Baldur’s Gate 3: The Best Bow Bard Champion Build

This build is extremely versatile, focusing on dealing massive ranged damage with bow attacks to quickly take out anyone that stands in your way! Great for any party member, but it really shines as the face of your party.

◦ Dual hand crossbows (with longbow options, depending on player preference)
◦ Primary focus on Ranged Slashing Flourish, firing 2 arrows in one attack
◦ Multiclass into Fighter with Archery fighting style
◦ Easy to obtain, highly sought after equipment

+ Increased chance to pass most of your dialogue checks
+ Insane amount of single target burst damage at any range
+ Does not require elixirs or potions
+ No need for coating weapons, unless desired

The main focus of this build is sustainability and trying to increase the chances of getting a critical hit often. While multiclassing into Rogue is popular and has its own benefits, Fighters have heavy armour proficiency, which can really come in handy if you find that you’re taking a lot of damage, as well as longbow proficiency if you choose to use those in Act 3. Based on my play style, I found Fighter – Champion to feel the most natural. The beauty of the Bard class is that it pairs well with almost anything 🙂

◦ Race: Any race can utilize this build, but I prefer Halflings for their natural luck

◦ Starting Class: Bard

◦ Cantrips: Any — I always choose Mage Hand and Blade Ward or Minor Illusion

◦ Spells: Longstrider & Speak with Animals — the other two slots are player’s choice

◦ Instrument: Any — Choose whichever makes your ears happy! 🙂

◦ Background: Any — I personally like Guild Artisan, Charlatan or Criminal for dialogue

***If you plan to use the Hag Hair, make DEX 17 and WIS 10***

It depends on what you pick for your character’s background, but the following will be great for the bard as a player character:

◦ Persuasion/Deception — Select one or both for dialogue
◦ Perception
◦ Sleight of Hand
◦ Stealth
◦ Acrobatics

***You DO NOT need to waste a skill point on Performance!***

Since your companion won’t be doing the talking, it’s fine to drop Charisma down and throw most of your points into Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom. Any points leftover can be distributed to whichever ability you want, just make sure all of the numbers are even.

◦ Spell Select: Longstrider & Speak with Animals
◦ Cantrips: Any, but I prefer to start with Blade Ward and Mage Hand. It doesn’t affect the overall build, so choose what you feel comfortable with.

◦ Class Feature: Jack of All Trades — add half of your proficiency bonus to ability checks that you’re not proficient in.
◦ Action: Song of Rest — you and your allies are revitalized as though you had taken a short rest.
◦ Spell Select: Any

◦ Spell Select: Any
◦ Subclass: College of Swords — we’ll mainly be using Slashing Flourish (Ranged) to attack. Grants medium armour proficiency.
◦ Fighting Style: Two-Weapon Fighting

◦ Cantrips: Anything you find useful
◦ Spell Select: Any
◦ Feat: Ability Improvement – DEX 18

◦ Class Feature: Font of Inspiration — regain all your Bardic Inspiration after a long or short rest.
◦ Spell Select: Any

◦ Gain Extra Attack
◦ Spell Select: Any

◦ Multiclass to Fighter
◦ Fighting Style: Archery — gain +2 bonus to ranged weapon attacks

◦ Gain Action Surge — immediately gain an extra action to use this turn (1 turn).

◦ Subclass: Champion — the number you need to roll a critical hit while attacking is reduced by 1 (this effect can stack).

◦ Feat: Ability Improvement – DEX 20

◦ Spell Select: Greater Invisibility & Dimension Door
◦ Replace Spell: Get rid of anything you’re not using, except Longstrider or Speak with Animals.

◦ Spell Select: Any
◦ Feat: Sharpshooter — ranged weapon attacks do not receive penalties from high ground rules

Once you are level 7, you’ll want to multiclass into Fighter. However, while you’ll now be able to use longbows naturally, you won’t have heavy armour proficiency unless you respec.

◦ Talk to Withers and ask to change your class, then follow the table below ↓↓↓

Below are the ideal loadouts for the build as you progress through the game. If you need help locating some of these items, please refer to the previous section or leave a comment 🙂

◦ Head: Any
◦ Cloak: N/A
◦ Armour: The Graceful Cloth OR Adamantine Scale Mail
◦ Gloves: Gloves of Archery
◦ Boots: Disintegrating Night Walkers
◦ Main Hand: Club of Hill Giant Strength
◦ Off-Hand (Melee): Knife of the Undermountain King
◦ Main Hand (Ranged): Hunting Shortbow → Titanstring Bow
◦ Off-Hand (Ranged): None
◦ Amulet: Amulet of Branding
◦ Rings: Caustic Band & Any

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◦ Head: Marksmanship Hat
◦ Cloak: Cloak of Protection
◦ Armour: The Graceful Cloth OR Adamantine Scale Mail
◦ Gloves: Gloves of Archery
◦ Boots: Disintegrating Night Walkers
◦ Main Hand: Club of Hill Giant Strength → Any
◦ Off-Hand (Melee): Knife of the Undermountain King
◦ Main Hand (Ranged): Titanstring Bow → Hellfire Hand Cross Bow
◦ Off-Hand (Ranged): Ne’er Misser OR Firestoker
◦ Amulet: Amulet of Branding
◦ Rings: Caustic Band & Killer’s Sweetheart

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◦ Head: Marksmanship Hat → Mask of Soul Perception OR Sarevok’s Horned Helmet
◦ Cloak: Cloak of Protection
◦ Armour: Armour of Agility
◦ Gloves: Legacy of the Masters
◦ Boots: Disintegrating Night Walkers
◦ Main Hand: Knife of the Undermountain King OR Rhapsody
◦ Off-Hand (Melee): Bloodthirst
◦ Main Hand (Ranged): Hellfire Hand Cross Bow
◦ Off-Hand (Ranged): Ne’er Misser OR Firestoker
◦ Amulet: Amulet of Bhaal
◦ Rings: Caustic Band & Killer’s Sweetheart

**If you prefer, you can equip The Dead Shot or Gontr Mael at this point, instead of continuing to use dual hand crossbows.

*Note: I listed Rhapsody and Firestoker as alternatives depending on the player’s preference, however I always use Knife of the Undermountain King and Ne’er Misser in my own playthroughs.

Playing with this class is simple, since the mechanics will be relatively the same throughout the campaign.

Ranged Slashing Flourish → Rest → Repeat

◦ While using the Hunting Shortbow, be sure to cast Hunter’s Mark on your target before attacking.
◦ With the Amulet of Branding equipped, cast Pierce the Weak to make an enemy vulnerable to piercing damage before you attack.
◦ Maintain enough Bardic Inspiration to consistently use Ranged Slashing Flourish in battle.
◦ Ranged Slashing Flourish can be used on a single target (hit them with 2 arrows) or you can hit two separate targets in one attack.
◦ Try to save your Action Surge for more flourish attacks, if possible.

◦ Now that you have College of Swords, you can start using your Ranged Slashing Flourish.

*Note: At this point, be careful how often you use your Bardic Inspiration, as it does not yet replenish on short rest. If you have enough supplies to long rest often, go for it!

Here’s where the build really starts to take off!

◦ Restore Bardic Inspiration on short or long rests, making it easier and more consistent to use Ranged Slashing Flourish in every battle.
◦ Out of Bardic Inspiration? Don’t wait — REST!

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That’s pretty much how you’ll be playing this class for the rest of the game, getting as many critical attacks in as you can! Sit back, relax, and watch your enemies fall 🙂

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