Bard

“These praises, King / Won't cost you dear That I shall sing / If you will hear: Who beat and blazed / Your trail of red, ‘Til Odin gazed / Upon the dead.”

Egil’s Saga (ca. 1240)

Each bard must choose to follow one of two traditions: that of a minstrel (who uses an instrument as an arcane spellcasting focus, and is capable of a variety of magical effects) or a skald (a warrior-poet, who fights while chanting). The type of bard chosen has an effect on skills, spellcasting, and other class features.

Examples of minstrels from mythology and literature include Orpheus (from Greek mythology), Alan-a-Dale (from The Adventures of Robin Hood and his Merry Men), Taliesin

(the legendary Welsh bard, especially as described in Charles deLint’s Moonheart), Morgon (from Patricia McKillip’s The Riddle-Master of Hed), and Silver John (from Manley Wade Wellman’s Appalachian stories). Minstrels often take levels of Prestige Specialist (see Wizard), choosing enchantment or illusion as their specialist school); Väinämöinen (from Elias Lönnrot’s Kalevala) is an example of a bard/wizard or bard/sorcerer.

Examples of skalds include Egil Skallagrimsson (from Snorri Sturlusson’s Egil’s Saga), Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, Volker of Alzey (from The Niebelungenlied), and Lemminkäinen (from Elias Lönnrot’s Kalevala). Skalds often take levels in fighter or barbarian to further increase their combat prowess; Gurney Halleck (from Frank Herbert’s Dune) is a bard/fighter.

Saving Throws: Bards gain a +2 class bonus to Reflex, Intuition, and Will saves.

Bonus Skills: All bards automatically receive one free rank per class level in Concentration, Knowledge (Linguistics), and Knowledge (Lore). These are otherwise treated as class skills, but do not count against the bard’s total number of skill points per level.

Other Class Skills: Athletics, Bluff, Craft (all), Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Knowledge (all), Perception, Perform (all), Profession (all), Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, and Streetwise. A skald also has Endurance as a class skill.

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Favored Class: When gaining a level of bard as a favored class, rather than choosing +1 hp or skill point, you can instead choose one of the following:

• Extra Inspiration: You gain an additional daily round of use of your Bardic Inspiration ability (q.v.) each time you select this option.

• Maneuver Mastery: You gain a +1 class bonus to your CMB with one type of maneuvers (forcing, tricky, weapon, or wrestling, as outlined in Chapter 1). The effects stack, but the maximum bonus in any one category gained in this manner cannot exceed +1, with an additional +1 per 4 class levels you possess.

• Practiced Sage: You gain a +1 competence bonus to any Knowledge skill of your choice. You may select this option multiple times; each time, select a different Knowledge skill or increase the bonus of an existing skill by +1 (to a maximum such bonus equal to half your class level). This otherwise duplicates the effects of Skill Focus feat.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A bard has Simple proficiency in all weapons and with the buckler. They have Martial proficiency with the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, short bow, and whip.

Bards are also proficient with light armor. A bard can cast bard spells (but not arcane spells received from other classes, if any) while wearing light armor and/or using a buckler without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, a bard wearing medium or heavy armor incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component.

Spellcasting: Bards cast spontaneous arcane spells, gaining spells known and spells per day according to the progression shown on the table. Your spellcasting attribute is Charisma (if you are a Minstrel) or Intelligence (if you are a skald). Optional: some referees may allow some bards to choose prepared casting, rather than spontaneous casting; prepared-caster bards must have books of sheet music or poetic verses equivalent to a wizard’s spellbooks (q.v.).

Bard spells are drawn from the expanded bard spell list (the standard list of the core bard, plus referee-approved bard spells from other sources, plus the additional spells listed in Appendix A). You can also learn martial maneuvers from the White Raven school (from the Tome of Battle) as if they were spells of the same level.

Upon reaching 5^th level, and at every third bard level after that (8^th, 11^th, and so on), you can choose to learn a new spell in place of one you already know. In effect, you “lose” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least one level lower than the highest-level bard spell you can cast. You may swap only a single spell at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.

