Doesn't seem like too many people have proposed alternate bards, but I just can't find a reason to keep taking bard levels...
BARD
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6.
CLASS SKILLS
The bard's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Alchemy (Int), Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int, exclusive skill), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (any) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Pick Pocket (Dex), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int, exclusive skill), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha, exclusive skill).
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
CLASS FEATURES
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A bard is proficient with all simple weapons, as well as all weapons in the bows and piercing swords martial weapon groups. Bards are proficient with light armor, medium armor, and shields. Note that wearing armor heavier than leather gives the bard an armor check penalty on some bard skills. Unlike traditional arcane spellcasters, a bard can cast spells while wearing armor or using a shield, suffering no chance of spell failure if the total armor check penalty affecting her is 3 or less. Otherwise, she suffers arcane spell failure as normal.
Bardic Knowledge: A bard may make a special bardic knowledge check with a bonus equal to his level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. This check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a hint as to its general function. The bard may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random. The DM will determine the Difficulty Class of the check by referring to the table below.
Bardic Music (Su): Once per day per level, a bard can use song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around him or her. While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music, they can include reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance. As with casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf bard suffers a 20% chance to fail with bardic music. If the bard fails, the attempt still counts against the daily limit.
The Bardic Music effects are:
· Inspire Courage (Su): A bard with can to inspire courage in his or her allies. To be affected, an ally must hear the bard sing for a full round. The effect lasts as long as the bard sings and for 5 rounds after the bard stops singing (or 5 rounds after the ally can no longer hear the bard). While singing, the bard can fight but cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), or activate magic items by magic word (such as wands). Affected allies receive a +2 morale bonus to saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls. Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.
· Countersong (Su): A bard can counter magical effects that depend on sound (but not spells that simply have verbal components). As with inspire courage, a bard may sing, play, or recite a countersong while taking other mundane actions, but not magical actions. Each round of the countersong, the bard makes a Perform check. Any creature within 30 feet of the bard (including the bard) who is affected by a sonic or language-dependent magical attack may use the bard's Perform check result in place of his saving throw if, after rolling the saving throw, the Perform check result proves to be better. The bard may keep up the countersong for 10 rounds.
· Fascinate (Sp): A bard can cause a single creature to become fascinated with him. The creature to be fascinated must be able to see and hear the bard and must be within 90 feet. The bard must also see the creature. The creature must be able to pay attention to the bard. The distraction of nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. The bard makes a Perform check, and the target can negate the effect with a Will saving throw equal to or greater than the bard's check result. If the saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If the saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and listens to the song for up to 1 round per level of the bard. While fascinated, the target's Spot and Listen checks suffer a –4 penalty. Any potential threat (such as an ally of the bard moving behind the fascinated creature) allows the fascinated creature a second saving throw against a new Perform check result. Any obvious threat, such as casting a spell, drawing a sword, or aiming, automatically breaks the effect.
While fascinating (or attempting to fascinate) a creature, the bard must concentrate, as if casting or maintaining a spell. Fascinate is a spell-like, mind- affecting charm ability.
· Demoralize (Sp): A 3rd level bard can use their bardic magic to hurt enemy morale. Enemies must be able to see and hear the bard for a full round, and must be within 30 feet. The bard makes a Perform check, and the target can negate the effect with a Will saving throw equal to or greater than the bard's check result. If the saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to demoralize that creature again for 24 hours. If the saving throw fails, the enemies are shaken (-2 morale penalty on attacks, damage and saves) as long as the bard continues to sing and for 5 rounds thereafter.
· Rejuvenation (Su): A 3 rd level bard can inspire her allies so they shake off the effects of fatigue. Fatigued characters who hear the bard sing for a minute are no longer fatigued, and exhausted characters are only fatigued. The bard can only use this ability once per hour.
