Revision as of 23:45, 25 February 2017

The Bard
		Magic
Level	Special	Mana	Max Grade	Paths	Spells Known
1	Performance	3	Initiate	1	3
2	Song	6	Initiate	1	4
3		8	Initiate	2	5
4	Song	10	Apprentice	2	6
5		13	Apprentice	2	7
6	Song	15	Apprentice	2	8
7		17	Apprentice	3	9
8	Song	20	Apprentice	3	11
9		22	Journeyman	3	12
10	Bard Talent	24	Journeyman	3	13
11		27	Journeyman	4	14
12	Bard Talent	29	Journeyman	4	15
13		31	Journeyman	4	16
14	Bard Talent	34	Adept	4	17
15		36	Adept	5	19
16	Bard Talent	38	Adept	5	20
17		41	Adept	5	21
18	Bard Talent	43	Adept	5	22
19		45	Master	6	23
20	Bard Talent	48	Master	6	24

Bard

Elise, iconic bard

"Let me sing you the song of my people."

Some say that songs are magical, and that - rooted both within the mysteries of music and magic - there is common ground between them. Those that study the artistry of music find that, on occasion, they are able to conjure magic through means that seem otherwise entirely mundane. These are the bards, and while the extent of such magics are somewhat limited, they are relatively unique.

However, music is a cultural artifact, and as such, bards typically find themselves wandering the world, seeking out the sounds and stories of new cultures to add to their repertoires. As their understanding of the depths of music grows, so, too, does their understanding of the magic behind it, and they accrue some degree of magical talent. While never as powerful as a mage, bards can certainly hold their own in terms of spellcasting, and their ability to bolster their allies with song leads most bards to never want for adventuring companions.

Game Rule Information

Bards have the following game statistics.

Force Alignment: Magic.

Force Resistances: PR 5 + level, TR 5 + level.

Abilities: Charisma is the most important ability for a bard.

Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Con score.

Hit Points at Each Additional Level: 7 + Con modifier.

Healing Surges: 8 + Con modifier.

Defenses: Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +4, Det +0.

Starting Age: Simple.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the bard.

Proficiencies

Weapons: Any three.

Armor: Light, mystic.

Implements: Canes, wands.

Magic

Bards are casters, which means that they make use of spells, expressions of power ripped from the leylines that metaphysically cross the material plane. As casters, mages must expend mana to cast spells, a metaphysical resource produced by the strength of her will and personal conviction. So long as she is not actively engaged in spellcasting, the bard's mana replenishes naturally over time.

Magic Paths
Path	Secondary Ability	Description
Artifice	Cha	Artifice is the art of manipulating magical energies and binding them to items, or otherwise manipulating the magics inherent in objects.
Conjury	Wis	Conjurations heal creatures, weave protections of both physical and magical natures, and can conjure obstructions and barriers.
Malediction	Cha	Maledictions are baleful magics, impeding creatures or harming them in subtle ways, or even calling forth the dead.
Sorcery	Brv	Vulgar magics, sorceries are powerful but obvious, with a wide variety of effects with clear applications.
Thaumaturgy	Brv	Thaumaturgy deals with the direct manipulation of energies and the elements, giving the mage command over the forces of nature.
Wizardry	Wis	Subtle magics, wizardry is an art, one whose effects are incredibly varied, which often require clever thinking to utilize to their fullest.

Spells are a combination of the bard's will to modify the world and the power imparted by accessing leylines; as such, so long as the mage has sufficient mana to fuel the spell, it will always function. The mana, minimum Intelligence, and minimum secondary ability needed to use a spell are indicated on the table to the right.

Spell Stats by Grade
Grade	Minimum Intelligence	Minimum Secondary Ability	MP Cost
Initiate	11	10	1
Apprentice	14	11	4
Journeyman	17	12	9
Adept	20	13	16
Master	23	14	25
Archmage	26	16	36

The bard has an amount of mana at her disposal based upon his caster level, per the class table, above.

Although casting spells is mentally taxing, the bard's mana naturally replenishes over time. At the end of any turn on which she does not cast a spell, the bard regains mana equal to 10% of her maximum amount, minimum 1.

Many magic spells also have secondary effects that depend upon resonance. Your resonance value for a given spell is equal to your ability modifier for the spell's path's secondary ability. When you make a magical attack, if you hit by an amount equal to your resonance value or less, or if you miss by an amount equal to your resonance value or less, the target suffers the spell's resonance effect. Note that only spells that call for a magical attack use resonance.

