Bard v2

Class Features

As a bard, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per bard level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per bard level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: Choose two performance arts, gaming sets, or tools of your choice
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence or Charisma
Skills: Choose any three

Equipment

You start with 200 gp, in addition to the equipment granted by your background. The following are good starting items for bards:

• A rapier, a longsword, or any simple weapon
• A diplomat's pack or an entertainer's pack
• Musical instruments, gaming sets, or artisan tools you are proficient with
• Studded leather armor and a dagger

NOT DONE WITH EPIC LEVEL STUFF

Spellcasting

1st-level Bard feature You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in harmony with your wishes and music. Your spells are part of your vast repertoire, magic that you can tune to different situations.

Cantrips

You know two cantrips of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn additional bard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Bard table.

Mana

The Bard table shows how much mana you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend mana from your mana pool. You regain all expended mana when you finish a long rest. The mana costs for spells can be found on the mana cost table.

Spells Known and Reserved

You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the Bard spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Bard table shows when you learn more bard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you can cast.

You can keep an additional number of spells equal to your Bard level + your Intelligence modifier as reserved spells. These spells are ones you are familiar with, but cannot readily cast. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can choose one known spell from this class and replace it with one of your reserved spells over the course of 10 minutes, provided they are of the same spell level and are both on the Bard spell list. The reserved spell becomes a known spell, and the known spell is added to your reserved spells.

As a part of a Long Rest, you can try to familiarize yourself with a spell on the Bard spell list if it is of a spell level you can cast and you saw a creature cast it since your last long rest, if you use a magic item which can cast the spell, or if you can be taught by a creature with the spell known or prepared. You must succeed on an Arcana check using your spellcasting stat with DC equal to 15 + the spell's level to add the spell to your reserved spells.

If you would reserve a spell, and are already at your maximum number of spells you can have reserved, you must replace one of your existing reserved spells.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Bard spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Bard spell list, which also must be of a level for which you can cast. You may add the spell you replaced to your reserved spells.

Spellcasting Ability

Choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma to be your spellcasting ability. Once you make this choice, you cannot change it. You use the chosen ability whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use the chosen ability modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Ritual Casting

You can cast any bard spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a gaming set or a performance art instrument as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.

Bardic Inspiration

1st-level Bard feature You can inspire others through stirring words or music. To do so, you use a Bonus Action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can see or hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.

Once within the next hour, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Spellcasting modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.

Classical Archetype

1st-level Bard feature Every character in every story has a role to play – and your mastery of lore, history, or performance has led you to take up one of these classical archetypes. Choose one of the following features:

Adventuring Tricks

2nd-level Bard feature Even when abroad, you are most at home when surrounded by those who love you — or at least tolerate you. You start with two adventuring tricks of your choice. Adventuring tricks are detailed on the Adventuring Tricks page. The Tricks Known column of the Bard table shows when you learn more adventuring tricks. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Adventuring Tricks you know and replace it with another Adventuring Trick that you could learn at that level.

Bardic Speciality

2nd-level Bard feature Though bards come in many shapes and sizes, all are masters of one or more mediums. You gain proficiency in a Performance Art or a Gaming Set of your choice. Then, choose one of the Performance Arts or Gaming Sets you are proficient in to be your Bardic Speciality. You gain the following feature based on your choice:

• Compositions. If you are within 5 feet of a creature when you grant them Bardic Inspiration, you may do so in the form of a piece of writing. If you do, the Bardic Inspiration lasts until it is used or until you finish a long rest.
• Dance. Once per turn, when you move through an ally's space, you can grant the creature Bardic Inspiration without a Bonus Action.
• Instruments. Once per turn when you cast a Bard spell with an Action, you can grant Bardic Inspiration without spending a Bonus Action.
• Oration. When you grant Bardic Inspiration, you can expend additional Bardic Inspirations to grant them to additional creatures within range up to half your proficiency bonus.
• Games of Chance. Choose a number between 2 and 19 to be your lucky number. Whenever a friendly creature within 60 feet of you rolls your lucky number, you can grant them your Bardic Inspiration without a Bonus Action. When you roll your lucky number, regain a Bardic Inspiration instead.
• Sports. The first time you hit with a weapon attack, succeed on an Athletics or Resilience check, or succeed on a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw each turn, you can grant Bardic Inspiration without spending a Bonus Action.
• Strategy Games. When you roll initiative on the first round of combat, you can grant a creature Bardic Inspiration without spending a Bonus Action.

