Every player class in Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition is designed to produce a potent character on its own, but that doesn't mean players would turn down some extra goodies on the side too. As most Dungeons & Dragons players have come to know and expect, the end of every boss fight or ancient ruin is usually a generous pile of gold and magical items for the party to loot.
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Some Dungeon Masters might try and tailor their D&D campaign's magical loot to the party's classes since any player can confirm that finding loot that nobody can use is a major disincentive.
Players of every class need to know which items to keep their eyes out for, and which magical items they can surrender to the other party member who wants them. To that end, these are some of the magical items that bards in the D&D 5th edition will definitely want to be equipped at some point in their adventures.
Updated on July 8th, 2021, by Kristy Ambrose: Now that the 5e expansion and a number of replated supplemental materials have been in use for some time, players and DMs have discovered even more of the best magical items for the Bard class. Remember that role-play can mean your Bard can be anything from a pirate to a college professor. Multi-classing a Bard might also change the nature of this list depending on whether a character is more of a healing class or a damage-dealer. Our current list has been updated with more information regarding one of tabletop gaming's most notorious and versatile classes.
- Source: Dungeon Master's Guide and Xanathar's Guide to Everything
- Location: Variations of this item exist, and therefore its exact location is determined by the DM
- Item Rarity: Uncommon to Legendary
- Modifiers: Use an Action to play the instrument and cast 1 of its spells once a day.
These are the most apparent magical items for the Bard it's fitting they're starting the list. Instruments of the Bard are designed with bards alone in mind, and they'll amplify the already considerable arcane powers that come with their musical ability.
There are seven Instruments of the Bard that exist, some that are rarer than others. All of these instruments give the Bard the ability to cast a number of useful abilities, though once the instrument has been used to cast a spell, it can't be used again until the next day.
On top of that, each instrument subtype has its own unique list of spells. Some, like the cittern or the mandolin, come with the ability to cast Cure Wounds (among a couple of other spells each), while the lyre can create walls of wind and fire, and the lute can protect from energy and poison. The most powerful of the instruments is the Legendary Ollamh harp, which can cast Confusion, Control Weather, and Fire Storm.
- Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
- Location: Crafted by a Level 6 Artificer
- Item Rarity: Uncommon
- Modifiers: Each creature must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become Frightened for 1 minute.
It's not the most thrilling or precious item you'll come across, but this magical item for a Bard possesses a handy magical ability, doesn't require attunement, and can be crafted by a fellow player. The Pipes Of Haunting aren't exactly hard to find, although acquiring them might depend on the kindness of your DM.
Upon playing the pipes, the eerie tune casts a spell that covers every creature within a 30-foot radius of the caster. It should be noted that creatures who can resist this musical magic become immune to its effects for 24 hours, so be wary when casting this spell on creatures with high Wisdom.
- Source: Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
- Location: The dungeon of Undermountain
- Item Rarity: Very Rare
- Modifiers: Gain resistance to fire and lightning damage and use an Action to cast Thunderwave as a 4th-level spell
Every arcane caster needs an arcane focus to go with. Usually, a character's arcane focus isn't something the player needs to think about overmuch. It's normally a simple matter of creating the character and declaring that they've got a special crystal or wand to serve as a conduit for the character's magic. After that, the focus is set.
However, should a Bard pick up a Blast Scepter, they could take their arcane focus game to the next level. The Blast Scepter can serve as an arcane focus, and while a character is attuned to it, they'll get resistance to fire and lightning damage. That's an incredibly handy item to have equipped, especially for a Bard regardless of build.
- Source: Affordable Arcana - Wondrous Items
- Location: Crafted by a Level 3rd caster
- Item Rarity: Uncommon
- Modifiers: Draw a card at random and throw it to the ground, and a major image of a creature is formed. The figment lasts until dispelled.
With a Deck of Illusions up their sleeve, the bard using them could very well take control of an entire combat encounter. With the full deck, this is a pack of 34 parchment cards, and drawing a card at random before throwing it to the ground within 30 feet of the user will result in a variant illusory effect.
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Depending on the card drawn, the bard might summon anything from a beholder to an entire illusory red dragon. The illusion can then be moved around to make it lifelike, though of course, any creature that comes into contact with it will discover its true nature.
