Dungeons & Dragons: Best Spells For 1st Level Bards

Bards have reached new levels of greatness in the current edition of Dungeons & Dragons and they have more versatility than ever before. A player who creates a first-level Bard needs to consider their spell choices carefully, as they will greatly alter the character’s playstyle.

In the old editions of D&D, Bards were jack-of-all-trades characters with some unique abilities. This often put them behind the power curve, as the most powerful D&D parties are the ones where the members specialize in specific roles, rather than being okay in several different fields. In the current edition of D&D, Bards are primary spellcasters with a number of special abilities. The Player’s Handbook alone features a number of amazing build options for Bards, ranging from powerful buffers/healers, spellcasting warriors who can fight on the front lines, and mages with access to a wide variety of spells.

A first-level Bard in Dungeons & Dragons chooses two Cantrips and four first-level spells, with two spell slots available to use them. The Bard spell list has many great options for the player and they should choose magic that will fit their chosen field.

D&D – The Best Bard Cantrips

Bards only have two Cantrip slots in D&D, but one of them should definitely go to vicious mockery. The spell forces the target to pass a Wisdom saving throw or take 1d4 damage and have disadvantage on their next attack. Vicious mockery can be cast in the same turn as healing word and the chance of insulting an enemy to death is too big of an opportunity to waste. Blade ward is also a great choice of Cantrip, as it offers resistance to all three weapon damage types until the end of the next turn.

Vicious mockery and blade ward fit multiple play styles, as they offer both offensive and defensive options. Minor illusion is also a great choice for Bards in Dungeons & Dragons as it has a ton of different possible uses within a single spell, all of which are great for leading foes into a trap or causing a distraction.

D&D Bard Buffing & Mind Magicians

Bards make great healers and healing word should be a priority spell choice for D&D healer Bards. Bards generally have a higher Dexterity score than Clerics, and their Jack of All Trades ability grants a bonus to Initiative checks. Healing word is usually used for emergencies and Bards have a better chance of going first in the turn order, so they’re more likely to fire off a healing word when needed.

Bards also get the Song of Rest ability at level two, which makes short rests far more effective for healing, so there’s less need for cure wounds. Bards have some of the best buffing spells in Dungeons & Dragons and heroism is a great choice for a buffer/healer. Heroism grants temporary hit points equal to the Bard’s Charisma modifier and the recipient becomes immune to being frightened. Heroism coupled with a Bardic inspiration dice is a great way to prep a melee fighter before going into a boss battle. Faerie fire gives advantage against foes lit up by magical lights, and bane can be used to throw debuffs on enemies.

Bards who focus on using their spells to take down enemies should go for dissonant whispers, as a failed Wisdom save results in 3d6 Psychic damage and the creature burning its reaction to move away from the caster, which can possibly give some free opportunity attacks from nearby allies. Sleep is easily the best crowd control spell at level one and it should be taken if none of the other D&D arcane spellcasters have it.

Thunderwave is a great spell for breaking free when surrounded by foes, while Tasha’s hideous laughter is one of the best incapacitating spells for single foes in the game. One thing Bard players need to be wary of is selecting charm person or the friends Cantrip, as the target will know they have been mind-controlled after the spell has worn off, giving the DM all kinds of opportunities to mess with the party. Charm person is best used for situations where little is at stake or if the Dungeons & Dragons party is about to get out of dodge, but it’s often better to go for Persuasion checks, as these are less likely to backfire.

About The Author

Scott Baird
(2508 Articles Published)

Scott has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016 and regularly contributes to The Gamer. He has previously written articles and video scripts for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz.
A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started out as a film student before moving into journalism. It turned out that wasting a childhood playing video games, reading comic books, and watching movies could be used for finding employment, regardless of what any career advisor might tell you. Scott specializes in gaming and has loved the medium since the early ‘90s when his first console was a ZX Spectrum that used to take 40 minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white TV set. Scott now writes game reviews for Screen Rant and The Gamer, as well as news reports, opinion pieces, and game guides. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.

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