Bard (5E)

This article is for 5th Edition. See also Bard (oD&D), Bard (AD&D) & Bard (d20).

Bard Leveling Table

Level	Prof.	Features	C.K.	S.K.	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+2	B. Inspiration (d6), Spellcasting	2	4	2	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2nd	+2	Song of rest (d6), Jack of all trades	2	5	3	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
3rd	+2	Bard college, Expertise	2	6	4	2	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
4th	+2	Ability score improvement	3	7	4	3	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
5th	+3	B. Inspiration (d8), Font of inspiration	3	8	4	3	2	–	–	–	–	–	–
6th	+3	Countercharm, Bard college feature	3	9	4	3	3	–	–	–	–	–	–
7th	+3	—	3	10	4	3	3	1	–	–	–	–	–
8th	+3	Ability score improvement	3	11	4	3	3	2	–	–	–	–	–
9th	+4	Song of rest (d8)	3	12	4	3	3	3	1	–	–	–	–
10th	+4	B.Insp. (d10), Expertise, Magical secrets	4	14	4	3	3	3	2	–	–	–	–
11th	+4	—	4	15	4	3	3	3	2	1	–	–	–
12th	+4	Ability score improvement	4	15	4	3	3	3	2	1	–	–	–
13th	+5	Song of rest (d10)	4	16	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	–	–
14th	+5	Magical secrets, Bard college feature	4	18	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	–	–
15th	+5	B. Inspiration (d12)	4	19	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	–
16th	+5	Ability score improvement	4	19	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	–
17th	+6	Song of rest (d12)	4	20	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	+6	Magical secrets	4	22	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	+6	Ability score improvement	4	22	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	Superior inspiration	4	22	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

Features

Basic Features

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d8 per bard level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per bard level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: Light armor
• Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
• Tools: Three musical instruments of your choice
• Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
• Skills: Choose any three

Equipment

• A rapier, a longsword, or any simple weapon.
• A Diplomat’s Pack, or an Entertainer’s Pack.
• A lute, or any other musical instrument.
• Leather armor and a dagger.

Alternatively, you may ignore the equipment from your class and background, and start with 5d4 × 10 gp.

Spellcasting

Cantrips

You know two cantrips of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn additional bard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, learning a 3rd cantrip at 4th level and a 4th at 10th level.

Spell Slots

The Bard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your Spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn an additional bard spell of your choice at each level except 12th, 16th, 19th, and 20th. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the bard spells you know and replace it with another spell from the bard spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your bard spells. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell Attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast any bard spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a musical instrument as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.

Bardic Inspiration

You can use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest. Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.

Jack of All Trades

Starting at 2nd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus.

Song of Rest

Beginning at 2nd level, if you or any friendly creatures who can hear you make a performance, regain hit points by spending hit dice at the end of the short rest, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.

The extra hit points increase when you reach certain levels in this class: to 1d8 at 9th level, to 1d10 at 13th level, and to 1d12 at 17th level.

Bard College

At 3rd level, you delve into the advanced techniques of a bard college of your choice. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th and 14th level.

• College of Glamour
• College of Lore
• College of Satire
• College of Spirits
• College of Swords
• College of Valor
• College of Whispers

Expertise

At 3rd level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies. At 10th level, you can choose another two skill proficiencies to gain this benefit.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Font of Inspiration

Beginning when you reach 5th level, you regain all of your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.

Countercharm

At 6th level, as an action, you can start a performance that lasts until the end of your next turn. During that time, you and any friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. A creature must be able to hear you to gain this benefit. The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or silenced or if you voluntarily end it (no action required).

Magical Secrets

By 10th level, choose two spells from any class, including this one. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip.

The chosen spells count as bard spells for you and are included in the number in the spells known column of the Bard table.

You learn two additional spells from any class at 14th level and again at 18th level.

Superior Inspiration

At 20th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of Bardic Inspiration left, you regain one use.

Bardic Colleges

College of Glamour

Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

Mantle of Inspiration

At 3rd level, as a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to grant yourself a wondrous appearance. When you do so, choose a number of creatures you can see and that can see you within 60 feet of you, up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each of them gains 5 temporary hit points. When a creature gains these temporary hit points, it can immediately use its reaction to move up to its speed, without provoking opportunity attacks.