Bonus Spells: The bard’s bonus spells (see Spellcasting Table 1 in Chapter 7) are as follows: 1^st—hypnotism; 2^nd—suggestion; 3^rd—fear; 4^th—break enchantment; 5^th—mass suggestion; 6^th—greater shout; 7^th—mass cure serious wounds.

Bardic Tradition (Ex): Starting at 1^st level, a bard must choose one of two bardic traditions: the minstrel or the skald. The specific tradition determines the character’s standard bardic performance (q.v.) and also his tradition keeper abilities (q.v.). Certain bardic inspirations and items of bardic lore are available only to bards of one or the other tradition.

• Minstrel: A minstrel gains 1 free rank per class level in Diplomacy and Perform (music). These are otherwise treated as class skills, but do not count against the bard’s total number of skill points per level.

• Skald: A skald has Endurance as a class skill, and has Martial proficiency with all weapons and shields. Skalds are also proficient with light and medium armor. A skald can cast bard spells (but not arcane spells received from other classes, if any) while wearing light or medium armor and use a shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, a skald wearing heavy armor incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question normally has a somatic component. You can choose to give up medium armor and shields proficiencies in exchange for the Canny Defense feat.

Bardic Performance (Ex): Your bardic tradition influences the way you cast spells and use bardic inspiration. In any case, the use of spells requires sound from you (either music or chanting of poetry); you therefore cannot apply the Silent Spell feat to any of your spells.

Minstrel: A minstrel’s spells and inspirations have only two components: an arcane focus (a musical instrument) with associated somatics (playing). A minstrel must have both of his hands free in order to cast spells, but can otherwise be gagged or restrained. You cannot use the Still Spell feat in conjunction with your bard spells. Arcane spell failure applies for medium or heavy armor.

When casting spells, you can extend the spell duration by continuing to play. In that case, the spell lasts for as long as you continue playing (maximum 1 round per class level), and the spell’s normal duration begins thereafter. Concentration checks are needed to continue a spell in this manner if you are injured. If you choose not to extend spell durations in this manner, you can continue to cast spells from round to round, as does any other spellcaster.

A minstrel (and only a minstrel) can sing and play an instrument simultaneously in order to cast a spell and maintain an inspiration at the same time. If you have one hand free, you can sing in order to maintain inspiration while fighting with a light or one-handed weapon in the other hand. You cannot begin an inspiration, cast spells, or maintain spells unless both hands are free to play an instrument, however. Alternatively, you can maintain two types of bardic inspiration simultaneously, by playing an instrument and singing. The usage costs, in terms of rounds of inspiration, stack—in other words, maintaining inspire courage and inspire greatness would cost 2 rounds’ worth of inspiration per round. This ability supersedes the War Chanter (Complete Warrior) and the Seeker of the Song (Complete Arcane) prestige class feature of the same name.

Skald: A skald’s spells and inspirations all have verbal components only. You need not have your hands free in order to cast spells, but must be able to speak in a loud, clear voice. This means that you can cast a spell as a standard action, rather than as a full-attack action, and that the DC of Concentration checks to cast defensively is at -8 (Chapter 4). When casting spells, you can extend the spell duration by continuing to recite. In that case, the spell lasts for as long as you continue reciting that verse (maximum 1 round per class level), and the spell’s normal duration begins thereafter. Concentration checks are needed to continue a spell in this manner if you are injured. A skald (and only a skald) can maintain a spell or inspiration in this manner while fighting.

