BG3: Best Race And Ability Points For Bard

Choose the best Race for your Bard in BG3 by noting their pros and cons and distribute Ability Points for maximum efficiency.

By Ibrahim Akhtar August 26, 2023

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Bard is a specialized class in Baldur’s Gate 3, requiring unique strategies for victory. And one of the core mechanics throughout your playthrough with this class is picking your race, subclass, and main abilities to determine your playstyle, strengths, and weaknesses. As such, one would want to gain insights into the best race and distribution of ability points, streamlining their Bard experience in BG3.

Key Takeaways

Bard is a charisma-based class in BG3 with spellcasting and melee abilities and an ideal archetype for dialogues, Persuasion, Deception, and Intimidation checks.
Baldur’s Gate 3 offers 11 races, each with its own distinctive traits and abilities.
Many races have 2-3 subraces, further expanding customization options.
Best Ability Points:
1. Charisma: Aim for 16, enhances spellcasting and Bardic Inspiration.
2. Dexterity: Optimal at 16, important for weapon attacks and Initiative.
3. Constitution: Recommended at 14 or 16 for health and concentration checks.
4. Strength: Consider 16 for Paladin/Bard multiclass with heavy armor.
5. Intelligence and Wisdom: Less pivotal for Bard.

Author’s Note: You can trust and rely on my expertise since I’ve gone through Baldur’s Gate 3 for well over 80 hours.

Best Bard Races In BG3

Here are the Best Races and their Unique Traits to choose from:

Race	Best For	Traits
High Half-Elf	Best Race For Defensive Capabilities.	- Gain 1 Half-Elf cantrip as a subracial bonus. - Base Racial Speed - Civil Militia: Weapon proficiency with Spears, Pikes, Halberds, and Glaives, and Armor Proficiency with Light Armor and Shield. - Fey Ancestry: Advantage on saving throws against being Charmed, and can't be put to sleep by magic. - Darkvision: Can see in the dark up to 12 m.
Human	Best Race For Shield Proficiency.	- Bonus racial speed. - Base Racial Speed: Move 9 m per turn. - Civil Militia: Weapon proficiency with Spears, Pikes, Halberds, and Glaives, and Armor Proficiency with Light Armor and Shield. - Human Versatility: Choose an additional Skill to be proficient in. - Increased carrying capacity by a quarter.
Half-Orc	Best Race For Combat Prowess.	- Proficiency in the Intimidation skill. - Darkvision: Can see in the dark up to 12 m due to orc blood. - Relentless Endurance: When reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, can drop to 1 hit point instead. Once per long rest. - Savage Attacks: On critical hit with melee weapon attack, roll one weapon's damage dice again for additional damage. - Intimidation Proficiency: Add Proficiency Bonus to Intimidation Checks.

1. High Half-Elf Race

Best Race For Defensive Capabilities.

Why I Chose This: The balanced mix of defensive and utility abilities.

The High Half-Elf race provides Shield Proficiency, which effectively bolsters the Bard’s AC, mitigating their vulnerability.
In addition to shield proficiency, High Half-Elves gain supplementary benefits such as access to a Cantrip, Darkvision, and Resistance against specific effects.
These attributes, when combined with shield proficiency, enhance the Bard’s combat capabilities and resilience.

Provides shield proficiency.
Provides a lot of benefits.
Improved defense.

Not some noteworthy drawbacks.

2. Human Race

Best Race For Shield Proficiency.

best race for bard bg3 Human — Race of Human [Image by eXputer]

Why I Chose This: The improved survivability it provides on top of the enhanced shield proficiency.

Both the Human and High Half-Elf races offer Shield Proficiency, a crucial enhancement that addresses Bard’s lack of it.
The addition of Shield Proficiency contributes a significant +2 increase to the character’s Armor Class (AC), which is particularly vital for a caster’s survival.
The extra utility that these races provide, including a free skill for Humans and various advantageous traits such as a Cantrip, Dark Vision, and effect resistance for High Half-Elves, synergize with the Shield Proficiency to elevate Bard’s effectiveness in combat scenarios.

Enhances survivability.
Versatile.

Not so strong defensive capabilities.

