Baldur’s Gate 3has 12 new subclasses followingits last-ever content update, and one of those is the College of Glamour bard. InBaldur’s Gate 3, as intheDungeons & Dragonsrules that inspired it, your subclass is a way to customize what your characters do and do well. They start with a base class at level 1, thenmost classes (including the bard) pick a subclassto specialize their abilities further. Bards in particular get new subclass features at levels 3, 6, and 10, each of which powers up their builds along a particular path of progression.
BG3bards are known for many things: their talent for distracting enemies with Performance proficiency, their ability to skip several Act Two boss fights with Persuasion checks, and theirflexibility when it comes to multiclassing. Perhaps more importantly, though,bards are known for their magnetic personalities and flirtatious ways. There’s something to be said for taking the College of Swords route and turning your bard into a combat powerhouse. But if you’d rather they focus on more worldly, baser pursuits, then College of Glamour is the subclass for you. Here’s how to build a Glamour bard from the ground up.
College Of Glamour Bard Subclass In BG3 Explained
All College Of Glamour Features
Bard subclasses tend to be a little less involved than, say,fighter subclasses, which get new featuresevery couple of levels or so. Instead, the College of Glamour only gets new features at levels 3, 6, and 10 - and that’s one of the more complicated bard subclasses. The table below lists every College of Glamour feature and the level you get it at, along with a brief description of how each one works.
3
6
10
Mantle of Inspiration: Maximum targets increase to four, temporary HP increases to 11.
You receive three Bardic Inspiration charges at level 1, four at level 5, and five at level 8. Bardic Inspiration recharges fully whenever you take a Long or Short Rest.
As you can see, and not unlike other bard subclasses, most of these features revolve around one specific strategy: charming your enemies. The Charmed status effect prevents its target from attacking the creature who charmed them, and also gives the caster Advantage on Charisma checks against them. However,College of Glamour is all about charming your enemies in battleto prevent them from attacking you or your allies.
My go-to strategy as a College of Glamour bard is towork in close conjunction with a tank, ideally a paladin or barbarian. Cast Mantle of Inspiration on whichever of your teammates is surrounded by enemies; you’ll not only help them stay alive with the temporary HP you give them, but also prevent any enemy from attacking them more than once in sequence. Once an adjacent enemy hits them with a melee attack and becomes charmed, you’re able to hit them with Mantle of Majesty to make them prone, granting your tank Advantage on any melee attack rolls against them.
That makesCollege of Glamour primarily a support class. you may, however, buff them with certain spells, feats, and gear so they can hold their own in combat while supporting their allies even more effectively.
Best Build For College Of Glamour Bards Ranger In Baldur’s Gate 3
Best Stats & Feats For A College Of Glamour Bard
What’s nice about this subclass is that,unlike more complicated subclassesthat require a more even stat spread,the College of Glamour bard relies entirely on one attribute: Charisma. Charisma is the bard’s spellcasting modifier, and will also help them succeed in dialogue checks to avoid combat, get more information, or make more money.
Pump as many points into Charisma as you can in the early game, butdon’t forget to save a few for Constitutionso you’re not lacking in the HP department. Bards are primarily spellcasters,especiallyCollege of Glamour bards, but they do need to use physical weapons from time to time, so put a couple of points in Strength or Dexterity, too.
When you hit level 4, 8, and 12 inBaldur’s Gate 3,you’ll also be permitted to choose a feat. Feats can have a variety of different effects on your character, some of them as simple as increasing one of their Ability Scores, and others more complicated, allowing them to use entirely new abilities or classes of gear. I recommend perusing ourbest feats for bardsguide, but the following recommendations are specifically curated to boost College of Glamour.
Again, we’re building the College of Glamour bard as a spellcaster, so the majority of these feats are geared towardsmaking your spells as powerful and versatile as they can be. A select few are designed to help you stay alive in combat, which is something bards are notoriously bad at.
Best Spells For A College Of Glamour Bard
The following spells are all worthy of a College of Glamour bard.They’re all geared towards boosting your efficacy as a support, helping you buff your allies and stymie your enemies, but I’ve included a few basic attack spells, too.
If you take the Magic Initiate feat, or once you hit level 10 and unlock Magical Secrets, I recommendtaking the following spells from other classes' spellbooks, too:
As for gear, I strongly recommend checking out our guide to thebest gear forBG3bards. For some specific selections, though, try theWondrous Gloves, whichgive you an extra Bardic Inspiration charge, perhaps in conjunction with the Boots of Brilliance, which let you restore your Bardic charges.
TheBlazer Of Benevolencewill grant you temporary HP whenever you spend your Bardic, whilethe Ring of Mental Inhibition will give enemies mental fatigue when they fail your Mantle of Majesty saving throws. Finally, pick up thePotent Robeto give any damage cantrips some extra oomph based on your (hopefully massive) Charisma score.
Should You Play As A College Of Glamour Bard?
Honestly,it’s tough to recommend College of Glamourover the other bard subclasses. It lacks the combat prowess of College of Swords, and the magical flexibility of College of Lore. However, it works very well for very limited kinds of playthroughs.
If you want a very roleplay-heavy, combat-light run, College of Glamour is perfect for you. Just keep an eye on party composition, andalwaysbring a tank: Karlach, Lae’zel, or Minthara work well, but you’re able to also form a great synergy with a friend’s fighter, barbarian, or paladin character (try the newOath of the Crown subclass) in co-op.
So, while College of Glamour isn’t the easiest subclass to pick up and play, choosing the right progression options can help build a powerfully bawdy bard. That can be a boon to anyBaldur’s Gate 3party - if not in strength, at least in personality.
