Baldur's Gate 3: 10 Best Armour Pieces For Bards

In Baldur's Gate 3, Bards are one of the most reliable classes to include in an adventuring party. Bards are exceptional at dialogue checks and crowd control, making the class a perfect fit for being a party leader. Bards are an excellent class to utilize in multiclassing, as they share stats with several other powerful classes, such as Paladins, Sorcerers, and Warlocks.

The most important stat for a Bard in combat is their Spell Save DC. By increasing this number as much as possible, the player can guarantee that enemies will fail Saving Throws against spells. Various gear pieces throughout Baldur's Gate 3 can contribute to the player's Spell Save DC, the most valuable piece coming from as early as Act 2.

10 Cloak of the Weave

Offensive and Defensive Buffs

The Cloak of The Weave can be bought or stolen in Act 3 from the vendor Helsik, the owner of the Devil's Fee in the Lower City. This cloak provides a +1 to Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls. It also comes with the Absorb Elements Reaction, which halves the damage from an elemental attack and applies 1d6 of said element on your next weapon attack.

It's important for Bard players to be on the lookout for gear that increases their Spell Save DC, as most of the strongest Bard spells require enemies to fail Saving Throws while the Bard maintains concentration. While there are notable exceptions, such as Cloud of Daggers and Glyph of Warding, spells like Hold Person, Confusion, and Otto's Irresistible Dance can drastically change the pace of a fight. Also, Bards don't typically have a contested Reaction slot, so adding Absorb Elements once per Short Rest can help with a Bard's survivability.

9 Amulet of the Devout

Increase Base Spell Save DC

As seen in Its Shatter's video, the Amulet of the Devout can be stolen from the Stormshore Tabernacle in Act 3 by sneaking into the basement and looting the chests. Beware of BG3's Devas that will attack the party upon stealing the amulet, as the items in these chests have been offered in reverence to the Gods. This amulet provides the wearer with a +2 to Spell Save DC as well as the Godswill Passive Feature, which grants an additional Channel Divinity Charge once per Long Rest.

Players might be wondering why this amulet is chosen over options like the Amulet of Greater Health. While the Godswill feature is useless to a Bard and is intended for Clerics, the +2 to Spell Save DC is incredibly strong and can push the base Spell Save DC of the Bard past 20, which is exceptionally strong when paired with the other items on this list. Most Clerics utilize spells that require them to concentrate on themselves rather than an enemy, making Spell Save DC less important for a Cleric than a Bard.

8 Risky Ring

Advantage on all Attack Rolls

The Risky Ring has a name well suited for its ability, as it can be quite a risk to use this item. This ring can be bought or stolen from the vendor Araj Oblodra in Moonrise Towers during Act 2. Wearing this ring grants the wearer Advantage on all of their Attack Rolls, but Disadvantage on all their Saving Throws.

While the Risky Ring is a great pick for all classes that utilize weapon attacks, it is perfect for an Arcane Acuity Bard as Advantage on all Attack Rolls means it is much easier to reach high stacks. Also, this ring makes Critical Hits more common for the Bard, which can pair well with 2 levels of Paladin for massive amounts of burst damage with Divine Smite. Whether your Bard is built for ranged or melee combat, this ring will shine regardless.

7 Band of the Mystic Scoundrel

Illusion and Enchantment Spell Overhaul

The Band of the Mystic Scoundrel is one of my favorite items in Baldur's Gate 3. This ring is found in Act 3 after winning the jackpot from Akabi the Djinni at the Circus of the Last Days in Rivington. Akabi will send the player to a jungle filled with raptors, which the player must carefully navigate through to find the ring in a dead adventurer's backpack.

The Band of the Mystic Scoundrel grants the wearer the ability to cast Illusion and Enchantment spells as bonus actions after hitting a creature with a weapon attack, showcased in Wycked Queen Bee's video above. This allows the Bard to control the battlefield much more efficiently, as the player can make their weapon attacks to stack up Arcane Acuity and then use spells such as Hold Person as a bonus action to set up the rest of the party's damage. This ring is the most important piece of jewelry for Bards, as they use the most Illusion and Enchantment spells.

6 Elegant Studded Leather

Boost to Initiative

The Elegant Studded Leather can be acquired or stolen in Act 3 from The Counting House's High Security Vault in the Lower City. A key can be obtained for the vault by completing the quest: Return Rakath's Gold. This gear is an excellent defensive option for Bards that have not multiclassed to gain proficiency with heavier armour.

