Hey all,
Based on some feedback in another thread, I have worked up some changes to the Bard class for my homebrew setting. The changes are to the Bard's spellcasting ability and I have tried to make something that reflects the Bard's 'jack-of-all-trades' and 'loremaster' flavour bits. Here it is:
Book of Lore: Each Bard is given a book of lore by the Brotherhood (a secret society of Bards that operates throughout the known world) so that the Bard may record his findings and one day return them to the Brotherhood, where this information is added to their libraries. The book is sacred to the Bard, as it represents everything he has learned and will continue to learn as he grows in power. The Bard uses the book to record all useful pieces of information he gathers as he ventures into the world, including knowledge, secrets, maps and anything else he deems worthy of notation. The book’s primary purpose however, is to develop and record spells that Bard learns during his travels. The Bard must always have the book in his possession in order to utilize a number of his abilities. Should the Bard ever lose his book of lore, he will be unable to cast spells or use bardic knowledge. The bard may replace his spellbook in the same manner as a wizard. Additionally, the book of lore functions exactly like a wizard’s spellbook for the purposes of adding spells (e.g. spell craft check to learn spells, gold cost to scribe). Because the book acts just like a wizard’s book, there may come a time when the Bard may fill his book. The Bard may carry multiple books of lore and can craft himself a new one at the cost in materials equal to the price of a blank spellbook.
Spells: A bard casts arcane spells, which are drawn from his book of lore. As a result of a Bard’s intensive mental and emulative training from the Brotherhood, he has an increased capacity for logic, mental retention, comprehension and manifestation. To learn or scribe a spell into his book of lore, the bard must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. However, because the Bard possesses a unique and impressive emulative ability to manifest the properties of spells into his own form of arcane magic, a bard must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell in order to cast it. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a bard’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the bard’s Charisma modifier.
Although a bard must scribe his scrolls into his book of lore, he need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level and he has followed the requirements in the ‘Daily Readying of Spells’ section below.
Like other spellcasters, a bard can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Bard.
Unlike other spellcasters, the bard does not have a spell list. As part of his training in the Brotherhood, a Bard is taught to utilize impressive mental and emulative skills that allow him to manifest any spell into a specific form of Bardic arcane energy. Therefore, the Bard may select, learn and cast any spell from the wizard, druid or cleric spell lists. A bard begins play knowing four 0-level spells of your choice, which are contained in his book of lore. In addition, for each point of Intelligence bonus the bard has, the book of lore holds one additional 0-level spell of your choice. At any time, a Bard can also add spells found in other spell books, scrolls, etc. to his book of lore.
Daily Readying of Spells: Each day, bards must focus their minds on the task of casting their spells. A bard needs 8 hours of rest (just like a wizard), after which he spends one hour reading his book of lore and concentrating on its contents. During this period, the bard attunes his mind to the contents of his book of lore and prepares himself to utilize his emulative powers (i.e. readies his mind to cast his daily allotment of spells). Without such a period to refresh himself, the character does not regain the spell slots he used up the day before. **note: this section replaces the information on Bards in ‘Sorcerers and Bards’ in the Magic Overview section of the PHB / SRD.
Recent Casting Limit: As with wizards, any spells cast within the last 8 hours count against the bard’s daily limit. **note: this section replaces the information on Bards in ‘Sorcerers and Bards’ in the Magic Overview section of the PHB / SRD.
Any thoughts, suggestions, balance issues?
Based on some feedback in another thread, I have worked up some changes to the Bard class for my homebrew setting. The changes are to the Bard's spellcasting ability and I have tried to make something that reflects the Bard's 'jack-of-all-trades' and 'loremaster' flavour bits. Here it is:
Book of Lore: Each Bard is given a book of lore by the Brotherhood (a secret society of Bards that operates throughout the known world) so that the Bard may record his findings and one day return them to the Brotherhood, where this information is added to their libraries. The book is sacred to the Bard, as it represents everything he has learned and will continue to learn as he grows in power. The Bard uses the book to record all useful pieces of information he gathers as he ventures into the world, including knowledge, secrets, maps and anything else he deems worthy of notation. The book’s primary purpose however, is to develop and record spells that Bard learns during his travels. The Bard must always have the book in his possession in order to utilize a number of his abilities. Should the Bard ever lose his book of lore, he will be unable to cast spells or use bardic knowledge. The bard may replace his spellbook in the same manner as a wizard. Additionally, the book of lore functions exactly like a wizard’s spellbook for the purposes of adding spells (e.g. spell craft check to learn spells, gold cost to scribe). Because the book acts just like a wizard’s book, there may come a time when the Bard may fill his book. The Bard may carry multiple books of lore and can craft himself a new one at the cost in materials equal to the price of a blank spellbook.
Spells: A bard casts arcane spells, which are drawn from his book of lore. As a result of a Bard’s intensive mental and emulative training from the Brotherhood, he has an increased capacity for logic, mental retention, comprehension and manifestation. To learn or scribe a spell into his book of lore, the bard must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. However, because the Bard possesses a unique and impressive emulative ability to manifest the properties of spells into his own form of arcane magic, a bard must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell in order to cast it. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a bard’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the bard’s Charisma modifier.
Although a bard must scribe his scrolls into his book of lore, he need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level and he has followed the requirements in the ‘Daily Readying of Spells’ section below.
Like other spellcasters, a bard can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Bard.
Unlike other spellcasters, the bard does not have a spell list. As part of his training in the Brotherhood, a Bard is taught to utilize impressive mental and emulative skills that allow him to manifest any spell into a specific form of Bardic arcane energy. Therefore, the Bard may select, learn and cast any spell from the wizard, druid or cleric spell lists. A bard begins play knowing four 0-level spells of your choice, which are contained in his book of lore. In addition, for each point of Intelligence bonus the bard has, the book of lore holds one additional 0-level spell of your choice. At any time, a Bard can also add spells found in other spell books, scrolls, etc. to his book of lore.
Daily Readying of Spells: Each day, bards must focus their minds on the task of casting their spells. A bard needs 8 hours of rest (just like a wizard), after which he spends one hour reading his book of lore and concentrating on its contents. During this period, the bard attunes his mind to the contents of his book of lore and prepares himself to utilize his emulative powers (i.e. readies his mind to cast his daily allotment of spells). Without such a period to refresh himself, the character does not regain the spell slots he used up the day before. **note: this section replaces the information on Bards in ‘Sorcerers and Bards’ in the Magic Overview section of the PHB / SRD.
Recent Casting Limit: As with wizards, any spells cast within the last 8 hours count against the bard’s daily limit. **note: this section replaces the information on Bards in ‘Sorcerers and Bards’ in the Magic Overview section of the PHB / SRD.
Any thoughts, suggestions, balance issues?
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