· Encourage (Sp): A 5th level bard gains the ability to encourage those engaged in dull, repetitive actions, such as marching or rowing. When traveling overland or engaged in a similar long-term physical effort, those who hear the bard find they can exert themselves 50% longer before making Constitution checks. The bard need not sing nonstop throughout the time, but must sing for at least half the time.
· Inspire Competence (Su): A 5th level bard can help an ally succeed at a task. The ally must be able to see and hear the bard and must be within 30 feet. The bard must also see the creature. The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on his skill checks with a particular skill as long as he or she continues to hear the bard's music. The DM may rule that certain uses of this ability are infeasible. The bard can maintain the effect for 2 minutes (long enough for the ally to take 20). Inspire competence is a mind-affecting ability.
· Suggestion (Sp): A 7th level bard can make a suggestion (as the spell) to a creature that he has already fascinated (see above). The suggestion doesn't count against the bard's daily limit on bardic music performances (one per day per level), but the fascination does. The bard makes a Perform check, and the target can negate the effect with a Will saving throw equal to or greater than the bard's check result. Suggestion is a spell-like, mind-affecting charm ability.
· Inspire Greatness (Su): A 9th level bard can inspire greatness in another creature within 30 feet. For every three levels the bard attains beyond 9th, the bard can inspire greatness in one additional creature. To inspire greatness, the bard must sing and the creature must hear the bard sing for a full round. A creature inspired with greatness gains +2 temporary Hit Dice (d10s) and a +2 competence bonus to attack rolls and saving throws as long as he or she hears the bard continue to sing and for 5 rounds thereafter.
Apply the target's Constitution modifier, if any, to each bonus Hit Die. These extra Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining effects such as the sleep spell. Inspire greatness is a supernatural, mind-affecting enchantment ability.
· Inspire Heroism (Su): A 12th level bard can use their bardic magic to inspire tremendous heroism in a single willing ally within 30 feet, allowing that creature to fight bravely even against overwhelming odds. For every three levels the bard gains past 12th, the bard can inspire heroism in one additional creature. To inspire heroism, the bard must sing and the creature must hear the bard sing for a full round. A creature inspired with heroism gains a +4 morale bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls and saving throws, and a +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class.
· Frighten (Su): A 15th level bard can sing in a way that is frightful to foes that hear and understand it. Once opponents within 30 feet have heard the bard for a full round, the bard makes a Perform check, and opponents can negate the effect with a Will saving throw equal to or greater than the bard's check result. If the saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to frighten that creature again for 24 hours. If the saving throw fails, the enemies are frightened (must flee if possible, suffers -2 morale penalty on attacks, damage and saves) as long as the bard continues to sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. This is a mind-affecting, language-dependent ability that counts as three daily uses of bardic magic.
· Panic (Su): An 18th level bard can sing in a way that is so frightening that few can withstand it. Once opponents within 30 feet have heard the bard for a full round, the bard makes a Perform check, and opponents can negate the effect with a Will saving throw equal to or greater than the bard's check result. If the saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to panic that creature again for 24 hours. If the saving throw fails, the enemies are panicked (-2 morale penalty on attacks, damage and saves, and creature flees or cowers, dropping items) as long as the bard continues to sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. This is a mind-affecting, language-dependent ability that counts as three daily uses of bardic magic.
· Fury (Su): A 20th level bard can sing in to enrage her allies. This ability functions exactly like barbarian rage on all willing allies within 30 feet, and it lasts as long as the bard continues here performance. This is a mind-affecting ability that counts as three daily uses of bardic magic for every round it is sustained.
Evasion (Ex): Starting at 9th level, a bard can dodge and avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If a bard makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally inflicts half damage on a successful save (such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or a fireball), the bard instead suffers no damage. Evasion applies only if the bard wears light armor or no armor.
Improved Evasion (Ex): At 17th level, a bard’s evasion ability improves. She still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks such as a dragon’s breath weapon or a fireball, but henceforth suffers only half damage on a failed save.
