Melee Bardlock - Bard/Warlock Multiclass Guide | Baldur's Gate 3

Bard and Warlock multiclass really well into a very versatile class combo that can play in both melee and ranged to great effectiveness, with a wide range of spells to fit any situation; and they can easily be the face of your party handling all dialogue! This video goes over the exact Bardlock build I used for my own playthrough of Baldur's Gate 3.
Curious about my other content? Check out these playlists!:
For all of my Trails into Reverie coverage: tinyurl.com/39...
For all of my SMT III Nocturne HD coverage: shorturl.at/bkI12
For all of my Persona 5 Strikers coverage: shorturl.at/WZ235
For all of my Persona 5 Royal coverage: shorturl.at/lzOV6
For all of my Soul Hackers 2 coverage: tinyurl.com/44...
For all of my Yakuza: Like a Dragon coverage: shorturl.at/fsBHU
Rozalin on Twitch: / rozalingaming
Rozalin on Twitter: / rozalingaming
Rozalin on KZbin: / rozalingaming
Join Rozalin's Discord: / discord
Tags, yo: Baldur's Gate 3, Bard, Warlock, Bardlock, Guide, Fighter, Multiclass, Melee, Ranged, D&D, Dungeons & Dragons, Tactician, 5e, 5th Edition
#Bard #Warlock #BG3

[@RozalinGaming]

Hey all! So this video took way longer to get out than I had wanted. One reason was due to not really being able to nail down exactly how I wanted to structure the video, as well as how in-depth to get on my decisions. In this regard, I’m still not entirely satisfied; my original draft would have resulted in a video over 30 minutes long, but after making cuts I feel this one is too short. The other issue is due to PC issues I’ve been having which I talked about in a recent community post. If it looks like there is interest in BG3 guides I’ll continue working to get out guides for the different companions that I used in my playthrough, while trying to refine the structure and amount of explanation to reach a good medium. Anyways, hopefully you enjoy this video and guide even if it’s far from perfect. -- Roz

[@solblackguy]

Still really informative and helpful. Gave me a lot of ideas since I'm terrified of multiclassing

[@dominikastojkova6313]

@@solblackguy multiclassing is such a fun once you learn how to combine classes :)

[@Unknowngnostic]

Thanks, good video I want to add feedback about structure. I personally click off a video as soon as I realize the person isn't talking. I almost did here but accidentally skipped ahead. I'm glad I did and glad you were talking. A lot of ppl I know do the same. Ppl who use our phones and play while we look for build ideas. I want something to listen to not have to stay looking at my phone instead of playing Maybe a greeting or something at the beginning will help with numbers to some small degree. Idk. Just a thought I wanted to share. Thanks again

[@RozalinGaming]

@@Unknowngnostic There is a reason I structure my build videos this way. While there are people who will click off, an even greater number of people skip the video if you don't show them right at the beginning what the video is about. I've tried with other build videos for other games in the past and videos in which I give a showcase first instead of jumping in talking have performed significantly better. From the watch-time data I've been provided, when it comes to build videos, a showcase w/o VO first performs about 80-90% better than a showcase w/ VO, and 200%+ better than just jumping right in w/o a showcase at the beginning.

[@StairFacts]

Kind of a small detail with regards to your instrument choice, but you can actually hide your instrument from appearing on your character model while you're not casting Bard spells/performing. I didn't realize it was an option until much later myself, but it's a small box you can tick next to your instrument in the equipment screen. It works pretty much the same as the hide helmet toggle.

[@DanS044]

WOOOOOOOOAH thank u :)

[@Galatorm]

Thanks, it fit my wife's bard but my darknight? Not so much.

[@CheeseVRC]

You can also not equip an instrument, your character will whistle and sing instead.

[@ihatealllife]

For me, I'm not so much looking for an optimal build for a bardlock. I'm actually going for something really specific, the Southern folklore story of the blues man that sells his soul to the Devil at the crossroads. An aging musician, or perhaps one that has suffered an injury, that refuses to not play at his peak level. So he strikes a bargain that damns him. Glad to know the concept is viable in BG3. 😁

[@D4ntesDe4d]

Btw that man in the southern folklore you're talking about is named Robert Johnson. Look him up if ya haven't he is amazing.

