your sing a song of battle or let out a war cry that empowers one of your allies to become a juggernaut of destruction.
Bonus Action – 1 Ally (60 ft.) – 1 Round – Magical
You expend a use of Bardic Inspiration to use this ability. This ability ends early if you use it again or become incapacitated.
- Your chosen ally adds your bardic inspiration die to all weapon attack and damage rolls.*
Other College: Level 3 Feature
Your chosen Bard College grants you one or more features at this level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Feat
At this level and every level you gain an ability score improvement, you also gain a feat of your choice.
Bardic Inspiration Improvement
Your Bardic Inspiration die becomes 1d8, and you can use Bardic Inspiration three times per short or long rest.
Counterpoint
When things go awry, you are quick to pick up everyone’s spirits with a word of encouragement or a musical shift. When you roll your bardic inspiration die and your inspired ally still fails, you do not expend a use of bardic inspiration.
Magical Secrets
You have learned magical knowledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose two cantrips or 1st level spells from the bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell lists. The spells can be from different classes. The chosen spells count as bard spells for you, and they count as extra known spells, meaning they don’t count against the number of spells you know. You can exchange a spell learned from Magical Secrets when you level up, like with other spells.
Bard College Feature
Cacophony: Echolocation
You become so in tune with the ambient noise of your surroundings that you can tell where things are without looking at them. You gain blindsight with a radius of 60 ft., and you have advantage on any perception check where you can use your hearing within 60 ft. Note that when you have advantage, your passive perception increases by 5. This feature does not function in a zone of silence.
Jester: Inciting Remarks
No Action Cost – 1 Creature (60 ft.) – Magical
Trigger: Whenever you roll a bardic inspiration die for any reason.
Wisdom Save
If a creature hears your words, they magically understand them even if they could not otherwise.
- Failure: Target is goaded towards an ally of yours that is within 60 ft. of you and the target until the end of your next turn.
- Success: No effect.
Lorekeeper: Master Ritualist
- You can cast spell scrolls as rituals for spells that can be ritually casted. You use the normal ritual casting time and do not consume the spell scroll when you do.
- You immediately gain two level 1 spell scrolls that can be cast as rituals.
1st level ritual spells include Alarm, Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Detect Poison and Disease, Identify, Purify, Sanctify, Speak with Animals, Unseen Servant, and any first level spell from other 5e sources that can be casted as rituals.
Lorekeeper: Peerless Skill
You know how to use your magic to build your own legend. You can now use Bardic Inspiration on yourself.
*This feature improves at level 10, at which point it adds double your bardic inspiration die to the target’s damage rolls. The bonus to attack rolls remains the same.
Warchanter: Extra Attack (2 Attacks)
You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. If you are dual-wielding, your off-hand attack brings you to a total of three attacks.
Other College: Level 6 Feature
Your chosen Bard College grants you one or more features at this level.
You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Bard Progression Table to see new spell slots and spells known.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Feat
At this level and every level you gain an ability score improvement, you also gain a feat of your choice.
You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Bard Progression Table to see new spell slots and spells known.
Bard College Feature
Cacophony: Improved Blasting Noise
Your Blasting Noise feature improves. Now, when you use this ability, you end the silenced condition on yourself, and dispel any magical zones of silence in the area that are eligible to be dispelled by Dispel Magic. Additionally, the ability now deals damage equal to four rolls of your bardic inspiration die, rather than three.
Jester: Jester’s Aspersion
Cutting Words now deals psychic damage equal to one roll of bardic inspiration die if your target misses their attack roll or fails their skill check.
Lorekeeper: Student of Ages
You can read all written language. You can also cast Detect Magic and Identify at will without expending a spell slot.
Warchanter: Greater Warchant
Your Warchant feature improves. You now roll your bardic inspiration die twice and add both to the target’s damage rolls. The bonus to attack rolls remains the same.
Other College: Feat or Level 10 Feature
If your chosen Bard College has a level 10 feature, you gain it at this level. Bard colleges designed as part of baseline 5e rules don’t have a level 10 feature, so if that applies to you, you can instead choose a feat at this level (consider countercharm).
Bardic Inspiration Improvement
Your Bardic Inspiration die becomes 1d10, and you can use Bardic Inspiration four times per short or long rest.
Magical Secrets
You now choose two more spells from from the bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell lists. The spells can be from different classes, but this time they must be a cantrip or a spell of 3rd level or lower, as opposed to the previous limit of 1st level. The chosen spells count as bard spells for you, and they count as extra known spells, meaning they don’t count against the number of spells you know. You can exchange a spell learned from Magical Secrets when you level up, like with other spells.
Add this link somewhere Magical Secrets for connectivity
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Feat
At this level and every level you gain an ability score improvement, you also gain a feat of your choice.
You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Bard Progression Table to see new spell slots and spells known.
Magical Secrets
You now choose two more spells from the bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell lists. The spells can be from different classes, but this time they must be a cantrip or a spell of 5th level or lower, as opposed to the previous limit of 3rd level. The chosen spells count as bard spells for you, and they count as extra known spells, meaning they don’t count against the number of spells you know. You can exchange a spell learned from Magical Secrets when you level up, like with other spells.
Bard College Feature
Cacophony: Drown Out the Voices
Trigger: A creature fails their save against your Blasting Volume feature or a spell of yours of 1st level or higher that deals psychic or thunder damage.
- The creature is additionally silenced until the end of your next turn.
Jester: Harmless Act
Trigger: You use Vicious Mockery and your target fails their save or you deal damage with Jester’s Aspersion.
- You can choose to charm the creature until you damage them or until the end of your next turn. Note that this charm does not protect your allies from the target.
Lorekeeper: Foretold Victory
No Action Cost – 1/Short Rest – Magical
After rolling a bardic inspiration die, you can ignore the result and instead add the maximum possible roll on the die.
Warchanter: Herald of Glory
No Action Cost – Self – Magical
When you use Warchant, you can target yourself in addition to your chosen creature, granting both of you the benefits. You gain the benefit for your current turn, after which the effect ends for you.
Other College: Level 14 Feature
Your chosen Bard College grants you one or more features at this level.
Bardic Inspiration Improvement
Your Bardic Inspiration die becomes 1d12, and you can use Bardic Inspiration five times per short or long rest.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Feat
At this level and every level you gain an ability score improvement, you also gain a feat of your choice.
You gain no new class features at this level. As always, see the Bard Progression Table to see new spell slots and spells known.
Magical Secrets
You now choose two more spells from the bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell lists. The spells can be from different classes, but this time they must be a cantrip or a spell of 7th level or lower, as opposed to the previous limit of 5th level. The chosen spells count as bard spells for you, and they count as extra known spells, meaning they don’t count against the number of spells you know.
Add this link in for connectivity Magical Secrets
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Feat
At this level and every level you gain an ability score improvement, you also gain a feat of your choice.
Limitless Inspiration
You can use any ability that requires you to expend a bardic inspiration die without expending a die. When you do so, your bardic inspiration die is considered a d6, and the ability only lasts until the end of your next turn.