The bard begins with three known spells. She gains knowledge of additional spells each level, as per the class table, above. At fourth level and every four levels after, she can trade out up to two spells for new spells from any path she can access.

If you would gain access to a path, you can choose to instead gain a bonus feat, which must be a feat for which you qualify. If you would gain access to a path and already have access to six paths, you gain a bonus feat instead.

The bard's key ability for his magical attacks is her Intelligence; if her secondary ability score for the spell's path is greater than her Intelligence, she can use that instead.

Performance

Although able to cast spells, the primary power of a bard is to channel magickal energies into song. By doing so, the music has significant supernatural effects, similar in nature to spells.

As a standard action, you can begin to perform a song. Maintaining a song after it is begun is a move action. A song affects you and all allies that can hear you within Medium range (100 feet). Due to the magickal nature of songs, you do not necessarily have to be in an environment that allows for the passage of sound (like underwater or in space), though supernatural effects that create silence will prevent the effects of your songs.

While you are performing, at the end of each of your turns, you lose mana equal to 10% of your maximum, rounded down, minimum 1, and you are considered to have cast a spell that turn. If you run out of mana, the performance immediately ends.

You gain knowledge of one song, chosen from the following list.

▶ Life's Anthem

When you begin performing this song, all allies affected by it may spend a healing surge.

You and all allies within range who spent a healing surge gain potency 2 fast healing.

▶ Mage's Ballad

All allies within range regain 5% of their maximum mana, rounded down, minimum 1, at the end of their turns.

▶ Swiftsong

You and all allies within range gain a +30 feat bonus to movement speed.

Feats

The following are a selection of feats that are relevant to bards.

Design Notes

The bard is probably sufficiently iconic that it warrants a class, not a job.

Also not entirely certain how I feel about the job concept. Think I'll blame the painkillers I was on at the time...

Class table is updated to t20 v4.

