Bard
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...
| Type | Base class |
| Hit die | d6 |
| Skill points | 4 + Intelligence modifier per level |
| Attack bonus | three quarters - 3 per 4 levels, +15 by level 20 |
| Strong saves | Reflex and Will |
| Spellcasting | Spontaneous |
| Alignment | Any non-lawful |
| Primary ability | Charisma |
How it works
- Bard and Skald levels do not add up for the song. The higher of the two is used and the other is ignored, so splitting between them buys nothing.
- Every number the song hands out is read off Perform.
- A pure Bard's Dirge is twice the dirge: 10 points of physical vulnerability instead of 5, and 2 points of armour class instead of 1.
Requirements
Alignment: any non-lawful.
What you gain, level by level
| Level | Gain |
|---|---|
| 1 | Shield Proficiency, Armor Proficiency (light), Armor Proficiency (medium), Weapon Proficiency (simple), Bardic Knowledge, Bard Song (and again at every level to 20) |
| 5 | Curse Song |
| 21 | Epic Bard |
| 23 | bonus feat (and again every 3 levels to 38) |
Spells
Spells are cast from a fixed list of spells known, without preparing them. The casting ability is Charisma.
How a save is worked out, and what a slot is actually spent on, are on Magic.
Spells a day, by spell level. A level that is not listed has the same allowance as the last one listed above it.
| 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 |
Spells known, by spell level.
| Level | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | 5 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | 5 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | - |
| 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - |
| 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - |
| 10 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
| 11 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
| 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - |
| 14 | 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 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 19 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 20 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Bonus feat choices
Each bonus feat is chosen from: Arcane Defense (any of 8), Epic Skill Focus (any of 26), Epic Spell Focus (any of 8), Epic Will, Extra Music, Great Charisma (any of 10), Great Dexterity (any of 10), Greater Spell Focus (any of 8), Greater Spell Penetration, Improved Combat Casting, Lasting Inspiration, Lingering Song.
Class skills
One point per rank instead of two: Appraise, Bluff, Concentration, Craft: Harvesting, Craft: Mastery, Craft: Speed, Discipline, Heal, Hide, Listen, Lore, Move Silently, Parry, Perform, Persuade, Pick Pocket, Ride, Spellcraft, Taunt, Tumble, Use Magic Device.
Races that favour it
Pixie (male characters), Wererat (female characters). A character of one of those races who stays single-classed in this one earns extra experience - see Character development.