Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →For a weapon-focused Bardlock, use College of Swords as the core and choose how far to invest in Warlock based on your difficulty and combat role. Bard 6 gets Swords Bard’s Extra Attack; Warlock 5 gets Pact of the Blade’s Deepened Pact. Those two attack features stack outside Honour Mode, but not in Honour Mode. Patch 8’s Hexblade also enables Charisma-based attacks with a bound weapon, but Hexblade and Pact of the Blade are separate choices.
Start with the Swords Bard milestones
College of Swords is the clearest foundation for a martial Bardlock: its features support weapon attacks while keeping Bard spells and utility in the build.
- Bard 3: You gain Blade Flourishes, which can add defensive, multi-target, or movement utility to weapon attacks. The subclass also provides medium armour proficiency and a fighting-style choice.
- Bard 6: You gain Extra Attack, the key martial breakpoint for this subclass.
If you want a Bard-led character and value Bard progression, reaching Bard 6 early is the straightforward route. Adding Warlock levels before that delays this subclass Extra Attack.
Understand what Hexblade and Pact of the Blade do
Hexblade: Charisma-based weapon attacks
Patch 8, released April 15, 2025, added the Hexblade subclass. Larian describes Hex Warrior as granting medium armour, shields, and martial weapon proficiency, along with Bind Hexed Weapon, which lets you use Charisma for attacks with the bound weapon. Larian’s Patch 8 announcement
#1 Best Overall
- Online multiplayer for up to four players - allows you to combine your forces in combat, and split your party to follow your own quests and agendas. Concoct the perfect plan together… or introduce an element of chaos when your friends least expect it
- Origin Character - offer a hand-crafted experience, each with their own unique traits, agenda, and outlook on the world. Their stories intersect with the entire narrative, and your choices will determine whether those stories end in redemption, salvation, domination, or many other outcomes
- Evolved turn-based combat - based on the D&D 5e ruleset. Team-based initiative, advantage & disadvantage, and roll modifiers join combat cameras, expanded environmental interactions, and a new fluidity in combat that rewards strategy and foresight
- Define the future of the Forgotten Realms - through your choices, and the roll of the dice. No matter who you play, or what you roll, the world and its inhabitants will react to your story
- Player-initiated turn-based mode - allows you to pause the world around you at any time even outside of combat. Whether you see an opportunity for a tactical advantage before combat begins, want to pull off a heist with pin-point precision, or need to escape a fiendish trap. Split your party, prepare ambushes, sneak in the darkness -- create your own luck!
Pact of the Blade: a separate level-5 attack feature
Warlock 5 grants Deepened Pact if you choose Pact of the Blade. That feature provides an additional weapon attack. Selecting Hexblade does not automatically grant Pact of the Blade or its Deepened Pact feature; the subclass choice and pact choice answer different build questions. BG3 Wiki: Deepened Pact
Choose your split by role and difficulty
| Build direction | What it prioritizes | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Bard 6 first, then Warlock | Swords Bard features and its level-6 Extra Attack sooner. | Reaching Warlock 5 and Deepened Pact later means delaying that feature. |
| Warlock 5, then Bard | Deepened Pact at Warlock 5, provided you choose Pact of the Blade. | You delay Swords Bard’s Extra Attack until Bard 6. |
| More Warlock levels | A more Warlock-heavy progression and greater investment in Warlock features. | You spend fewer levels on Bard progression. The sources do not establish a universally optimal split. |
The table describes feature timing, not tested damage or a measured performance ranking. Larian presents multiclassing as a way to experiment with class hybrids and playstyles, rather than identifying one best split. Larian’s Community Update #21
Rank #2
- Immersive RPG Experience: Dive into the highly-anticipated Baldur's Gate 3, a captivating role-playing game set in the iconic Dungeons & Dragons universe.
- Deluxe Edition: This premium edition includes the base game, exclusive stickers, and an official soundtrack to enhance your adventure.
- Epic Storytelling: Embark on an epic journey filled with complex narratives, challenging quests, and memorable characters.
- Tactical Combat: Engage in strategic, turn-based battles that require careful planning and execution of your party's abilities.
- Customizable Characters: Create and customize your own unique heroes, shaping their appearances, abilities, and personalities to fit your playstyle.
Know the Honour Mode restriction before planning three attacks
Outside Honour Mode, Pact of the Blade’s Deepened Pact Extra Attack can stack with another Extra Attack source, such as Swords Bard’s level-6 feature. In Honour Mode, the two do not stack. Therefore, a Bard 6 / Warlock 5 build can get the additional attack from both features outside Honour Mode, but you should not plan on that interaction in Honour Mode. BG3 Wiki: Extra Attack
This is a difficulty-specific interaction, not a general promise that every Bardlock will make three attacks. Custom rules or mods may also change how your game behaves; check the mechanics in your current setup. The detailed feature timing and stacking information comes from the community-maintained BG3 Wiki, while Larian’s Patch 8 announcement establishes the Hexblade feature summary.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
Rank #3
- Contains Enhanced Editions of Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II, & Siege of Dragonspear
- Baldur's Gate - Since its original release in 1998, Baldur's Gate has set the standard for Dungeons & Dragons computer roleplaying games.
- Baldur's Gate II - Continue a journey started in Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition or create an entirely new character in this isometric Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.
- Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear - Adds a new chapter to the Bhaalspawn saga. The events occurring between Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II are at last revealed in this 25-hour adventure.
Practical recommendation
- For a Bard-led weapon build: Prioritize Swords Bard 6 to get Blade Flourishes and then its Extra Attack breakpoint before investing more heavily in Warlock.
- For the Pact of the Blade attack feature: Plan to reach Warlock 5 and select that pact; Hexblade by itself is not a substitute.
- For an Honour Mode run: Decide between the classes’ progressions without counting on their Extra Attacks to stack.
- For a Charisma weapon route: Hexblade’s bound-weapon feature is relevant, but choose the pact separately if you want Deepened Pact.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