[@ihatealllife]

@@D4ntesDe4d I'll do that, thank you. 🙂 I remembered the tale but not the people in it.

[@italengro197]

3:22 lvl 1 - Bard lvl 1 4:17 lvl 2 - Bard lvl 2 4:32 lvl 3 - Bard lvl 3 5:06 lvl 4 - Bard lvl 4 5:18 lvl 5 - Bard lvl 5 5:29 lvl 6 - Bard lvl 6 5:43 lvl 7 - Warlock lvl 1 6:07 lvl 8 - Warlock lvl 2 6:26 lvl 9 - Warlock lvl 3 7:01 lvl 10 - Warlock lvl 4 7:20 lvl 11 - Fighter lvl 1 7:30 lvl 12 - Fighter lvl 2

[@kurtcobane1762]

Anyone who finds this build in the future (solid build btw) might like the weapon infernal rapier because Melee Caster: Instead of its Dexterity Modifier, the affected entity add its Spellcasting Ability Modifier to Attack Rolls. it will also give you a cambion summon You get it by releasing Zariel's asset in act 2 if you have Wyll in your party another item i'd suggest is ring of arcane synergy whenever you deal damage with a cantrip you gain Arcane synergy, arcane synergy has this effect "Weapon attacks deal additional damage equal to affected entity's Spell Casting Ability Modifier." which will add even more to Infernal rapier but that's not all using inferal rapier allows you to use 2 weapons effectivley, as you can use one with pact of the blade and infernal rapier by itself which would mean you have two weapons scaling off charisma you could pick Harmonic dueller or a stat stick as your other choice I know gear doesn't matter for the build I'm just throwing my 2 cents in on choices you can eldritch blast action surge and belt out 3 big hits as this build will attack 3 times. Rapier+Blade pact+ Birthright hat it's +21 damage and 3 attacks in act 3 then add the ring onto that you're gonna be hitting some great numbers you could also if you wanted to drop an ASI and use mirror of loss + Birthright doing that would get you 22 charisma which allows for you to pick Magic Initiate: sorcerer and grab shield, or savage attacker

[@Helios_TN]

If you're using pact of the blade, infernal rapier doesn't add much since it does the same thing as blade pact (except the summon), there's however Harmonic Dueller rapier that adds your Charisma to damage rolls through a performance check (which stacks with blade pact and arcane synergy)

[@kurtcobane1762]

@@Helios_TN the same harmonic dueller I already mentioned or a different one? " but that's not all using inferal rapier allows you to use 2 weapons effectivley, as you can use one with pact of the blade and infernal rapier by itself which would mean you have two weapons scaling off charisma you could pick Harmonic dueller or a stat stick as your other choice"

[@AthairBaer]

Aaaaand I think I found my Dark Urge build. Thanks!

[@monkeydjay9616]

Yooo the world works in crazy ways i say KZbin short about a bardlock it gave a quick run down but not every level so ive been playing wnd getting levels in what i think is right but nice to see a by level guide im only lvl 6 but having a blast with it will definitely come back once i respec great video really answered some questions i had when i was watching ✌🏾 happy to be a new subscriber keep up the work

[@BooleanDisorder]

I like playing the Casanova who sold his soul for good looks and quick wit.

[@JeiJayC]

Another way you could do it is lvl6 bard (extra attack), lvl5 Warlock (blade pact-extra attack), then lvl1 War Cleric (war charges for 3 bonus attacks)

[@RozalinGaming]

The extra attack from War Charges doesn't stack with regular extra attack.

[@JeiJayC]

@@RozalinGaming yeah I’m realizing it Now. When I made this comment, I was under the impression you could use war charges more than once per turn as long as you hit with an attack

[@RozalinGaming]

@@JeiJayC Oh I had the same idea as well when I was building my Shadowheart initially.

[@Bools69]

Paladin for 2 levels for smites or is action surge just better

[@Andoxico]

@@JeiJayC Can swap the last level for Rogue instead and get sneak attack and 2 skill expertise

[@jonnyboy0127]

I'm role-playing as king bradley from fma for my evil playthrough and this is exactly how I had him as well

[@marcusp8149]

Awesome video!

