7. Actor
Your Charisma increases by 1, to a maximum of 20, and your Proficiency Bonus is doubled for Deception and Performance Checks.
Lutes are just one of the great instruments Bards can play.
Bards are creative beings, inclined towards the arts, magic, and musical pursuits. The Actor Feat enhances their existing abilities, making it a natural choice for any Bard.
The Actor Feat has useful applications in and outside of combat. Since Bards rely on their Charisma for Spellcasting, increasing that will make it easier for their spells to hit, rather than miss, their intended targets. Charisma, as well as the Deception and Performance Proficiencies, can also play a big role in dialogue. Getting those bonuses can give you the boost you need to pass those Skill Checks when you encounter them.
Why Actor Is Great For Bards
- Higher Charisma means a higher likelihood that your spells will be successful.
- More Charisma and higher Proficiency in Deception will help with dialogue skill checks.
- A higher Performance Proficiency can give you a better chance at making some extra gold.
6. Resilient
You increase an Ability by 1, to a maximum of 20. Gain Proficiency in that ability's Saving Throws.
Who knows what that magical violin is going to unleash.
Like the Actor Feat, Resilient allows you to improve your Bard’s Ability scores. The great thing about Resilient is that it lets you pick where that extra point goes, which is perfect if you have a specific build in mind.
The Resilient Feat gives you the chance to customize your Bard a bit more. If you want to focus more on stealth, Dexterity would be a good place to put that point. If you want to deal more melee damage, upping your Strength would be ideal. If you just want to focus on taking advantage of your Bard’s existing skills, increasing your Constitution would be a great choice, as Constitution Saving Throws determine your ability to keep Concentration Spells, like Invisibility or Polymorph, up.
Why Resilient Is Great For Bards
- It helps you specialize your Bard to suit your playstyle or build.
- It can make your Bard more versatile.
- It lets you enhance your Bard’s natural skills.
5. Defensive Duelist
When attacked while wielding a Finesse Weapon you're Proficient with, you can use a reaction to add your Proficiency Bonus to your Armor Class, possibly causing the attack to miss.
Watch out for Volo and his ice pick.
Bards’ versatile nature enables them to engage in melee combat, and the Defensive Duelist Feat is a great choice for players that want to lean into that aspect.
Bards usually have a modest Armor Class and amount of Hit Points, so while they can’t go down as easily as Wizards, they aren’t as tough as Barbarians. This makes Defensive Duelist a good Feat to have, as it can give them a little bit more protection in battle. Being able to boost your Armor Class through a reaction is great too because you don’t have to worry about wasting your Action or Bonus Action.
Why Defensive Duelist Is Great For Bards
- It can help protect your Bard from incoming attacks and keep them in the fight for longer.
- It encourages you to equip Finesse Weapons, which are ideal for Bards to use in melee.
- It makes it easier for Bards to get involved in fights instead of just staying in a support role.
4. Ritual Caster
You learn two Ritual Spells.
Alfira's song is a treat to hear.
Ritual Spells are interesting and useful spells that are especially great outside of combat, making this a great Feat for Bards that want to play around with magic and roleplaying even more.
The Ritual Caster Feat lets you choose between Enhance Leap, Disguise Self, Find Familiar, Longstrider, Speak with Animals, and Speak with Dead. These spells primarily enable you to interact with the world in new ways, so it’s a perfect choice for those most interested in exploration and narrative. What’s especially great about Ritual Spells is that, outside of combat, they don’t use up a spell slot. , Why Ritual Caster Is Great For Bards
- It gives you more creativity when navigating or exploring the world.
- It can give you access to unique dialogue and roleplaying experiences.
- It expands your spell list, and you don’t necessarily have to give up a spell slot to use them.
3. Skilled
You gain Proficiency in 3 skills of your choice.
Bards can do some impressive things with their instruments.
Bards are already a really versatile class, and choosing this Feat just improves on that, giving you even more of an advantage in and outside of combat.
Choosing this Feat is perfect for those looking to expand their Bard’s capabilities and/or specialize their Bard to best fit their playstyle. Gaining Proficiency in skills such as Medicine, Arcana, or Survival can make it so that your Bard is better equipped to explore the world around them or successfully navigate different conversations. On the other hand, Proficiency in Acrobatics, Athletics, and Stealth can be great for combat scenarios, but no matter what Skill you choose, the Feat is sure to make your Bard better than they were before.
Why Skilled Is Great For Bards
- It helps you create a specific build for your Bard.
- It gives you a better chance at succeeding in different Skill Checks.
- It lets you be even more creative with your character in a variety of situations.
2. War Caster
You gain Advantage on Saving Throws to maintain Concentration on a Spell. You can also use a Reaction to cast Shocking Grasp (assuming you have access to the Spell already) at a target moving out of melee range.
Beware the hag and the Bard's glowing eyes.
Whether you’re trying to deal damage, distract enemies, incapacitate them, or buff your allies, you’re going to want to get the most out of those spells. That’s where the War Caster Feat comes in, as it helps you to keep that Concentration going as long as possible.
Many Bard spells and cantrips, such as Cloud of Daggers, Confusion, or Hold Person, rely on your ability to maintain Concentration on it, making War Caster an ideal Feat to have. Being able to keep your Concentration up, and for longer, will allow your Bard to do more damage and better protect themselves and their allies in combat. This feat will also help you in dialogue, through spells like Friends, or even help you avoid combat altogether, like if you were to use Seeming or Minor Illusion to distract and sneak away from enemies.
Getting to use Shocking Grasp as a reaction is a nice bonus too, but you’ll want to be sure you swap another Spell out for it if you don’t already have it at your disposal.
Why War Caster Is Great For Bards
- It helps you keep spells, especially buffs, up for longer.
- It lets you feel confident when using Concentration spells and encourages you to use them more often.
- It gives you the chance to use Shocking Grasp to deal a little bit more damage and stop enemies’ Reactions in battle.
1. Magic Initiate
You learn 2 cantrips and a Level 1 spell from a different spellcaster’s spell list. You can cast the Level 1 spell once per Long Rest and must use the chosen spell list’s Spellcasting Ability.
Sometimes you need a little music to boost morale.
Bards are an incredibly versatile class, and the Magic Initiate Feat can be a great option if you want to strengthen their combat adaptability even further.
Magic Initiate allows you to choose cantrips and spells that are usually only available to Wizards, Clerics, Sorcerers, Druids, and Warlocks, and you could even choose from the Bard Spell List if you wanted to. If you choose this Feat, keep in mind that different classes use different Spellcasting Abilities. Since Bards have naturally high Charisma, it would be ideal to pick from either the Sorcerer or Warlock spell list, as these both rely on Charisma as their Spellcasting Ability. Above all, make sure to choose from the spell list that best suits your playstyle and goals for your Bard.
Why Magic Initiate Is Great For Bards
- It lets you expand your spell list to give your Bard more versatility.
- It can help your Bard do more damage on the battlefield.
- Alternatively, it can give them access to more buffs and support spells to use in combat.
