Baldur’s Gate 3 baldur's gate 3 college of glamour became a notable topic in 2025 after Patch 8 introduced this Bard subclass. Drawing inspiration from fey magic, this subclass offers potent support to allies while charming enemies—making it a strategic choice for players who enjoy crowd control and team buffs. But how does it actually perform in-game, and is it worth picking over other Bard colleges?

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Subclass Overview: Features and Progression

The College of Glamour inherits all core Bard abilities but stands out with its unique subclass features:

  • Mantle of Inspiration (Level 3): Imbues 2 allies with 5 temporary hit points. When an inspired ally is hit by a melee attack, the attacker becomes Charmed—disrupting enemy behavior effectively.

  • Mantle of Majesty: Command (Level 6): Command a creature to take actions like fleeing, freezing, or dropping its weapon. Charmed targets automatically fail their saving throws against this ability. Mantle of Inspiration also improves at this level—8 temporary HP, targeting 3 allies.

  • Mantle of Inspiration (Level 10): Further boosted to 11 temporary HP, now affecting 4 targets, letting you protect and charm more of your party.

This progression means the subclass gets steadily more powerful as you level up, especially in larger party encounters.

Bard Basics: What You Still Get

Choosing College of Glamour doesn’t mean losing out on standard Bard goodness. You still enjoy:

  • Charisma-based spellcasting and skill checks

  • Bardic Inspiration (bonus action)

  • Song of Rest, Jack of All Trades, Expertise in skills

  • Spell slots progress up to level 6 spells

  • Proficiencies in simple weapons, rapiers, longswords, hand crossbows, shortswords, and light armor

Table: Bard Spell Slot Progression

Bard Level Cantrips Level I II III IV V VI
3 2 4 2 - - - -
5 3 4 3 2 - - -
8 3 4 3 3 2 - -
12 4 4 3 3 3 2 1

College of Glamour: Pros, Cons, and Playstyle

Strengths:

  • Amazing support spells—temporary HP pools are large and scale well.

  • Charm on attackers can seriously disrupt enemy AI and turn the tide in tough fights.

  • Mantle of Majesty is great for locking down bosses or high-priority threats.

Weaknesses:

  • Compared with Lore Bard, you lose out on extra Magical Secrets and Cutting Words—so your overall versatility could be lower.

  • Some players feel the subclass is situational and not as broadly effective as alternative Bard colleges, especially in solo runs or when prioritizing direct damage.

Tips for Building a Glamour Bard

  • Prioritize Charisma for spell DCs and skill checks.

  • Use Mantle of Inspiration early in combat to shield key allies.

  • Mantle of Majesty works best against charmed targets—try to charm before using it for automatic success.

  • Consider feats that boost survivability or enhance control, like Alert or Resilient.

Community Impressions

Feedback from players is mixed—some call College of Glamour an 'amazing control and support class', praising its ability to disrupt enemies and keep allies alive. Others argue that Lore Bard offers more flexibility and raw power thanks to its unique features. Ultimately, the appeal of Baldur’s Gate 3 baldur's gate 3 college of glamour comes down to your party composition and preferred playstyle.

If you love supporting your team and manipulating the battlefield, College of Glamour is worth a try! 😎