College (Ex): As you gain experience, you become more adept at inspirations (see below) and other bardic features. The use of college names, rather than simply using numerals, is included as a tribute to the 1^st edition AD&D bard. Bardic colleges are as follows:

Bard Level	College Name	College Bonus
1st	Fochlucan	+1
3rd	Mac-Fuirmidh	+2
6th	Doss	+3
9th	Canaith	+4
12th	Cli	+5
15th	Anstruth	+6
18th	Ollamh	+7
20th	Magnus Alumnus	+8

Inspiration (Su): You are trained to use music (for minstrels) or poetry (Linguistics skill, for skalds) to magically inspire those around you, including yourself if desired. You can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + your Charisma modifier (for minstrels) or Intelligence modifier (for skalds). For each class level after the 1^st you can use bardic inspiration for 2 additional rounds per day.

To conduct a bardic inspiration, choose any bard spell you know (of maximum level equal to your college bonus) that affects one or more creatures. You can use Heighten Spell or other metamagic on a lower-level spell, as long as the final spell level is less than or equal to your college bonus. When you use the inspiration, the effects of that spell occur as a supernatural ability, with a save DC equal to 10 + half your class level + your Charisma modifier, and lasting as long as you pay the cost to maintain the inspiration. This does not use up any spell slots.

Inspirations affecting an area always use your square as their point of origin. If the effects are beneficial and apply to multiple targets (or an area), your enemies are excluded from the effects; if the effects are harmful and apply to multiple targets (or an area), you and your allies are excluded. If the spell normally affects only a single target, you can affect multiple creatures by multiplying the inspiration cost in rounds by the total number of targets. Spells with a range of “personal” cannot be modified to affect multiple creatures. Instantaneous effects are applied each round at the end of your turn.

Examples of typical inspirations are provided in Appendix B.

If you have prepared spellcasting (due to multiclassing with wizard, cleric, druid, etc.), only bard spells (or other spells approved by a case-by-case basis) can be used as inspirations, and only spells currently prepared can be used for inspiration—with the exception that the bard bonus spells are always available, even if not currently prepared.

Starting an inspiration is a standard action at 1^st level, but becomes quicker as the bard gains levels (see below). Once started, bardic inspiration can be maintained each round using the bardic performance ability (see above) as a free action. Changing an inspiration from one effect to another requires you to stop the previous effect and start a new one. A bardic inspiration cannot be disrupted except by another bard using the countersong ability (q.v.). It ends immediately if you are killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a bardic performance action to maintain it each round.

Targets must be able to hear you for the inspiration to have any effect, and chanted (skald) inspirations are language-dependent. A deaf bard has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use a bardic inspiration. If you fail this check, the attempt still counts against your daily limit.

Inspire Courage (Su): When using bardic inspiration, rather than activating a spell, you can instead choose inspire courage in yourself and your allies, bolstering against fear and improving combat abilities. Those affected receive a morale bonus to attacks, weapon damage, and saving throws against fear effects. The magnitude of the bonus is equal to 1 + half your college bonus (maximum +5 at 20^th level).

Each round, allies within 30 ft. who are already under a fear or despair effect can attempt a new save each round using your Perform (music) or Knowledge (linguistics) skill check results for that round in place of the saving throw. This does not work on effects that don’t allow saves. Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability. This inspiration supersedes the Arcane Duelist’s rallying cry variant class feature from the Advanced Player’s Guide, and also the Marshal’s motivate ardor, motivate attack, and steady hand auras, from the Miniatures Handbook.

Bardic Lore: Starting at 2^nd level, and every 3 levels thereafter, you gain new abilities based on your experiences and learning. The various types of lore are normally restricted to a specific tradition, although some are available equally to all bards. Possible examples of bardic lore are described in Appendix C.

Skill Focus: At 2^nd level, specific training you have undertaken in a particular field begins to manifest itself. Choose one class skill; you gain Skill Focus in that skill as a bonus feat. You gain an additional skill focus every 6 levels after the 2^nd. This ability supersedes the various skill-boosting variant class features from the Advanced Player’s Guide and Ultimate Combat. Note that a minstrel need not select Skill Focus (Perform: Music), as the well-versed ability (q.v.) essentially already grants that.

