Top 5 Best Bard Races in Baldur’s Gate 3

Bards are an extremely flexible class so versatile races that have different subraces for different playstyles work exceptionally well for them. On this list, you’ll find options both for a caster Bard build and a melee-oriented one. Here are my top 5 best Bard races in Baldur’s Gate 3.

What Are the Best Bard Races in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Tiefling

The Tiefling is a highly versatile race perfect for Bards since each subrace suits at least one subclass of Bard. For Lore Bards the ranged spell-oriented Mephistopheles and Asmodeus work wonderfully for expanding your Bard spell list. This is because you can get spells like Hellish Rebuke or Burning Hands and even Darkness at Level 5.

For Valor and Swords Bards, Asmodeus also works well, but the best one is Zariel Tiefling because they get smite spells. Searing and Branding Smite perfectly synergize with your melee playstyle for some extra damage. Lastly, no matter which one you pick, all Tiefling subraces get Resistance to Fire damage, which is a common damage type in BG3.

Githyanki

Githyanki is one of the most powerful races in Baldur’s Gate 3 overall for casters. This is because they get medium armor proficiency for free, which is excellent for Lore Bards. That said, other Bard subclasses can also benefit from the free Misty Step spell for teleportation maneuverability. Even Enhanced Leap comes in handy for exploring distant platforms, and Mage Hand can trigger traps for you and manipulate distant objects. Overall, this is a great choice for any Bard subclass.

Drow Half Elf and Drow

Both the Drow variant for Half Elf and the Drow themselves provide Bards some great utility with an expanded spell list. You get to cast Faerie Fire for free which is an AOE debuff spell that allows you to gain Advantage on all affected enemies. Furthermore, the Darkness spell you get at Drow and Half-Elf Drow Level 5 can provide some useful crowd-control or cover. Whichever you pick, you’ll get immunity to Sleep and Advantage against being charmed, as well as some useful weapon proficiencies if you’re going Valor or Swords Bard.

Dwarf

Dwarven subraces are quite versatile where I recommend you take the Shield Dwarf for Lore Bards and Duergar for Swords and Valor. This is because Shield Dwarves will get you medium armor proficiency for your caster-oriented Lore Bard. Furthermore, Duergar can get you some excellent offensive spells like Enlarge and Invisibility which work great for the melee-oriented Swords and Valor subclasses. Either way, you get Poison damage Resistance and Advantage against being Poisoned is useful throughout BG3.

That’s it for my guide on the top 5 best Bard races in Baldur’s Gate 3. Check out our Baldur’s Gate 3 hub for more articles on Bards like my Bardlock build or best gear for Bards.