The Bards College: A Comprehensive Guide to Skyrim's Musical Academy

The Bards College in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is more than just a location; it's a gateway to a unique gameplay experience filled with quests, lore, and the power of music. Located in Solitude, this guild welcomes bards, poets, and public speakers, offering a place to hone their skills and embark on new adventures. This guide provides a detailed look into the Bards College, covering everything from joining the college and completing quests to exploring its hidden secrets and utilizing the new features introduced by the Bards College Expansion Creation.

Joining the Bards College

Aspiring bards can find the college located next door to Proudspire Manor, near the Blue Palace inside the walls of Solitude. Upon arriving, seek admittance from Viarmo, the Headmaster of the Bards College. As is tradition, new bards must perform a service to the college before being admitted. Viarmo will ask you to help him reinstate the festival by retrieving a document lost long ago: an epitaph written at the ancient time of King Olaf's passing, which he believes will help change the Jarl's mind. This quest, "King Olaf's Verse", sends you to Dead Men's Respite to retrieve the missing verses from a poem about King Olaf One-Eye.

However, some of the verses are faded beyond readable, so the Dragonborn and Viarmo will have to "reconstruct" the poem by making up some lines so that Solitude's Jarl can be convinced to allow the burning of Olaf event. Once retrieved, return to Viarmo. You must help him fill in the gaps that are rampant in the document. After completing this task, you will be welcomed as a member of the Bards College.

Life at the Bards College

After becoming a member of the guild, items can be freely used or taken from the college. The College contains no loot of immense value, but does contain many books. The teachers at the College will see the Dragonborn as an "adventuring type" and ask them to search for misplaced items and artifacts. The primary reward for joining the college is actually three of its miscellaneous quests, which together grant +1 to every skill (18 points overall).

Notable Locations within the College

The Bards College, though large, contains few notable items. Three barrels can be found on the corner of the courtyard across from the entrance. The building itself has two entrances, the main entrance via the courtyard and the rear entrance that enters into the basement near the kitchen and student's quarters.

