Gez
First Post
Something I disliked about the variant bard proposed in The Book of Elritch Might 2: Songs & Souls of Power was that spellsongs were spells without being spells. By that, I mean that they don't use the same scale as spells, the same bonus spell slots per ability score table, etc.
In itself, it's not much a problem, but I've painstakingly united all spellcasting classes to be based on a stacking value (there's a thread burried somewhere in this forum about that), and the variant bard was not compatible with it.
I could have said they can use 0, 1st, and 2nd spell slots for spellnotes, 3rd and 4th for spellchords, 5th and 6th for spellmelodies; but I preferred to go a different way altogether.
Here's the result:
Level 1: Bardic knowledge, spellnote.
Level 2: -
Level 3: Spellchord (2)
Level 4: -
Level 5: Magic accompaniment (1)
Level 6: -
Level 7: Spellchord (3)
Level 8: -
Level 9: Evasion
Level 10: Spellchord (4)
Level 11: -
Level 12: Magic accompaniment (2)
Level 13: -
Level 14: Spellmelody (5)
Level 15: -
Level 16: Improved Evasion
Level 17: Spellmelody (6)
Level 18: Magic accompaniment (3)
Level 19: -
Level 20: Spellmelody (7)
Spellnote (Sp): With a move action, the minstrel may sing a note imbued with magical power. A spellnote is a spell-like ability with a vocal component. A spellnote is subject to countersong or similar. A zone of magical silence is like an antimagic field for spellnotes.
Singin a spellnote allows AoO, as the minstrel's attention is focused on his spellnote.
A minstrel may sing a number of spellnote per day equal to his level + his Charisma modifier.
When a spellnote allows a saving throw, the save DC is equal to 11 + the minstrel's Charisma modifier.
A spellnote may produce a variety of effects:
Accelerate: Increase the minstrel's tactical speed by +5 feet for 1 round/level.
Charm: One living creature within 30 ft. is charmed for 1 minute/level. A successful Will save negates this effect.
Countersong: Countersong for 1 round per level, or until the minstrel stops singing.
Damage: Inflicts 1d6 sonic damage to one creature within 50 ft. A successful Fortitude save halves damage.
Deflection: Gives a +5 deflection bonus to the AC of one creature within 20 ft. for 1 round/level. This effect is discharged once the next attack against the affected creature is resolved.
Dispel: Dispels a targetted magical effect of level 0 within 30 ft. A successful Will save from the creature affected by said effect (if any) negates the dispel.
Enhance: Gives the minstrel an enhancement bonus to Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution of +2.
Fascinate: Lets the minstrel sing to fascinate one creature within 50 ft for 1 minute/level, or until the minstrel stops singing. A successful Will save negates this effect.
Fly: The minstrel flies with average maneuverability and a fly speed of 50 ft. for 1 round/level.
Heal: Heals 1d6 hit points to the touched creature.
Influence: One person/level within 50 ft. is favorably impressed by the minstrel, who gains a +2 circumstance bonus to Charisma checks and Charisma-based skill against them, for 1 round/level. A successful Will save negates the effect.
Invisibility: The minstrel is invisible for 1 round/level. An agressive action from the minstrel ruins the effect.
Motivate: All allies within 20 ft. gets a +1 moral bonus to either attack and damage rolls, saving throws, ability checks (ability chosen by the minstrel), or skill checks (skill chosen by the minstrel).
Project voice: The minstrel may project his voice 50 ft. away for 1 minute/level.
Protect: The touched creature gains a +1 deflection bonus to its Armor Class, for 1 round/level.
Stun: Stuns a living creature within 50 ft. for 1 round. A successful Fortitude save negates the effect.
Unbalance: One creature within 50 ft. suffers a -2 penalty on attack rolls, abillity checks, and skill checks; and must succeed at a Balance check (DC 20) or be knocked prone. A successful Reflex save negates the effect.
Whispers: One whispered word per level is magically transported to the ears of all creatures within sight, including within magical sight such as through scrying.
Spellchords (Sp): At third level, the minstrel start being able to sing several spellnotes in the same magical song. Singing a spellchord is a standard action. All spellnotes used in a spellsong are removed from the total number of spellnotes per day (thus a 2-note spellchord takes up two notes). At level 3, the minstrel may make 2-note spellchords; at level 7, 3-note spellchords; and at level 10, 4-note spellchords.
A spellchord using the same effect has its effect stacks. Range and number of targets must be the same for all effects.
The save DC against a spellchord's effect is equal to 10+number of notes used+the minstrel's Charisma modifier.
It is also possible to increase a spellnote's effect with other notes that will enhance it. Only up to three notes may be used for a same enhancement on a same effect. These enhancement are:
Empower: This enhancement is only for dispel. Each additional note increase the level of effect that can be affected by 1.
