Difference between revisions of "Class: Bard"

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(Design Notes)
(Class Features)
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! 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>
 
! 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>
 
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When you begin performing this ''song'', all allies affected by it may spend a ''healing surge''.
+
When you begin performing this ''song'', you and 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''.
 
You and all allies within range who spent a ''healing surge'' gain ''potency 2 fast healing''.

Revision as of 14:20, 26 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, you and 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

t20 v4.