Ciaran
First Post
I decided to strip out the spellcasting from bards in my Burning Wheel->D&D3e campaign conversion; for various reasons, Wizards are the only spellcasters in the setting. And with an existing spell-less musician PC, I need to get a full rewrite done before the first session. 
The game is set in mythic Scandinavia; the legends of the satire-as-curse are actually Celtic, but it seemed close enough. Anyway, here's the new bard look-alike, the Skald class.
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Skald
Trained in music and the courtly arts, the skalds of the Northlands serve as entertainers, poets, messengers, councilors and scholars. Travel broadens their experience of the world, granting an enormous range of skills and talents; but their greatest strength lies in their music.
The class functions as a 3.5e bard in most respects. A skald has the same hit dice, skill points, class skills and skaldic knowledge abilities as a bard. He also possesses most of the bard’s magical music abilities, along with several new ones.
Skaldic music abilities are acquired as indicated on the following table. All of these music abilities are extraordinary abilities unless otherwise specified.
1st level: countersong, fascinate, inspire courage.
3rd level: inspire competence, invigorate.
6th level: lesser spellsong, soothe.
9th level: inspire clarity, inspire greatness.
12th level: greater spellsong, lament.
15th level: inspire heroics, satire.
18th level: master spellsong.
At 3rd level and at every odd level thereafter, the skald gains a bonus feat chosen from the following list: Skill Focus, Skill Affinity (+2 to two related skills), Spellsong (add a new spellsong to your repertoire) or Versatile (two cross-class skills become class skills).
The skald does not acquire spells.
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Skaldic Musical Abilities
Countersong
Requirements: 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill
As the bardic music ability of the same name. In addition, Countersong may be used to counter the effects of any skaldic music ability.
Fascinate
Requirements: 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill
As the bardic music ability of the same name.
Inspire Courage
Requirements: 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill
As the bardic music ability of the same name.
Inspire Competence
Requirements: 3rd level or higher, 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill
As the bardic music ability of the same name.
Invigorate
Requirements: 3rd level or higher, 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill
You can use music or poetics to invigorate yourself or a single willing ally within 30 feet, granting the ability to continue on despite all weariness. For every three skald levels you attain beyond 3rd, you can invigorate one additional creature. To invigorate, you must sing and an ally must hear you sing for a full round. A creature so invigorated temporarily ignores all of the effects of fatigue and exhaustion. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears you sing and for up to 5 rounds thereafter. Invigorate is a mind-affecting ability.
Lesser Spellsong
Requirements: 6th level or higher, 9 or more ranks in a Perform skill
Choose one of the following spells: animal messenger, charm animal, charm person, hideous laughter, scare, sleep, slow, suggestion. You may perform the chosen spell as a skaldic music effect, targeting one or more creatures that you have already fascinated. Using this ability does not break your concentration on the fascinate effect, nor does it allow a second saving throw against the fascinate effect.
This does not count against your daily limit on skaldic music performances. A successful Will saving throw (DC 10 + ½ skald level + your Cha modifier) negates the effect. This is a spell-like ability.
Soothe
Requirements: 6th level or higher, 9 or more ranks in a Perform skill
You can use music or poetics to calm agitated creatures, creating an effect equivalent to the calm emotions spell. All creatures within 30 feet are affected, as long as they can see and hear you, and are able to pay attention to you. A successful Will saving throw (DC 10 + ½ skald level + your Cha modifier) resists the effect. The effect lasts for as long as you concentrate and continue to play (up to a maximum of 1 round per skald level). Soothe is a mind-affecting ability.
Inspire Clarity
Requirements: 9th level or higher, 12 or more ranks in a Perform skill
You can use music or poetics to ward your allies (including yourself) against mental control. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the bard sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. Your song blocks any attempt to exercise mental control over your listeners. This does not dispel persistent mind-affecting spells or abilities; spells such as charm person are temporarily suspended, but return to full force once the song ends.
Inspire Greatness
Requirements: 9th level or higher, 12 or more ranks in a Perform skill
As the bardic music ability of the same name.
Greater Spellsong
Requirements: 12th level or higher, 15 or more ranks in a Perform skill
This ability functions like Lesser Spellsong, except that you choose a spell from the following list: charm monster, confusion, crushing despair, deafness, deep slumber, dominate animal, fear, hold person, lesser geas.
Lament
Requirements: 12th level or higher, 15 or more ranks in a Perform skill
You can use music or poetics to move the dead to tears. You may rebuke undead (but not command them) as a cleric. You may only affect undead within 30 feet; they must see and hear you, and be able to pay attention to you. Even mindless undead may be affected. The effect lasts for as long as you concentrate and continue to play (up to a maximum of 1 round per skald level).
Inspire Heroics
Requirements: 15th level or higher, 18 or more ranks in a Perform skill
As the bardic music ability of the same name.
Satire
Requirements: 15th level or higher, 18 or more ranks in a Perform skill
You can use scornful lyrics to traumatize an enemy. The subject of the satire must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear you, and able to pay attention to you. You must also be able to see the creature. After 1d4+4 rounds of singing, the target suffers the effects of bestow curse; he gets no saving throw or spell resistance against this effect.
To be effective, the satire must be sung aloud in a language that the subject understands. Moreover, the song must elaborate on some truly shameful characteristic, deed or event relating to the target. The effects of a satire can only be lifted if the target of the spell somehow atones for the satire’s shameful subject matter. Not even a miracle or wish spell can end its effects.
Master Spellsong
Requirements: 18th level or higher, 21 or more ranks in a Perform skill
This ability functions like Lesser Spellsong, except that you choose a spell from the following list: dominate person, geas, irresistible dance, mass charm monster, mass hold person, mass suggestion, song of discord.
