BARD
• Alignment: Any nonlawful.
• Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills
The bard’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Persuasion (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (n/a), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points Per Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A bard is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, and whip. Bards are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields). A bard can cast bard spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a bard wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (most spells do). A multiclass bard still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance when casting arcane spells that do not appear on the bard spell list.
Arcane Forte: The bard receives the listed bonus to his caster level when determining the effect of spells from the following schools of magic: Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, and Illusion.
Bardic Magic: A bard begins play with the ability to cast spells. At 1st level, the bard gains access to all the spells on the bard spell list. Bard spells are considered arcane spells; however, all bard spells have a verbal component (singing, reciting, or music), and a somatic component (playing an instrument).
A bard’s spellcasting attribute is Charisma. To ready or cast a bard spell, a bard must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The DC for a saving throw against a bard’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the bard’s Charisma modifier. He receives bonus spell slots and ready spells per rest if he has a high Charisma score.
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.)
(snip)
Bardic Music: Once per rest per bard level, a bard can use his song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around him (usually including himself, if desired).
(snip—all prior bardic music uses remain)
Countersong, Fascinate, Inspire Courage, Inspire Competence, Suggestion, Inpsire Greatness, Song of Freedom, Inspire Heroics, Mass Suggestion
Bardic luck (Ex): This extraordinary ability allows the bard to reroll one roll that he has just made before the DM declares whether the roll results in success or failure. The bard must take the result of the reroll, even if it’s worse than the original roll. The bard may use this ability once per rest.
[sblock] This ability is the same as the granted power of the Luck domain.[/sblock]
Power chord: By expending one use of his bardic music as he casts, the bard may cast 1st level bard spells as a
swift spell (see Feats). As the bard advances in ability (power chord II through VI), he can use this ability with progressively higher level bard spells (2nd through 6th). This ability is peculiar to the manner in which bard spells are learned and cast. A multiclass bard may not use this ability with spells that do not appear on the bard spell list.
[sblock]Swift spell can be used with any spell that has a single target and a lasting duration of at least 1 round/level. The spell is cast as a swift action; its duration is reduced to 1 round. This ability tracks behind the bard's highest spell level: when the bard gains a new spell level, he gains the ability to use power chord with his next most powerful level of spells.[/sblock]
Code:
Level BAB BMB Class Features
1 +0 +0 Arcane forte +1 , bardic music, bardic knowledge,
countersong, fascinate, inspire courage +1
2 +1 +1 Bardic luck
3 +2 +2 Inspire competence
4 +3 +3 Power chord (I)
5 +3 +3 Arcane forte +2
6 +4 +4 Suggestion
7 +5 +5 Power chord (II)
8 +6 +5 Arcane forte +3, inspire courage +2
9 +6 +6 Inspire greatness
10 +7 +7 Power chord (III)
11 +8 +7 Arcane forte +4
12 +9 +8 Song of freedom
13 +9 +9 Power chord (IV)
14 +10 +9 Arcane forte +5, inspire courage +3
15 +11 +10 Inspire heroics
16 +12 +11 Power chord (V)
17 +12 +11 Arcane forte +6
18 +13 +12 Mass suggestion
19 +14 +13 Power chord (VI)
20 +15 +13 Arcane forte +7, inspire courage +4
[sblock]The bard's Base Magic Bonus is a 2/3 progression, slightly "massaged" at the earliest levels. The sequence begins +0, +1, +2, +3, +3; then repeat the odd numbered bonuses. At 21st, 22nd, and 23rd level the sequence would continue +14, +15, +15.
The bard spell list has been extended beyond 6th level, both to account for the bard's own access to 7th level spells (at BMB +13), as well as to account for increased caster level from certain full-caster multiclass combinations. In a game limited to 20 character levels, no combination will grant access beyond 8th level bard spells. Nevertheless we have extended the bard spell list to 9th level for completeness.[/sblock]
