D&D Bard Level Up – a step by step guide (5e)

I always found the level-up process to be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding nuances of any RPG, including Dungeons & Dragons.

It’s the feeling of seeing your character finally getting stronger after you spent so many hours slaying ferocious beasts, exploring dark dungeons, making new acquaintances, escaping from situations you couldn’t handle at your previous level, opening treasure chests filled with coins and jewels (and sometimes empty ones), and so on, that makes this part of the game so exciting.

When it comes to progress through levels in D&D there are quite a few things to remember and all the information you need are scattered on different pages of the Player’s Handbook (and sometimes on other manuals).

I’m pretty sure most of the players have already memorized all the pages they need to look at to level up their alter-ego, but for all the new players, for my friends that constantly ask me what to do when they have to level up and even for veterans who just want a tidy recap, I thought it would be handy to have a step by step guide to follow that will hopefully make the whole level-up process faster.

In this article, I’ll dive deep into the D&D Bard level up process, and in particular what new abilities and feats you’d unlock, as well as any change of the character’s stats.

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D&D Bard Level Up Advancement Table

Here’s a quick overview of the Bard level up advancement if you want to get a sneak peek or if you need a quick recap.

Keep scrolling for a deeper description of each level.

1st Level – Bard Starting Features & Abilities

Hit Points

• Basic Hit Points: 8 + Constitution (CON) modifier.
• Hit Dice: 1d8.

Proficiencies

• Armour: Light armour.
• Weapons: Simple Weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords.
• Tools: Three musical instruments of your choice.
• Proficiency bonus: +2.
• Saving Throws: Dexterity (DEX) and Charisma (CHA).
• Skills: Choose any three. 

Class Features

• Spellcasting
  You know how to cast spells in harmony with your wishes and music. Your repertoire at level 1 is the following:
  Cantrips known: 2.
  Spells known: 4.
  Spells slots: 2 (1st level).
• Bardic Inspiration (d6)
  Your voice and music can inspire the allies that can hear you.
  You can give them 1d6 that they could use for the next 10 minutes to increase their score on any ability check, attack roll, or saving throws they make.

2nd Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (1st level).
• Jack of all Trades
  You can add half your proficiency bonus to any ability check for which you aren’t proficient.
• Song of Rest (d6)
  You can revitalize any wounded ally through your music or voice during a short rest.
  If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.

3rd Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (1st level), +2 (2nd level).
• Bard College
  You can choose your subclass between the College of Lore, the College of Valor, the College of Creation, the College of Eloquence, the College of Glamour, the College of Swords, the College of Whispers.
• Expertise
  Your proficiency bonus is doubled on two skills of your choice for which you are already proficient.

4th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Cantrips known: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (2nd level).
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

5th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (2nd level), +2 (3rd level).
• Bardic Inspiration (d8)
  Your voice and music can inspire the allies that can hear you.
  You can give them 1d8 that they could use for the next 10 minutes to increase their score on any ability check, attack roll, or saving throws they make.
• Font of Inspiration
  You regain all of your uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.

6th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (3rd level).
• Countercharm
  You can start an action that will allow you and your allies to have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. This advantage will last until the end of your next turn.
• New Bard College subclass feature: this depends on which Bard College you have chosen for your Bard.

7th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (4th level).

8th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (4th level).
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

9th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (4th level), +1 (5th level).
• Song of Rest (d8)
  You can revitalize any wounded ally through your music or voice during a short rest.
  If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d8 hit points.

10th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Cantrips known: +1.
• Spells known: +2.
• Spell slots: +1 (5th level).
• Bardic Inspiration (d10)
  Your voice and music can inspire the allies that can hear you.
  You can give them 1d10 that they could use for the next 10 minutes to increase their score on any ability check, attack roll, or saving throws they make.
• Expertise
  Your proficiency bonus is doubled on two skills of your choice for which you are already proficient.
• Magical Secrets
  You can choose 2 spells from any class and add them to your spells list. The chosen spells must be of a level you can cast them.

11th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (6th level).

12th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

13th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (7th level).
• Song of Rest (d10)
  You can revitalize any wounded ally through your music or voice during a short rest.
  If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d10 hit points.

14th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +2.
• Magical Secrets
  You can choose 2 spells from any class and add them to your spells list. The chosen spells must be of a level you can cast them.
• New Bard College subclass feature: this depends on which Bard College you have chosen for your Bard.

15th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (8th level).
• Bardic Inspiration (d12)
  Your voice and music can inspire the allies that can hear you.
  You can give them 1d12 that they could use for the next 10 minutes to increase their score on any ability check, attack roll, or saving throws they make.

16th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

17th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (9th level).
• Song of Rest (d12)
  You can revitalize any wounded ally through your music or voice during a short rest.
  If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d12 hit points.

18th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +2.
• Spell slots: +1 (5th level).
• Magical Secrets
  You can choose 2 spells from any class and add them to your spells list. The chosen spells must be of a level you can cast them.

19th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spell slots: +1 (6th level).
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

20th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spell slots: +1 (7th level).
• Superior Inspiration
  You’ll regain a Bardic Inspiration use after rolling for initiative as long as you don’t have any available Bardic Inspiration left.