The game is set in mythic Scandinavia; the legends of the satire-as-curse are actually Celtic, but it seemed close enough. Anyway, here's the new bard look-alike, the Skald class.-----
Skald
Trained in music and the courtly arts, the skalds of the Northlands serve as entertainers, poets, messengers, councilors and scholars. Travel broadens their experience of the world, granting an enormous range of skills and talents; but their greatest strength lies in their music.
The class functions as a 3.5e bard in most respects. A skald has the same hit dice, skill points, class skills and skaldic knowledge abilities as a bard. He also possesses most of the bard’s magical music abilities, along with several new ones.
Skaldic music abilities are acquired as indicated on the following table. All of these music abilities are extraordinary abilities unless otherwise specified.
1st level: countersong, fascinate, inspire courage.
3rd level: inspire competence, invigorate.
6th level: lesser spellsong, soothe.
9th level: inspire clarity, inspire greatness.
12th level: greater spellsong, lament.
15th level: inspire heroics, satire.
18th level: master spellsong.
At 3rd level and at every odd level thereafter, the skald gains a bonus feat chosen from the following list: Skill Focus, Skill Affinity (+2 to two related skills), Spellsong (add a new spellsong to your repertoire) or Versatile (two cross-class skills become class skills).
The skald does not acquire spells.
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Skaldic Musical Abilities
Countersong
Requirements: 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill
As the bardic music ability of the same name. In addition, Countersong may be used to counter the effects of any skaldic music ability.
Fascinate
Requirements: 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill
As the bardic music ability of the same name.
Inspire Courage
Requirements: 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill
As the bardic music ability of the same name.
Inspire Competence
Requirements: 3rd level or higher, 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill
As the bardic music ability of the same name.
Invigorate
Requirements: 3rd level or higher, 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill
You can use music or poetics to invigorate yourself or a single willing ally within 30 feet, granting the ability to continue on despite all weariness. For every three skald levels you attain beyond 3rd, you can invigorate one additional creature. To invigorate, you must sing and an ally must hear you sing for a full round. A creature so invigorated temporarily ignores all of the effects of fatigue and exhaustion. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears you sing and for up to 5 rounds thereafter. Invigorate is a mind-affecting ability.
Lesser Spellsong
Requirements: 6th level or higher, 9 or more ranks in a Perform skill
Choose one of the following spells: animal messenger, charm animal, charm person, hideous laughter, scare, sleep, slow, suggestion. You may perform the chosen spell as a skaldic music effect, targeting one or more creatures that you have already fascinated. Using this ability does not break your concentration on the fascinate effect, nor does it allow a second saving throw against the fascinate effect.
This does not count against your daily limit on skaldic music performances. A successful Will saving throw (DC 10 + ½ skald level + your Cha modifier) negates the effect. This is a spell-like ability.
Soothe
Requirements: 6th level or higher, 9 or more ranks in a Perform skill
You can use music or poetics to calm agitated creatures, creating an effect equivalent to the calm emotions spell. All creatures within 30 feet are affected, as long as they can see and hear you, and are able to pay attention to you. A successful Will saving throw (DC 10 + ½ skald level + your Cha modifier) resists the effect. The effect lasts for as long as you concentrate and continue to play (up to a maximum of 1 round per skald level). Soothe is a mind-affecting ability.
Inspire Clarity
Requirements: 9th level or higher, 12 or more ranks in a Perform skill
You can use music or poetics to ward your allies (including yourself) against mental control. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the bard sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. Your song blocks any attempt to exercise mental control over your listeners. This does not dispel persistent mind-affecting spells or abilities; spells such as charm person are temporarily suspended, but return to full force once the song ends.
Inspire Greatness
Requirements: 9th level or higher, 12 or more ranks in a Perform skill
As the bardic music ability of the same name.
Greater Spellsong
Requirements: 12th level or higher, 15 or more ranks in a Perform skill
This ability functions like Lesser Spellsong, except that you choose a spell from the following list: charm monster, confusion, crushing despair, deafness, deep slumber, dominate animal, fear, hold person, lesser geas.
Lament
Requirements: 12th level or higher, 15 or more ranks in a Perform skill
You can use music or poetics to move the dead to tears. You may rebuke undead (but not command them) as a cleric. You may only affect undead within 30 feet; they must see and hear you, and be able to pay attention to you. Even mindless undead may be affected. The effect lasts for as long as you concentrate and continue to play (up to a maximum of 1 round per skald level).
Inspire Heroics
Requirements: 15th level or higher, 18 or more ranks in a Perform skill
As the bardic music ability of the same name.
Satire
Requirements: 15th level or higher, 18 or more ranks in a Perform skill
You can use scornful lyrics to traumatize an enemy. The subject of the satire must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear you, and able to pay attention to you. You must also be able to see the creature. After 1d4+4 rounds of singing, the target suffers the effects of bestow curse; he gets no saving throw or spell resistance against this effect.
To be effective, the satire must be sung aloud in a language that the subject understands. Moreover, the song must elaborate on some truly shameful characteristic, deed or event relating to the target. The effects of a satire can only be lifted if the target of the spell somehow atones for the satire’s shameful subject matter. Not even a miracle or wish spell can end its effects.
Master Spellsong
Requirements: 18th level or higher, 21 or more ranks in a Perform skill
This ability functions like Lesser Spellsong, except that you choose a spell from the following list: dominate person, geas, irresistible dance, mass charm monster, mass hold person, mass suggestion, song of discord.
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