Reception Area: Entry from the courtyard brings you into a reception area with a wooden bench against the northeast wall; in front of this is a low table holding a platter with a bunch of lavender on top and a bowl of red and green apples, while against the southwest wall is a set of shelves and a small unit with a blue mountain flower on a shelf and a red mountain flower in a pot. To the southeast is a stairwell with stairs leading up to the top floor to the practice and lecture rooms and down to the basement to the kitchen and student's quarters. There is a red mountain flower on the end of the banister, in a pot, behind a large plant.
Library: The library contains many common books on various bookcases, with tables and chairs arranged around the room. Some of the less common books found in the library include Feyfolken II, The Wild Elves, N'Gasta! Kvata! Kvakis!, On Stepping Lightly and The Aetherium Wars, which if you haven't read a copy previously will initiate a quest to investigate Arkngthamz, a Dwemer ruin located in The Reach. There is also a copy of The Legend of Red Eagle which will initiate a misc quest to find red eagle's sword. After starting a quest for Lami to find a rare book, a copy of it, the Alchemy skill book Song of the Alchemists can be found on the counter in the library.
Viarmo's Bedroom: To the northeast of the reception area is an internal wall with a small cupboard against it, following the corridor to the northwest, past two more cupboard, one on either side of the corridor, the first has a bunch of lavender on a shelf above it. The door at the end of the corridor leads into the bedroom belonging to Viarmo, which contains a double four-poster bed coming out from the northwest wall with an end table on either side and a long unlocked chest containing random items at the foot of the bed. Against the southwest wall is an open crate, behind the door containing a potion of minor stamina and a bunch of lavender, further to the right is a narrow wooden table with a platter holding two baked potatoes, a sweet roll and a couple of pieces of cheese and a plate of red and green apples. Against the northeast wall is a small wardrobe containing fine clothes and with a bunch of lavender on top. There is a washbasin to the right and a narrow wooden table beside that. In the eastern corner of the room is a dressing area with a cupboard against the northeast wall, with a small coin purse on top and a wall shelf holding an unlocked chest containing leveled items above it. Opposite this against the southwest wall are two tall wardrobe containing a mixture of fine clothes and clutter.
Pantea Ateia's Bedroom: From the previous corridor there is another bedroom to the northeast belonging to Pantea Ateia with a narrow wooden table outside against the northwest wall. This room contains a double bed coming out from the northwest wall with a small wardrobe on either side and a washbasin to the right in front of a basket containing a small coin purse. Against the southwest wall is a narrow wooden table with a bowl of bread, a plate holding a sliced eidar cheese, an iron dagger and a bunch of lavender on top. Above this is a wall shelf holding a bunch of juniper berries and a deathbell flower.
Inge Six Fingers' Bedroom: The next bedroom along to the southeast belongs to Inge Six Fingers. It contains a large single bed coming out from the northeast wall with an end table to the right. Against the southeast wall are two wall shelves holding a potion of plentiful healing and a bunch of lavender. To the right of these is a narrow wooden table, while against the southwest wall is a wooden bench and corner shelf that holds a potion of resist fire. Against the northwest wall are two pairs of bookcases separated by two more coming out from the wall. There bookcases hold a total of thirty-nine common books, including a copy of Walking the World, Vol XI, which will update your map if you haven't discovered all of the places mentioned in and around Solitude. There are also two less common books, Charwich-Koniinge Letters, v1 and Invocation of Azura, a potion of extreme magicka, a potion of extreme stamina and a solution of strength.
Giraud Gemane's Bedroom: The last bedroom on this floor belongs to Giraud Gemane and is next door to the southeast of Inge Six Fingers' bedroom. It contains a single bed coming out diagonally from the southern corner with an end table to the right and an open crate at the foot of the bed. Against the southeast wall is a small wardrobe containing fine clothes and with a potion of lasting potency, a common book and a bunch of tundra cotton on top. Against the northeast wall is a wooden bench, while against the northwest wall are two wall shelves, both with a lute, above a narrow wooden table. To the right are two sets of shelves holding a collection of flutes, drums, a lute and three common books. In front of these is a low table and chair with a sprig of snowberries and a bunch of lavender on top of the table and another drum on the floor in the northern corner.
Top Floor Balcony: At the top of the stairs there is a small cupboard on the left with a red mountain flower in a pot on top. Opposite the stairs in a small balcony that overlooks the reception area with a large planter holding two deathbell plants and an open crate containing ten common books. There is a second cupboard next to a wooden bench at the rear of the balcony, over the stairs. To the northeast there is a cupboard against the southeast wall with an open crate containing three more common books, opposite a small storeroom, which contains a small cupboard against the northwest wall and two sets of shelves against the northeast wall. These hold two quicksilver ingots, while opposite against the southwest wall are a stack of crates and a couple of rugs.
Main Lecture and Practice Room: The main lecture and practice room has a lectern on a raised dais at the northeastern end of the room over looking three wooden benches facing it. In the northern corner of the room is a planter containing a dragon's tongue plant, with a potion of health hidden among the leaves. Against the southwest wall are two wall shelves holding three common books, while against the northeast wall are two more wooden benches, with two more against the southeast wall separated by two pairs of bookcases back-to-back coming out from the middle of the southeast wall holding a total of thirty common books, including An Explorer's Guide to Skyrim which adds map markers for The Guardian Stones, The Lover Stone, The Ritual Stone and The Shadow Stone. Some of the less common books on these shelves include a copy of The Pig Children, The Seed, Feyfolken I, a copy of the Speech skill book The Buying Game and a copy of Lost Legends which, if you haven't already initiated the quest will add a map marker and direct you to Folgunthur. There is also a low table in the eastern corner of the room with three common books on top.
Second Lecture Room: To the southwest in the corridor there are two small cupboards against the southeast wall, opposite two narrow wooden tables with three common books, a purple mountain flower and a bowl containing a sprig of snowberries on top. The main lecture and practice room at the end of the corridor has a lectern on a raised dais facing three wooden benches that have several drums and flute on them, to the southeast. There is a planter containing a deathbell plant in the northern corner, next to a narrow wooden table which has a sprig of snowberries on top against the northeast wall. At the rear of the room there is a set of shelves coming out from the southeast wall holding a couple of drums, a flute and a lute, with a planter containing two deathbell plants to the left and a wooden bench to the right. In the eastern corner there is a basket containing a potion of minor stamina, with a small cupboard to the left, against the northeast wall with a lute on top.
Open Area near the Kitchen: Descending the stairs leads to an open area with two clusters of seating arranged around low tables and two small cupboards, one against the northeast wall and the other against the southwest wall.
Kitchen: To the southwest is a large opening into the kitchen where Bendt spends his days. It contains four long wooden tables, one against the against the southeast wall has a baked potato and two salmon steaks on top. One against the northwest wall has a bottle of alto wine and two more salmon steaks on top and a rack hanging above from the wall holding a garlic braid, two bunches of dried elves ear and a bunch of dried frost mirriam. The third is in the middle of the room between the other two and has a baked potato, two salmon steaks, two loose septims and a platter holding another two baked potatoes, a sweet roll and two pieces of goat cheese. The fourth table appears to be used for preparing food and is in front of the oven on the southwest wall. There is another baked potato and an empty pot in the oven, while on the table there are a carrot, a leek, three tomatoes, two potatoes, two bulbs of garlic, three fillets of salmon meat, a sheaf of wheat and a goat cheese wedge. In the eastern corner is a large round table and chair with a plate of bread and cheese on the table. Against the northwest wall is a small unit holding a bottle of alto wine, two bottles of Honningbrew mead and a bottle of Black-Briar mead, while in the southern corner are two sets of shelves holding four red apples, a seared slaughterfish, a salmon steak, a fillet of salmon meat, a slaughterfish egg, a rock warbler egg, five garlic bulbs, a gourd, two loaves of bread, a potato and several pieces of cheese.
Bendt's Bedroom: To the right of these is a doorway to Bendt's L-shaped bedroom which contains a tall wardrobe against the southwest wall, with a dresser to the right that has a plate of bread and cheese on top. To the northeast is an area with several food sacks on the floor, while around the corner to the southeast there is a stack of crates and a small cupboard flanking the rear entrance.
Student's Quarters: To the northwest is the student's quarters with a row of four single beds all coming out from the southwest wall, with a small table beside each of them and partitions separating each of them. The small tables have either a common book or small item of food on each.

