Ignore power/mechanics – this is the best class to play in Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 players might be tempted to choose OP builds, but one class stands out for how fun it makes the game.

Historically, the Bard class has been a source of vicious mockery among the D&D fanbase. This is due to versions of the Bard in older editions, which were jack-of-all-trade classes with a silly musical gimmick, leading to them being frowned upon by the power gamers of the day.

D&D 5e has turned the Bard into a powerhouse with full spellcasting powers, amazing support abilities, decent combat prowess, and useful out-of-combat skills. They might actually be the best class in the game, though they may be a little too complicated for beginners.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has done the Bard proud, as it’s just as useful as other classes. There are more reasons to take the Bard than just gameplay mechanics, as they have unique choices that perfectly fit their goofy premise.

(It also helps that none of the main party members are Bards, giving your Tav a unique role to fill.)

Fans on the Baldur’s Gate 3 Reddit are praising the Bard class, due to its class-exclusive solutions for problems. These involve charming or convincing enemies of unlikely outcomes, such as singing to the Necromancy of Thay book. You also get chances to sing along with characters with musical NPCs you meet in the overworld, such as Alfira or the Myconids.

The Bard is also the master of insults. This extends to the dialogue scenes, where you have all kinds of deep cuts and silly jokes to throw at the enemy. Bards are also the masters of the Vicious Mockery Cantrip, which hurts enemies with insults and has tons of unique lines of dialogue when cast.

The Bard might not be as viscerally satisfying to play as compared to the Paladin or the Sorcerer, but it’s not all about DPS or AoE effects. The Bard is just an incredibly fun class to play, not even counting its utility and wide range of spells. If you’ve finished Baldur’s Gate 3 once, then the Bard (especially a Dark Urge Bard) can be a great follow-up run.