12 new subclasses were added in the massive Patch 8 update forBaldur’s Gate 3earlier this year, introducing tons of new build options and fun character archetypes. From becoming a sinister Shadow Magic Sorcerer to embracing the graceful Wizard study of Bladesinging, Patch 8 gave players tons of interesting choices. However, there’s one subclass fromDungeons & Dragons5th edition that I wish had been included in the Patch.
One of my personal favorite classes inD&D5e is the Bard, whose charismatic artistry manifests in powerful magic that can harm enemies and support party members. InPatch 8 forBG3, theBard got a new subclass, the College of Glamour. While this subclass allows players to charm and heal through strong Mantles, there’s one other Bard subclass that was introduced alongside Glamour I would’ve enjoyed seeing more.
The College Of Whispers Bard Could Have Brought Sinister Secrets
An Evil Bard Would Create Interesting Character Ideas
TheCollege of WhispersBard is a subclass introduced inXanathar’s Guide to Everything, the sameD&D5e book that also featured the College of Glamour. While the Glamour Bard utilizes Fey magic to captivate allies and foes alike, theWhispers Bard use the guise of their charming personality to uncover dark secrets. Almost evil-themed, anyone in the College of Whispers will play the fool while infiltrating groups with power.
Whispers Bards are notorious for charming people of wealth and status through their art, getting close to them, then learning their secrets so they can threaten and blackmail them.This sinister flavor of Bard is completely unlike the typically well-aligned Colleges of Lore, Swords, or Valourseen inBG3’s other Bard subclasses.
Compared to other subclasses, the College of Glamour Bard has very straightforward features. You only gain the Mantles of Inspiration and Majesty as you level up, which both grow stronger, but are very simple features compared to other Patch 8 subclasses.
According toD&D5e rules, the College of Whispers Bard can spend Bardic Inspiration to deal Psychic damage to foes, increasing as you level up. Through Words of Terror,these Bards can also inspire fear in their enemiesby infusing words with insidious magic to terrify their opponents. At higher levels, this type of Bard can even steal the shadows of those killed near them, taking on their appearance while gaining knowledge of who they were.
All of these features make the College of Whispers Bard far more unique than the College of Glamour, in my opinion. While not every feature from theD&Dversion of the subclass would make it intoBG3, I think that thetheme surrounding this archetype would make them stand out from the standard Bard optionsin the game.
There Needed To Be An “Evil” Bard Subclass
Other Chaotic Themed Subclasses Made It Into Patch 8
With Patch 8, we saw plenty of"evil"themed subclasses make it in, including these as an example:
With nearly one-third of the available new subclasses having sinister undertones, I can understand why one more may have tipped the scales. That being said, theBard’s current subclasses are all extremely similar, with each being tied to ideas of honor or charismatic performance more than anything else.
The College of Valour and Lore are magic-focused archetypes that are centered around helping parties, while the Swords Bard is essentially a Bard/Fighter hybrid.
Amalicious Bard is extremely contradictory to what players expect from the class, which has a reputation for being silly or charming rather than menacing. With the inclusion ofnew Patch 8 spells inBG3like Toll the Dead and Bursting Sinew, the College of Whispers could really play into something ill-intended to break conventions.
While Clerics are varied enough through different gods to have an evil side and Warlocks are shady by default, Bards could have used a new path beyond beguiling mischief.The College of Whispers Bard could have encouraged more evil playthroughswith the class, especially as the Dark Urge origin. While the College of Glamour is entertaining in its own right, it offers little variety compared to what Bards already have.
Multiple Adjustments Could Have Created BG3’s Best Stealth Bard
Changed Features Might Have Emphasized A Rare Bard Playstyle
TheBard’s specialty in Dexterity skills like Stealth are rarely usedcompared to their overwhelming Charisma, which is usually the focal point of the archetype. While they share the samesaving throws inBG3as Rogues, Bards are rarely played like the stealthier class. While some Bards may choose Dex over Charisma, it’s usually one that wants to fight using Dex weapons rather than sneaking around.
The College of Whispers Bard is perfectly geared toward stealth, though, and an appearance inBG3may have created the game’s first viable Stealth Bard build option. Through the 6th level ability of the Whispers Bard, the Mantle of Whispers, the archetype can disguise themselves as someone who has died near them, imitating them perfectly and keeping their memories from when they were alive.
One of the College of Whispers abilities, Words of Terror, can frighten creatures who make a Wisdom saving throw. Even if they succeed, they don’t realize it was the Bard trying to frighten it, which could have been a great stealth ability inBG3.
While this wouldn’t translate perfectly intoBG3, I would be very interested to see how that mechanic might be altered. Perhaps it could provide a bonus in battle or take away an enemy’s aggro from your Bard character for a short time. Either way, given how manymechanics from included subclasses in the game have been adjusted fromD&D 5e, it would belong as much as any of the other archetypes.
From my personal preference, I feel that the College of Whispers Bard would have created far more interesting build options than the College of Glamour provides. That being said, the Whispers Bard goes alongside a great many"what if?“questions for other subclasses not inBaldur’s Gate 3, at least the ones not created through mods.
