Bard
Contents
Overview
Basics
Description: Bards often serve as negotiators, messengers, scouts, and spies. They love to accompany heroes (and villains) to witness heroic (or villainous) deeds firsthand, since a bard who can tell a story from personal experience earns renown among his fellows. A bard casts arcane spells without any advance preparation, much like a sorcerer. His magic emphasizes charms and illusions, and the bard can also play an inspiring song that strengthens him and his allies. Bards also share some specialized skills with rogues, and their knowledge of item lore is nearly unmatched.
Alignment Restrictions: Any non-lawful
Hit Die: d6
Proficiencies: Armor (Light, Medium), Shields, Weapons (Simple)
Skill Points: (Int modifier * 4 at 1st level) 4 + Int modifier
Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Concentration, Craft armor, Craft trap, Craft weapon, Discipline, Heal, Hide, Listen, Lore, Move silently, Parry, Perform, Persuade, Pick pocket, Spellcraft, Taunt, Tumble, Use magic device
Selectable Class Feats: Ambidexterity, Arcane Defense, Brew Potion, Craft Wand, Curse Song, Deflect Arrows, Extra Music, Greater Spell Penetration, Lingering Song, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Use Magic Device), Spell Focus, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Proficiency (Exotic), Weapon Proficiency (Martial)
Primary Saving Throw(s): Reflex, Will
Base Attack Bonus: +3/4 levels
Spellcasting: Arcane (Charisma-based, no spell preparation, spell failure from armor is a factor). Bards begin the game knowing four cantrips. Must have a Charisma score of 10 + the spell’s level to cast a spell.
Special Abilities & Feats
- Level 1 Bardic Knowledge, Bard Song
Spells
Cantrips
First level spells
- Amplify
- Balagarn's iron horn
- Charm person
- Cure light wounds
- Expeditious retreat
- Grease
- Identify
- Lesser dispel
- Mage armor
- Magic weapon
- Protection from alignment
- Scare
- Sleep
- Summon creature I
Second level spells
- Blindness/Deafness
- Bull's strength
- Cat's Grace
- Clarity
- Cloud of bewilderment
- Cure moderate wounds
- Darkness
- Eagle's splendor
- Fox's cunning
- Ghostly visage
- Hold person
- Invisibility
- Owl's wisdom
- See invisiblity
- Silence
- Sound burst
- Summon creature II
- Tasha's hideous laughter
- Ultravision
Third level spells
- Bestow curse
- Charm monster
- Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
- Confusion
- Cure serious wounds
- Dispel magic
- Displacement
- Fear
- Find traps
- Greater magic weapon
- Gust of wind
- Haste
- Invisibility sphere
- Keen edge
- Magic circle against alignment
- Remove curse
- Remove disease
- Slow
- Summon creature III
- Wounding whispers
Fourth level spells
- Cure critical wounds
- Dismissal
- Dominate person
- Hold monster
- Improved invisibility
- Legend lore
- Neutralize poison
- Summon creature IV
- War cry
Fifth level spells
Sixth level spells
Spells per Day
| Class Level | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| 2 | 3 | 0 | * | * | * | * | * |
| 3 | 3 | 1 | * | * | * | * | * |
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | * | * | * | * |
| 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | * | * | * | * |
| 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | * | * | * | * |
| 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | * | * | * |
| 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | * | * | * |
| 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | * | * | * |
| 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | * | * |
| 11 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | * | * |
| 12 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | * | * |
| 13 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | * |
| 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | * |
| 15 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | * |
| 16 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 19 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 20 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Known Spells
| Class Level | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| 2 | 5 | 2 | * | * | * | * | * |
| 3 | 5 | 3 | * | * | * | * | * |
| 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | * | * | * | * |
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | * | * | * | * |
| 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | * | * | * | * |
| 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | * | * | * |
| 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | * | * | * |
| 9 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | * | * | * |
| 10 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | * | * |
| 11 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | * | * |
| 12 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | * | * |
| 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | * |
| 14 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | * |
| 15 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | * |
| 16 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| 17 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 18 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 19 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 20 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Epic Bard
The epic bard's music is beyond inspiring, beyond heartrending, beyond perfection. With just a song, the bard can weaken the cruelest creature or inspire allies to the heights of power and bravery.
Hit Die: d6
Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier
Bonus Feats: The epic bard gains a bonus feat every three levels after 20th. In other words, at levels 23, 26, 29, 32, 35, and 38.
Epic Bonus Feats
Epic Selectable Class Feats
Notes
- Bards make effective Shadowdancers.
- Bards experienced in combat who have dragonblood running through their veins can become a Red Dragon Disciple
- Bards are supposed to be one of the more common character classes on Ysgard because there is always something Epic going on.
- Bards on Ysgard usually worship Olidammara