Spells: A bard casts arcane spells, maintaining a songbook or similar device for studying her music. The bard casts these spells without needing to memorize them beforehand. All bard spells require a verbal (singing or playing instrument) component, which replaces the spells normal verbal component. Bards receive bonus spells for high Charisma, and to cast a spell a bard must have a Charisma score at least equal to 10 + the level of the spell. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a bard's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the bard's Charisma modifier. At 1st level, a bard has no caster level. Starting at 2nd level, a bard's caster level is one-half his or her class level.
*Provided the bard has sufficient Charisma to have a bonus spell of this level.
Ex-Bards: A bard who becomes Evil in alignment cannot progress in levels as a bard, though he retains all his bard abilities.
BARD
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6.
CLASS SKILLS
The bard's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Alchemy (Int), Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int, exclusive skill), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (any) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Pick Pocket (Dex), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int, exclusive skill), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha, exclusive skill).
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Code:
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Bardic Music (Countersong, Fascinate, Inspire Courage)
2nd +1 +0 +3 +3
3rd +2 +1 +3 +3 Bardic Music (Demoralize, Rejuvenation)
4th +3 +1 +4 +4
5th +3 +1 +4 +4 Bardic Music (Encourage, Inspire Competence)
6th +4 +2 +5 +5
7th +5 +2 +5 +5 Bardic Music (Suggestion)
8th +6 +2 +6 +6
9th +6 +3 +6 +6 Bardic Magic (Inspire Greatness), Evasion
10th +7 +3 +7 +7
11th +8 +3 +7 +7
12th +9 +4 +8 +8 Bardic Magic (Inspire Heroism)
13th +9 +4 +8 +8
14th +10 +4 +9 +9
15th +11 +5 +9 +9 Bardic Magic (Fear)
16th +12 +5 +10 +10
17th +12 +5 +10 +10 Improved Evasion
18th +13 +6 +11 +11 Bardic Magic (Panic)
19th +14 +6 +11 +11
20th +15 +6 +12 +12 Bardic Magic (Fury)CLASS FEATURES
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A bard is proficient with all simple weapons, as well as all weapons in the bows and piercing swords martial weapon groups. Bards are proficient with light armor, medium armor, and shields. Note that wearing armor heavier than leather gives the bard an armor check penalty on some bard skills. Unlike traditional arcane spellcasters, a bard can cast spells while wearing armor or using a shield, suffering no chance of spell failure if the total armor check penalty affecting her is 3 or less. Otherwise, she suffers arcane spell failure as normal.
Bardic Knowledge: A bard may make a special bardic knowledge check with a bonus equal to his level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. This check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a hint as to its general function. The bard may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random. The DM will determine the Difficulty Class of the check by referring to the table below.
Code:
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 in the area
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 knowledgeBardic Music (Su): Once per day per level, a bard can use song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around him or her. While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music, they can include reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance. As with casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf bard suffers a 20% chance to fail with bardic music. If the bard fails, the attempt still counts against the daily limit.
The Bardic Music effects are:
· Inspire Courage (Su): A bard with can to inspire courage in his or her allies. To be affected, an ally must hear the bard sing for a full round. The effect lasts as long as the bard sings and for 5 rounds after the bard stops singing (or 5 rounds after the ally can no longer hear the bard). While singing, the bard can fight but cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), or activate magic items by magic word (such as wands). Affected allies receive a +2 morale bonus to saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls. Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.
· Countersong (Su): A bard can counter magical effects that depend on sound (but not spells that simply have verbal components). As with inspire courage, a bard may sing, play, or recite a countersong while taking other mundane actions, but not magical actions. Each round of the countersong, the bard makes a Perform check. Any creature within 30 feet of the bard (including the bard) who is affected by a sonic or language-dependent magical attack may use the bard's Perform check result in place of his saving throw if, after rolling the saving throw, the Perform check result proves to be better. The bard may keep up the countersong for 10 rounds.