Quests at the Bards College

Although there are a handful of quests associated with the Bards College, it does not have a true quest line. For example, there is no knotwork specific to the Bards College, your game statistics do not have a separate category for tracking these quests, and there are no achievements for entering the college or finishing its quests. The teachers at the College will see the Dragonborn as an "adventuring type" and ask them to search for misplaced items and artifacts. These quests typically involve:

Delivery: Delivering an item to an associate.
Rare Gifts: Doing a favor by finding a rare item.
Collecting the Edda: Collecting the parts of the Poetic Edda.

Bards College Expansion: New Features and Content

The Bards College Expansion, a Creation released via the Verified Creator Program for Special Edition by Kinggath Creations, enriches the Bards College experience with new quests, mechanics, and characters. It is available for 1000 credits on Xbox and PC. This expansion introduces a more in-depth system for bards, allowing players to truly immerse themselves in the world of music and storytelling.

Getting Started with the Expansion

The main plot of Bards College Expansion starts after you accept a quest from Viarmo, within the Bards College in Solitude. This Creation is designed to introduce you organically to the various systems as you play. After completing Viarmoâs quest and joining the College, Helvana will approach you and introduce you to the new teachers who will guide you through all of the new stories and systems that make up the Bards College Expansion. One of those characters is Archbard Sledrig.

New Mechanics and Systems

The Bards College Expansion introduces several new mechanics that enhance the gameplay experience:

Instruments and Performances: The instrument he gives you can be found in the Apparel category and can be Favorited and Equipped. While playing, you can move freely, jump, and even use Shouts and powers! Right Attack will change the song you are playing. Sheathe/Unsheathe will toggle your character between the sheathed weapon and unsheathed weapon pose. While in unsheathed pose, your companions will un-sheath their weapon, your camera will stay tight behind your character, and the song change action will be available as described above. Become the Soundtrack â The mountains will come alive as you play your instruments on the open road.
Ballads of Your Accomplishments: As you complete major questlines, you may speak to Olvus. He will then invite you to choose how you acted during the questline. As Ballads are written, thereâs a chance that in major cities youâll find a team of Bards singing them in town squares. Your Deeds Immortalized in Song â Spread your reputation throughout the province with song.
Duels of Wit: Each insult has a corresponding retort that both matches the context and rhymes with the insult. Peras will teach you a small handful of insults, and a couple of retorts. Your goal in a Duel of Wit is to insult your opponent with a line they donât know the retort to. Certain races are unfamiliar with the cultural insults of others. Each bard you come across that will play the Duel of Wit will have a rank.
Emissary Quests: When completing Emissary quests, your goal is to pay attention to the types of things the people you are speaking to are saying, consider your objective, and try and guide that person in that direction. Learning who will respond to what requires carefully paying attention to what is said, the tone itâs said in, and your particular objective. Sometimes you may want a positive reaction, other times a negative, sometimes you want to keep things emotionless.
Relic Hunting: Tyriana offers a special service in this realm: finding locations and relics.

