Bard

Bards use music to access The Weave, and are essentially a magical class. They play their instruments to inspire their allies and strike fear into the hearts of their foes.
Playing a bard is unique--their options are different than the other classes, and they have a wide array of options in terms of specializations and style. The role-playing hooks are pretty obvious, but they can be a great class for players who want to spend as much time supporting their fellow adventurers as doing things on their own.
Bards rely on Bardic Inspiration for much of their abilities, which allows you to give extra die to other creatures to add to or subtract from various rolls. Additionally, their Song of Rest allows your allies to regain their strength during short rests, something that can often be the difference between life and death during adventures.
In media, Fflewddur Fflan from the Prydain books, Tom Bombadil from The Lord of the Rings, Starlord from Guardians of the Galaxy, and Gabrielle from Xena are all Bards.
The most important ability for Bards is CHA, with--depending on your specific build--either DEX or CON next.

Bard Colleges

Bards specialize through their enrollment in various Colleges, each of which confer a unique set of features. You select your College at 3rd Level, and receive new features from it at 3rd, 6th, and 14th Level.

Arcane Colleges

These colleges focus on magic and the mysteries of The Weave.

College of Alien Symbolism

This College is devoted to the uncanny planes of existence and the terrors therein.

College of Chantings

This College focuses on primal music and instruments.

College of Chaos

This College focuses on the wild and unpredictable nature of The Weave.

College of Gem Chanting

This College uses gems to focus their voice and their arcane powers.

College of Glamour

This College focuses on using illusion to manipulate the world and creatures around you.

College of Exorcism

This College focuses on how to manipulate helpful and harmful spirits.

College of Lore

This College increases your ability to reaserch and learn magic, aiding yourself and your allies.

College of the Maestro

This College trains bards in how to pull music out of the world around them.

College of Mana

This college learns to use others' magic against them.

College of the Shadowfell

This College trains in shadow magic.

College of Silence

This College specializes in silent, arcane performance.

College of the Sky

This College focuses on flight and levitation.

College of Song Seek

This College specializes in the conversion of sound into arcane power.

College of Truth

This College pursues and understanding of the ultimate nature of reality.

Arts Colleges

These colleges remind us that the arts encompass more skills than playing instruments and singing.

College of Artistry

This College specializes in combining bardic skill with other art forms (sculpture, painting, etc.).

--College of Bells:This college harnesses sonic phenomena, answering for whom it tolls ... --

College of Blood Painting

This College (which is barely organized enough to be an institution) creates art with their own blood.

College of Colour

This College specializes in painting as a bardic skill.

College of Dance

This College specializes in speed and movement (2 options).

College of Decadence

This College specializes in recalling the glories of the lost past.

College of Eloquence

This College focuses on using the performed word to bend creatures to their will.

College of Masks

This College (in two varieties) specializes in the performance of roles, and taking on different personas.

College of Miming

This College uses silent action and mimicry.

College of the Troubadour

This College focuses on pure entertainment.

College of Virtuosity

This College focuses on the performing arts from around the world.

Battle Colleges

These colleges focus on the art of war and battle.

College of Cacophony

This College attacks through pure volume.

College of Dance

This College uses dance to improve its effectiveness in combat.

College of Defiance

This College produces bardic leaders of revolutions.

College of Destruction

This College focuses on the destructive power of sound.

College of the Instigator

This College manipulates situations and other creatures to violent ends.

Lunatic Jester

You gain a variety of melee madness.

College of Mirrors

This College focuses on the brightness of metal and armor and the music of battle.

The Traditions of Ofridr

This College is devoted to the Norse God of battle, Ofridr.

College of the Primal Rhythm

This College uses the rhythm of battle to gain advantage.

College of Revelry

This College fuses partying and battle.

College of Swords

These are bardic warriors, plain and simple.

College of Valor

This College focuses on battle, increasing both your melee ability and your skill at inspiring and aiding others.

Warchanters

Focuses on leading battles through song and speech.

Dark Colleges

These colleges, while not necessarily evil, drift into areas other schools avoid.

College of Agony

Noise is pain and pain is useful.

College of Bloodsinging

This College manipulates its own and others blood.

College of the Crossroads

This College creates a bond between a performer and an Abyssal power.

College of Dread

This College specializes in laments and songs of sorrow.

Fochlucan College

This College specializes in exerting their influence in the Royal Courts of the known world.

The Traditions of Helord

This College is devoted to the Norse God of darkness, Hel.

College of Intrigue

This College specializes in secrets and mystery.

College of Manipulation

This College twists and distorts reality, pitting friend against friend to accomplish their ends.

College of Whispers

This College, reviled by most other Bards, are devious tricksters, working for their own and their bretheren's ends.

Holy Colleges

These colleges are devoted to deities and their presence in the material plane.

College of Glory

This College is largely evangelical, devoted to spreading the word of a chosen deity.

Hymn Singer

This College uses religious songs to bolster their battle prowess.

The Traditions of Bragi

This College is devoted to the Norse God, Bragi.

