| Level | Max CR | Restrictions | Monsters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1/4 | No fly+swim | Axe Beak, Boar, Wolf, Elk, Panther, Riding Horse |
| 4 | 1/2 | No fly | Ape, Black Bear, Crocodile, Reef Shark, Giant Goat, Warostrich |
| 8 | 1 | Brown Bear, Dire Wolf, Dogmole, Giant Eagle, Giant Spider, Lion, Tiger | |
| Circle of Moon | |||
| 2 | 1 | No fly+swim | Brown Bear, Dire Wolf, Giant Spider, Lion, Tiger |
| 4 | 1 | No fly | + Dogmole, (Crocodile, Reef Shark) |
| 6 | 2 | No fly | Giant Boar, Giant Elk, Giant Constrictor Snake, Hunter Shark, Rhinoceros, Saber-toothed Tiger |
| 8 | 2 | +(Giant Eagle) | |
| 9 | 3 | Giant Scorpion, Killer Whale, Stygian Fat-tailed Scorpion | |
| 12 | 4 | Elephant, Giant Ant Queen, Serpopard | |
| 15 | 5 | Giant Crocodile, Giant Shark | |
| 18 | 6 | Mammoth |
| Spell lvl | Spellname | Category | Why take it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Eldritch Blast | Damage | The Bard doesn't have good damage cantrips. |
| 0 | Toll the Dead | Damage | The Bard doesn't have good damage cantrips. |
| 0 | Sacred Flame | Damage | The Bard doesn't have good damage cantrips. Less damage but radiant damage |
| 1 | Find Familiar | Utility | Ritual - Summon Owl - Free help action + scout |
| 1 | Bless | Buff | Stacks with Inspiration. If you often run out of Inspiration consider this spell. |
| 1 | Entangle | Debuff | AOE control - low spell level - Bard already has some options |
| 2 | Pass without Trace | Utility | +10 Stealth for everyone |
| 2 | Spiritual Weapon | Damage | No concentration - one free Attack as a Bonus Action |
| 2 | Misty Step | Utility | Bonus Action teleport |
| 3 | Summon Undead | Summon | If you need another body in the fight. |
| 3 | Fireball | Damage | BOOM |
| 3 | Haste | Buff | One of the best buffs for your fighter |
| 3 | Revivify | Healing | The most basic form to revive |
| 3 | Fly | Utility | Flying speed is one of the most useful things to have |
| 3 | Aura of Vitality | Healing | Constant healing. Averages the same amount of healing as the 6th level spell Heal. |
| 3 | Crusaders Mantle | Buff | Give everyone around you radiant damage. Best with a lot of bodies. |
| 3 | Hunger of Hadar | Damage | AOE damage, blindness and tentacles |
| 3 | Spirit Guardians | Damage | constant damage around you. Radius is a bit small though. |
| 3 | Counterspell | Utility | Say "no" to the enemy wizard |
| 4 | Summon Aberration | Summon | If you need another body in the fight. |
| 4 | Conjure Woodland Beings | Summon | A lot of summons that can be summoned with this have a strong special ability. Summoned creatures are random though. No material cost + action to cast |
| 4 | Sickening Radiance | Debuff | Causes exhaustion -> if comboed becomes strongest spell in the game |
| 4 | Banishment | Debuff | Banish one creature - only one save |
| 4 | Stone Shape | Utility | Usefulness limited by your imagination (and you need to be near stone). |
| 4 | Find Greater Steed | Summon | 90 ft. Flying speed with a fancy pegasus to ride. Also spells targeting yourself will also target the pegasus. |
| 4 | Arcane Eye | Utility | One of the best scouting options. |
| 4 | Shadow of Moil | Damage | Good personal buff. Good when you get focused by monsters a lot. |
| 5 | Summon Celestial | Summon | If you need another body in the fight. |
| 5 | Swift Quiver | Damage | 2 Ranged Attacks as a Bonus action for a minute |
| 5 | Telekinesis | Utility | 10 minutes to move items or restrain enemy |
| 5 | Wall of Force | Utility | Impassable wall |
| 5 | Commune | Utility | You can phone a god. Very helpful when planning your aproach. |
| 5 | Summon Draconic Spirit | Summon | If you need another body in the fight. |
| 5 | Maelstrom | Damage | AOE control - Bard already has some options |
| 5 | Circle of Power | Buff | Counter for spellcasters |
| 5 | Telepathic Bond | Utility | Telepathy for 1 hour. Mostly useful for intrigue-focused games. |
| 5 | Holy Weapon | Damage | For College of Swords/Valor |
| 6 | Heal | Healing | heal 70 hit points |
| 6 | Disintegrate | Damage | One of the strongest single target Damage spells |
