Traveling throughout the Planes of existence is an excellent opportunity to uncover unique stories to be both studied and shared, which is why Dungeons & Dragons‘ College of Lore Bards make excellent party members. Despite their obsession with stories and truth, these Bards have unique talents that give them an edge when it comes to relating to other people, no matter their station.
When building a Bard from the College of Lore, it’s important to choose certain aspects carefully to achieve the most powerful character. Racial traits, background features, and the allotment of stats can make a huge impact on how a Bard fits into the party, especially as the adventure goes on. Since Lore Bards rely heavily on their knowledge of history to make their way through the present, mixing things up can get a bit tricky, but if done right, they can become a remarkable asset to the rest of the team.
Charisma, Intelligence & Dexterity Are Essential Stats
The College of Lore relies as heavily on their ability to summon stories from the past as they go, gathering new stories to tell along their way. Because they work hard to mesmerize their audience with these tales, Charisma is their most important asset. Getting CHA to 20 as quickly as possible will make it easier for them to use important skills like Persuasion, Intimidation, Deception, and Performance, helping them to win others over. More importantly, CHA contributes to a Bard’s spellcasting abilities, determining their spell save DC, spell attack, and damage modifiers.
Additionally, Lord Bards are seekers of truth and knowledge, which means they rely almost as much on their Intelligence to uncover lost secrets to share with the world. INT provides this Bard with strong History, Religion, Nature, Investigation, and Arcana modifiers, making it easier for them to unearth those hidden truths.
Finally, because this Bard is a performer and a magic user, they need to be nimble, Dexterity comes into play. DEX enhances physical agility, improving their Acrobatics skill, along with Stealth and Sleight of Hand, all of which come in handy when moving through old tombs and dungeons in search of the truth. DEX also provides the modifier for Armor Class and Initiative, both of which contribute to how they approach combat situations.
Best Races for the College of Lore Bard
Any race that offers a significant boost to CHA is going to be an excellent choice for a Bard. Half-elves get +2 CHA, and can add +1 to two additional stats, which is perfect for a Lore Bard. Satyrs are also a great option because they have +2 CHA and +1 DEX, proficiency with an additional musical instrument, and Magical Resistance, which grants advantage on saving throws against magical effects and spells.
Tiefling and Yuan-Ti Purebloods both provide +2 CHA and +1 INT, and each come with some unique abilities that really come in handy for adventures. Tieflings, for example, have darkvision and resistance to fire damage, on account of their Hellish heritage. Their Infernal Legacy also gives them access to spells like Thaumaturgy, Hellish Rebuke, and Darkness. Similarly, Yuan-Ti Purebloods have darkvision, are immune to poison damage, and resist to magical effects and spells. They have access to spells like Poison Spray and Suggestion, and they can cast Animal Friendship an unlimited number of times, though only on snakes.
Best Feats for the College of Lore Bard
Choosing feats that provide a core stat boost alongside interesting abilities is essential, especially since this Bard relies on both CHA and INT to get the job done. Useful feats like Fey Touched or Shadow Touched allow the Bard to boost their CHA or INT by +1, while also providing access to useful spells. Linguist is especially useful for a Lore Bard because it not only allows them opportunity to learn three additional languages, but they can also create written ciphers to protect their findings.
Actor is never a bad feat for a Bard, as it increases CHA by +1 and grants proficiency with Deception and Performance checks. It also allows them to mimic the speech of another person they’ve heard speak for at least one minute, which comes in handy as a storyteller or a deceiver trying to gain access to a place they don’t belong, like a forbidden archive of tomes.
Best College of Lore Bard Spells
Cantrips like Friends and Message are useful for communicating, especially if a stranger standing between the party and important lore is coming across a little standoffish. Charm Person, Fast Friends, and Charm Monster come in handy for the exact same reason, while spells like Detect Magic and Comprehend Languages can make the important information they seek easier (and less deadly) to obtain and understand. Spells like Skywrite or Magic Mouth are excellent ways to get a message across, especially if the party has to move on, but they still want to warn others or let them know where they’ve gone.
Speak With Dead can offer them insight into the past that they might not otherwise be able to obtain, enhancing their continual plight to unlock the secrets and stories of the past. Legend Lore grants information from an object, place or person of legendary importance, while Scrying allows them to spy on the activities of another creature. Advancing in levels, they gain access to powerful magic like the Power Word spells that can heal, kill, or stun enemies and protect the rest of the party.