@@ Line 70: / Line 70: @@
 '''[[The_Forces#Force_Resistance | Force Resistances]]:''' PR 5 + level, TR 5 + level.
-'''Abilities:''' Charisma is the most important ability for a bard, as it modifies the Perform skill.
+'''Abilities:''' Charisma is the most important ability for a bard.
-'''Hit Die:''' d8.
+'''Hit Points at 1st Level:''' 10 + Con score.
-'''Class Skills:''' The bard's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Listen (Per), Perform (Cha), Search (Per), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Per), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
+'''Hit Points at Each Additional Level:''' 7 + Con modifier.
-'''Skill Points at Each Level:''' 6 + Int modifier.
+'''Healing Surges:''' 8 + Con modifier.
-'''Alignment:''' Any.
+'''Defenses:''' Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +4, Det +0.
-: '''''Ethos:''' Any.''
 '''Starting Age:''' Simple.
-'''Starting Gold:''' 5d4 x 10gp.
+==Class Features==
+All of the following are class features of the bard.
+<div id="Proficiencies">
+{| class="collapsible" width="98%" style="text-align:left; clear:both; font-size:75%; font-family:verdana;"
+! style="background:#DA5C5C;" align="left"|<div style="margin-left:15px;"><font color="white" style="font-size:13.5px; font-family:tahoma;">Proficiencies</font></div>
+|}
+'''Weapons:''' Any three.
+'''Armor:''' Light, mystic.
+'''Implements:''' Canes, wands.
+<div id="Magic">
+{| class="collapsible" width="98%" style="text-align:left; clear:both; font-size:75%; font-family:verdana;"
+! style="background:#DA5C5C;" align="left"|<div style="margin-left:15px;"><font color="white" style="font-size:13.5px; font-family:tahoma;">Magic</font></div>
+|}
+Bards are casters, which means that they make use of ''spells'', expressions of power ripped from the leylines that metaphysically cross the material plane. As casters, mages must expend ''mana'' to cast spells, a metaphysical resource produced by the strength of her will and personal conviction. So long as she is not actively engaged in spellcasting, the bard's ''mana'' replenishes naturally over time.
+&nbsp;
+{| class="collapsible" width="80%" align="center" style="border:1px solid silver; text-align:center; clear:both; font-size:75%; font-family:verdana;"
+! colspan="57;" style="background:#DA5C5C;" align="center"|<div style="margin-left:0px;"><font color="white" style="font-size:13.5px; font-family:tahoma;">Magic Paths</font></div>
+|-
+|width="10%"|'''Path'''
+|width="10%"|'''Secondary Ability'''
+|width="80%" align="left"|'''Description'''
+|-
+|Artifice || Cha || align="left"|Artifice is the art of manipulating magical energies and binding them to items, or otherwise manipulating the magics inherent in objects.
+|-style="background:#EDAEAE;"
+|Conjury || Wis || align="left"|Conjurations heal creatures, weave protections of both physical and magical natures, and can conjure obstructions and barriers.
+|-
+|Malediction || Cha || align="left"|Maledictions are baleful magics, impeding creatures or harming them in subtle ways, or even calling forth the dead.
+|-style="background:#EDAEAE;"
+|Sorcery || Brv || align="left"|Vulgar magics, sorceries are powerful but obvious, with a wide variety of effects with clear applications.
+|-
+|Thaumaturgy || Brv || align="left"|Thaumaturgy deals with the direct manipulation of energies and the elements, giving the mage command over the forces of nature.
+|-style="background:#EDAEAE;"
+|Wizardry || Wis || align="left"|Subtle magics, wizardry is an art, one whose effects are incredibly varied, which often require clever thinking to utilize to their fullest.
+|}
+&nbsp;
-'''Favored By:''' None.
+Spells are a combination of the bard's will to modify the world and the power imparted by accessing leylines; as such, so long as the mage has sufficient mana to fuel the spell, it will always function. The mana, minimum Intelligence, and minimum secondary ability needed to use a spell are indicated on the table to the right.
-==Job Features==
+{|class="collapsible" width="35%" align="right" style="border:1px solid silver; text-align:center; clear:both; font-size:75%; font-family:verdana;"
-All of the following are job features of the bard.
+! colspan="5;" style="background:#DA5C5C; text-align:center;" align="left"|<div style="margin-left:0px;"><font color="white" style="font-size:13.5px; font-family:tahoma;">Spell Stats by Grade</font></div>
+|-
+! width="22%"|Grade
+! width="28%"|Minimum Intelligence
+! width="34%"|Minimum Secondary Ability
+! width="16%"|MP Cost
+|-
+| Initiate || 11 || 10 || 1
+|-style="background:#EDAEAE;"
+| Apprentice || 14 || 11 || 4
+|-
+| Journeyman || 17 || 12 || 9
+|-style="background:#EDAEAE;"
+| Adept || 20 || 13 || 16
+|-
+| Master || 23 || 14 || 25
+|-style="background:#EDAEAE;"
+| Archmage || 26 || 16 || 36
+|}
-'''Performance (Ma):''' A bard is trained to use the Perform skill to create magical effects on those around him, including himself if desired. He can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + his Charisma modifier. At each degree after 1st, a bard can use performance for 2 additional rounds per day. Each round, the bard can produce any one of the types of bardic performance that he has mastered.
+The bard has an amount of ''mana'' at her disposal based upon his caster level, per the class table, above.
-Starting a bardic performance is a standard action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. Changing a bardic performance from one effect to another requires the bard to stop the previous performance and start a new one as a standard action. A bardic performance cannot be disrupted, but it ends immediately if the bard is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action to maintain it each round. A bard cannot have more than one bardic performance in effect at one time.
