D&D: Every Bard College, Ranked

The 2024 for brings many new changes to character classes, the most significant being the revisions made to character subclasses. The bard class in particular, which only had two available subclasses back in 2014, now grants players even more creative freedom by addingtwo brand-new subclasses to choose from. While the Colleges of Valor and Lore make their return, albeit with some revisions, the Colleges of Glamor and Dance promise to bring many exciting new features to the table that are sure to excite both veteran and new players.

As a master of magic, music, and various weaponry, bards are an incredibly versatile class capable of both martial combat and spellcasting. Every subclass provides a bard with different useful features, allowing for them to assist their allies, distract enemies, and ultimately put on a fantastic spectacle. All four of these subclasses bring exciting new potential to gameplay, but only one allows players to truly utilize their showmanship in a way that both amazes audiences and provides significant support to allies.

As one of the original two subclasses that was introduced back in 2014, the College of Valor grants bards immense flexibility when it comes to both weapons and spells. The recent 2024 revisions allow for more flexibility in combat, as players are now able to cast a cantrip during one of their extra attacks. They will also now be a lot closer to martial classes, being able to utilize their weapon as part of their spellcasting focus, channeling their magic through the weapons themselves.

However, this flexibility does come at a slight cost, as the College of Valor will transform a bard into a jack of all trades but a master of none. These particular bards become far less of a flashy performer, and, instead, are much closer to typical fighters in terms of their abilities. This bard college certainly has its usefulness when it comes to battle tactics, but there are others that provide even more support for both the bard