Nature Colleges

These colleges celebrate the power of nature and creation itself.

College of Blooms

This College works with plants and nature itself.

College of Creation

This College use their connection with the Song of Creation to bring things alive around them. Dwarven, Gnome, and especially Dragonborn Bards often follow the College of Creation.

Greenleaf College

This college focuses on the nature-drenched Elven and Half-Elven bardic traditions.

The Traditions of Villr

This College is devoted to the Norse Gods of wilderness.

Colleges of Song

These colleges refine vocal performance to highly specialized arts.

College of the Banshee

This College trains the voice to its extreme limits.

College of Camp Songs

This College specializes in witty ditties to effect change in the world.

College of Dirge Singers

This college focuses on songs evocative of death and the passage between worlds.

College of Echoes

This College manipulats the fabric of sound and echo.

College of Lament

This College sings sad songs ...

College of the Mad God

This College focuses on cacophonous noise and psychic damage.

College of Ominous Whistling

Not singing, strictly speaking, but still ...

College of Still

This College uses subsonic frequencies to manipulate reality.

Minstrels

Your prototypical wandering performer.

Support Colleges

These colleges focus on healing and otherwise supporting allies.

College of Minds Awaker

This College focuses on supporting their allies mental strength.

College of Fortune

This College specializes in manipulating the laws of luck itself.

College of Hope

This College brings hope into the darkest moments.

College of Imagination

This College specializes in storytelling.

--College of Saloon Keepers:This College specializes in skills useful in managing crowds and supporting customers. Howdy!--

College of Silence

This College specializes in telepathy.

College of Valhalla

This College creates heroic deeds through their songs.

College of Woe

This College transforms the bardic song into a powerful weapon of sorrow.

Miscellaneous Colleges

If it doesn't fit anywhere else, here it is.

Bisklanis

Ancient soothsayers and prophecizers.

College of the Ancients

This College specializes in rediscovering the lore and powers of past civilizations.

College of the Apocalypse

This College (which has four distinct flavors) sees the coming endtimes, and is either working to hasten or prevent them.

College of Arcane Philosophy

This College specializes in argument.

College of the Cat

This College serves Bastet (or a similar deity).

College of Chance

Another College aimed at gambling and luck.

College of Comedy

This College (2 options) uses humor to make its point.

College of Eulogy

This College memorializes and communes with the (recently) departed.

College of the Gambler

This College specializes on high risk/high reward moments.

High Speaker

These bards serve as the spokespeople for religious or political powers.

College of the Killing Joke

This College turns laughter into a deadly array of weapons.

College of the Oppressed

This College focuses on community organizing and crowd control.

Pretenders

These Bards rely on deceit and disguise.

College of the Ratpipers

This College bonds with rodents to great effect.

College of Revels

This College leans on Dionysian divine ecstasy. And wine. Lots of wine.

College of the Road

This College learns the tricks of survival on the road: mimicry and minor magic is their forte.

College of Scent

This College masters the use of aromas and aromatic potions.

College of Shadow

This College learns the secrets of shadow manipulation.

College of Tall Tales

This College uses deceit as its primary skill.

College of Two Courts

This College fuses a connection with The Courts of Summer & Winter.

College of Vagabonds

This College wanders the world, with great skills in moving through time and space.

College of Wyrdsingers

This College focuses on fate and destiny, embodied in the notion of the Wyrd.

Loremasters

Masters of knowledge and understanding.

Mountebanks

Masters of verbal manipulation.

Shadowactors

These bards draw power from shadows, including the ability to craft familiars from the stuff.

Available Classes

Artificer

Barbarian

Bard

Cleric

Druid

Fighter

Monk

Paladin

Ranger

Rogue

Sorcerer

Warlock

Wizard

Remember

These are meant as a summary of the class. The official rules should be consulted, either directly or through the DM with any questions or clarifications.
Scroll down for full class details.

Available Races

Dragonborn

Dwarves

Elves

Gnomes

Half-Elves

Half-Orcs

Halflings

Humans

Tiefling

Bard

In the worlds of D&D, words and music are not just vibrations of air, but vocalizations with power all their own. The bard is a master of song, speech, and the magic they contain. Bards say that the multiverse was spoken into existence, that the words of the gods gave it shape, and that echoes of these primordial Words of Creation still resound throughout the cosmos. The music of bards is an attempt to snatch and harness those echoes, subtly woven into their spells and powers.
The greatest strength of bards is their sheer versatility. Many bards prefer to stick to the sidelines in combat, using their magic to inspire their allies and hinder their foes from a distance. But bards are capable of defending themselves in melee if necessary, using their magic to bolster their swords and armor. Their spells lean toward charms and illusions rather than blatantly destructive spells. They have a wide-ranging knowledge of many subjects and a natural aptitude that lets them do almost anything well. Bards become masters of the talents they set their minds to perfecting, from musical performance to esoteric knowledge.

