Subclass Bard College of Swords

What Is the College of Swords?

The College of Swords is a Bard subclass that trades the usual Bard support role for melee combat proficiency. Medium Armor, additional weapon training, and a Fighting Style at Level 3 give the Swords Bard a martial foundation. Blade Flourish channels Bardic Inspiration into weapon attacks with flexible effects — push, damage splash, or temporary AC. Extra Attack arrives at Level 6.

Class Features

Progression Overview

LEVEL	FEATURE
3	Blade Flourish, Fighting Style, Weapon Proficiencies
6	Extra Attack

Level 3

Weapon Proficiencies You gain proficiency with Medium Armor, Daggers, Sickles, Shortswords, Rapiers, Scimitars, and Longswords.

Fighting Style Choose Dueling or Two-Weapon Fighting.

Blade Flourish Three weapon attacks that spend one Bardic Inspiration die. Each is its own attack action, and each comes in a melee and a ranged version, so they work with whatever weapon you are holding. The die is only spent if the attack hits, and it is added to the weapon's damage.

FLOURISH	ON A HIT
Defensive Flourish	Weapon damage + your Bardic Inspiration die, and your Armour Class increases by 4 until the start of your next turn
Mobile Flourish	Weapon damage + your Bardic Inspiration die, and the target is pushed 6 m. You can then teleport to the target as a follow-up
Slashing Flourish	Weapon damage + your Bardic Inspiration die against up to two enemies at once

Level 6

Extra Attack You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Playstyle Notes

The College of Swords is the melee martial Bard. Blade Flourish at Level 3 is the defining mechanic — your attack becomes a Bardic Inspiration die spent for one of three effects. Defensive Flourish adds the die to damage and +4 AC, which is a large swing for a d8-hit-die class in melee. Mobile Flourish pushes the target 6 m and lets you teleport back onto it, which is as much a repositioning tool for yourself as a control effect. Slashing Flourish damages two targets for the cost of one Inspiration die.

With Font of Inspiration at Level 5 recovering uses on Short Rest, Blade Flourish is available throughout a dungeon rather than rationed per Long Rest. The Swords Bard functions as a secondary melee combatant with the Bard spell list as backup — less spell power than Lore, more damage than Dance, more martial options than Glamour.