Bard

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The bard is a storyteller, a singer and a scoundrel; making his way in life through his charm, talent, and wit and is glib of tongue, light of heart, and fleet of foot (when all else fails).

In precise historical terms, "bard" refers only to poets of Celtic extraction who recited genealogies and cursed bad kings with their sorcerous satires. However, the poet-musician is a universal feature of all cultures, whether he be called bard, skald, scop, minstrel, troubadour, or jongleur. Legendary examples include; Calliope, Orpheus, Taliesin, and Oisean.

A bard, by his nature, tends to learn many different skills. He is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. Bards can use the following weapons; club, all daggers, darts, wardarts, falchion, all knives, rapier, all slings, short-sword, arming sword, long-sword, and quarterstaff.

Like thieves, bards can wear; gambeson, scale, or adamantine maille. When wearing any allowed armour other than gambeson, the bard's abilities are penalised. He can wear a leathern cap or open helm.

All bards are proficient singers, chanters, or vocalists and can play a musical instrument of the player's choice (preferably one that is portable). Additional instruments can be learned using the proficiency rules; the bard can learn two instruments for every proficiency slot spent.

Bard Skills

Bard are adept in the following skills.

Bard Skills

Bardic Inspiration

A bard can sing a song to rally and enhearten his comrades when peril strikes, granting each of his companions a +1 bonus which can be used for any one roll, be it an attack, other action or saving-throw. Additionally, all allies within earshot have +2 bonus to morale for one hour. This ability can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier each day.

Silver-Tongue

The bard can also influence reactions of groups of NPCs. When performing before a group that is not attacking (and not intending to attack in just seconds), the bard can try to alter the mood of the listeners. He can try to soften their mood or make it uglier.

Everyone in the group listening must roll a saving throw vs. paralyzation (if the crowd is large, make saving throws for groups of people using average hit dice). The die roll is modified by -1 for every three experience levels of the bard (round fractions down). If the saving throw fails, the group's reaction can be shifted one level (see the Reactions section in the DMG), toward either the friendly or hostile end of the scale, at the player's option. Those who make a successful saving throw have their reaction shifted one level toward the opposite end of the scale.

Anti-Charm

Bards are also able to counter the effects of songs and poetry used as magical attacks. Characters within 30 feet of the bard are immune to the attack as long as the bard sings a counter song. While doing this, the bard can perform no other action except a slow walk. Furthermore, if he is struck or fails a saving throw, his effort is ruined.

Success is checked by having the bard make a saving throw vs. spell. Success blocks the attack, failure means the attack has its normal effect. This ability can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier each day.

Spellcasting

In their travels, bards obtain some knowledge of the arcane and thus are able to cast wizard spells. Because they are mere dabblers rather than dedicated sorcerers, a bard’s magical repertoire is more limited than that of a wizard’s, with fewer spells of immense destructive ability, and a greater focus on charms and enchantments.

Bard Spell-Slots per Level

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