Bard
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| Bard | ||||||||||
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| Hit Die | d6 | |||||||||
| Skills | 6 + INT | |||||||||
| Proficiencies | Simple Weapons, Longsword, Rapier, Shortbow, Shortsword, Light Armor, Shield | |||||||||
| Class Skills | Appraise, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft (All), Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (All), Listen, Move Silently, Parry, Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Swim, Tumble, Use Magic Device | |||||||||
| Requirements | ||||||||||
| Alignment |
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| Source: Player's Handbook, p. 26-30 | ||||||||||
A bard brings forth magic from his soul, not from a book. He can cast only a small number of spells, but he can do so without selecting or preparing them in advance. His magic emphasizes charms and illusions over the more dramatic evocation spells that wizards and sorcerers often use. In addition to spells, a bard works magic with his music and poetry. He can encourage allies, hold his audiences rapt, and counter magical effects that rely on speech or sound. Bards have some of the skills that rogues have, although bards are not as focused on skill mastery as rogues are. A bard listens to stories as well as telling them, of course, so he has a vast knowledge of local events and noteworthy items.
Class Features
| Level | BAB | Fortitude | Reflex | Will | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Bardic Knowledge, Bardic Music, Countersong, Fascinate, Inspire Courage (+1) |
| 2 | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Inspire Competence (+2) |
| 3 | +2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Haven Song |
| 4 | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | |
| 5 | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Inspire Defense (+2) |
| 6 | +4 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Cloud Mind |
| 7 | +5 | +2 | +5 | +5 | |
| 8 | +6/+1 | +2 | +6 | +6 | Inspire Courage (+2), Inspire Toughness (+1) |
| 9 | +6/+1 | +3 | +6 | +6 | Ironskin Chant |
| 10 | +7/+2 | +3 | +7 | +7 | Inspire Defense (+3) |
| 11 | +8/+3 | +3 | +7 | +7 | Inspire Competence (+4), Inspire Slowing (15%) |
| 12 | +9/+4 | +4 | +8 | +8 | Song of Freedom |
| 13 | +9/+4 | +4 | +8 | +8 | Inspire Toughness (+2) |
| 14 | +10/+5 | +4 | +9 | +9 | Inspire Courage (+3), Inspire Jarring |
| 15 | +11/+6/+1 | +5 | +9 | +9 | Inspire Defense (+4), Inspire Heroics |
| 16 | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +10 | +10 | Inspire Slowing (30%) |
| 17 | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +10 | +10 | |
| 18 | +13/+8/+3 | +6 | +11 | +11 | Inspire Legion, Inspire Toughness (+3) |
| 19 | +14/+9/+4 | +6 | +11 | +11 | Inspire Competence (+6) |
| 20 | +15/+10/+5 | +6 | +12 | +12 | Inspire Courage (+4), Inspire Defense (+5) |
Spellcasting
- See also: Bard Spells.
A bard casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the bard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a bard must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Charisma 10 for 0-level spells, 11 for 1st-level spells, and so forth). Starting at 8th level, and every three levels after, bards can replace one known spell with a new spell of the same level. The replaced spell must be two spell levels below what the bard can currently cast (1st level spell at 8, 1st or 2nd level spell at 11, 1st or 2nd or 3rd level spell at 14, and so forth). Bards do not suffer from arcane spell failure when wearing light armor. Medium and heavy armor, as well as all shields, still incur the normal failure chance.
Spell Progression
Bardic Knowledge
A bard may make a special bardic knowledge check with a bonus equal to his bard level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places.
- If the bard has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history), he gains a +2 bonus on this check.
A successful bardic knowledge check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a hint as to its general function. A bard may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random.
| DC | Type of Knowledge |
|---|---|
| 10 | Common, known by at least a substantial minority of the local population. |
| 20 | Uncommon but available, known by only a few people legends. |
| 25 | Obscure, known by few, hard to come by. |
| 30 | Extremely obscure, known by very few, possibly forgotten by most who once knew it, possibly known only by those who don’t understand the significance of the knowledge. |