Bard College

3rd-level Bard feature You delve into the advanced techniques of a bard college of your choice. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 14th, 23rd, and 27th level.

Ability Score Improvement

4th-level Bard feature When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, 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. In addition, you may select a single Feat you meet the prerequisites for.

You may also replace one of your skill proficiencies with a skill proficiency offered by this class at 1st level. The proficiency you replace does not need to be from this class.

Lastly, you can do one of the following, representing a change in focus as you use your skills and magic:

• Replace one cantrip you learned from this class's Spellcasting feature with another cantrip from the bard spell list.
• Replace one of the skills you chose for the Expertise feature with one of your other skill proficiencies that isn't benefiting from Expertise.

Classical Archetype Feature

5th-level Bard feature

Font of Inspiration

5th-level Bard feature You regain all of your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.

Battle Hymn

7th-level Bard feature You gain the ability to use musical notes or words of power to influence the battlefield in myriad ways. As a bonus action, you can start one of the following performances that lasts until the end of your next turn. During that time, you and any friendly creatures within 30 feet of you gain a benefit based on the battle hymn being performed. A creature must be able to hear you to gain this benefit. The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or silenced or if you voluntarily end it (no action required).

Magical Secrets

9th-level Bard feature You have plundered magical knowledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose two spells from any class, including this one. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip. The chosen spells count as bard spells for you (and are included in the number in the Spells Known column of the Bard table).

When you replace a spell after gaining a level in this class, you may choose to replace your Magical Secrets spell with a new spell from any class and level you can cast instead.

You may also Reserve spells of any class, but if it is not on the Bard spell list, you may only exchange it for spells learned from this feature when finishing a long rest.

You learn two additional spells from any classes at 13th level and again at 17th level.

Renaissance Man

9th-level Bard feature Your broad expertise gives you access to a wide variety of talents. Choose one of the following options. Whenever you learn a new bard Adventuring Trick or replace an existing one, you can choose from the adventuring talents of the classes associated with your choice, using your Bard levels as levels in the class for the purpose of fulfilling prerequisites.

• Art of Battle. Barbarian, Fighter.
• Art of Discipline. Adept, Cleric
• Art of Esoterica. Warlock.
• Art of Guile. Artificer, Rogue.
• Art of Leadership. Marshal, Paladin.
• Art of Mysticism. Arcane Warrior, Sorcerer, Wizard
• Art of Scouting. Bloodhunter, Druid, Ranger.

Classical Archetype Feature

10th-level Bard feature

Improved Bardic Speciality

11th-level Bard feature Your mastery of your chosen bardic medium deepens. You gain Expertise in all Performance Arts and Gaming Sets you are proficient in, as well as the following improvement to your Bardic Speciality:

• Improved Compositions. You no longer need to be within 5 feet of your target for your Bardic Inspirations to gain the benefits of Compositions
• Improved Dance. You can grant Bardic Inspiration to additional creatures when moving through their spaces by spending 5 extra feet of movement for each Bardic Inspiration given this turn (5 extra feet of movement for the second, 10 extra feet of movement for the third, etc.)
• Improved Instruments. You may now grant a Bardic Inspiration after casting any Bard spell any number of times per turn.
• Improved Oration. When you grant Bardic Inspiration, you may also use your Battle Hymn using the same bonus action.
• Improved Games of Chance. If a friendly creature rolls your lucky number on the higher die when rolling a d20 test with Disadvantage or on the lower die when rolling a d20 test with Advantage, you may grant or gain Barding Inspiration as with Bardic Speciality.
• Improved Sports. You no longer need to hit with the weapon attack or succeed on the ability check or saving throw to grant a Bardic Inspiration.
• Improved Strategy Games. When you grant a creature your Bardic Inspiration at the start of combat, you can immediately expend a second Bardic Inspiration and add the result as a bonus to their Initiative for the entire combat.