[@zakkback1825]

Very well done!

[@painhatesad]

thanks for the vid fun build!

[@OhNoTheFace]

Seems fun

[@ernestanthonyreyes6886]

At level 5(I think) instead of the stat boost, I chose the Dual Wielder feat so I can equip Phalar Aluve and Sword of Life Stealing. Testing it out

[@ricardslam]

I would be interested in the results of that test.

[@ernestanthonyreyes6886]

@@ricardslam I've been using both swords and since I haven't found something better, I have changed them. My MC is really eating up mobs and I just place the Sword of Life Stealing on the main hand to take advantage of the crit bonus and extra life

[@trashmouthpress1501]

It’s there a typed guide anywhere? Would love to have something to refer to later when I play. 😊

[@lettolulz4299]

Please do more guides. Awesome job

[@vito2982]

thanks! i liked the idea very much do you think 2 lvl paladin instead of fighter can work?

[@RozalinGaming]

I don't see why not.

[@nimbleplay]

Good I have subscribed to your channel for my next video

[@turniphead4441]

Great vid cuz

[@Michael-id9bw]

I'm trying the Bard/Warlock build, but why the heck won't my Eldritch blast hit? Hi charisma, field advantage, it has not hit at all in several fights.

[@hugofreitas6799]

All Ray spells take Dex as Hit and Main stat as dmg for the rolls

[@EugeneRipper9666]

What "background" did you choose when starting out mate?

[@RozalinGaming]

I chose Guild Artisan, though in hindsight Charlatan probably would have been better.

[@EugeneRipper9666]

Thank you for your time and great content good sir

[@natg4984]

*jots this down for wyll*

[@otakamerd1220]

It’s not absolutely crucial but would it be best to drop the first level into Fighter for that Con boon? Particularly if we want to maintain concentration on stuff like illusion spells

[@RozalinGaming]

You could but it would mess with skill proficiencies.

[@herosrest6516]

Do you have any recommendations for gear outside of the gloves of dexterity?

[@Finn1299Hello]

I was thinking of doing this but switching the 2 fighter level for 2 paladin, could that work aswell.

[@RozalinGaming]

I don't see why not. You would be trading Action Surge for Divine Smite so your spell usage would go up but that shouldn't be an issue.

[@LiveLNXgaming]

almost exactly this but i would go duel weapon fighting and archery with fighter to let me use to hand xbows for flavor and fun.

[@erikwilliams1562]

A lot of videos have optimized builds, does this game punish you for not min-maxing?

[@RozalinGaming]

It really just depends on your familiarity with D&D. The more familiar you are the easier it will be less optimal builds; in general though, BG3 isn't particularly difficult so even if you aren't familiar with D&D, as long as you take it slow you'll be fine, and you can always respec any character if you do happen to screw up somehow.

[@johnnythedark3090]

Does gloves even matter with the pact of blades? you will get lvl 3 before githyanki anyway.

[@RozalinGaming]

The gloves allow you to get more stat points to put towards constitution, intelligence, and wisdom since you can drop dexterity to 8 with them; 18 in dexterity is also just great for AC.

[@johnnythedark3090]

@@RozalinGaming Yea but do you really need dex? with 3 levels of warlock you are using charisma anyway, right?

[@RozalinGaming]

@@johnnythedark3090 Dexterity isn't just for attack rolls. It factors into your character's AC, it helps determine your initiative in battle, and can be used in skill checks. Even if you don't use the gloves, I would recommend a minimum of 16 points into dexterity for this build, but using the gloves lets you get 18 dexterity and the points to pump constitution to 16 (great for maintaining concentration), and then a 12/14 split on intelligence and wisdom. Just because you end up using charisma for your attack rolls and spells doesn't mean dexterity isn't important.

[@remixw7211]

how do you get profficiency with shield as college of swords bard, I know bout fighter, but this is in endgame

[@RozalinGaming]

You would need to get it from your race -- in my case this was from Half-elf.

[@anemome]

Couldn’t you do magic initiate warlock at level 4 to get eldritch blast?