hit dice: 1d8

hit points at 1st level: 8 + CON modifier

hit points at higher levels: 1d8 (or 5) + CON modifier

armor proficiencies: Light Armor

weapon proficiencies: Simple Weapons; Hand Crossbows; Longswords; Rapiers; Shortswords

tools: 3 Musical instruments of your choice.

saving throws: DEX; CHA

skills: Any 3.

starting equipment:
A rapier or a longsword or any single weapon; a diplomat's pack or an entertainer's pack; a lute or any other musical instrument; leather armor and a dagger.

spellcasting:
CHA is your spellcasting ability.
Spell Save DC = 8 + Proficiency Bonus + CHA modifier
Spell Attack Modifier = Proficiency Bonus + CHA modifier

Cantrips

At 1st Level, you know 2 cantrips from the Bard spell list. You learn additional cantrips at higher levels, as shown in the CANTRIPS column of the Bard Table below.

Spells Known

The Bard Table below details when you learn new spells. When you gain a level, you may replace 1 of your currently known spells with another.

Ritual Casting

You can cast a spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you know the spell.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a musical instrument as a spellcasting focus.

class features:

Bardic Inspiration

You can inspire another creature within 60ft. The insipred creature gains 1 Bardic Inspiration Die (a d6 at Level 1) for 10 minutes. During that time, they may add a roll of that die to any d20 roll they make. You can use Bardic Inspiration a number of times = your CHA modifier, and regain with a long rest. Your Bardic inspiration Die increases at 5th Level (d8), 10th Level (d10), and 15th Level (d12). There is some important nuance to Bardic Inspiration, and it is a core skill for Bards; see PHB 53-55 for full details.

Jack of All Trades

At 2nd Level, you can hadd half your proficiency bonus to any ability check that doesn't already include it.

Song of Rest

At 2nd Level, you can heal allies during a short rest. The amount of healing increases at 9th, 13th, and 17th Level.

Magical Inspiration

At 2nd Level, A creature with a Bardic Inspiration die from you may roll it to add the result to damage dealt or HP regained of an attack or a spell. The die is then lost.

Bard College

At 3rd Level, you select your Bard College. You receive features from your college at 3rd, 6th, and 14th Level.

Expertise

At 3rd Level, choose 2 of your skills. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check using these skills.

Ability Score Improvement

At 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th Level, you can increase 1 ability score +2 or 2 ability scores +1 (20 max). Additionally, you have Bardic Versatility, allowing you, at each of these levels, to replace one skill with which you have expertise with another or replace one cantrip you know with another.

Font of Inspiration

At 5th Level, you regain all uses of Bardic Inspiration with a short or long rest.

Countercharm

At 6th Level, You may use an action to start a performance that lasts until the end of your next turn. All friendly creatures within 30ft have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed by an effect in earshot. The effect ends if you are silenced or when you voluntarily end it.

Expertise

At 10th Level, you gain Expertise with 2 more skills.

Magical Secrets

At 10th Level, you can learn 2 spells from any class. These spells count as Bard Spells for you. You can learn 2 more Magical Secrets at 14th and 18th Level. See PHB 54.

Superior Inspiration

At 20th Level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of Bardic Inspiration left, you regain 1 use.

subclass options:
Bard Colleges offer further specialization of your skills. The College of Lore enhances your magical skills while the College of Valor increases your value in battle. The College of Creation focuses on magical manifestatioins and the College of Eloquency on influencing others through commanding speech.

LEVEL	PROFICIENCY	FEATURE	CANTRIPS	SPELLS	SPELL SLOTS GAINED
1	+2	Spellcasting Bardic Inspiration (d6)	2	4	2 1st Level
2	+2	Jack of All Trades Song of Rest (d6) Magical Inspiration	2	5	1 1st Level
3	+2	Bard College Expertise	2	6	1 1st Level 2 2nd Level
4	+2	Ability Score Improvement with Bardic Versatility	3	7	1 2nd Level
5	+3	Bardic Inspiration (d8) Font of Inspiration	3	8	2 3rd Level
6	+3	Countercharm Bard College Features	3	9	1 3rd Level
7	+3		3	10	1 4th level
8	+3	Ability Score Improvement with Bardic Versatility	3	11	1 4th Level
9	+4	Song of Rest (d8)	3	12	1 4th Level 1 5th Level
10	+4	Bardic Inspiration (d10) Expertise Magical Secrets	4	14	1 5th Level
11	+4		4	15	1 6th Level
12	+4	Ability Score Improvement with Bardic Versatility	4	15
13	+5	Song of Rest (d10)	4	16	1 7th Level
14	+5	Magical Secrets Bard College Features	4	18
15	+5	Bardic Inspiration (d12)	4	19	1 8th Level
16	+5	Ability Score Improvement with Bardic Versatility	4	19
17	+6	Song of Rest (d12)	4	20	1 9th Level
18	+6	Magical Secrets	4	22	1 5th Level
19	+6	Ability Score Improvement with Bardic Versatility	4	22	1 6th Level
20	+6	Superior Inspiration	4	22	1 7th Level