GuardianLurker
Adventurer
This is a PrC I'm building for one of my players. Comments on its balance and suggestions for a better name are welcome.
Bardic Linguists
Many think of bards as masters of music and magic, great artists who can acheive magical effects. Most bards are such, and a few follow this to the ultimate expression of becoming a true Virtuosso. Many other bards becoming so curious about the legends and myths their performances enact, become seekers after obscure and arcane lore. Of such bards are Lorekeepers made.
But their is another strain of bardic proclivities, one as strong as their ability with music. For bards are also masters of language, which they express through their finely crafted songs and poems. Some of these bards begin to understand the link between language, music, and magic, between words, notes, and spells.
These bards begin their quests to become...
Bardic Linguists. I still need a better name.
Prerequisites:
Skills: Speak Languages, 7 ranks; Any two knowledges other than Arcana, Religion, or Nature, 9 ranks
Spells:Comprehend Languages, Tongues
Special: Bardic Music ability
Skills:
Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Knowledge(All), Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, Speak Languages, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Skill Points: 4+Int
Weapons and Shields:
A bardic linguist gains no additional proficiences with weapons, armor, or shields.
Bardic Music:
The bardic linguist's class levels stack with his bard levels for the purposes of using bardic knowledge, and for using bardic music.
Obscure Lore:
The bardic linguist gains the Obscure Lore feat, granting him a +3 bonus to all bardic knowledge checks.
Conversational Song:
The bardic linguist can interleave conversations of any length into any vocal use of his bardic music abilities without penalty. The bardic linguist can do this for any vocal performance.
Spells per day:
At every even level, the bardic linguist gains an effective caster level in the arcane spellcasting class of his choice. This effective caster level affects all aspects of spellcasting that depend on class or character level, including spells per day and spells known. If the bardic linguist had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a bardic linguist, he must choose which class the effective level applies to every time.
Magical Song:
The bardic linguist gains the ability to cast some spells at the same time he is using his bardic music abilities, as long as he is using a vocal performance. He may not do this on the round that he starts using his bardic music abilities. At 2nd level, he may only cast 1st level spells in this manner. At 4th level, this includes 2nd level spells as well. By 6th level, 3rd level spells may be cast in this manner. And at 8th level, 4th level spells may be.
Basic Understanding:
At 2nd level, the bardic linguist gains the ability to cast Comprehend Languages a number of times per day equal to his Cha bonus. The caster level is equal to the sum of his bardic linguist and bard class levels.
Basic Fluency:
At 3rd level, the bardic linguist gains the ability to cast Tongues a number of times per day equal to his Cha bonus. The caster level is equal to the sum of his bardic linguist and bard class levels.
Musical Whisper:
As the feat Subsonics except that it only applies to vocal forms. If the bardic linguist already possesses Subsonics he gains any one music-related feat instead.
Primal Voice:
At 4th level, the character may substitute the Vocal spell component for any (or all) of the Somatic, Material, Focus, or Divine Focus spell components on any spell. Doing so raises the required spell level by 2. If a material or focus spell component is so substituted, the associated costs are negated.
Deep Knowledge:
At 4th, 7th, and 10th levels, and every three levels thereafter, the bardic linguist gains a +2 bonus to any one knowledge skill. The knowledge skill must be chosen each time. Deep Knowledge stacks with itself.
Conversational Music:
As Conversational Song, except it applies to any musical performance, vocal or not.
Complete Understanding:
At 5th level, the bardic linguist gains the ability to cast Comprehend Languages at will. The caster level is equal to the sum of his bardic linguist and bard class levels.
Complete Fluency:
At 6th level, the bardic linguist gains the ability to cast Tongues at will. The caster level is equal to the sum of his bardic linguist and bard class levels.
Twinned Song: At 7th level, the bardic linguist gains the ability to use two bardic music effects at once, as long he is using a vocal performance. He may not use his other class abilities with this ability. Using this ability counts as two uses of his bardic music ability.
Primal Word:
At 7th level, any spell cast by the character that has a vocal component is immune to all silence effects. Furthermore,
if the spell's line of effect, or area of effect includes or must pass through an anti-magic area, the character may make a caster-level check to penetrate the anti-magic area and have the spell function as normal. The caster may choose to use his Perform check instead, if the performance is vocal.
Instant Fluency:
At 8th level, the bardic linguist can speak and understand any language he hears, with complete fluency, after having been exposed for only 1 day. Unless the bardic linguist is willing to spend (or pre-spend) a skill point, this new language fades from the Bardic Linguist's memory after 1 week per bardic linguist class level.
Shared Understanding:
At 9th level, by using one of his daily bardic music uses, the bardic linguist enables all who can hear his music to understand one another (as if each was the subject of Comprehend Languages) for as long as he performs.
Primal Song:
At 10th level, the character's bardic music abilities are immune to all silence effects when the his performance is vocally-based. Furthermore, if any anti-magic effect is between the character and a target of the music, the character may make a caster-level check to affect the target normally. The caster may choose to use his Perform check instead. The same applies to any language-dependent spells that are interlaced with his bardic music via his Magical Song ability.
Edit: Fixed some formatting gaffs.
Bardic Linguists
Many think of bards as masters of music and magic, great artists who can acheive magical effects. Most bards are such, and a few follow this to the ultimate expression of becoming a true Virtuosso. Many other bards becoming so curious about the legends and myths their performances enact, become seekers after obscure and arcane lore. Of such bards are Lorekeepers made.
But their is another strain of bardic proclivities, one as strong as their ability with music. For bards are also masters of language, which they express through their finely crafted songs and poems. Some of these bards begin to understand the link between language, music, and magic, between words, notes, and spells.
These bards begin their quests to become...
Bardic Linguists. I still need a better name.
Prerequisites:
Skills: Speak Languages, 7 ranks; Any two knowledges other than Arcana, Religion, or Nature, 9 ranks
Spells:Comprehend Languages, Tongues
Special: Bardic Music ability
Skills:
Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Knowledge(All), Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, Speak Languages, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Skill Points: 4+Int
Weapons and Shields:
A bardic linguist gains no additional proficiences with weapons, armor, or shields.
Code:
LV...BAB..Fort..Ref..Will..Special
.1...+0...+0....+0...+2....Bardic Music, Conversational Song, Obscure Lore
.2...+1...+0....+0...+3....Basic Understanding, Magical Song I,
..............................+1 effective arcane spellcasting level
.3...+2...+1....+1...+3....Basic Fluency, Musical Whisper
.4...+3...+1....+1...+4....Magical Song II, Deep Knowledge, Primal Voice,
..............................+1 effective arcane spellcasting level
.5...+3...+1....+1...+4....Complete Understanding, Conversational Music
.6...+4...+2....+2...+5....Complete Fluency, Magical Song III,
..............................+1 effective arcane spellcasting level
.7...+5...+2....+2...+5....Deep Knowledge, Twinned Song, Primal Word
.8...+6...+2....+2...+6....Instant Fluency, Magical Song IV,
..............................+1 effective arcane spellcasting level
.9...+6...+3....+3...+6....Shared Understanding
10...+7...+3....+3...+7....Primal Song, Deep Knowledge,
..............................+1 effective arcane spellcasting levelBardic Music:
The bardic linguist's class levels stack with his bard levels for the purposes of using bardic knowledge, and for using bardic music.
Obscure Lore:
The bardic linguist gains the Obscure Lore feat, granting him a +3 bonus to all bardic knowledge checks.
Conversational Song:
The bardic linguist can interleave conversations of any length into any vocal use of his bardic music abilities without penalty. The bardic linguist can do this for any vocal performance.
Spells per day:
At every even level, the bardic linguist gains an effective caster level in the arcane spellcasting class of his choice. This effective caster level affects all aspects of spellcasting that depend on class or character level, including spells per day and spells known. If the bardic linguist had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a bardic linguist, he must choose which class the effective level applies to every time.
Magical Song:
The bardic linguist gains the ability to cast some spells at the same time he is using his bardic music abilities, as long as he is using a vocal performance. He may not do this on the round that he starts using his bardic music abilities. At 2nd level, he may only cast 1st level spells in this manner. At 4th level, this includes 2nd level spells as well. By 6th level, 3rd level spells may be cast in this manner. And at 8th level, 4th level spells may be.
Basic Understanding:
At 2nd level, the bardic linguist gains the ability to cast Comprehend Languages a number of times per day equal to his Cha bonus. The caster level is equal to the sum of his bardic linguist and bard class levels.
Basic Fluency:
At 3rd level, the bardic linguist gains the ability to cast Tongues a number of times per day equal to his Cha bonus. The caster level is equal to the sum of his bardic linguist and bard class levels.
Musical Whisper:
As the feat Subsonics except that it only applies to vocal forms. If the bardic linguist already possesses Subsonics he gains any one music-related feat instead.
Primal Voice:
At 4th level, the character may substitute the Vocal spell component for any (or all) of the Somatic, Material, Focus, or Divine Focus spell components on any spell. Doing so raises the required spell level by 2. If a material or focus spell component is so substituted, the associated costs are negated.
Deep Knowledge:
At 4th, 7th, and 10th levels, and every three levels thereafter, the bardic linguist gains a +2 bonus to any one knowledge skill. The knowledge skill must be chosen each time. Deep Knowledge stacks with itself.
Conversational Music:
As Conversational Song, except it applies to any musical performance, vocal or not.
Complete Understanding:
At 5th level, the bardic linguist gains the ability to cast Comprehend Languages at will. The caster level is equal to the sum of his bardic linguist and bard class levels.
Complete Fluency:
At 6th level, the bardic linguist gains the ability to cast Tongues at will. The caster level is equal to the sum of his bardic linguist and bard class levels.
Twinned Song: At 7th level, the bardic linguist gains the ability to use two bardic music effects at once, as long he is using a vocal performance. He may not use his other class abilities with this ability. Using this ability counts as two uses of his bardic music ability.
Primal Word:
At 7th level, any spell cast by the character that has a vocal component is immune to all silence effects. Furthermore,
if the spell's line of effect, or area of effect includes or must pass through an anti-magic area, the character may make a caster-level check to penetrate the anti-magic area and have the spell function as normal. The caster may choose to use his Perform check instead, if the performance is vocal.
Instant Fluency:
At 8th level, the bardic linguist can speak and understand any language he hears, with complete fluency, after having been exposed for only 1 day. Unless the bardic linguist is willing to spend (or pre-spend) a skill point, this new language fades from the Bardic Linguist's memory after 1 week per bardic linguist class level.
Shared Understanding:
At 9th level, by using one of his daily bardic music uses, the bardic linguist enables all who can hear his music to understand one another (as if each was the subject of Comprehend Languages) for as long as he performs.
Primal Song:
At 10th level, the character's bardic music abilities are immune to all silence effects when the his performance is vocally-based. Furthermore, if any anti-magic effect is between the character and a target of the music, the character may make a caster-level check to affect the target normally. The caster may choose to use his Perform check instead. The same applies to any language-dependent spells that are interlaced with his bardic music via his Magical Song ability.
Edit: Fixed some formatting gaffs.
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