In Baldur's Gate 3, players have a nearly unlimited amount of options for creating their character. Between customized appearances, backgrounds, and classes, each playthrough can be an entirely new experience. One of the best ways to mix up a playthrough is to dip into multiclassing, by adding on levels in other classes besides the one they started in.

For the Bard class, there are several different, effective options to choose if you want to step away from just music and magic. Instead, taking a few dip levels (one to four levels) or splitting (five or six levels) can create powerful synergies that work with your favorite aspects of the Bard class. Here are the eight best classes to multiclass with when playing a Bard.

8 Wizard

Become An Encyclopedia Of Spells

Wizards are an extremely powerful spellcasting class, but at first glance, they seem like they don't synergize well with Bards. Unlike Bards, Wizards rely on their Intelligence ability, which usually is ignored entirely for most Bards. However, the Wizard's ability to learn spells from scrolls makes this class surprisingly useful for any other spellcaster, including Bards.

While the Wizard class is not good to split into for a full multiclass, a small dip of a single level is enough to get the spell transcription ability. You can learn these spells up to the maximum level of your highest casting class, not just the Wizard class. However, Intelligence is needed to cast these spells, which can result in low DCs or Attack Rolls. Adding an INT increasing item, such as the Warped Headband Of Intellect, can help land more hits.

Further levels into Wizard are not recommended. Any further levels will decrease your effectiveness with Bard, and there are better multiclass options for a true spellcaster split.

However, it is recommended to focus more on utility spells, such as Longstrider, Enhance Leap, or Feather Fall. These spells do require spell slots, but you can use the Bard spell slots to cast them. You can also dip further into Wizard in order to pick up a School and its level two ive, such as the Sculpt Spells ive from Evocation Schools, which allows your allies to safely be inside the area of Evocation spells without taking damage.

7 Cleric

More And Healing For The Party

Clerics, like Wizards, require a different casting ability than Bards, needing Wisdom instead of Charisma. However, the spells provided from dipping into the Cleric class can greatly increase survivability for your party, especially for dangerous scenarios or harder difficulties. Some of these options, like Bless, Healing Word, and Sanctuary, can be viable without needing any additional levels in Wisdom.

Like Wizard, it's only recommended to dip one or two levels into a Cleric multiclass. The damage drop off is far too high for it to be a viable split.

Dipping into Cleric also gives you the ability to don heavy armor without taking penalties to spellcasting. The additional subclasses can also help you specialize further into by using the Life class or doubling down on damage with War. Each subclass can provide a different benefit depending on what you're looking for, so be sure to check them out to see which works best for you.

6 Druid

Embracing Fungi For Damage Boosts

The Druid option for multiclassing is where there starts to be some significant benefits and synergy with Bard. Unfortunately, the Moon and Land Druid subclasses do not work well with Bard, but the Spore Druid is particularly powerful. Spore druids focus on spellcasting while having several offensive features. The Wisdom casting ability can mostly be ignored for this multiclass, so no adjustments to ability scores are needed.

The primary feature of this multiclass is the Symbiotic Entity action, which grants four temporary hit points. Though these hit points are not very much in the late game, while they are present, players gain an additional 1d6 Necrotic damage for weapon attacks. When paired with the Sword Bard subclass and a ranged build, players can take multiple shots per round, up to four shots at later levels, and apply necrotic damage each time.

To make this work, you'll need to make sure you have a high AC to reduce the chances of getting hit. Once the temporary hit points are gone, the additional damage stops being applied.

This class works best as a two-level dip in order to get the effects of the Spore Druid subclass. However, higher splits can work if you intend on splitting into more classes. This requires careful planning to ensure the split increases effectiveness, so sticking with a two-level dip is most useful in general.

5 Sorcerer

High Synergy & Spell-Slinging

A Sorcerer and Bard multiclass is powerful and combines well due to the use of Charisma for each class's main casting ability. This one allows you to be the "face" of the party to handle any and all diplomatic situations while also being equipped with powerful spells. When things go south, you'll be able to easily jump into the fray with a Fireballto get things started.

Sorcerers have strong subclasses that allow additional utility, such as the Storm Sorcery subclass which allows you to fly as a Bonus Action without receiving any opportunity attacks. For a Bard needing to other party or reach a safe space, being able to fly away from danger or to a downed companion is extremely valuable.

The other primary benefit is the Sorcerer's Metamagic features, which allow you to add enhancements to your spells. The best two for a Bard multiclass are the Twinned Spell and Heightened Spell options, which allow you to target an additional creature or impose disadvantage on saving throws for spell targets, but other features may have utility depending on how you want to play.

This is the first class worth fully splitting into rather than just dipping a few levels in. You can put as many as five or six levels into Sorcerer and still have a viable Bard multiclass build. However, it's recommended to respec at Withers and start as a Sorcerer, as this will grant an additional Constitution Proficiency. This will allow you to concentrate better on spell effects.