Enlarge: The note gains an increased reach. Each additional note moves it farther on this scale: minstrel, touch, 20 ft., 50 ft., 100 ft., 150 ft.
Extend: The duration of the effect is increased. Each additional note moves it farther on this scale: 1 round, 1 round/2 levels, 1 tour/level, 1 minute, 1 minute/level, 10 minutes/level, 1 hour/level, 1 day/level, permanent.
Generalize: The targets the note may affect are more varied. Each additional note moves it father on this scale: person, living intelligent creature, living creature, creature.
Share: The note affects more targets. Each additional note moves it farther on this scale: 1, 1/2 levels, 1/level, all within range, all allies or all enemies within range.
Example 1: Healing 2d6 hit points to an ally within 20 feet. This effect is two healing notes, each with its range enlarged once. It's thus a four-note spellchord.
Example 2: Stunning for 1 round/level and dealing 1d6 hit points of sonic damage to one creature. Both Stun and Damage have the same range and the same number of target; extending Stun to 1 round/level is two increases in duration. It's thus, also, a four-note spellchord.
Exemple 3: Motivating attacks and damage by +1, all saving throws by +2. It's three uses of Motivate, so range and number of target don't cause problem. Motivating attacks and damage by +1 takes 1 note, but motivating saving throws by +2 takes 2 notes. It's thus a three-note spellchord.
Exemple 4: The minstrel wants to Fly up a tower. The height is a bit too high for his low level, so he extends Fly to 1 minute. It's thus a two-note spellchord.
Magic accompaniment (Su): Starting at level 5, a minstrel becomes able to use a musical instrument to help him performing spellchords and spellmelody. The instrument must let the minstrel sing, so no wind instruments like flute or trumpet. Using an instrument for a spellchord or a spellmelody is the equivalent of a somatic component, and makes the spellsong vulnerable to arcane spell failure.
The number of notes played with the instrument are not removed from the total number of spellnotes the minstrel may sing in a day, but have otherwise normal effects. The minstrel must always use at least one singed note in any spellchord or spellmelody, however.
At level 5, the minstrel may play one magical note with the instrument, at level 12, up to 2 notes, and at level 18, up to 3 notes.
Spellmelodies (Sp): A spellmelody is a full-round action to sing. It is otherwise similar to a spellchord, except it uses 5 notes or more. At level 14, the minstrel can sing a 5-note spellmelody; at level 17, a 6-note spellmelody; and at level 20, a 7-note spellmelody.
In itself, it's not much a problem, but I've painstakingly united all spellcasting classes to be based on a stacking value (there's a thread burried somewhere in this forum about that), and the variant bard was not compatible with it.
I could have said they can use 0, 1st, and 2nd spell slots for spellnotes, 3rd and 4th for spellchords, 5th and 6th for spellmelodies; but I preferred to go a different way altogether.
Here's the result:
Level 1: Bardic knowledge, spellnote.
Level 2: -
Level 3: Spellchord (2)
Level 4: -
Level 5: Magic accompaniment (1)
Level 6: -
Level 7: Spellchord (3)
Level 8: -
Level 9: Evasion
Level 10: Spellchord (4)
Level 11: -
Level 12: Magic accompaniment (2)
Level 13: -
Level 14: Spellmelody (5)
Level 15: -
Level 16: Improved Evasion
Level 17: Spellmelody (6)
Level 18: Magic accompaniment (3)
Level 19: -
Level 20: Spellmelody (7)
Spellnote (Sp): With a move action, the minstrel may sing a note imbued with magical power. A spellnote is a spell-like ability with a vocal component. A spellnote is subject to countersong or similar. A zone of magical silence is like an antimagic field for spellnotes.
Singin a spellnote allows AoO, as the minstrel's attention is focused on his spellnote.
A minstrel may sing a number of spellnote per day equal to his level + his Charisma modifier.
When a spellnote allows a saving throw, the save DC is equal to 11 + the minstrel's Charisma modifier.
A spellnote may produce a variety of effects:
Accelerate: Increase the minstrel's tactical speed by +5 feet for 1 round/level.
Charm: One living creature within 30 ft. is charmed for 1 minute/level. A successful Will save negates this effect.
Countersong: Countersong for 1 round per level, or until the minstrel stops singing.
Damage: Inflicts 1d6 sonic damage to one creature within 50 ft. A successful Fortitude save halves damage.
Deflection: Gives a +5 deflection bonus to the AC of one creature within 20 ft. for 1 round/level. This effect is discharged once the next attack against the affected creature is resolved.
Dispel: Dispels a targetted magical effect of level 0 within 30 ft. A successful Will save from the creature affected by said effect (if any) negates the dispel.