This Elegant Studded Leather grants the wearer a +2 bonus to Initiative Rolls and Advantage on Stealth Checks. It also comes with a free use of the Shield reaction once per Short Rest, allowing the Bard to increase their Armour Class by 5. Not to mention, this piece of gear is incredibly fashionable!

5 Birthright

Free Charisma ASI

The Birthright hat can be bought or stolen in Act 3 from Sorcerous Sundries in BG3. It grants the wearer a +2 to Charisma, essentially acting as a free Ability Score Increase. This hat can be used to increase Charisma to 22, which would normally be impossible when relying on level-ups alone.

While this hat may be better for classes like the Sorcerer or Warlock, if the party does not use either of these classes, then the Bard should feel free to make use of this hat. Having a high Charisma score will boost the strength of all spells the Bard casts. Also, it will help tremendously in all dialogue checks that involve Persuasion, Deception, and Performance.

4 Disintegrating Night Walkers

Free Misty Step Per Short Rest

The Disintegrating Night Walkers can be acquired as early as Act 1 by looting or pickpocketing them from True Soul Nere at the Grymforge. These boots are arguably the best early-game item and can be used effectively throughout the entire game. They grant the wearer a free use of Misty Step once per Short Rest and immunity to being Enwebbed, Entangled, Ensnared, and slipping on Grease or Ice.

These boots are especially effective for classes that don't have access to the Misty Step spell, such as Bards. One Misty Step per Short Rest is all players will realistically need. The immunity to slipping and being restrained can also open up synergies with the rest of the party, such as utilizing spells like Sleet Storm or Plant Growth.

3 Gloves of Dexterity

Sets Dexterity to 18

The Gloves of Dexterity can be bought or stolen in Act 1 from A'jak'nir Jeera in Crèche Y'llek. These gloves are one of the best early-game items. They set the wearer's Dexterity score to 18 as well as provide a +1 bonus to all Attack Rolls, which include Spell Attack rolls.

In order to utilize the Gloves of Dexterity effectively, I recommend dumping the Bard's Dexterity to 8 or 10 so that these extra points can be used in either Strength, Charisma, or Constitution. This will allow the Bard to deal way more damage than they otherwise would be able to, especially if they gain proficiency in martial weapons through multiclassing. Also, these gloves will raise the wearer's initiative, as Dexterity is directly tied to Initiative Rolls.

2 Bhaalist Armour

Double Your DPS

The Bhaalist Armour can be purchased in Act 3 from the Echo of Abazigal in the Murder Tribunal after the player accepts Bhaal and becomes an Unholy Assassin. This armour grants the wearer the Aura of Murder passive, which makes enemies within 2 meters vulnerable to Piercing damage, unless they are Resistant or Immune to it. It also provides a +2 to the wearer's Initiative Rolls as seen in hexod's video above.

Given the effect of the Aura of Murder, the Bhaalist Armour truly excels when using melee weapons that deal Piercing damage. The best examples of these are the trident Nyrulna and Shar's Spear of Evening. This can allow the Bard to double their overall DPS, as vulnerability causes the target to take double damage. Combine this with the Illithid power Cull the Weak for incredibly easy kills.

1 Helm of Arcane Acuity

Bard's Most Important Item

The Helm of Arcane Acuity is arguably the most important item for Bards, as Arcane Acuity is one of the strongest status effects in Baldur's Gate 3. This helm can be acquired in Act 2 from a chest in the Mason's Guild basement, a secret area that can be accessed by lockpicking or the Tower-Shaped Key. The helmet provides a +1 to Dexterity Saving Throws as well as the passive Battle Acuity, which adds two stacks of Arcane Acuity whenever the wearer inflicts damage with a weapon attack.

Arcane Acuity only generates stacks on successful weapon hits, so utilizing the College of Swords Bard's Ranged Slashing Flourish to generate 4 stacks per volley is an efficient way to reach 10+ stacks. With a Spell Save DC in the high 20s, most enemies will find resisting the Bard's spells impossible. This allows the Bard to have complete control of the battlefield and dominate the competition in Baldur's Gate 3.

Video Credit: Its Shatter/YouTube, Wycked Queen Bee/YouTube, hexod/YouTube

Platform(s) PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X

Released August 3, 2023

Developer(s) Larian Studios

Publisher(s) Larian Studios

Multiplayer Local Multiplayer

ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence