MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus is super excited as a hardcore D&D fan about Baldur’s Gate 3. Only in one thing he completely disagrees with the developers: the best class is definitely not the monk!
A few weeks before the release, Larian Studios dropped huge info chunks about Baldur’s Gate 3 in a new stream and presented a legendary sex scene that has since sparked controversies.
Editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski was live on-site at that time and since then I’ve been talking with her more often about butts and genitals than we could ever credibly explain to the HR department. Thanks for that, Larian.
However, there was a completely different scene in the stream that shocked me:
The lead writer, Adam Smith, claims that monks are the best class in Baldur’s Gate 3. And in fact, I know from my over 10 years of experience in D&D that monks are really crazy:
- they can run up walls
- when you shoot arrows at them, they just throw them back
- monks are immune to … everything, or so
- they have about 17 attacks per round
- (Details correspond to memory and may differ from reality)
Still, I was extremely outraged by the statement. Everyone knows that the best class cannot possibly be the monk, but one that appears in even fewer games: the bard!
We bards even got our own trailer!
Bards are real all-rounders – They even have a talent for it
To make it clear: Bards are not boring minstrels who stand in the back and sing songs while everyone else fights. They are tough, can pack a punch, master powerful spells, and look better than anyone else.
What makes bards so special are their mechanics. The bard’s role in the party is primarily to support their fellow players. The famous “Bardic Inspiration” provides group members with bonuses, and bards help with better regeneration during a rest.
However, this is an outdated image of bards. The name is somewhat misleading, because with all the supplementary books that Dungeons & Dragons now has, the class encompasses even more archetypes, such as:
- combat skalds
- manipulative schemers
- scholarly historians
- esoteric researchers
- agile dancers
Their high charisma score and the enormous bonuses that bards receive on corresponding rolls also make them ideal leaders. Additionally, bards have “jack of all trades” built in as a talent.
With this, they can apply part of their bonus values to all talents they have. If you need someone in your group who not only haggles the tavern room price down, but also identifies magical artifacts and picks locks, bring a bard.
The colleagues at GameStar point out strong skills in BD3 that can easily be missed.
Casting spells? Check. Fighting? Check. Seduction? Check.
Even in combat, bards are especially powerful at later levels. Instead of reinforcing fellow players, they can focus more on becoming better themselves. The schools or “colleges” can be chosen. In Baldur’s Gate 3, there are 3 of them:
- School of Knowledge: You learn spells from other classes and can access spells that bards do not actually master. This makes you a strong healer or even an offensive spellcaster.
- School of Valor: You use your expertise in history to encourage allies and grant them stronger bonuses in combat. Only clerics can buff better.
- School of Swords: Instead of inspiring others, you have studied martial arts and have become a formidable duelist yourself. You compete with any rogue and fighter in close combat.
Also, outside of combat, you can shine with your ability to solve situations better than all other classes. The charisma score and the bonuses from your specializations ensure that you can hardly fail when trying to entertain, persuade, or intimidate people.
Unfortunately, you can only level up to level 12 in Baldur’s Gate, which locks away a good deal of power. Still, the class is the best when it comes to playing a true “jack of all trades.” You’re not just someone who can do a bit of everything, but you’re really good at everything.
Rumor has it that bards can even seduce dragons with their charm. In Baldur’s Gate 3, this is at least possible with bears, in a way:
Bards are the leaders – Just unfortunately not the heroes
The biggest problem with bards in video games like Baldur’s Gate 3 is that they often play as a player character very boringly. Especially since such tactical RPGs often rely on interesting combat, your power fantasy tends to take a backseat.
I played a bard in Pathfinder: Kingmaker and in the end was just the buff bot for the group’s warlock who shredded everything. While I could convince everyone in conversations, often other checks like strength or attention were important. Things I wasn’t specialized in.
If you want to be a real hero, the fighter class is better suited, especially for beginners. Fighters are similarly versatile, just without magic, but show more presence through their actions in combat. Others, like boss Leya, swear by druids:
Especially in co-op, I cannot imagine a better class than a bard. I absolutely want to tell my friends how I enabled their victory and how they can only be so successful thanks to me. And of course, it’s MY achievement when the whole town lies at our feet. All of this, of course, accompanied by my lute and with songs of praise about the most important group member: ME!
But if you’d rather check out a class of the commoners, you can find the overview here:
Baldur’s Gate 3: All 12 classes at a glance – Which one suits you?