The number of temporary hit points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 8 at 5th level, 11 at 10th level, and 14 at 15th level.

Enthralling Performance

Starting at 3rd level, if you perform for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to inspire wonder in your audience. At the end of the performance, choose a number of humanoids within 60 feet of you who watched and listened to all of it, up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be charmed by you. While charmed in this way, the target idolizes you, it speaks glowingly of you to anyone who talks to it, and it hinders anyone who opposes you, although it avoids violence unless it was already inclined to fight on your behalf. This effect ends on a target after 1 hour, if it takes any damage, if you attack it, or if it witnesses you attacking or damaging any of its allies. 

If a target succeeds on its saving throw, the target has no hint that you tried to charm it. 

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. 

Mantle of Majesty

At 6th level, as a bonus action, you cast Command, without expending a spell slot, and you take on an appearance of unearthly beauty for 1 minute or until your concentration ends (as if you were concentrating on a spell). During this time, you can cast Command as a bonus action on each of your turns, without expending a spell slot.

Any creature charmed by you automatically fails its saving throw against the Command you cast with this feature.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Unbreakable Majesty

At 14th level, as a bonus action, you can assume a magically majestic presence for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated. For the duration, whenever any creature tries to attack you for the first time on a turn, the attacker must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, it can’t attack you on this turn, and it must choose a new target for its attack or the attack is wasted. On a successful save, it can attack you on this turn, but it has disadvantage on any saving throw it makes against your spells on your next turn.  

Once you assume this majestic presence, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.  

College of Lore

Bonus Proficiencies

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with three skills of your choice.

Cutting Words

Also at 3rd level, when a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.

Additional Magical Secrets

At 6th level, you learn two spells of your choice from any class. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip. The chosen spells count as bard spells for you but don’t count against the number of bard spells you know.

Peerless Skill

Starting at 14th level, when you make an ability check, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration. Roll a Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to your ability check. You can choose to do so after you roll the die for the ability check, but before the GM tells you whether you succeed or fail.

College of Satire

Unearthed Arcana

Bonus Proficiencies

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Thieves’ Tools. You also gain proficiency in Sleight of Hand and one additional skill of your choice. If you are already proficient with either of these, choose another skill proficiency for each proficiency you already have.

Tumbling Fool

At 3rd level, as a bonus action, you can tumble. When you tumble, you gain the following benefits for the rest of your turn:

• You gain the benefits of taking the Dash and Disengage actions.
• You gain a climbing speed equal to your current speed.
• You take half damage from falling.

Fool’s Insight

At 6th level, you can cast Detect Thoughts up to a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier. You regain any expended uses of this ability after completing a long rest.

If a creature resists your attempt to probe deeper and succeeds at its saving throw against your Detect Thoughts, it immediately suffers an embarrassing social gaffe.

Fool’s Luck

At 14th level, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration after you fail an ability check, fail a saving throw, or miss with an attack roll. Roll a Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to your attack, saving throw, or ability check, using the new result in place of the failed one.

If using this ability grants you a success on the attack, saving throw, or ability check, note the number you rolled on the Bardic Inspiration die. The DM can then apply that result as a penalty to an attack or check you make, and you cannot use this ability again until you suffer this drawback. When the DM invokes this penalty, describe an embarrassing gaffe or mistake you make as part of the affected die roll.

College of Spirits

Unearthed Arcana 2020: “Subclasses, Part 4”

Stories of the past are powerful; they hold lessons of history, philosophy, and magic. Bards of the College of Spirits seek the stories of those from beyond the material plane. Using gaming sets, they reach out to hear their stories, but the bards have no control over what story they find.

Guiding Whispers

3rd-level College of Spirits

You can reach out to spirits to guide you and others. You learn the guidance cantrip, which doesn’t count against the number of bard cantrips you know. For you, it has a range of 60 feet when you cast it.

Spiritual Focus

3rd- and 6th-level College of Spirits feature

Your practice of contacting spirits can employ special tools. You can use the following objects as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells: a candle, a crystal ball, a talking board, a tarokka deck, or a skull.

At 6th level, when you cast a bard spell that deals damage or restores hit points through the Spiritual Focus, roll a d6, and you gain a bonus to one roll of the spell equal to the number rolled.