4 Fighter

Finesse For Ranged Assaults

Fighters are one of the most commonly multiclassed choices due to the Action Surge ability, which is a free action that allows you to take another action in the same turn. Action Surge is good for any class, including spell-focused Bards, but is exceptionally useful for Sword Bards. Dipping into Fighter will give you an incredibly powerful opening to fights.

By using the Slashing Flourish (Ranged) enhancement, Bards can attack up to two separate enemies at once. At level six, you'll also gain access to an Extra Attack, doubling this. Then, when combined with the Action Surge, you'll be able to fire a total of eight arrows in a single opening round. Needless to say, this is one powerful combination.

Players only need six levels in Bard and two levels in Fighter to achieve the opening eight arrows. Because of this, there are four more levels that players can use to multiclass into a third option if they wish.

Taking levels in Fighter caps off at about level four as far as viability goes. The different subclasses can achieve different things, but Champion with its reduced number to critical hit tends to be higher damage overall. Thematically, you could also choose Eldritch Knight for some additional spells. Anything beyond four levels of Fighter does not benefit either Bard or Fighter in this multiclass.

3 Paladin

Packing In Power With Smite

Besides synergizing with the Charisma casting of Bard, Paladins add fighting styles, spell lists, heavy armor, and smites. If you're using a Sword Bard and primarily holding spells for utility or healing, using additional spell slots for Divine Smite will drastically increase your damage output.

Alternatively, Paladin's defensive features allow Sword Bards to take on a more melee-focused role, if desired. The Defensive Flourish from College of Swords increases your AC by an additional four points if you are hit. Combined with heavy armor, it can equal a ridiculously high AC.

The subclasses for Paladin are all useful in their own right, and the choice depends on what you want to do. The Oath of Vengeance grants additional Radiant damage equal to your Charisma modifier, which can increase your damage output further and Daze enemies for two turns. Devotion Paladins are similar, but impose 1d4 Radiant damage to those who hit them with a melee attack, which is unlikely due to the high AC. Oath of the Ancients is a option, allowing you to heal yourself and nearby allies for a decent amount of hit points, both on the turn cast and on the following turn.

2 Warlock

Eldritch Power At Your Fingertips

The Warlock and Bard multiclass is by far my favorite, and for one simple reason: Eldritch Blast. If you want to play a more pure spellcasting class, this option is the best for you as it allows you to use Eldritch Blast in place of weapon attacks each turn. Scaling off of Charisma, Warlock spells are equally as strong as Bard spells, allowing you to switch between the two at will.

Bards have a particular feature, the Song of Rest, which grants an additional Short Rest. This is very useful for the Warlock multiclass, as they recover their spell slots with either a Short or Long Rest.

Besides an extensive spell list, Warlocks also bring subclass options that can lean further into spellcasting or dip back into Sword Bard options. The Pact of the Tome grants several great coverage spells, such as Guidance for parties who are missing it. Pact of the Chain is less useful as it only provides the ability to find and use a familiar, though it does allow for an Imp or Quasit familiar.

The Pack of the Blade allows you to synchronize well with the Sword Bard builds, especially due to pact weapons using your Spellcasting Ability Modifier. You'll also gain another extra attack at level five Sorcerer, giving you three attacks per action. Like the Fighter, this can then be doubled using the Slashing Flourish for a total of six attacks.

1 Rogue

High Damage Tricksters

If you want to load up on skills, be the face of the party, and deal massive amounts of damage, there is no better multiclass than a Bard mixed with Rogue. Respeccing into Rogue first allows you to choose upwards of 10 different skills to start with, and six further expertise to add to the Bard's already exceptional skill spread.

Doing a full level split into Rogue allows you to choose a subclass, each of which has utility. Thief allows you to have an additional bonus action each round, which is hard to beat. The Assassin allows you to use stealth to avoid and ambush enemies for increased damage, but isn't the most effective mixed with Bard. Arcane Trickster lets you do, essentially, more Bard things with a thievery flair by using a Mage Hand to disarm traps or pick locks. While not especially powerful, it's still a thematic choice.

The best way to maximize this build is with the Band of the Mystic Scoundrel. This ring grants the ability for the wearer to cast either illusion or enchantment spells as a bonus action after hitting a creature with a weapon attack. A Sword Bard using this item while being a Thief Rogue means not only can you attack and use the bonus action to cast a spell such as Fear or Hold Person, you can do this twice each turn.

In general, a Bard and Rogue multiclass is powerful by doing what each class does best. Combining these two lets you become a primary face for the party, handle almost all skill checks, and still deal high amounts of damage. Each of these classes in Baldur's Gate 3has its merits, but with experimentation, any combination is possible. Try these multiclasses and see what works best for you!

Source: T51bwinterized