Improved Font of Inspiration

15th-level Bard feature When a creature uses your Bardic Inspiration on a d20 test and fails, they do not expend the Bardic Inspiration.

Superior Font of Inspiration

18th-level Bard feature The heights of your bardic prowess allow you to ride the highs and lows of life to keep the show going. When you or a creature you can see within 60 feet rolls a 1 or a 20 on a d20 Test, you regain one expended use of your bardic inspiration.

If the creature is an ally other than you, you can spend your Reaction to grant them the bardic inspiration instead, even if you have no expended uses of your bardic inspiration.

Showstopper

20th-level Bard feature You always know how to bring encounters to their climactic finales. When activating a Limit Break, you can expend any number of Bardic Inspirations instead of Willpower.

Additionally, you gain access to a special Limit Break, based on your Classical Archetype:

After you use this special Limit Break, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

THESE ARE NOT DONE BELOW HERE

Epic Level Bard: Epic Ability Score Improvement

^{21st-level Bard feature}
When you reach 21st level, and again at 25th and 29th level, you gain the benefits of an Ability Score Improvement, but your ability score increase can bring an ability score above 20, to a maximum of 24.

Epic Level Bard: Battle Voice

^{22nd-level Bard feature}
You can make your voice boom three times as loud as a normal creature. The range of any spell or effect that requires the target to hear you is doubled.

Epic Level Bard: Gestalt Secrets

^{25th-level Bard feature}
Choose a class other than Bard. Depending on the chosen class, you gain the listed class feature as it appears in that class's table.

• Adept: Martial Arts. You use half your Bard levels as Adept levels for the purpose of determining your Martial Arts die.
• Arcane Warrior: Mystic Arcanum. You use half your Bard levels as Arcane Warrior levels to determine the additional mana and damage from this feature, and your spellcasting ability modifier to determine the AC bonus from Arcane Deflection.
• Artificer: Tool Expertise.
• Barbarian: Rage. You use half your Bard levels as Barbarian levels to determine Rage damage and uses.
• Bloodhunter: Crimson Rite. You use half your Bard levels as Bloodhunter levels to determine your Hemocraft die and your Primal and Esoteric Rite choices.
• Cleric: Channel Divinity. You use half your Bard levels as Cleric levels to determine how many times you can use your Channel Divinity and Harness Divine Power abilities, and the DC for Turn Undead equals your bard spell save DC.
• Druid: Wild Shape. You use half your Bard levels as Druid levels for determining the statistics and forms you can take.
• Fighter: Action Surge. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
• Marshal: Commanding Presence. You can use half your Bard levels as Marshal levels to determine the size of your Commanding Presence.
• Paladin: Lay on Hands. You can use half your Bard levels as Paladin levels to determine your pool of healing power.
• Ranger: Explorer. You gain all the benefits from Deft Explorer or Natural Explorer
• Rogue: Cunning Action.
• Sorcerer: Manifestation.
• Warlock: Pact Boon.
• Wizard: Arcane Recovery and Wizard Flair. You may use your Bard levels for the purpose of determining the mana you recover.

Epic Level Bard: Broadened Horizons

^{26th-level Bard feature}
Choose a second subclass from the Bard class. You gain all 3rd-level features from that subclass.

Epic Level Bard: Legendary Inspiration

^{29th-level Bard feature}
When you would grant a creature a Bardic Inspiration die, you can choose to grant that creature two dice instead. The creature chooses whether to use the dice one at a time or simultaneously.

Epic Level Bard: Bardic Supremacy

^{30th-level Bard feature}
Your proficiency bonus increases by 1.

This page was last edited on October 20, 2025, at 11:03 PM

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