The world will always need storytellers, minstrels and musicians. These adventurous souls wander the west, spreading news to outlying areas and entertaining many. Yet that barely scratches the surface of what drives these men and women.
Bards possess an insatiable need to know. They seek lost ruins, ancient texts and forbidden spells. To them life is about the journey, and they seek to learn and grow as much as possible. They just make sure to enjoy themselves along the way.
Bards are capable mages, though not as well versed as the mage or as deadly as the battlemage. They are also highly skilled, often having studied at universities or under famous court bards.
Hit Points Per Level: 8
Base Attack Bonus Per Level: .75
Class Skills: Acrobatics (DEX), Appraise (INT), Bluff (CHA), Escape Artist (DEX), Intimidate (STR, CHA), Knowledge (all) (INT), Linguistics (INT), Perception (WIS), Perform (CHA), Profession (WIS), Sense Motive (WIS), Sleight of Hand (DEX) and Stealth (DEX).
Skill Ranks Per Level: 8 + INT modifier
.
Class Features
Bards have access to the following class features.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A bard is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow and whip. Bards are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower).
Focus Attribute: Charisma, Intelligence or Wisdom
Spells: A bard may cast spells from any Aspect they possess, but one of them must be dream as this Aspect is required to take the class. All bard spells possess a verbal component, though the bard may whisper if they wish. To learn a spell the bard must possess a Focus Attribute of at least 10 + Spell Level. The DC of a bard’s spell is 10 + Focused Attribute Modifier + Spell Level.
A bard is a hybrid caster and gains 1 recovery and 2 spell points per level of the class. At 1st level they also gain a number of spell points equal to their Focused Attribute Modifier.
Bardic Knowledge: A bard adds half his class level (minimum 1) to all Knowledge checks and may make such checks untrained.
Bardic Performance: A bard may use the Perform skill to create magical effects on those around them. He may use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + Focused Attribute Modifier. At each level after 1st he gains an additional two rounds.
Starting a bardic performance is a standard action, but it can be maintained as a free action. Changing the effect of a performance requires a standard action. A bardic performance cannot be disrupted, but it ends if the bard is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious or otherwise prevented from taking a free action to maintain it.
At 6th level a bard can begin a performance as a swift action.
Each bardic performance has audible components, visual components or both. The audience must be able to see or hear the performance for it to have the desired effect.
Performance- Countersong: A bard may allow an ally to make a second save against any spell or spell like effect with a verbal component.
Performance- Distraction: A bard may allow an ally to make a secodn save against any spell or spell like effect with a visual component (such as illusions).
Performance- Fascinate: A bard may use his performance to fascinate one or more creatures. Each creature must be within 90 feet and able to see and hear the bard. The bard can fascinate one creature at 1st level, 2 at 3rd and 3 at 5th level.
Each creature makes a Will save DC 10 + bard level + Focused Attribute Modifier. If the saving throw fails the creature quietly observes the performance for as long as the bard maintains it. While fascinated the creature takes a -4 penalty to skill checks made as reactions, such as perception. Any obvious threat to the creature will break this effect.
Fascinate is a Dream based effect.
Performance- Inspire Courage: At 3rd level the bard may use his perforance to aid allies. They must be within 30 feet and able to hear his performance. The ally gains a +2 competence bonus on skill checks, and this bonus increases to +4 at 6th level.
Performance- Suggestion: At 4th level a bard may make a Suggestion (per the Dream spell) to a creature he has already fascinated. The subject makes a wil save (DC 10 + Bard Level + Focus Attribute Mod).
Performance- Dirge of Doom: At 5th level the bard can use his performance to frighten his enemies, inflicting the shaken condition upon them. They must be within 30 feet and able to hear the performance. This persists as long as the bard continues to perform and the enemies are within the radius of the perforance.
Performance- Inspire Heroism: At 6th level the bard may inspire greatness in himself and a nearby ally. This performance grants them 20 temporary hit points, a +2 competence bonus to attack and a +1 competence bonus to fort saves.
Performance- Frightening Tune: As Dirge of Doom, but inflicts the Frightened condition.
Versatile Performance: A bard may use any performance based skill in place of an associated skill. The associated skills are listed below:
Act (Bluff, Disguise), Comedy (Bluff, Intimidate), Dance (Acrobatics, Fly), Oratory (Diplomacy, Sense Motive), Percussion (Handle Animal, Intimidate), Sing (Bluff, Sense Motive), String (Bluff, Diplomacy), and Wind (Diplomacy, Handle Animal).
Well-Versed: At 2nd level the bard becomes resistance to the bardic performances of others. The bard gains a +4 bonus to saves versus bardic performance, sonic or language dependent effects.
Lore Master: At 5th level a bard becomes a master of lore. They may take 10 on any Knowledge check. In addition they may take 20 once a day.
Jack-Of-All-Trades: At 6th level the bard can use any skill even if this skill may normally not be used untrained. Further, he considers all skills class skills and may take 10 on them, even if this is not normally allowed.