+Although casting spells is mentally taxing, the bard's ''mana'' naturally replenishes over time. At the end of any turn on which she does not cast a spell, the bard regains ''mana'' equal to 10% of her maximum amount, minimum 1.
-As all performances have an audible component, the targets must be able to hear the bard for the performance to have any effect, and many such performances are language dependent (as noted in the description). A deaf bard has a 20% change to fail when attempting to use a bardic performance with an audible component. If he fails this check, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Deaf creatures are immune to bardic performances with audible components.
+Many magic spells also have secondary effects that depend upon ''resonance''. Your resonance value for a given spell is equal to your ability modifier for the spell's path's secondary ability. When you make a ''magical attack'', if you hit by an amount equal to your resonance value or less, or if you miss by an amount equal to your resonance value or less, the target suffers the spell's ''resonance'' effect. Note that only spells that call for a ''magical attack'' use resonance.
-To use this ability, you must have Perform as a class skill, and must have at least 1 rank in it.
+The bard begins with three known spells. She gains knowledge of additional spells each level, as per the class table, above. At fourth level and every four levels after, she can trade out up to two spells for new spells from any path she can access.
-'''Inspire Courage (Ma):''' A 1st degree bard can use his performance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive the bard’s performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 3rd degree, and every two bard degrees thereafter, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +4 at 9th degree. This is a mind-affecting ability.
+If you would gain access to a path, you can choose to instead gain a bonus feat, which must be a feat for which you qualify. If you would gain access to a path and already have access to six paths, you gain a bonus feat instead.
-'''Bardic Lore (Ex):''' At 2nd degree, a bard adds half his bard degree (minimum 1) to all Knowledge skill checks and may make all Knowledge skill checks untrained.
+The bard's ''key ability'' for his ''magical attacks'' is her Intelligence; if her secondary ability score for the spell's path is greater than her Intelligence, she can use that instead.
-'''Inspire Competence (Ma):''' A bard of 3rd degree or higher can use his performance to help his allies succeed at a task. The allies must be able to hear the bard. All allies gain a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as they continue to hear the bard’s performance; the skill is chosen when the bard begins the performance. This bonus increases by +1 for every two degrees the bard has attained beyond 3rd (+3 at 5th, +4 at 7th, and +5 at 9th).
+<div id="Performance">
+{| class="collapsible" width="98%" style="text-align:left; clear:both; font-size:75%; font-family:verdana;"
+! style="background:#DA5C5C;" align="left"|<div style="margin-left:15px;"><font color="white" style="font-size:13.5px; font-family:tahoma;">Performance</font></div>
+|}
+Although able to cast spells, the primary power of a bard is to channel magickal energies into song. By doing so, the music has significant supernatural effects, similar in nature to spells.
-'''Inspire Greatness (Ma):''' A bard of 4th degree or higher can use his performance to inspire greatness in himself and all willing allies that can hear him. A creature inspired with greatness gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target’s Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells and other effects that are Hit Dice dependent.
+As a standard action, you can begin to ''perform'' a ''song''. Maintaining a ''song'' after it is begun is a move action. A ''song'' affects you and all allies that can hear you within Medium range (100 feet). Due to the magickal nature of ''songs'', you do not necessarily have to be in an environment that allows for the passage of sound (like underwater or in space), though supernatural effects that create silence will prevent the effects of your ''songs''.
-This ability requires the bard to expend a number of rounds' worth of performance equal to the number of creatures affected to activate, and the same amount to maintain it each round.
+While you are ''performing'', at the end of each of your turns, you lose ''mana'' equal to 10% of your maximum, rounded down, minimum 1, and you are considered to have cast a spell that turn. If you run out of ''mana'', the ''performance'' immediately ends.
-'''Inspire Action (Ma):''' A bard of 5th degree of higher can exhort any allies within hearing to a sudden surge of action, allowing them to immediately take an extra move action. This does not count against the ally's number of actions on his own turn.
+You gain knowledge of one ''song'', chosen from the following list.
-This ability requires the bard to expend a number of rounds' worth of performance equal to the number of creatures affected to activate, and the same amount to maintain it each round.
+<div id="Life's Anthem">
+{| class="collapsible" width="98%" style="text-align:left; clear:both; font-size:75%; font-family:verdana;"
+! style="background:#EDAEAE;" align="left"|<div style="margin-left:25px;"><font color="black" style="font-size:13.5px; font-family:tahoma;">▶ Life's Anthem</font></div>
