Bard

Class Summary
Solo ability: Challenging

Alignment: Any Non-Lawful

Hit die: d6

Class Skills

 * Skill points at 1st level: (6 + Intelligence modifier) x4


 * Skill points at each additional level: 6 + Intelligence modifier




 * [[Image:Skill_balance.png‎|25px]]
 * Balance (Dex)
 * [[Image:Skill_bluff.png‎|25px]]
 * Bluff (Cha)
 * [[Image:Skill_concentration.png‎|25px]]
 * Concentration (Con)
 * [[Image:Skill_diplomacy.png‎|25px]]
 * Diplomacy (Cha)
 * [[Image:Skill_haggle.png‎|25px]]
 * Haggle (Cha)
 * [[Image:Skill_hide.png‎|25px]]
 * Hide (Dex)
 * [[Image:Skill_jump.png‎|25px]]
 * Jump (Str)
 * [[Image:Skill_listen.png‎|25px]]
 * Listen (Wis)
 * [[Image:Skill_movesilently.png‎|25px]]
 * Move Silently (Dex)
 * [[Image:Skill_perform.png‎|25px]]
 * Perform (Cha)
 * [[Image:Skill_swim.png‎|25px]]
 * Swim (Str)
 * [[Image:Skill_tumble.png‎|25px]]
 * Tumble (Dex)
 * [[Image:Skill_usemagicdevice.png‎|25px]]
 * Use Magic Device (Cha)
 * }
 * [[Image:Skill_perform.png‎|25px]]
 * Perform (Cha)
 * [[Image:Skill_swim.png‎|25px]]
 * Swim (Str)
 * [[Image:Skill_tumble.png‎|25px]]
 * Tumble (Dex)
 * [[Image:Skill_usemagicdevice.png‎|25px]]
 * Use Magic Device (Cha)
 * }
 * [[Image:Skill_usemagicdevice.png‎|25px]]
 * Use Magic Device (Cha)
 * }
 * }

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:



 * [[Image:Feat_simpleweaponproficiency.png‎|25px]]
 * Simple weapons
 * [[Image:Feat_martialweaponproficiency.png‎|25px]]
 * Martial weapons (Longsword, Rapier, Short Sword, Shortbow)
 * [[Image:Feat_armorproficiency_light.png‎|25px]]
 * Light armor
 * [[Image:Feat_shieldproficiency_general.png‎|25px]]
 * Shields (except tower shields).
 * }
 * [[Image:Feat_shieldproficiency_general.png‎|25px]]
 * Shields (except tower shields).
 * }

Paths

 * Spellsinger
 * Virtuoso of the Sword
 * Warchanter

Prestige Enhancements

 * Spellsinger
 * Virtuoso
 * Warchanter

Level 1

 * Dismiss Charm (active): Activate this short-ranged ability while targeting a charmed, commanded, controlled, or dominated enemy that is under your control to dispel the controlling effect.


 * Fascinate (active, requires a minimum of 3 skill ranks in Perform): This feat forces the enemy to sit quietly and take no action for a short period of time or until it is attacked.


 * Inspire Courage (active, requires a minimum of 3 skill ranks in Perform): A bard with 3 or more ranks in the Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including themselves), bolstering the party against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the bard sing. The effect lasts for 4 minutes. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at level 8). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.


 * Armored Casting (passive): The Bard has simpler spells, allowing him to cast while in light armor without Arcane Spell Failure. This effect will extend to any spells granted to you by the Sorcerer or Wizard class. This does not extend to heavier armors (the Mithral property will reduce Medium armor to Light armor, permitting this feat) or shields.

Level 3

 * Inspire competence (active, requires 6 skill rank (skill)s in Perform): A bard can use its music or poetics to help an ally succeed at a task. The ally must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the bard. The bard must also be able to see the ally. The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with all skills. A bard cannot inspire competence in themselves. Inspire competence is a mind-affecting ability.

Level 6

 * Suggestion Song (active, requires a minimum of 9 skill ranks in Perform): A bard of 6th level or higher with 9 or more ranks in the Perform skill can make a Suggestion (as the Suggestion spell) to a creature that he has already fascinated. Using this ability does not break the bard’s concentration on the fascinate effect, nor does it allow a second saving throw against the fascinate effect.

Level 8

 * Improved Inspire Courage (+1) (Passive, requires Inspire Courage): This feat increases the bonuses of the Inspire Courage feat (i.e., attack and damage bonuses, and saving throws vs. charm and fear effects) by an additional +1, for a total of +2.

Level 9

 * Inspire Greatness (active, requires a minimum of 12 skill ranks in Perform): A bard of 9th level or higher with 12 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use its music or poetics to help an ally excel in combat. The ally must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the bard. The bard must also be able to see the ally. The ally gets a +2 attack roll competence bonus, a +1 fortitude save competence bonus, and 2 temporary hit dice.

Level 12

 * Song of Freedom (active, requires a minimum of 15 skill ranks in Perform): A bard of 12th level or higher with 15 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use its music or poetics to break all enchantments affecting an ally. The ally must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the bard. The bard must also be able to see the ally. This ability is equivalent to the Break Enchantment spell.

Level 14

 * Improved Inspire Courage (+2) (Passive, requires Inspire Courage): This feat increases the bonuses of the Inspire Courage feat (i.e., attack and damage bonuses, and saving throws vs. charm and fear effects) by an additional +1, for a total of +3.

Level 15

 * Inspire Heroics (active, requires a minimum of 18 skill ranks in Perform): A bard of 15th level or higher with 18 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use its music or poetics to grant a +4 to saves (does not stack with Greater Heroism) and a +4 to AC to a single target.

Level 18

 * Mass Suggestion (active, requires a minimum of 21 skill ranks in Perform): A bard of 18th level or higher with 21 or more ranks in a Perform skill can activate this bard ability to charm multiple fascinated foes for a short time.

Level 20

 * Improved Inspire Courage (+3) (Passive, requires Inspire Courage): This feat increases the bonuses of the Inspire Courage feat (i.e., attack and damage bonuses, and saving throws vs. charm and fear effects) by an additional +1, for a total of +4.

Spells

 * A bard casts spells from a selection of arcane and divine spells, which are drawn from the bard spell list. The casting ability of a bard is his Charisma.


 * Like sorcerers, bards do not have to prepare spells. Instead they can learn a limited number of spells which are always available to be cast.


 * The number of known spells a bard receives is given on above Table: The Bard: Spells Known.


 * A bard also gets bonus spell points from his Charisma modifier.


 * The Arcane Spell Failure from light armor (but not shields) is ignored by Bards when casting Bard spells. The Warchanter II enhancement extends this benefit to medium armor.  Note that even nominally divine spells, such as Cure Light Wounds and Soundburst, are considered to be arcane spells for bards - and thus subject to arcane spell failure when using heavier armors or shields.