Shout Enhancements

As Bards are masters of their voice, it is only appropriate that a wielder of The Voice â the Dragonborn â could leverage this mastery to greatest effect. Since some players enjoy bypassing the base gameâs main story, the rest of the content of the Bards College Expansion does not require doing so. The main quest generally only gates Shout-related mechanics.

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These enhancements come in the form of inventory items called Resonating Crystals. Unlocking these enhancements requires using the Shout near a Resonating Crystal in a particular location which youâll learn about during the main quest which captures its essence. Each Shout may have one active enhancement at any given time, if you have multiple crystals that affect a particular Shout, removing them all from your inventory and picking up just the one you want will make that one active.

Chanting System

Epic Vocal Training â Wield a new type of weapon to string your Shouts together to compose a devastating Chant. Equipping the Chant will set your Shout to the first in the series that make up the chant. After using the Shout, if you then use a Cadence Rod, your Shout cooldown will reset and the next Shout in the series will be queued up. Chanting creates a powerful new combat style using Shouts as a key component for offense or utility. During the main quest youâll be granted a new power: Chant of Ravaging. Each time you capture the three Shouts that make up a Chant in Resonating Crystals, youâll find the corresponding book to teach the chant on an altar nearby.

Bardic Inspiration

Youâll eventually find a stone mural that is reminiscent of a constellation. Rather than using your normal skill points, youâll use Bardic Inspiration as a currency.

Dungeon Exploration

Bards College Expansion includes new dungeons with some new mechanics for its puzzles. The first section explains the various crystals that are used to mark your path or are used in puzzles and obstructions. To help those of you who find yourselves lost in either, I'll start with a tip: Follow the crystal lanterns. When found in our dungeons mounted to pillars, statues, and chains, these crystals react to the Unrelenting Force shout. This crystal will emanate a pulsing sound as you get near it. While within its range your shout cooldown will rapidly recover, allowing you to reuse the same shout multiple times in a row. This type of crystal has trapped magical energy inside. Using the Earthsong shout close to these will shatter them, sometimes releasing the spirit trapped within.

Known Issues and Bugs

Like any expansive addition to Skyrim, the Bards College Expansion is not without its potential issues:

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Save Load Bug: Sometimes, when attempting to load a save that relies on this Creation, you will get a notification claiming that the expansion is not downloaded and prompting you to reinstall it. This occurs even if you have the creation installed. Whether you choose to 'download' Bards College Expansion or not, when you load your save your character will keep drawing their weapon automatically even if you attempt to sheathe it. Your character may also be transported to random locations with all of their equipment removed while they suffer from this bug. There is no known fix for this problem.
Quest Item Bug: For the three quests involving the retrieval of instruments, the script for removal of the quest items from one's inventory at the completion of the quest is bugged. As such, these items will permanently be in your inventory (they're flagged as Quest items). Owners of the PC version of Skyrim can use console commands to remove these items from their inventory. The Official Skyrim Patch, version 1.4, fixes this bug.
Investigate the Bards College Bug: Sometimes the objective "Investigate the Bards College" cannot be completed. Starting this quest after you have already joined the Bards College will make this quest incompletable, permanently leaving this task in your quest journal. The quest indicator points at the quest target but no dialogue options are present. You can clear the "Investigate the Bards College" quest by typing SetObjectiveCompleted MS05Start 10 1 into the console. The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 1.0, fixes this bug.
Battle for Solitude Bug: After completing Battle for Solitude, the Imperial banners don't change for the Stormcloak ones.

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