SRD5:Bard

	This article is about Bard
	For other uses of Bard, see Bard (disambiguation).

This material from the 5th edition (2014) SRD v5.1 is published under the OGL and CC-BY

Bard is a class in 5th edition and part of the SRD.

As a Bard, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 18 per Bard level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 18 + your Constitution modifier

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: Three musical instruments of your choice
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose three from [[all (5e)|]].

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a rapier, (b) a longsword, or (c) any simple weapon
• (a) a diplomat’s pack or (b) an entertainer’s pack
• (a) a lute or (b) any other musical instrument
• Leather armor and a dagger

The Bard

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
					1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+2	Spellcasting, Bardic Inspiration (d6)	2	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Jack of All Trades, Song of Rest (d6)	2	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Bard College, Expertise	2	6	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	7	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Bardic Inspiration (d8), Font of Inspiration	3	8	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	Countercharm, Bardic College feature	3	9	4	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	—	3	10	4	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3	11	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	Song of Rest (d8)	3	12	4	3	3	3	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+4	Bardic Inspiration (d10), Expertise, Magical Secrets	4	14	4	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+4	—	4	15	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	15	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
13th	+5	Song of Rest (d10)	4	16	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
14th	+5	Magical Secrets, Bard College feature	4	18	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
15th	+5	Bardic Inspiration (d12)	4	19	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	19	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
17th	+6	Song of Rest (d12)	4	20	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	+6	Magical Secrets	4	22	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	22	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	Superior Inspiration	4	22	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

Spellcasting

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.

Spell Slots

The Bard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-­level spell cure wounds and have a 1st-­level and a 2nd-­level spell slot available, you can cast cure wounds using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

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 have spell slots, as shown on the table. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

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 have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your bard spells. Your magic comes from the heart and soul you pour into the performance of your music or oration. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

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 musical instrument (see “Equipment”) as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.

{{5e Ability Section|2|Bardic Inspiration|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 hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.

Once within the next 10 minutes, 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 GM 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 Charisma 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.

Jack of All Trades

Starting at 2nd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus.

Song of Rest

Beginning at 2nd level, you can use soothing music or oration to help revitalize your wounded allies during a short rest. If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.

The extra hit points increase when you reach certain levels in this class: to 1d8 at 9th level, to 1d10 at 13th level, and to 1d12 at 17th level.

Bard College

At 3rd level, you delve into the advanced techniques of a bard college of your choice, such as the College of Lore. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th and 14th level.

Bard Colleges

This section exceeds the text of the SRD

The SRD lists only the College of Lore. Below is a list of bard colleges, official and unofficial.

Bard College	Features	Summary	Source
College of Hunters		Monster indentification, now in Bard flavor.	Zhenra-Khal
College of Tactics		A bard who commands and controls the battlefield, setting their skills towards tactics on the battlefield to support their allies.	Eiji-kun
College of Viscera	Crimson Mark, Bloodborne Sacraments		Zhenra-Khal
College of the Thriller		Your bardic skills influence the undead, and you gain access to necromantic spells.	Eiji-kun
College of Creation	Animating Performance, Performance of Creation, Mote of Potential, Creative Crescendo	Bards that use words and song to manifest creation.	Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
College of Eloquence	Silver Tongue, Unsettling Words, Unfailing Inspiration, Universal Speech, Infectious Inspiration	Bards that use their mastery of language to infuse their magic.	Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
College of Glamour	Mantle of Inspiration, Enthralling Performance, Mantle of Majesty, Unbreakable Majesty	This college specializes in casting glamours.	Xanathar's Guide to Everything
College of Lore	Bonus Proficiencies, Cutting Words, Additional Magic Secrets, Peerless Skill	These bards know something about most things	SRD-CC v5.1, SRD-OGL v5.1
Muscle Mage		With the power of bulk, you cast FIST!	Eiji-kun
College of Satire	Bonus Proficiencies, Tumbling Fool, Fool's Insight, Fool's Luck	This is the college of Jesters.	UA Classics Revisited
College of Spirits	Guiding Whispers, Spiritual Focus, Tales from Beyond, Spirit Session, Mystical Connection	This tradition pulls inspiring stories from beyond the grave and material plane.	Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft
College of Swords	Bonus Proficiencies, Fighting Style, Blade Flourish, Extra Attack, Master's Flouish	Bards who's performance focuses on weapons	Xanathar's Guide to Everything
College of Valor	Bonus Proficiencies, Combat Inspiration, Extra Attack, Battle Magic	This colleges encourages the martial aspect of the class.	Player's Handbook (5e)
College of Whispers	Psychic Blades, Words of Terror, Mantle of Whispers, Shadow Lore	This college focuses on sowing dischord	Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Expertise

At 3rd level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

At 10th level, you can choose another two skill proficiencies to gain this benefit.

Ability Score Improvement

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, 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.

Font of Inspiration

Beginning when you reach 5th level, you regain all of your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.

Countercharm

At 6th level, you gain the ability to use musical notes or words of power to disrupt mind-influencing effects. As an action, you can start a performance that lasts until the end of your next turn. During that time, you and any friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. 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

By 10th level, 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.

You learn two additional spells from any class at 14th level and again at 18th level.

Superior Inspiration

At 20th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of Bardic Inspiration left, you regain one use.

Sources

• SRD-OGL v5.1 - 5th edition SRD/OGL document published Jan. 2016 by Wizards LLC

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