3. Half-Orc Race

Best Race For Combat Prowess.

best race for bard bg3 Half-Orc — Race of Half-Orc [Image by eXputer]

Why I Chose This: The versatility it provides and the resilience.

For those pursuing the College of Valor Bard Subclass, Half-Orcs offer valuable traits including Intimidation proficiency.
Savage Attacks amplify critical hit damage (complementing Bard’s damage-enhancing abilities), and Relentless Endurance – a defensive capability that safeguards your healer from incapacitation.
The integration of Intimidation, Savage Attacks, and Relentless Endurance significantly augments the Half-Orc Bard’s combat prowess and survivability.
Ultimately, when selecting the best race, your decision should align with your preferred playstyle and the specific role you wish to adopt within the Baldurs Gate 3 dynamic world.

Versatile.
Enhanced crit hit damage.
High defensive utility.

Fewer role-playing options.

Best Ability Points For Bard

Points Ability — Distribution of Ability Points [Image by eXputer]

In Baldur’s Gate 3, Bard’s spellcasting centers around Charisma, making it a crucial attribute. Additionally, Dexterity plays a significant role in determining initiative order and enhancing armor class. Moreover, the constitution directly influences your hit points, contributing to your overall durability.

Charisma

It is highly recommended to have a Charisma score of at least 16.
Charisma is of paramount importance for a Bard, as it enhances spell attacks, spell DCs, and the effectiveness of Bardic Inspiration.
If your intention is to take the Actor feat at level four, you might consider lowering Wisdom to 10 and increasing Charisma to 17 for added benefits.

Dexterity

A Dexterity score of 16 is strongly advised.
Dexterity plays a pivotal role in ensuring successful weapon attacks and optimizing cantrips.
Additionally, Dexterity contributes to Initiative, allowing you to utilize Bardic Inspiration and other buffs on allies before adversaries can react.
Most Bard subclasses, particularly Valor and Lore, emphasize melee combat with finesse weapons, and having a high Dexterity proves crucial.
Subclasses like Valor and Lore gain Extra Attack at level 6, making weapon attacks more potent than cantrips like Firebolt.

Constitution

Aim for a Constitution score of either 14 or 16.
Constitution directly influences your Bard’s health and proficiency in concentration checks.
Maintaining a solid Constitution score enhances your Bard’s durability and ability to maintain spell concentration during combat.

Strength

For those considering a Paladin/Bard multiclass, allocating 16 points to Strength can be advantageous.
This becomes relevant if your character gains proficiency in heavy armor, as it synergizes well with Strength weapons and combat.

Intelligence and Wisdom

These attributes are comparatively less pivotal for Bards in BG3.
Consider reallocating points from Intelligence and Wisdom to prioritize attributes more central to Bard’s capabilities.

Ultimately, your Bard’s ability score allocation in Baldur’s Gate 3 should align with your preferred playstyle and character goals. Prioritize Charisma and Dexterity for spellcasting, weapon attacks, and combat versatility while considering other attributes based on your chosen subclass and role within the party.

What Is Bard Class In BG3?

Class Bard — Bard Class [Image by eXputer]

The Baldur’s Gate 3 Bard class revolves around charisma, offering both spellcasting and melee capabilities based on your chosen specialization. Numerous spells leverage Charisma effects, not just in combat but also beyond.

If you aim to excel in dialogue situations, the Bard is a prime choice.
It enables effortless success in Persuasion, Deception, and Intimidation checks.
Additionally, Bard-specific dialogue options infuse conversations with poetic flair and melody.

Optimal choices for the College of Lore and College of Swords subclasses of Bard include the Human or High Half-Elf races. These races enhance the utility and provide Shield proficiency, aligning well with both colleges. And when considering the College of Valor, Half-Orc is the recommended option. Their Intimidation advantage, Savage Strikes for damage, and Relentless Endurance for survival and healing make them a strong fit.

That’s it on the Best Race for Bard BG3 and how you can distribute ability points to create the best bard possible. Finding the Best Bard Setup can become difficult with so many options lying around, so it’s best to try everything to get a clearer view. Furthermore, get the Best Companions you can get for your Bard and create a composition according to your playstyle. Also, discover the Best Builds for every class and create the most powerful character. Some of these best character builds include Druid and Ranger.