10 Best Spells For Bards In Baldur’s Gate 3

The Bard is one of the most versatile classes in Baldur's Gate 3, but has some specific spells you should be using over others. As a Charisma-focused class, Bards are typically seen as masters of persuasion and romance, but are also very effective in combat thanks to their wide array of spells.

While not a traditional magic class like Mage and Sorcerer, Bards have access to over 50 different spells in BG3. This vast spellbook makes the Bard class a powerful option for multi-class characters that want to buff allies or slow down enemies, or for a Pure Bard to give out lots of healing while also dealing damage.

10 Tasha's Hideous Laughter (Level 1)

A Great Early-Game Spell For Stopping Enemies

• Spell Level: 1
• Range: 18 meters
• Cost: Action + Level 1 Spell Slot
• Requires Concentration: Yes

Available right at the start of the game, Tasha's Hideous Laughter is an essential spell for Bards to have on hand in the early stages of Baldur's Gate 3. In the game's first act, knocking enemies prone and not letting them get up is a highly effective way to make combat easier.

Tasha's Hideous Laughter does just that, knocking an enemy creature prone for ten turns if they fail a Wisdom saving throw. Tasha's Hideous Laughter also remains an effective spell throughout Baldur's Gate 3, thanks to its low casting cost and because it isn't limited to a specific creature type. It does require concentration for the effect to stay applied, but as long as the player is careful in choosing who to inflict the laughter on, this is a great choice for Bards.

9 Heroism (Level 1)

Make Allies Feel Unstoppable

• Spell Level: 1
• Range: 1.5 meters
• Cost: Action + Level 1 Spell Slot
• Requires Concentration: Yes

Another must-have spell for Bards at the start of Baldur's Gate 3 is Heroism , which is crucial for giving the party's frontline characters the extra protection they need to be effective. When a party member is enchanted with Heroism, they become immune to being Frightened and they gain 5 temporary hit points each turn.

In the early stages of BG3, party members are less flexible in their roles until they gain more levels and skills. As a result, those designated tanks and damage-dealers must stay alive in combat to defeat enemies quickly. Heroism does require concentration, and it can be beneficial to apply it to the tank or melee damage dealer before or at the start of combat, so they don't risk going down early in a fight.

8 Glyph Of Warding (Level 3)

Protect The Battlefield

• Spell Level: 3
• Range: 9 meters
• Radius: 4 meters
• Cost: Action + Level 3 Spell Slot
• Requires Concentration: No

Bards are excellent at controlling the battlefield and Glyph of Warding is one of the best spells to do that. Glyph of Warding puts down a large glyph that triggers when stepped on, and the Bard can choose what kind of effect the glyph will have. These include Acid, Fire, Cold, and Lightning damage, and it can also put unsuspecting enemies to sleep.

Glyph of Warding is a very versatile spell, not just because of the different effects it can apply, but also because of the cone-shaped area of effect it has. This cone makes it easier to place it so enemies will stand on it and allies can avoid it. Bards can only have one glyph active at a time, but once placed down, it will last until triggered or until a Long Rest is taken.

7 Dominate Person (Level 5)

Turn An Enemy Into An Ally

• Spell Level: 5
• Range: 18 meters
• Cost: Action + Level 5 Spell Slot
• Requires Concentration: Yes

Taking an enemy out of the fight is a powerful thing, and even better than that is making an enemy turn on their party with Dominate Person . This level 5 enchantment spell forces a humanoid enemy to fight alongside the Bard for up to ten turns. The dominated person can make a Wisdom saving throw against the spell at the start of each of their turns, but there is no spell save when it is cast.

The level 5 cost might scare some players, as Dominate Person won't be available until the Bard reaches level nine, but there are still plenty of humanoid enemies to be controlled in Baldur's Gate 3's later acts. Like many Bard spells, Dominate Person requires concentration, so it needs to be paired with good threat assessment to change the outcome of a fight.

6 Confusion (Level 4)

Enemies Won't Know What To Do

• Spell Level: 4
• Range: 18 meters
• Radius: 6 meters
• Cost: Action + Level 5 Spell Slot
• Requires Concentration: Yes

A single-target spell like Dominate Person is powerful, but spells that affect multiple enemies are even stronger. Confusion has a similar effect, confusing all creatures in the 6-meter cone, causing them to attack randomly, wander around, or even skip their turn.

Confusion is a potent spell because it can affect more than one enemy, and any allies inside the spell's zone won't be affected either, so Bards can freely cast it wherever most enemies are. The spell lasts for three turns, more than enough for it to swing a battle, and at higher levels, it can be upcast to increase the radius of the spell's effect.