Tales from Beyond

3rd-level College of Spirits feature

You reach out to spirits who tell their tales through you. While you are holding your Spiritual Focus, you can use a bonus action to expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and roll on the Spirits’ Tales table using your Bardic Inspiration die to determine the tale told. You retain the tale in mind until you bestow the tale’s effect or you finish a short or long rest.

You can use an action to choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you (this can be you) to be the target of the tale’s effect. Once you do so, you can’t bestow the tale’s effect again until you roll it again.

You can retain only one of these tales in mind at a time, and rolling on the Spirits’ Tales table immediately ends the effect of the previous tale.

If the tale requires a saving throw, the DC equals your spell save DC.

Spirits’ Tales

BI	Tale
1	Beast. You recite the tale of a clever animal. For 1 minute, the target has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and advantage on attack rolls against a creature if another enemy is within 5 feet of it, and that enemy isn’t incapacitated.
2	Warrior. You recount the story of a renowned duelist. Make a melee spell attack against the target as an attacking spectral warrior briefly appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target before vanishing. On a hit, the target takes force damage equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die + your Charisma modifier.
3	Friends. You recite the tale of friends who found each other in the afterlife. The target and another creature of its choice it can see within 5 feet of it regains hit points equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die + your Charisma modifier.
4	Runaway. You tell the tale of an adventurer that could escape any confinement. The target can immediately use its reaction to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. When the target teleports, it can choose a number of creatures it can see within 30 feet of it up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) to immediately use the same reaction.
5	Avenger. You recount the tale of an avenging knight. For 1 minute, whenever a creature the target can see within 30 feet of it is damaged by a creature, the target can use its reaction to deal force damage equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die to the attacker.
6	Hero. You speak the tale of an epic hero. Choose a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The target gains temporary hit points equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die + your bard level. While it has these temporary hit points, the target’s walking speed increases by 10 feet.
7	Fey. You recount the tale of a mischievous fey. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by you until the end of its next turn. The charmed target must use its action to make a melee attack against a creature other than itself that you mentally choose. The target can act normally on its turn if you choose no other creature.
8	Dark Spirit. You speak a dreadful tale of a slayer in the dark. The target becomes invisible until the end of its next turn or until it hits a creature with an attack. If it hits a creature with an attack during this invisibility, that creature takes necrotic damage equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die and is frightened of the target until the end of its next turn.
9	Giant. You speak of the deeds of a mighty giant. Each creature of the target’s choice it can see within 30 feet of it must make a Strength saving throw, taking force damage equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die on a failed save and is knocked prone. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw takes half as much damage and isn’t knocked prone.
10	Dragon. You breathe a poem of a wrathful dragon. The target magically spews fire from their mouth in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking fire damage equal to three rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
11	Celestial. You speak of the exalted deeds of a celestial. The target regains hit points equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die + your bard level, and you end one disease or a condition from the following list affecting the target: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, petrified, or poisoned.
12	Unknown. You utter an incomprehensible fable from a being beyond the stars. Choose a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or take psychic damage equal to three rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die, and the target is unable to speak any language for 1 minute.

Spirit Session

6th-level College of Spirits feature

You can channel spirits to gain insights into magic. You can conduct an hour-long ritual channeling spirits (which can be done during a short or long rest) using your Spiritual Focus. You can conduct the ritual with a number of creatures equal to your proficiency bonus (including yourself). At the end of the ritual, you temporarily learn one spell of your choice from any class.

The spell you choose must be of a level equal to the number of creatures that conducted the ritual or less, the spell must of a level you can cast, and it must be in the school of divination or necromancy. The chosen spell counts as a bard spell for you but doesn’t count against the number of bard spells you know.

Once you perform the ritual, you can’t do so again until you start a long rest, and you know the chosen spell until you start a long rest.

Mystical Connection

14th-level College of Spirits feature

Your connection to spirits has become semipermanent. Whenever you use your Tales from Beyond feature, you can roll a d6 and use it instead of expending a Bardic Inspiration die. You still use your Bardic Inspiration die for the tale’s effect, without expending it.

College of Swords

Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

Bonus Proficiencies

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor and the scimitar.

If you’re proficient with a simple or martial melee weapon, you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.