+|}
+When you begin performing this ''song'', all allies affected by it may spend a ''healing surge''.
-: '''''Example:''' Elise has four allies within hearing range, and she wants to use'' inspire action''. To do so, she must expend five rounds' worth of Performance - one for herself, and one for each ally. Each round thereafter, she can maintain the music at the cost of five rounds' worth of Performance.
+You and all allies within range who spent a ''healing surge'' gain ''potency 2 fast healing''.
-'''Bard Talent:''' At 6th degree, and every degree thereafter, the bard learns to weave more enhanced magic with their music. Choose one of the talents below.
+<div id="Mage's Ballad">
+{| class="collapsible" width="98%" style="text-align:left; clear:both; font-size:75%; font-family:verdana;"
+! style="background:#EDAEAE;" align="left"|<div style="margin-left:25px;"><font color="black" style="font-size:13.5px; font-family:tahoma;">▶ Mage's Ballad</font></div>
+|}
+All allies within range regain 5% of their maximum ''mana'', rounded down, minimum 1, at the end of their turns.
-* ''Arcane Refrain (Ma):'' The Force effects of you and those allies who can hear you have their saving throw DCs increased by +1, plus an additional +1 for every three bard degrees you have (so +2 at 3rd, +3 at 6th, and +4 at 9th). This magical effect only has an effect on manifesters and students if you overcome their SR at the beginning of the performance.
+<div id="Swiftsong">
-* ''Battle Chant (Ma):'' The bard and all willing allies who can hear him gain a +2 morale bonus to attack rolls and a +4 morale bonus to damage rolls. For every two bard degrees you have, increase the bonus to attack rolls by +1 and the bonus to damage rolls by +2 (so +3 and +6 at 2nd degree, +4 and +8 at 4th degree, +5 and +10 at 6th degree, and so on).
+{| class="collapsible" width="98%" style="text-align:left; clear:both; font-size:75%; font-family:verdana;"
-* ''Cantus Firmus (Ma):'' The bard and all willing allies who can hear him gain ''mettle'' for so long as the bard performs.
+! style="background:#EDAEAE;" align="left"|<div style="margin-left:25px;"><font color="black" style="font-size:13.5px; font-family:tahoma;">▶ Swiftsong</font></div>
-* ''Extra Music:'' You gain an additional four rounds worth of Performance each day. You can take this talent multiple times; its effect stacks.
+|}
-* ''Finale (Ma):'' When you use ''inspire action'', you instead grant a standard action.
+You and all allies within range gain a +30 feat bonus to movement speed.
-* ''Life's Anthem (Ma):'' The bard and all willing allies who can hear him gain ''fast healing'' equal to the bard's bard degree + his Charisma modifier.
-* ''Lingering Performance:'' The effects of your bardic Performance continue for 1 round after you cease performing. Any other requirement, such as range or specific conditions, must still be met for the effect to continue. If you begin a new bardic performance during this time, the effects of the previous performance immediately cease. You can take this talent multiple times; each time you do, the effects of your Performance persist for an additional round.
-* ''Matador's Song (Ma):'' The bard and all willing allies who can hear him gain ''evasion'' for so long as the bard performs.
-* ''Nameless Song (Ma):'' When you start this performance and for each round you continue playing it, roll 1d6 for you and each ally affected. The result determines what effect occurs. Each effect has a duration equal to your bard degree in rounds, and persist even after you cease the Performance (that is, their duration is independent of the Performance). You can choose to expend an additional round of Performance each round you perform this song, to a total no greater than one-half your bard degree; if you do, for each additional round you expend, roll an additional 1d6 for each ally. Multiple effects of the same name at the same time have no additional effect, but gaining a status in a later round after having already gained it refreshes the duration.
-** 1 - no effect; 2 - ''reraise''; 3 - ''regen''; 4 - ''protect''; 5 - ''shell''; 6 - ''haste''
-* ''Requiem (Ma):'' All undead creatures that can hear you within 60 feet take 2d6/degree arcane and holy damage. Creatures so affected are allowed a Will save against DC 10 + your bard degree + your Charisma modifier; if successful, they take half damage.
-* ''Rousing Melody (Ma):'' The bard and all willing allies improve their initiative by the bard's Charisma modifier at the beginning of their turns. This ability requires the bard to expend a number of rounds' worth of performance equal to the number of creatures affected to activate, and the same amount to maintain it each round.
-* ''Soul Etude (Ma):'' When you first perform this song, and on each round you continue to perform it, you attempt to remove status ailments from willing allies that can hear you. For each status ailment you want to remove, you must spend one round of Performance. You cannot use this ability to remove the ''dead'' status.
-* ''Swift Ballad (Ma):'' The bard and all willing allies double their base movement speeds for all modes for the duration of this performance.
-* ''Swift Performance:'' You can begin a Performance ability as a move action, rather than a standard. You can take this talent twice; the second time you do, you can begin a Performance with a swift action, rather than a move.
 =Feats=

Difference between revisions of "Class: Bard"

Revision as of 23:45, 25 February 2017

Contents

Bard

Game Rule Information

Class Features

Feats

Design Notes

Navigation menu

Views

Personal tools

Navigation

Search

Tools