Enhance: Gives the minstrel an enhancement bonus to Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution of +2.
Fascinate: Lets the minstrel sing to fascinate one creature within 50 ft for 1 minute/level, or until the minstrel stops singing. A successful Will save negates this effect.
Fly: The minstrel flies with average maneuverability and a fly speed of 50 ft. for 1 round/level.
Heal: Heals 1d6 hit points to the touched creature.
Influence: One person/level within 50 ft. is favorably impressed by the minstrel, who gains a +2 circumstance bonus to Charisma checks and Charisma-based skill against them, for 1 round/level. A successful Will save negates the effect.
Invisibility: The minstrel is invisible for 1 round/level. An agressive action from the minstrel ruins the effect.
Motivate: All allies within 20 ft. gets a +1 moral bonus to either attack and damage rolls, saving throws, ability checks (ability chosen by the minstrel), or skill checks (skill chosen by the minstrel).
Project voice: The minstrel may project his voice 50 ft. away for 1 minute/level.
Protect: The touched creature gains a +1 deflection bonus to its Armor Class, for 1 round/level.
Stun: Stuns a living creature within 50 ft. for 1 round. A successful Fortitude save negates the effect.
Unbalance: One creature within 50 ft. suffers a -2 penalty on attack rolls, abillity checks, and skill checks; and must succeed at a Balance check (DC 20) or be knocked prone. A successful Reflex save negates the effect.
Whispers: One whispered word per level is magically transported to the ears of all creatures within sight, including within magical sight such as through scrying.
Spellchords (Sp): At third level, the minstrel start being able to sing several spellnotes in the same magical song. Singing a spellchord is a standard action. All spellnotes used in a spellsong are removed from the total number of spellnotes per day (thus a 2-note spellchord takes up two notes). At level 3, the minstrel may make 2-note spellchords; at level 7, 3-note spellchords; and at level 10, 4-note spellchords.
A spellchord using the same effect has its effect stacks. Range and number of targets must be the same for all effects.
The save DC against a spellchord's effect is equal to 10+number of notes used+the minstrel's Charisma modifier.
It is also possible to increase a spellnote's effect with other notes that will enhance it. Only up to three notes may be used for a same enhancement on a same effect. These enhancement are:
Empower: This enhancement is only for dispel. Each additional note increase the level of effect that can be affected by 1.
Enlarge: The note gains an increased reach. Each additional note moves it farther on this scale: minstrel, touch, 20 ft., 50 ft., 100 ft., 150 ft.
Extend: The duration of the effect is increased. Each additional note moves it farther on this scale: 1 round, 1 round/2 levels, 1 tour/level, 1 minute, 1 minute/level, 10 minutes/level, 1 hour/level, 1 day/level, permanent.
Generalize: The targets the note may affect are more varied. Each additional note moves it father on this scale: person, living intelligent creature, living creature, creature.
Share: The note affects more targets. Each additional note moves it farther on this scale: 1, 1/2 levels, 1/level, all within range, all allies or all enemies within range.
Example 1: Healing 2d6 hit points to an ally within 20 feet. This effect is two healing notes, each with its range enlarged once. It's thus a four-note spellchord.
Example 2: Stunning for 1 round/level and dealing 1d6 hit points of sonic damage to one creature. Both Stun and Damage have the same range and the same number of target; extending Stun to 1 round/level is two increases in duration. It's thus, also, a four-note spellchord.
Exemple 3: Motivating attacks and damage by +1, all saving throws by +2. It's three uses of Motivate, so range and number of target don't cause problem. Motivating attacks and damage by +1 takes 1 note, but motivating saving throws by +2 takes 2 notes. It's thus a three-note spellchord.
Exemple 4: The minstrel wants to Fly up a tower. The height is a bit too high for his low level, so he extends Fly to 1 minute. It's thus a two-note spellchord.
Magic accompaniment (Su): Starting at level 5, a minstrel becomes able to use a musical instrument to help him performing spellchords and spellmelody. The instrument must let the minstrel sing, so no wind instruments like flute or trumpet. Using an instrument for a spellchord or a spellmelody is the equivalent of a somatic component, and makes the spellsong vulnerable to arcane spell failure.
The number of notes played with the instrument are not removed from the total number of spellnotes the minstrel may sing in a day, but have otherwise normal effects. The minstrel must always use at least one singed note in any spellchord or spellmelody, however.
At level 5, the minstrel may play one magical note with the instrument, at level 12, up to 2 notes, and at level 18, up to 3 notes.
Spellmelodies (Sp): A spellmelody is a full-round action to sing. It is otherwise similar to a spellchord, except it uses 5 notes or more. At level 14, the minstrel can sing a 5-note spellmelody; at level 17, a 6-note spellmelody; and at level 20, a 7-note spellmelody.