Lore Master (Ex): At 4^th level, you become a master of lore and can choose to take 10 on any Knowledge skill check (as long as you have ranks in the appropriate Knowledge skill). In addition, once per day, you can take 20 on any Knowledge skill check as a standard action. You can use this ability one additional time per day for every six levels you possess beyond 4^th, to a maximum of three times per day at 16^th level.

Well-Versed (Ex): Starting at 4^th level, you apply your college bonus in the following ways:

• As a competence bonus to saving throws against bardic spells and inspirations; language-dependent effects; [sonic] effects; and symbols, glyphs, and magical writings of any kind.

• As a competence bonus on caster level checks and saving throws to see through disguises and protections against divination (such as magic aura, misdirection, and nondetection). This subsumes the archivist bard’s “magic lore” variant and the detective-bard’s “arcane insight” variant from the Advanced Player’s Guide.

• You gain sonic resistance equal to 5 x your college bonus. At 20^th level, you are immune to sonic attacks.

• If you are a minstrel, your college bonus applies as a competence bonus to Perform (music) checks. If you are a skald, instead add your college bonus as a competence bonus to your Leadership score (Chapter 5).

Tradition Keeper (Ex): At 5^th level and 17^th levels, you gain special abilities based on the bardic tradition you represent.

Lyric Spell (Minstrel): Starting at 5^th level, you can extend the duration of a bardic inspiration after you stop concentrating, without expending additional rounds of use, by sacrificing a spell slot as a swift action. The inspiration’s effects linger for 1 extra round per level of the spell. This lore supersedes the bardic magician’s Extended Performance variant class feature from the Advanced Player’s Guide.

Metamagic Song (Minstrel): Starting at 17^th level, when you cast an arcane spell that is enhanced by a metamagic feat, you can spend a number of rounds of your bardic inspiration ability equal to twice the number of extra levels that the metamagic feat imposes on the spell, rather than raising the spell's effective level. Applying metamagic spontaneously using this method does not increase the casting time of the spell. You cannot use the Metamagic Song feat to add metamagic feats that would make the spell's effective level higher than the highest level of spell that you can cast normally. You must sing and play an instrument (as if maintaining inspiration and casting a spell), so you cannot use this lore in conjunction with the Still Spell or Silent Spell feat.

When applying a metamagic feat to a spell, you must either use Metamagic Song to completely offset the increase in the spell's effective level, or apply the metamagic feat normally and cast the spell at its higher level. You cannot partially increase the level of the spell (or split the cost) to reduce the number of rounds of inspiration spent when using the Metamagic Song feat.

This supersedes the feat of the same name from Races of Stone, and also the bardic magician’s “metamagic mastery” performance from the Advanced Player’s Guide.

Martial Prowess (Skald): At 5^th level, a skald’s base attack bonus increases by +1 (from +3 to +4), exactly as if you had gained a level in a class that provided a +1 to base attack bonus that level. This means that a single-classed skald reaches BAB +6 (and gains an iterative attack) at 7^th level instead of 8^th. At 17^th level, your base attack bonus increases by an additional +1 (to +14). A single-classed skald therefore gains a 4^th iterative attack (BAB +16/+11/+11/+11) at 19^th level.

Effortless Inspiration (Su): Starting at 7^th level, when you inspire courage or use a Fochlucan (1^st level) inspiration, you can maintain that inspiration for multiple rounds without paying the maintenance cost (only the first continuous round of use requires you to expend a round of bardic inspiration use). If the inspiration normally requires more than 1 round of use per round―for example, when paying extra to affect additional creatures―then the total cost of each round after the first is reduced by one.

You can end an ongoing effortless inspiration as a free action. Any interruption in the inspiration’s verbal and/or somatic component(s) ends the inspiration immediately, whereupon you must start it again as normal, paying the normal 1^st round cost. This means that, barring casting silence on yourself and then using the accompaniment ability (q.v.), there is almost no way to be at all stealthy while maintaining an inspiration.

As you gain experience, you gain the ability to maintain more powerful inspirations in this manner, as shown in Table 1.

