Dungeons & Dragons: All Official Bard Subclasses, Ranked

Bards are the favorite class for Dungeons & Dragons players who want to play a jack-of-all-trades character that can excel in social situations. They're often the face of their party even if they aren't the strongest or most powerful, and recent bard builds actually have given this support class more credit as a damage dealer. Not all bards are created equally, however, and some colleges are better for the ideal bard character build.

In D&D, a bard college isn't a physical place. It's a school of thought and a training philosophy that a bard follows. The college that a bard chooses is often an important part of their backstory and can explain their present role in the party or other personal details, like the deity they worship or their moral alignment. Here is a list of the official Bard colleges in D&D 5e, ranked from worst to best.

Updated February 3, 2025, by Alfredo Robelo: A bard can inspire its allies through song, swordplay, or sweet dancing moves. We've updated this article to reflect this, adding the college of dance subclass for bards found in the 2024 Player's Handbook.

9 College Of Dance

Source	2024 Player's Handbook
Main Spells or Benefits	Dazzling Footwork (3rd level) and Leading Evasion (14th level)
Ideal Species	Goliath, Hill's Tumble Giant Ancestry
Party Role	Damage, Positioning

If you ever wanted to be a dancing monk, then the college of dance subclass is the one for you, giving you the best monk features without having to multiclass into it. When you aren't wearing armor or a shield, this subclass gives you unarmored defense (Charisma and Dexterity get added to your armor class), your unarmed strikes equal your Bardic Inspiration die in damage, and you can deal a free melee hit whenever you expend a use of Bardic Inspiration.

The subclass is all about being an agile dancer, although you can share certain benefits with your allies. At level 14, for example, you take only half damage when failing a Dexterity saving throw and no damage if you succeed, and you can share the benefit with any ally that is five feet from you; of course, they still need to succeed the save on their own, but dodging a dragon's fire breath by performing a dance routine as a group is an experience you don't want to miss.

For tips on playing a college of dance bard, check out this guide here.

8 College Of Valor

Source	D&D Player's Handbook
Main Spells or Benefits	Combat Inspiration (3rd level) and Battler Magic (14th level)
Ideal Species	Human
Party Role	Damage, Healing, Defense

One of the oldest bard subclasses is also, tragically, one of the weakest. The problem with the college of valor is that it's being pulled in too many different directions. You're a full spellcaster, but you also get two attacks. You've got proficiency with every weapon imaginable, but you can't be as effective with them if you devote yourself to spellcasting.

The college of valor does offer Combat Inspiration, which lets your allies add a Bardic Inspiration due to their damage rolls, as well as Battle Magic to gain a bonus action weapon attack after casting a spell. However, this lack of focus makes the college of valor bard a jack-of-all-trades but a master of none.

For tips on playing a college of valor bard, check out this guide here.

7 College Of Whispers

Source	Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Main Spells or Benefits	Psychic Blades (3rd level) and Mantle of Whispers (6th level)
Ideal Species	Half-Elf or Changeling
Party Role	Damage

What will likely draw you to the college of whispers is being able to use your Bardic Inspiration dice to boost your own damage. That's something only this subclass and the college of Swords bard can do. Combine your Psychic blades with abilities like Mantle of Whispers and Shadow Lore, and you've got an ideal infiltration and assassination specialist.

But as with the college of valor, being good at stabbing people means being not as good at spellcasting. You'll probably want to lean into the spycraft and infiltration side of your spells, so this isn't as much of a detriment for a college of Whispers bard Disguise Self doesn't need the highest spell save DC.

For tips on playing a college of whispers bard, check out this guide here.

6 College Of Spirits

Source	Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft
Main Spells or Benefits	Guiding Whispers (3rd level), Tales From Beyond (3rd level) and Mystical Connection (14th level)
Ideal Species	Changeling, Half-Elf, Human
Party Role	Buffing

Bring the heroes and legends of the past back to life (briefly) through your telling of their tales. The college of spirits focuses on bringing you and your party additional power through the help of these stories and spirits. While some abilities can be relied on, like Guiding Whispers, a big part of this kit is left up to the dice to decide.

Tales From Beyond allows you to roll on a d12 table to determine what benefit you and your party gain from your ability to call out to the spirits for aid. While not as daunting as a Sorcerer's Wild Magic table, it does mean that you are at the mercy of what you roll. It's not until you gain the Mystical Connection feat that you can better control which benefit you get, as it allows you to roll 2d12 and choose which number you prefer.

For tips on playing a college of spirits bard, check out this guide here.