· Fascinate (Sp): A bard can cause a single creature to become fascinated with him. The creature to be fascinated must be able to see and hear the bard and must be within 90 feet. The bard must also see the creature. The creature must be able to pay attention to the bard. The distraction of nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. The bard makes a Perform check, and the target can negate the effect with a Will saving throw equal to or greater than the bard's check result. If the saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If the saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and listens to the song for up to 1 round per level of the bard. While fascinated, the target's Spot and Listen checks suffer a –4 penalty. Any potential threat (such as an ally of the bard moving behind the fascinated creature) allows the fascinated creature a second saving throw against a new Perform check result. Any obvious threat, such as casting a spell, drawing a sword, or aiming, automatically breaks the effect.
While fascinating (or attempting to fascinate) a creature, the bard must concentrate, as if casting or maintaining a spell. Fascinate is a spell-like, mind- affecting charm ability.
· Demoralize (Sp): A 3rd level bard can use their bardic magic to hurt enemy morale. Enemies must be able to see and hear the bard for a full round, and must be within 30 feet. The bard makes a Perform check, and the target can negate the effect with a Will saving throw equal to or greater than the bard's check result. If the saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to demoralize that creature again for 24 hours. If the saving throw fails, the enemies are shaken (-2 morale penalty on attacks, damage and saves) as long as the bard continues to sing and for 5 rounds thereafter.
· Rejuvenation (Su): A 3 rd level bard can inspire her allies so they shake off the effects of fatigue. Fatigued characters who hear the bard sing for a minute are no longer fatigued, and exhausted characters are only fatigued. The bard can only use this ability once per hour.
· Encourage (Sp): A 5th level bard gains the ability to encourage those engaged in dull, repetitive actions, such as marching or rowing. When traveling overland or engaged in a similar long-term physical effort, those who hear the bard find they can exert themselves 50% longer before making Constitution checks. The bard need not sing nonstop throughout the time, but must sing for at least half the time.
· Inspire Competence (Su): A 5th level bard can help an ally succeed at a task. The ally must be able to see and hear the bard and must be within 30 feet. The bard must also see the creature. The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on his skill checks with a particular skill as long as he or she continues to hear the bard's music. The DM may rule that certain uses of this ability are infeasible. The bard can maintain the effect for 2 minutes (long enough for the ally to take 20). Inspire competence is a mind-affecting ability.
· Suggestion (Sp): A 7th level bard can make a suggestion (as the spell) to a creature that he has already fascinated (see above). The suggestion doesn't count against the bard's daily limit on bardic music performances (one per day per level), but the fascination does. The bard makes a Perform check, and the target can negate the effect with a Will saving throw equal to or greater than the bard's check result. Suggestion is a spell-like, mind-affecting charm ability.
· Inspire Greatness (Su): A 9th level bard can inspire greatness in another creature within 30 feet. For every three levels the bard attains beyond 9th, the bard can inspire greatness in one additional creature. To inspire greatness, the bard must sing and the creature must hear the bard sing for a full round. A creature inspired with greatness gains +2 temporary Hit Dice (d10s) and a +2 competence bonus to attack rolls and saving throws as long as he or she hears the bard continue to sing and for 5 rounds thereafter.
Apply the target's Constitution modifier, if any, to each bonus Hit Die. These extra Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining effects such as the sleep spell. Inspire greatness is a supernatural, mind-affecting enchantment ability.
· Inspire Heroism (Su): A 12th level bard can use their bardic magic to inspire tremendous heroism in a single willing ally within 30 feet, allowing that creature to fight bravely even against overwhelming odds. For every three levels the bard gains past 12th, the bard can inspire heroism in one additional creature. To inspire heroism, the bard must sing and the creature must hear the bard sing for a full round. A creature inspired with heroism gains a +4 morale bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls and saving throws, and a +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class.