5 Hold Monster (Level 5)

Render The Most Powerful Beings Helpless

• Spell Level: 5
• Range: 18 meters
• Cost: Action + Level 5 Spell Slot
• Requires Concentration: Yes

When the Bard reaches level 9, they get access to Hold Monster , one of the most powerful enchantment spells in Baldur's Gate 3. This is an improved version of Hold Person , and works on any creature type except undead. When successfully cast, Hold Monster paralyzes a creature for 10 turns, unless it makes a Wisdom Saving Throw. While held, the creature cannot move or take any actions, attacks against it have advantage, and every attack from within 3 meters is always a critical hit.

Some of the most powerful villains in Baldur's Gate 3 won't be affected by Hold Person, but will be paralyzed by Hold Monster, so it's well worth the higher spell level and always a good idea to keep equipped. Successfully casting Hold Monster on someone like Raphael can make the most difficult fights in the game much easier, and if the Bard casts it with a level 6 spell slot, they can hold an extra creature to make things even easier.

4 Dimension Door (Level 4)

A Versatile Spell To Transport The Team

• Spell Level: 4
• Range: 2 meters
• Cost: Action + Level 4 Spell Slot
• Requires Concentration: No

Spells aren't always powerful because they're useful in combat; Dimension Door is one of the best spells available to a Bard because of its flexibility. This fourth-level conjuration spells lets the Bard teleport themselves and an ally close to them anywhere they can see.

Dimension Door is a less powerful spell in BG3 than in Dungeons and Dragons 5e, as it is restricted to a character's line of sight, but that doesn't make it bad. Dimension Door can take two characters to areas otherwise unreachable by normal characters, which can give the party a big edge in combat or help them escape should a fight prove too difficult. Dimension Door is also useful when exploring the Faerûn map in BG3, as it can get around tricky obstacles or into well-guarded places.

3 Greater Invisibility (Level 4)

They Can't Hit What They Can't See

• Spell Level: 4
• Range: 1.5 meters
• Cost: Action + Level 4 Spell Slot
• Requires Concentration: Yes

Invisibility is already a powerful spell that many classes get access to early in Baldur's Gate 3, but Greater Invisibility makes it even stronger. This fourth-level Illusion spell works the same as its level-two counterpart, turning the target invisible for 10 turns. When invisible, attacks against the target have Disadvantage, and it attacks with Advantage.

Greater Invisibility's power comes from its resilience; an invisible character is more likely to stay invisible after interacting with items, casting spells, or attacking. The first Stealth check DC is 15, then 17 with each one after that increasing by one. A Bard can cast this on a high-stealth party member, and that ally could stay invisible for an entire combat if they're lucky.

2 Mass Cure Wounds (Level 5)

The Best Group Healing Spell

• Spell Level: 5
• Range: 18 meters
• Cost: Action + Level 5 Spell Slot
• Requires Concentration: No

Bards are great additions to a party because they can also add powerful healing spells to their toolkit, including Mass Cure Wounds which can save the Bard and their entire party with one action. Mass Cure Wounds heals the casting player and any allies in the 18-meter radius for 3d8 plus their Spellcasting modifier, which for the Bard will be Charisma.

Bards end up with two fifth-level Spell Slots when they get to level 10, so this spell can be used at least twice. If the Bard does get to level 11, they get a sixth-level Spell Slot which can also be used to cast Mass Cure Wounds, which increases the healing by an extra 1d8 hit points.

1 Otto's Irresistible Dance (Level 6)

Force An Enemy To Feel The Groove

• Spell Level: 6
• Range: 9 meters
• Cost: Action + Level 6 Spell Slot
• Requires Concentration: Yes

Single-target paralysis spells like Hold Monster and Tasha's Hideous Laughter are powerful, but creatures can end the effect of the spell by passing a Wisdom saving throw. The sixth-level spell, Otto's Irresistible Dance is the Bard's most powerful spell because it cannot be ended by a saving throw. The spell will always succeed on a creature, too, so the Bard can guarantee that one enemy will be spending all of its turns dancing instead of taking an action. The dancing creature will also have Disadvantage on attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws, and attacks against it will have Advantage.

Bards can be built in so many ways to balance out a party in Baldur's Gate 3; their wide range of spells makes them proficient at stopping enemies, dealing damage, buffing allies, and direct healing. Many of the Bard's most powerful spells require Concentration, so players must make sure they have a plan when going into battle or be quick-thinking to make the best use of their Bard.