[@RozalinGaming]

Magic Initiate: Warlock would let you pick up Eldritch Blast, but it wouldn't let you get Eldritch Invocations. These invocations are huge, as Agonizing Blast is one of the core reasons as to why Eldritch Blast can be so strong, and if you're going to make use of Darkness then Devil's Sight is a must. You also lose out on Pact of the Blade if you pick Magic Initiate: Warlock over just going Warlock, and Pact of the Blade is an integral part of the build.

[@Emolilyx]

What's better 7 bard 5 warlock or 6 bard 4 warlock 2 fighter

[@RozalinGaming]

In general 5 Warlock will provide more damage, especially if you are primarily using melee -- the advantage of 2 Fighter is that Action Surge lets you do things other than attack. It really comes down to do you want higher damage per turn or a little bit more flexibility at the cost of damage.

[@Emolilyx]

@@RozalinGaming yeh gonna go 5 warlock as want more damage I'm undecided between bard warlock or bard paladin 😭

[@kurtcobane1762]

@@Emolilyx Bard paladin will have more damage and control, bard warlock will get Eldritch Blast and spells on short rest

[@shyamsundarrajan2469]

What is your 1 handed weapon can you build with 2 hands

[@RozalinGaming]

For most of the game I used Knife of the Undermountain King which can be bought from the same vendor as the Gloves of Dexterity. In Act 3 I did a quest to obtain Duellist's Prerogative; the quest chain starts from a quest called Save Vanra which can be started at the Flaming Fist Barracks near the Basilisk Gate.

[@caniwasteallyourtimeherein9728]

Is it better to dual-wield a dagger and/or sword or a shield for this build? I'm still in act 1.

[@RozalinGaming]

Ideally you use 1 weapon since you can only turn one into a pact weapon at a time, and that's how you make it scale off of your charisma stat.

[@caniwasteallyourtimeherein9728]

@@RozalinGaming I'm still lvl 4 so I don't have the pact yet, do you think it's better to shield or dual for now?

[@RozalinGaming]

@@caniwasteallyourtimeherein9728 I did 1h + shield until I got a specific Act 3 weapon; you're in melee a lot and a shield provides a nice AC boost.

[@caniwasteallyourtimeherein9728]

@@RozalinGaming yeah I'm kinda squishy so you're probably right, thanks mate for the quick response. Also very nice build exactly what I want with all the shadow and stuff 👍

[@caniwasteallyourtimeherein9728]

​@@RozalinGaminganother question, what did you pick for auntie ethel's hair?

[@jonbullet5492]

How did you get shield proficiency? I’m only level 8 into this build

[@libero9613]

Can’t, I think it’s an oversight on his part. However, your dexterity as well as bard’s double attack of defense flourish will keep you dodging.

[@RozalinGaming]

It's from being a half-elf. If you are not human or half-elf, you can alternatively take an early level of Fighter for it, or just go without it. Once I got my main weapon in act 3, I dropped using a shield entirely due to how that weapon worked so it's not a huge deal to not have one, especially once you hit level 3 Bard and get access to Defensive Flourish.

[@libero9613]

@@RozalinGaming pp

[@jonbullet5492]

does mutliclassing into a different class get you the proficiencies as well?@@libero9613

[@anemome]

Will superior darkvison make devil sight unnecessary?

[@RozalinGaming]

No. Superior Darkvision doesn't let you see in magical darkness.

[@almeriomitchell24]

Ok you lost me right at level 1. Why even bother changing stats here? So now are the ones i chose in creation right or these?

[@RozalinGaming]

The reason you may want to change stats when respeccing is because even 1 stat point can be worth a lot in D&D, and depending on your build, some stats can provide little-to-no value. Strength is a good example of a stat that isn't very useful for this build and thus is dropped to 8, allowing for those points to be allocated elsewhere. If you are looking to respec into a different build mid-game, chances are the stats you chose at character creation aren't optimal, and may have wasted points; it really just depends.

[@user-zt2kg5xt3g]

...? why fighter

[@RozalinGaming]

I provide my reasons for it in the video.

[@Yourebeautyfull]

He literally told you why bro: Action Surge.