· Frighten (Su): A 15th level bard can sing in a way that is frightful to foes that hear and understand it. Once opponents within 30 feet have heard the bard for a full round, the bard makes a Perform check, and opponents can negate the effect with a Will saving throw equal to or greater than the bard's check result. If the saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to frighten that creature again for 24 hours. If the saving throw fails, the enemies are frightened (must flee if possible, suffers -2 morale penalty on attacks, damage and saves) as long as the bard continues to sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. This is a mind-affecting, language-dependent ability that counts as three daily uses of bardic magic.
· Panic (Su): An 18th level bard can sing in a way that is so frightening that few can withstand it. Once opponents within 30 feet have heard the bard for a full round, the bard makes a Perform check, and opponents can negate the effect with a Will saving throw equal to or greater than the bard's check result. If the saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to panic that creature again for 24 hours. If the saving throw fails, the enemies are panicked (-2 morale penalty on attacks, damage and saves, and creature flees or cowers, dropping items) as long as the bard continues to sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. This is a mind-affecting, language-dependent ability that counts as three daily uses of bardic magic.
· Fury (Su): A 20th level bard can sing in to enrage her allies. This ability functions exactly like barbarian rage on all willing allies within 30 feet, and it lasts as long as the bard continues here performance. This is a mind-affecting ability that counts as three daily uses of bardic magic for every round it is sustained.
Evasion (Ex): Starting at 9th level, a bard can dodge and avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If a bard makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally inflicts half damage on a successful save (such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or a fireball), the bard instead suffers no damage. Evasion applies only if the bard wears light armor or no armor.
Improved Evasion (Ex): At 17th level, a bard’s evasion ability improves. She still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks such as a dragon’s breath weapon or a fireball, but henceforth suffers only half damage on a failed save.
Spells: A bard casts arcane spells, maintaining a songbook or similar device for studying her music. The bard casts these spells without needing to memorize them beforehand. All bard spells require a verbal (singing or playing instrument) component, which replaces the spells normal verbal component. Bards receive bonus spells for high Charisma, and to cast a spell a bard must have a Charisma score at least equal to 10 + the level of the spell. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a bard's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the bard's Charisma modifier. At 1st level, a bard has no caster level. Starting at 2nd level, a bard's caster level is one-half his or her class level.
Code:
Level Spells per Day
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 — — — — — —
2 3 0 — — — — —
3 3 1 — — — — —
4 3 2 0 — — — —
5 3 3 1 — — — —
6 3 3 2 — — — —
7 3 3 2 0 — — —
8 3 3 3 1 — — —
9 3 3 3 2 — — —
10 3 3 3 2 0 — —
11 3 3 3 3 1 — —
12 3 3 3 3 2 — —
13 3 3 3 3 2 0 —
14 4 3 3 3 3 1 —
15 4 4 3 3 3 2 —
16 4 4 4 3 3 2 0
17 4 4 4 4 3 3 1
18 4 4 4 4 4 3 2
19 4 4 4 4 4 4 3
20 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Level Spells Known
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 4 — — — — — —
2 5 2* — — — — —
3 6 3 — — — — —
4 6 3 2* — — — —
5 6 4 3 — — — —
6 6 4 3 — — — —
7 6 4 4 2* — — —
8 6 4 4 3 — — —
9 6 4 4 3 — — —
10 6 4 4 4 2* — —
11 6 4 4 4 3 — —
12 6 4 4 4 3 — —
13 6 4 4 4 4 2* —
14 6 4 4 4 4 3 —
15 6 4 4 4 4 3 —
16 6 5 4 4 4 4 2*
17 6 5 5 4 4 4 3
18 6 5 5 5 4 4 3
19 6 5 5 5 5 4 4
20 6 5 5 5 5 5 4*Provided the bard has sufficient Charisma to have a bonus spell of this level.
Ex-Bards: A bard who becomes Evil in alignment cannot progress in levels as a bard, though he retains all his bard abilities.
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