Fighting Style

At 3rd level, choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if something in the game lets you choose again.

• Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
• Two-Weapon Fighting: When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Blade Flourish

At 3rd level, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the turn, and if a weapon attack that you make as part of this action hits a creature, you can use one of the following Blade Flourish options of your choice. You can use only one Blade Flourish option per turn.

• Defensive Flourish: You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die. You also add the number rolled to your AC until the start of your next turn.
• Slashing Flourish: You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit and to any other creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die.
• Mobile Flourish: You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die. You can also push the target up to 5 feet away from you, plus a number of feet equal to the number you roll on that die. You can then immediately use your reaction to move up to your walking speed to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target. 

Extra Attack

Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Master’s Flourish

Starting at 14th level, whenever you use a Blade Flourish option, you can roll a d6 and use it instead of expending a Bardic Inspiration die.

College of Valor

Bonus Proficiencies

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor, shields, and martial weapons.

Combat Inspiration

Also at 3rd level, a creature that has a Bardic Inspiration die from you can roll that die and add the number rolled to a weapon damage roll it just made. Alternatively, when an attack roll is made against the creature, it can use its reaction to roll the Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to its AC against that attack, after seeing the roll but before knowing whether it hits or misses.

Extra Attack

Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Battle Magic

At 14th level, when you use your action to a cast a bard spell, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.

College of Whispers

Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

Psychic Blades

At 3rd level, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to deal an extra 2d6 psychic damage to that target. You can do so only once per round on your turn.

The psychic damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 3d6 at 5th level, 5d6 at 10th level, and 8d6 at 15th level.

Words of Terror

At 3rd level, if you speak to a humanoid alone for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to seed paranoia in its mind. At the end of the conversation, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of you or another creature of your choice. The target is frightened in this way for 1 hour, until it is attacked or damaged, or until it witnesses its allies being attacked or damaged. 

If the target succeeds on its saving throw, the target has no hint that you tried to frighten it. 

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. 

Mantle of Whispers

At 6th level, when a humanoid dies within 30 feet of you, you can magically capture its shadow using your reaction. You retain this shadow until you use it or you finish a long rest.

You can use the shadow as an action. When you do so, it vanishes, magically transforming into a disguise that appears on you. You now look like the dead person, but healthy and alive. This disguise lasts for 1 hour or until you end it as a bonus action.

While you’re in the disguise, you gain access to all information that the humanoid would freely share with a casual acquaintance. Such information includes general details on its background and personal life, but doesn’t include secrets. The information is enough that you can pass yourself off as the person by drawing on its memories.

Another creature can see through this disguise by succeeding on a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check. You gain a +5 bonus to your check.

Once you capture a shadow with this feature, you can’t capture another one with it until you finish a short or long rest.

Shadow Lore

At 14th level, as an action, you magically whisper a phrase that only one creature of your choice within 30 feet of you can hear. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. It automatically succeeds if it doesn’t share a language with you or if it can’t hear you. On a successful saving throw, your whisper sounds like unintelligible mumbling and has no effect.

On a failed saving throw, the target is charmed by you for the next 8 hours or until you or your allies attack it, damage it, or force it to make a saving throw. It interprets the whispers as a description of its most mortifying secret. You gain no knowledge of this secret, but the target is convinced you know it.

The charmed creature obeys your commands for fear that you will reveal its secret. It won’t risk its life for you or fight for you, unless it was already inclined to do so. It grants you favors and gifts it would offer to a close friend.

When the effect ends, the creature has no understanding of why it held you in such fear.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Musical instruments

In September 2015, Jeremy Crawford’s answer to a Musical instrument type question was “The PH has examples of musical instrument types on p. 154. They are lute, lyre, etc., not wind, strings. etc.”

This ignores the fact that while the PHB is not clear on what “type” means in the context of musical instruments, the DMG gives clear examples that type means what it has always meant before in D&D (Wind, String, Percussion, or Keyboard):

• “You must be proficient with wind instruments to use these pipes.” (Pipes of Haunting, p.185)
• “You must be proficient with wind instruments to use these pipes.” (Pipes of Sewers, p.185)

Furthermore, it should be noted that the 2017 Sage Advice Compendium (v2.2) does not include the 2015 answer, and neither the 2016 DMG errata (v1.1) nor the 2017 PHB errata (v1.22) make any changes regarding music instrument type.

