5E Bard

Last 3 Edits

May 13th, 2025

• Added subclasses from Tales of the Valiant (TotV) Player's Guide

Feb 19th, 2025

• Added subclasses from 5E Player's Handbook (2024).

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BARD

PROFICIENCIES

Armor: Light
Weapon Groups: Unless noted, bards only have proficiency in Simple weapons from these groups. Choose 5 from: Axes & Picks; Blowguns; Bows; Brawling; Clubs & Staffs; Crossbows (+ Martial); Hammers & Maces; Hooks & Sickles; Long Blades; Pistols; Short Blades (+ Martial); Spears; Thrown & Slings.
Tools, Items, Vehicles, etc: Choose any three musical instrument groups or gaming groups of your choice.

Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose any 3.

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ALTERNATE FEATURES/KITS

1. Warden. Whole class modelled on a non-spellcasting bard. (Adventures in Middle Earth - Player's Guide, Cubicle Seven)
2. Magical Inspiration. 2nd level, enhances Bardic Inspiration. (Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, Wizards of the Coast).
3. Bardic Versatility. 4th level, extra feature for Ability Score Improvement. (Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, Wizards of the Coast).

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SUBCLASSES (Colleges)

1. Adventurers. (Grim Hollow Player's Guide p42, Ghostfire Gaming).
2. Blades
3. Bounder. (Adventures in Middle Earth - Player's Guide, Cubicle Seven).
4. Charity
5. Counsellor. (Adventures in Middle Earth - Player's Guide, Cubicle Seven).
6. Creation (Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, Wizards of the Coast)
7. Dance. Bards that emphasise agility, speed and grace. (5E Player's Handbook (2024)).
8. Dance
9. Eloquence. (Tasha's Cauldron of Everything & Mythic Odysseys of Theros p28, Wizards of the Coast).
10. Entropy. (Midgard Heroes Handbook p33, Kobold Press; Deep Magic p192, Kobold Press).
11. Gentle Soul
12. Glamour. Weave the power of the Feywild into their magic. (5E Player's Handbook (2024); Xanathar's Guide to Everything p14, Wizards of the Coast).
13. Glitter For followers of the gnomish deity, Garl Glittergold (Faiths of the Forgotten Realms II, DMsGuild).
14. Greenleaf. (Midgard Heroes Handbook p34, Kobold Press; Deep Magic p124, Kobold Press).
15. Herald
16. Herald. (Adventures in Middle Earth - Player's Guide, Cubicle Seven).
17. Innovation For followers of the dwarven deity, Dugmaren Brightmantle (Faiths of the Forgotten Realms II, DMsGuild)
18. Inspiration
19. Intrigue. (5E Reforged, DawnForgedCast).
20. Lore Bards focusssing on gathering lore and more spells. (5E Player's Handbook (2024); PHB p54)
21. Lore. (TotV Player's Guide; p31).
22. Names (En5ider article by Ari Marmell)
23. Punmeister
24. Rebirth
25. Requiems. (Grim Hollow Player's Guide p44, Ghostfire Gaming).
26. Secret Keeper For followers of the dwarven deity, Dumathoin (Faiths of the Forgotten Realms II, DMsGuild).
27. Springtide. (Arcadia Magazine #2, MCDM Productions). Spring themed.
28. Starsong For followers of the elven deity, Sehanine Moonbow (Faiths of the Forgotten Realms II, DMsGuild).
29. Sword Dancing For followers of the drow deity, Eilistraee (Faiths of the Forgotten Realms II, DMsGuild)
30. Swords. (Xanathar's Guide to Everything p15, Wizards of the Coast).
31. Valor. Inspiring, travelling skalds that are not afraid to enter combat. (5E Player's Handbook (2024); PHB p55).
32. Victory. (TotV Player's Guide; p25).
33. Warcaller For followers of the orcish deity, Ilneval (Faiths of the Forgotten Realms II, DMsGuild).
34. Wanderer
35. Whispers. (Xanathar's Guide to Everything p16, Wizards of the Coast).
36. Wordsmiths
37. Wyrdsinger. (Deep Magic p123, Kobold Press). Based around concept of detiny & fate.

There are MANY more subclasses here on the 5E SRD website

There are MANY more subclasses on the DMsGuild. Feel free to try one of those too.

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