| 6 | Contingency | Utility | You can setup spells beforehand, possibly activating them as a free action without needing any spell components |
| 6 | Investiture of Stone | Buff | If you are playing a frontline Bard, gives resistance to being punched and stabbed |
| 7 | Crown of Stars | Damage | 4d12 radiant damage *7 |
| 7 | Reverse Gravity | Debuff | Suspend enemies in the air |
| 7 | Plane Shift | Utility | Save or suck - doesnt do damage but will most likely end the fight. Also necessary for high level adventuring in other planes. |
| 8 | Illusory Dragon | Debuff | Scare Everyone + AOE damage |
| 8 | Maze | Debuff | Banish one enemy. Low INT enemies can't escape |
| 8 | Holy Aura | Buff | Best party wide defensive buff |
| 8 | Clone | Utility | Easiest way to achieve immortality |
| 9 | Wish | Utility | It's wish |
| 9 | Mass Heal | Healing | Restore up to 700 hit points |
I/W/C = choose between INT/WIS/CHA
Click to see some additional notes
| value | Race | Ability | Cantrip | Spells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ++ | Duergar | I/W/C | - | Enlarge, Invisibility (both only on yourself) |
| Enlarge is worse because you have to keep concentration yourself; invisibility to scout | ||||
| ++ | Drow | CHA | Dancing Lights | Faerie Fire, Darkness |
| Faerie Fire to see invisibility and give advantage; Darkness situational; cantrip mainly flavour | ||||
| ++ | Fairy | I/W/C | druidcraft | Enlarge/reduce, faerie fire |
| neat support spells | ||||
| + | Firebolg | I/W/C | - | Detect magic, disguise self |
| situational | ||||
| ++ | Air Genasi | I/W/C | Shocking grasp | Feather Fall, levitate |
| Getaway from melee combatants; one person can bypass a trap; feather fall occasionaly useful | ||||
| ++++ | Earth Genasi | I/W/C | Blade Ward | Pass without Trace |
| Get resistance as bonus action. Give your party good stealth once per day | ||||
| + | Fire Genasi | I/W/C | Produce flame | Burning hands, flame blade |
| Alright damage spells. Becomes worse on higher levels. | ||||
| + | Water Genasi | I/W/C | Acid Splash | Create or Destroy Water, water walk |
| All highly situational | ||||
| + | Deep Gnome | I/W/C | - | nondetection, disguise self |
| Highly situational | ||||
| +++ | Hybsil (Centaur) | W/C | Dancing Lights | Jump, Pass without Trace |
| Give your party good stealth. Other situational. | ||||
| + | Tielfling (non variant) | CHA | Thaumaturgy | Hellish Rebuke, Darkness |
| Thaumaturgy and Darkness situational. Hellish Rebuke gives you free damage as a reaction | ||||
| ++ | Abyssal Tiefling | CHA | random | random |
| Can give you good spells or horrible useless ones. Do you like gambling? | ||||
| - | Baalzebul Tiefling | CHA | Thaumaturgy | Ray of Sickness, Crown of Madness |
| None of these Spells are really usefull. Ray of Sickness doesn't do a lot of damage | ||||
| ++ | Dispater Tiefling | CHA | Thaumaturgy | Disguise Self, Detect Thoughts |
| Thaumaturgy is alright. Situational for social encounters | ||||
| ++ | Fierna Tiefling | CHA | Friends | Charm Person, Suggestion |
| Friends bad. Spells are good for social encounters | ||||
| ++++ | Glasya Tiefling | CHA | Minor Illusion | Disguise Self, Invisibility |
| All useful. Just good allround out of combat spells | ||||
| + | Levistus Tiefling | CHA | Ray of Frost | Armor of Agathys, Darkness |
| Meh damage cantrip. A few temp hp and a situational spell | ||||
| +++ | Mammon Tiefling | CHA | Mage Hand | Tensers Floating Disk, Arcane Lock |
| Mage Hand is nice. Arcane Lock can make rooms for resting safe | ||||
| + | Mephistoles Tiefling | CHA | Mage Hand | Burning Hands, Flame Blade |
| Mage Hand is nice. The spells are pretty bad | ||||
| ++++ | Zariel Tiefling | CHA | Thaumaturgy | Searing Smite, Branding Smite |
| You get two free smites. Which martial class wouldn't like that? | ||||
| + | Triton | I/W/C | - | Fog Cloud, Gust of Wind, Water Walk |
| Can be used to keep enemies away and hide against ranged attacks. Hard to use and situational | ||||
| + | Yuan-Ti Pureblood | I/W/C | Poison Spray | Animal Friendship (unlimited, only on snakes), suggestion |
| Suggestion is the only good spell unless there are lots of snakes around | ||||