Lastly, if—for arguments sake—one were to interpret “type” more narrowly to actually mean a specific instrument, where would that end? If a character is proficient in “drum” are they proficient with small drums (that one could call a hand drum) and large drums (that one could call a kettle drum)? If proficient in “flute” does that include the “longhorn” and “recorder” (each is described as a kind of flute) or would that require three separate tool proficiencies. Any interpretation that limits “type” to a specific instrument, invites a rabbit hole of “how similar do two instruments need to be to be the same ‘type’.” It also makes music instrument proficiencies vastly more specific, and thus limiting, than any other skill or proficiency in the game by a wide margin.

Birdpipes

Pan pipes or satyr pipes, also known as the shalm, these are sacred to Lliira and popular with wood elf and wild elf bards.

Glaur

Short, curved horns like a cornucopia. Played with valves, glaur sound like trumpets, while those without valves, known as gloon, have a more mournful sound.

Hand Drum

A double-headed skin drum fitted with handles along its side.

Longhorn

A Faerûnian flute of sophisticated make, found only in areas with skilled artisans, as in great cities or elven enclaves.

Shawm

A double-reed instrument similar to an oboe or a bassoon, popular with gnomes, who have developed some bellows-powered versions.

Songhorn

A recorder, a simple type of flute, usually carved from wood.

Tantan

A tambourine, a popular instrument with halflings and humans south of the Dalelands.

Thelarr

Also known as a whistlecane, a simple and easy-to-make wind instrument cut from a reed. They are so simple, in fact, that skilled bards frequently make and give them away to children—to the parents’ delight or regret.

Tocken

A hanging set of carved oval bells, usually played with a pair of light wooden hammers (or open handed). They are most common in underground cultures, where the resonant tones can carry.

Wargong

A metal gong, traditionally made from a shield, particularly the shield of an enemy. Both goblins and dwarves make and play wargongs, their sound echoing through tunnels in the Underdark.

Yarting

A southern instrument from Amn and Calimshan that is a Faerûnian analog to the guitar. Numerous variations have spread across the continent.

Zulkoon

A complex pump organ that originated with the zulkirs of Thay, who use it in the casting of their spells. It is considered to have a dramatic, but sinister, sound.

Background

Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards, pp. 29–32 (1786) by Joseph C. Walker

It was in this meeting of the Bards at Eamania, according to the venerable O’Conor,^[e] that the several Filean Gradations were instituted,^[f] viz. 1st. the Fochlucan; 2d. the Mac-Fuirmidh; 3d. the Doss; 4th. the Canaith; 5th. the Cli; 6th. the Anstruth; and 7th. the Ollamh. In no Filean college, from this period, could a Bard obtain the diploma of Ollamh or Doctor, till he had passed through the first six of those degrees; but soon as this, honour was conferred upon him, he was considered as qualified for any office in the state, and frequently became the minister, the friend and confidant of princes. “In days of old (says Faid’y mac Dair)^[g] each King chose a Filea for his companion,”—and again—“although it behoveth every man to instruct his prince, it is the particular office of the Ollamh Filea, for to him the prince gives the greatest attention.” But every collegiate did not arrive, in a stated time (as in our colleges at this day) to the highest, or 7th degree; he only advanced so far towards it as his abilities or application would bear him.

We will now proceed to give some account of the nature of those Filean gradations; and of the manner in which the Bards during their enjoyment of those degrees, were attended, protected and rewarded for their productions, either while stationary, or when they chose to peregrinate.^[h] In doing this, we shall take for our guide a Treatise on the Brehon laws, entitled, Seacbt ngraidh Fileadh.