Move Inspiration (Su): At 7^th level, you can start a bardic inspiration as a move action instead of a standard action.

Accompaniment (Su): Starting at 8^th level, your bardic spells and inspiration continue to operate even in magical silence, as long as you continue to play, sing, and/or chant. You are also immune to magical deafness. This duplicates the feat of the same name from the Book of Eldritch Might II (Malhavoc Press).

Gift of Tongues (Sp): At 11^th level, you gain the ability to speak and understand the language of any intelligent creature, whether it is a racial tongue or a regional dialect, as if under a permanent tongues spell (this effect cannot be totally dispelled; merely suppressed for 1d4 rounds). You can speak only one language at a time, although you may be able to understand several languages.

Swift Inspiration (Su): At 13^th level, you can start a bardic inspiration as a swift action.

Jack of All Trades (Ex): Starting at 14^th level, you treat all skills as class skills, and can use trained-only skills untrained.

Lingering Inspiration (Su): Starting at 19^th level, the effects of your bardic inspirations continue for two rounds after you cease paying the maintenance cost. Any other requirements, such as range or specific conditions, must still be met for the effect to continue. If you begin a new bardic inspiration during this time, the effects of the previous one immediately cease (unless you would normally be able to maintain a bardic inspiration while starting a new one, as a minstrel with an instrument can do).

In addition, your inspirations can persist even if you are incapacitated and unable to maintain them. If you choose, the effects of your inspiration can continue for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma bonus (for minstrels) or Intelligence bonus (for skalds) after you are dazed, held, stunned, killed, and so on, and would ordinarily be unable to maintain them. These rounds count toward your number of rounds per day limit.

This ability supersedes the feat of the same name, and also the Battle Herald’s “persistent commands” prestige class feature, from the Advanced Player’s Guide.

Inspiration of Life (Su): A bard of 20^th level (a “Magnus Alumnus”) learns to use his inspiration to cause one enemy to die from joy or sorrow, or to lure a fallen comrade back from the land of the dead.

To be affected by the killing version, the target must be able to hear you perform or recite for 1 full round and be within 30 feet. The target receives a Will save (DC 10 + half your class level level + your spellcasting attribute modifier) to negate the effect. If a creature's saving throw succeeds, the target is staggered for 1d4 rounds, and you cannot use this ability on that creature again for 24 hours. If a creature's saving throw fails, it dies. This is a mind-affecting death effect.

To bring a creature back to life, you must perform or chant an elegy for 20 consecutive rounds, expending 1 round worth of bardic inspiration per round. You must be within 10 ft. of the body during this time. After 20 rounds, the fallen creature rolls for resurrection survival (a Fortitude save, with DC based on his race’s life span; see Introduction). If successful, he or she is brought back to life, as if by a resurrection spell. If this check fails, the creature is brought back to life, but only for as long as the inspiration effect continues thereafter. He or she is immune to curative spells and stabilization during that time; when the inspiration ends, the creature dies again for good. This function supersedes the Songhealer bard’s funereal ballad ability from Ultimate Magic.

Appendix A: Bard Spells

In order to better simulate the range of abilities available to 3.5-edition bards through various feats and prestige classes, it is recommended that the following spells be added to the bard’s class list. Non-core sources (indicated by superscripts) are cited in Chapter 7.

0 Level: canny effort^AUG, guidance, learn heritage^BEM3, quick sober^RR.

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1^st Level: astute fighting^APM, bane, bless, calm animals, command, detect evil (etc.), distract assailant^CAd, divine favor, doom, greater canny effort^AUG, incite action^MH, magic weapon, protection from evil (etc.), sanctuary, serpent’s stare^RR2, smite^RR, stabilize, swift expeditious retreat^CAd.