The deck doesn't require attunement, so it's another great item for the bard to have in a pinch. Summoning fake, weird monsters to the battlefield to confuse enemies? That's right in a bard's wheelhouse.
- Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
- Location: Dungeon Master's discretion
- Item Rarity: Rare
- Modifiers: Contains up to 5 levels of spells, either divine or arcane, or even a mix of both spell types, that the wearer can cast without needing rest or material components.
Borrow all manner of spells from allies. The Ring of Spell Storing, as the name suggests, stores spells that are cast into it, so up to 5 levels' worth of spells can fit in the ring at a time. Any creature can cast a spell between the levels of 1 and 5 into the ring, and whoever is wearing it will be able to cast those spells with the same slot level, spell save DC, spell attack bonus, and spellcasting ability of the original caster.
That opens up a world of possibilities for the Bard who uses this ring, as the stored spells don't have to be theirs, making it one of the best magical items for the Bard. Another spellcaster in the party, even divine casters like the Cleric, could provide the bard with spells that they wouldn't otherwise get access to, expanding the Bard's utility in battle.
- Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
- Location: Dungeon Master's discretion
- Item Rarity: Uncommon
- Modifiers: Keep on your person to gain a +1 bonus to Saving Throws and Ability Checks
It should be pretty obvious why a bard (or any other character, really) might want a bit of luck in a tight spot. When attuned to, the holder of a Luckstone will get a +1 bonus to ability checks and saving throws. All in all, this one just makes all of the bard's many abilities and skills a little more doable, regardless of the situation.
Beyond those items, anything that extends a bard's Charisma-based abilities is great to have, since charisma is their top skill. Bards are masters of charm and magical manipulation, so a magical item that packs a little more into the Bard's punch is worth snagging from the party loot pile. So long as D&D 5th edition players know their character's strengths and weaknesses, they can pick out all of the magical items that complement and compensate as needed.
- Source: Xanathar's Guide to Everything
- Location: Dungeon Master's discretion
- Item Rarity: Common
- Modifiers: Use a Bonus Action to change the style, color, and quality of the cloak
This is a good item for a bard starting at lower levels. It's listed as a "common" wondrous item, so it shouldn't be too hard for the bard to come by. The Cloak of Many Fashions doesn't require attunement, and it allows the wearer to use a bonus action to change the style, color, and apparent quality of the cloak.
This magical item for the Bard is more limited than other disguise garments in that it can't be anything other than a cloak, but there's still plenty a clever enough Bard with a high enough charisma could do while roleplaying with this item.
Plus, because it doesn't take up an attunement slot, this can be used in a hurry even when the bard is using all their slots to attune to other items unlike the more powerful hat of disguise, which casts the Disguise Self spell but needs attuning to do so.
- Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
- Location: Dungeon Master's discretion
- Item Rarity: Rare
- Modifiers: +1 bonus to AC, plus use a Bonus Action to make this armor appear as normal clothing
Generally, bards in any D&D subclass can wear some armor. Nothing too heavy, but a little extra protection. To that end, a suit of Glamoured Studded Leather is one of the best magical items for the Bard as far as armor is concerned. The armor grants a +1 bonus to your armor class, and the wearer can use a bonus action to have the armor take on the appearance of another type of armor or normal clothing.
The armor still weighs the same, as the effect is illusory, but it's great for disguises. Adding in the fact that the armor's uses are unlimited and that it doesn't require attunement, this is an item that players with bards should definitely keep their eyes out for.
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- Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
- Location: Dungeon Master's discretion
- Item Rarity: Uncommon
- Modifiers: Increases your skill at picking locks and pickpocketing
Bards may not be the equivalent of a Rogue, it's true, but in the absence of a party rogue, or in the case that the rogue is busy for whatever reason, a bard can make a pretty great substitute. They're designed to be the jack-of-all-trades class, and that generally allows bards to use their abilities and subclass to fill in whatever holes the party has in terms of skills.
Thus, a Bard might need some Gloves of Thievery. These gloves grant the wearer a +5 bonus to Sleight of Hand checks and dexterity checks made to pick locks. Rogues are known for their thieving ability, but they don't have to be the only ones.