1. The Fochlucan ^[i] was to be able to repeat thirty, (or according to the Breith-Neimhe, twenty) tales, if required, upon any of the festivals or public meetings. His reward was two heifers, or one large cow. He was to be attended for one day, and supplied with all kinds of necessaries; and if on a journey, he was to be attended by two men for five days. He was also to be furnished with a horse and a greyhound.
2. The Mac-Fuirmidh was to repeat forty tales, if required; and his reward was three milk cows. He was also to be attended for three days, and supplied with all kinds of necessaries; and to be waited on by three attendants, on all festivals and public meetings.
3. The Doss ^[k] was to repeat fifty stories, if required: And his rewards were variable, according to the nature of the poems or compositions he recited. Thus, one cow was his reward for that species of composition called Eomhan; a chariot of the value of three cows, for the species of poem denominated Anumhnach; and five cows for that which was styled Natha. He was to be attended by four learned men, and he and his attendants supplied with all kinds of necessaries.
4. The Canaith ^[l] was to repeat a certain number of stories also: and his reward was in some measure regulated by the nature of the compositions he recited, as was before mentioned of the Doss. He was to be attended by six men on all public occasions, and supplied with all kinds of necessaries for eight days; and protected from all accusations on account of debts or any other charge.
5. The reward of the Cli ^[m] was five cows and ten heifers. He was to be attended by eight students in poetry, or in the science he himself professed, and entertained for ten days; and he and his attendants supplied with all necessaries. He was also to be protected from all accusations of every kind.
6. The Anstruth ^[n] was to repeat for the Assembly half as many [175] stories of times past, as an Ollamh; two-sevenths of [50] stories on other subjects, and five-sevenths of [125] prime stories: His reward was twenty kine. He was to be attended by twelve students in his own science; to be entertained for fifteen days, and to be protected from all accusations during that time; and he and his attendants supplied with all manner of necessaries.
7. The Ollamh, or Chief Doctor of the Seven Degrees in all the Sciences, was to be skilled in the four principal branches of poetry, and to study in each of them for three years, He was to have in memory seven times fifty [350] stories, to entertain the Assembly. His reward was twenty milk cows, and he was to be attended by twenty-four men on all occasions, either at home or abroad; who were also to protect him, if occasion required. And he and his attendants were to be supplied with all kinds of necessaries for a month.

Notes

[e]	Lett. to the Author. Mr. O’Oconor gives this, rather as a conjecture, than a positive assertion.
[f]	Every order of the Filidhe bore the same name in the order of the Druids. Collect. de rebus Hih. No. 12, p. 533. Toland will not allow that the Bards belonged to the order of the Druids. Lett. to Lord Molesworth on Hist. of the Druids. Milton confounds the Bards and Druids: “Where your old Bards, the famous Druids lie.” —Lycidas. Count Algarotti seems to have fallen into the same error; he calls the Bards i successori degli antichi Druidi. Vide his Lett. al Signor G. T. Howe, in Mason’s Memoirs of Gray. The Bards survived, but did not succeed to the offices of the Druids.
[g]	In his Lessons for a Prince. Mac Daire was Ollamh Filea to Donough, the 2d son of Brien Boirmhe.
[h]	It was thus with the English Minstrels during the middle ages. “Not only all our Kings, but almost all our nobility and men of fortune, had bands of secular musicians or minstrels in their service, who redded in their families, and even attended them in their journies, for their arnufement. These domestic minstrels, besides their board, cloathing and wages, which they received from their masters, were permitted to perform in rich monasteries and in the castles of the Barons, upon occasions of festivity, for which they were handsomely rewarded.”—(Henry’s Hist. of Great Brit. vol. 5.)—And for which, I may add, Shakespeare calls them “Feast finding Minstrels,” in his Rape of Lucrece. When the Irish Filidhe during their peregrinations, composed panegyrics for those who entertained them, they were obliged, by an ordinance of their order, to devote one stanza at least, to their own tribe. —Vide O’Hall. Hist. of Irel. v. 1. p. 200.
[i]	The Fochlucan required only to be master of the elements of knowledge, such as the Greeks confined to their grammatica. The Mac-Fuirmidh arose to a higher class; and so on to the Ollaimh. —O’Conor.
[k]	The Doss, in the order of the Druids, were operators or executioners of a sacrifice, whence is derived the Latin Sacer-dos, a priest. The Filean-Doss were probably somehow concerned in this office. —Vallancey.
[l]	The Canaith or Cana, were probably kind of Choristers. Canadh and Canuim, to sing. —O’Brian’s Irish Dict.
[m]	Cli—hence Clerk.
[n]	Anstruth was so named from sruth, knowing, discerning, and an good, great. Sruth in the modern Irish; is a man in religious orders. —Vallancey.