DreadArchon
First Post
I'm toying with rules for a low-magic setting, and I'd like to have Bards functional but incapable of casting spells. Suggestions for changes or improvement?
SPELL-FREE BARD
Loses: Spell progression.
Gains: The following abilities, in addition to the usual:
Level 1: Bonus Feat: Melodic Casting (see Complete Mage).
Level 2: Supernatural Flair (Sp): The bard may use Prestidigitation and Summon Instrument as spell-like abilities, once per day per bard level.
Level 3: Wanderer's Step (Ex): The bard's speed is increased by 10 feet in any movement mode he uses, including those which would normally be limited or set (e.g. he could Spider Climb with a speed of 30 feet rather than 20 feet). Should this be applied to flight speeds, it does not effect the character's minimum movement per round. This ability does not function in Medium or Heavy armor.
Level 4: Evasion (Ex): As the Rogue ability.
Level 5: Deceive Item (Ex): As the Warlock ability (see Complete Arcane).
Level 6: --
Level 7: Lay on Hands (Su): As the Paladin ability.
Level 8: Dirgesong (Su), Song of Sorrow: As the Dirgesinger ability (see Libris Mortis).
Level 9: Composition (Su): The bard may maintain up to two Bardic Music (including Dirgesong) effects at once, though this does not give him additional standard actions per turn, so he may not (normally) combine two songs requiring concentration, nor may he begin a new song while performing one that requires concentration (as starting a song is a standard action).
Level 10: Dirgesong (Su), Song of Grief: As the Dirgesinger ability (see Libris Mortis).
Level 11: Imbue Item (Su): As the Warlock ability (see Complete Arcane).
Level 12: Zone of Silence (Sp): As the spell, usable at will.
Level 13: Dirgesong (Su), Song of Horror: As the Dirgesinger ability (see Libris Mortis).
Level 14: Marching Song (Su): Creatures affected by any Bardic Music effect with “Inspire” in the name also gain the benefits of the Wanderer's Step ability, as given above, except that those in Medium or Heavy armor may benefit from it. This stacks with actual occurrences of the Wanderer's Step ability (e.g. the user gains a total of +20 feet to all movement modes when using Inspire Courage), but not with other Bardic Music effects.
Level 15: --
Level 16: Dirgesong (Su), Song of Awakening: As the Dirgesinger ability (see Libris Mortis), except that the body is not considered to have been undead once the Song of Awakening is dismissed (e.g. it may be targeted by Raise Dead normally).
Level 17: Modify Memory (Sp): As the spell, 5 times per day.
Level 18: --
Level 19: Master Composer (Ex): The bard may maintain up to three Bardic Music (including Dirgesong) effects at once. The bard may concentrate on all of his songs with a single standard action (and thus may use multiple songs which require concentration). The bard may activate a Bardic Music (or Dirgesong) effect with a Move Action or Swift Action rather than a Standard Action. Finally, the bard's Bardic Music and Dirgesong effects are now considered extraordinary, and thus may function in an antimagic field.
Level 20: Song of Time (Su): This is a Bardic Music ability, requiring bard level 20 and 23 ranks in Perform. The Song of Time is an instantaneous effect (it cannot not last multiple rounds per use) that requires two daily uses of Bardic Music to activate. The Song of Time affects allies (and its user) who can hear the bard perform, giving each an extra Standard Action, taken immediately, in initiative order. Note that, with the Master Composer ability, this requires only a Swift Action or Move Action to activate, and is an (Ex) ability; if this ability is somehow used by a creature without Master Composer, it is (Su) and takes a Standard Action, as normal.
SPELL-FREE BARD
Loses: Spell progression.
Gains: The following abilities, in addition to the usual:
Level 1: Bonus Feat: Melodic Casting (see Complete Mage).
Level 2: Supernatural Flair (Sp): The bard may use Prestidigitation and Summon Instrument as spell-like abilities, once per day per bard level.
Level 3: Wanderer's Step (Ex): The bard's speed is increased by 10 feet in any movement mode he uses, including those which would normally be limited or set (e.g. he could Spider Climb with a speed of 30 feet rather than 20 feet). Should this be applied to flight speeds, it does not effect the character's minimum movement per round. This ability does not function in Medium or Heavy armor.
Level 4: Evasion (Ex): As the Rogue ability.
Level 5: Deceive Item (Ex): As the Warlock ability (see Complete Arcane).
Level 6: --
Level 7: Lay on Hands (Su): As the Paladin ability.
Level 8: Dirgesong (Su), Song of Sorrow: As the Dirgesinger ability (see Libris Mortis).
Level 9: Composition (Su): The bard may maintain up to two Bardic Music (including Dirgesong) effects at once, though this does not give him additional standard actions per turn, so he may not (normally) combine two songs requiring concentration, nor may he begin a new song while performing one that requires concentration (as starting a song is a standard action).
Level 10: Dirgesong (Su), Song of Grief: As the Dirgesinger ability (see Libris Mortis).
Level 11: Imbue Item (Su): As the Warlock ability (see Complete Arcane).
Level 12: Zone of Silence (Sp): As the spell, usable at will.
Level 13: Dirgesong (Su), Song of Horror: As the Dirgesinger ability (see Libris Mortis).
Level 14: Marching Song (Su): Creatures affected by any Bardic Music effect with “Inspire” in the name also gain the benefits of the Wanderer's Step ability, as given above, except that those in Medium or Heavy armor may benefit from it. This stacks with actual occurrences of the Wanderer's Step ability (e.g. the user gains a total of +20 feet to all movement modes when using Inspire Courage), but not with other Bardic Music effects.
Level 15: --
Level 16: Dirgesong (Su), Song of Awakening: As the Dirgesinger ability (see Libris Mortis), except that the body is not considered to have been undead once the Song of Awakening is dismissed (e.g. it may be targeted by Raise Dead normally).
Level 17: Modify Memory (Sp): As the spell, 5 times per day.
Level 18: --
Level 19: Master Composer (Ex): The bard may maintain up to three Bardic Music (including Dirgesong) effects at once. The bard may concentrate on all of his songs with a single standard action (and thus may use multiple songs which require concentration). The bard may activate a Bardic Music (or Dirgesong) effect with a Move Action or Swift Action rather than a Standard Action. Finally, the bard's Bardic Music and Dirgesong effects are now considered extraordinary, and thus may function in an antimagic field.
Level 20: Song of Time (Su): This is a Bardic Music ability, requiring bard level 20 and 23 ranks in Perform. The Song of Time is an instantaneous effect (it cannot not last multiple rounds per use) that requires two daily uses of Bardic Music to activate. The Song of Time affects allies (and its user) who can hear the bard perform, giving each an extra Standard Action, taken immediately, in initiative order. Note that, with the Master Composer ability, this requires only a Swift Action or Move Action to activate, and is an (Ex) ability; if this ability is somehow used by a creature without Master Composer, it is (Su) and takes a Standard Action, as normal.