5 College Of Glamour

Source	Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Main Spells or Benefits	Enthralling Performance (3rd Level) and Mantle of Majesty (6th Level)
Ideal Species	Half-Elf, Elf, or Satyr
Party Role	Crowd Control

Add a little Feywild magic to your barding. The college of glamour is all about inspiring raptured awe from your audience, charming them with your seductive notes. Enthralling Performance will ensure most of the bar is on your side if a brawl breaks out, but Mantle of Majesty is where the real fun begins. Being able to cast Command as a bonus action every turn for a full minute can ruin an enemy's defenses as you keep causing them to drop their guard repeatedly.

One shouldn't discount Mantle of Inspiration, which can provide your entire party with extra hit points and movement for the turn. Unbreakable Majesty is less impactful if you consistently play on the back lines, but it can ensure you're relatively safe even if an enemy manages to sneak past your front line.

For tips on playing a college of glamour bard, check out this guide here.

4 College Of Swords

Source	Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Main Spells or Benefits	Blade Flourish (3rd level)
Ideal Species	Human or Half-Elf
Party Role	Damage

If you ever want to be a swashbuckling adventurer, the college of swords is likely to be your go-to. Similar to the college of valor, the college of swords bard gets an extra attack and can use its Bardic Inspiration dice for damage. Unlike the college of valor, you can use those dice on yourself to do extra damage and receive other benefits.

Blade Flourish is the college of swords' signature ability. With it, you deal extra damage to the target, and you move, guard, or strike another target nearby, depending on the type of flourish chosen. You'll also get to choose a Fighting Style normally reserved for the fighter class, providing extra damage to your chosen sword style.

For tips on playing a college of swords bard, check out this guide here.

3 College Of Creation

Source	Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
Main Spells or Benefits	Performance of Creation (3rd level) and Animating Performance (6th level)
Ideal Species	High Elf, Kobold
Party Role	Damage and Defense

Being able to create anything at all just by strumming a few notes or singing a few bars is incredible. Accidentally spill your drink? Create a mop to soak it up. Forgot your towel during the beach episode? Sing a bit and suddenly there's a shimmering cloth covering your soaked self. Forgot your crowbar to break into the local constabulary? Hum a tune and suddenly you're locked and loaded.

As great as Performance of Creation can be, Animating Performance is just as good. By singing a song, you animate a mundane object into a Dancing Item that can attack as a bonus action every turn. Plus, it can automatically trip up any nearby enemies through its incessant dancing.

For tips on playing a college of creation bard, check out this guide here.

2 College Of Eloquence

Source	Tasha's Cauldron of Everything and Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Main Spells or Benefits	Silver Tongue (3rd level) and Unfailing Inspiration (6th level)
Ideal Species	Satyr or Half-Elf
Party Role	Crowd Control and Talking to NPCs

In a lot of ways, the college of eloquence feels like the best possible bard you could be. Since most bards wind up as the face of the party, abilities like Silver Tongue and Universal Speech are incredibly useful for dealing with NPCs.

Unsettling Words is also an excellent ability. Rather than give yourself extra damage or attack, you can use your Bardic Inspiration die to lower the next saving throw of an enemy. Then cast something like Tasha's Hideous Laughter and watch the big bad descend into fits of uncontrollable giggling.

Perhaps best of all, Unfailing Inspiration prevents an ally's Bardic Inspiration from being lost if they fail on their ability check, attack roll, or saving throw.

For tips on playing a college of eloquence bard, check out this guide here.

1 College Of Lore

Source	D&D Player's Handbook
Main Spells or Benefits	Cutting Words (3rd level)
Ideal Species	Kobold, High Elf
Party Role	Damage and Healing

There's one bard subclass that has always been head and shoulders above the rest, and that's the college of lore. There's simply nothing a college of lore bard can't do, from extra bonus skill proficiencies to learning more spells from any class in the game.

Cutting Words is also one of the best alternate uses of Bardic Inspiration. As a reaction, you can expend your Bardic Inspiration to subtract that die roll's number from an enemy's attack roll, ability check, or damage roll.

Since this subclass is all about spellcasting, pick a species that offers a better damage-dealing cantrip than Vicious Mockery. Kobolds or High Elfs make excellent Lore bards for being able to learn Fire Bolt from the start.

For tips on playing a college of lore bard, check out this guide here.

Dungeons & Dragons

Original Release Date

1974

Player Count

2+

Age Recommendation

12+ (though younger can play and enjoy)

Length per Game

From 60 minutes to hours on end.

Franchise Name

Dungeons & Dragons

Publishing Co

Wizards of the Coast

Brand

Dungeons & Dragons

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