2^nd Level: aid, bear’s endurance, bulls’s strength, curse of ill fortune^CD, curse of impending blades^MH, dissonant chant^SS, divine insight^CAd, glossolalia^SRD, gust of wind, healing lorecall^CAd, lesser restoration, litany of eloquence^UC, lively step^PGF, mindless rage^CAd, natural rhythm^APG (self only; all melee attacks), phantom’s howl^RR, resist energy, snake’s swiftness^MH, sonic weapon^CAd, status, stormrunner’s ward^SW, surmount affliction^UM, welter^BEM2, zone of truth.

3^rd Level: arcane eye, beast shape I, bestow curse, curse of petty failing^MH, dazzlesphere^AUG, destructive resonance (from Pathfinder #6), dirge of discord^CAd, drums of despair^GA, greater magic weapon, greater weapon of energy^SC (sonic only), keen edge, legion’s curse of impending blades^MH, legion’s snake’s swiftness^MH, magic circle against evil (etc.), magic vestment, prayer, protection from energy, righteous vigor^APG, sonorous hum^SS.

4^th Level: beast shape II, blessing of fervor^APG, discern lies, dreadmantle^RR2, enervation, fire shield (sonic instead of hot or cold), lower spell resistance^DN, mass resurgence^CD, sending, stoneskin, ward the faithful^APG, waves of fatigue.

5^th Level: baleful polymorph, beast shape III, cacophonic burst^SC, dispel evil (etc.), doomwail^RR, feeblemind, legion’s curse of petty failing^MH, nightstalker’s transformation^CAd, prying eyes, symbol of sleep.

6^th Level: antipathy, aura of evasion^DN, beast shape IV, breath of life, demand, find the path, flesh to stone, greater mystic flow^AUG, heroes’ feast, legion’s greater magic weapon^ME, litany of madness^UC, mass bear’s endurance, mass bull’s strength, mass hold person, mass moment of clarity^BED, mass rage, sympathy, transformation, true seeing, waves of exhaution.

7^th Level: banishment, bestow greater curse^CD, charm’s aegis^RR2, circle of clarity^UM, control weather, crown of despair^Dr331, discern location, greater shadow conjuration, heroic invocation^UC, insanity, instant summons, mass charm monster, mass cure serious wounds, mass invisibility, mass lesser geas^Dr312, moment of prescience, power word: blind, greater prying eyes, repulsion, scintillating pattern, spell turning, summon monster VII, vision, weaponshatter (see below).

Weaponshatter

School: Evocation [sonic]

Level: Bard 7

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Components: Somatic, Focus (stringed instrument)

Range: 30 ft.

Area: 30-ft.-radius spread, centered on you

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (magical object) or partial (non-magical object) or half (see text)

Spell Resistance: Yes

When you strike the appropriate magical note at the culmination of this spell, all drawn or readied weapons (including magical wands and staves) within 30 ft. of you are destroyed. Magical weapons that succeed at the saving throw are unaffected; non-magical weapons that succeed at the saving throw gain the broken condition, but are not destroyed outright. Crystalline creatures within the area of effect take 1d6 points of sonic damage per caster level (maximum 15d6), with a Fortitude save for half damage.

Source: This spell, essential a mass shatter, was inspired by Morgon’s harp from Patricia McKillip’s The Riddle-Master of Hed.

Appendix B: Bardic Inspiration

Countersong checks can be made by anyone with ranks in Perform (music), as described in the Skills rules. Other examples of Pathfinder RPG bardic performances are duplicated by spells, as summarized in the following table (those marked with an asterisk are included in the bard’s list of bonus spells).

Appendix C: Bardic Lore

Lore	Tradition	Description
Arcane bond	Both	As wizard class feature
Bonus feat	Both	Choose a feat
Countersong, reactive	Minstrel	Immediate action
Dauntless	Both	Bonus vs. mind-affecting
Discordance	Both	Gain sonic attack
Elder kantelist	Both	Multiclass with arcane
Evasion	Both	As rogue class feature
Fighter talent	Skald	(Self-explanatory)
Fortune’s friend	Both	Bonus hero point/day
Green ear	Minstrel	Powers affect plants, fey
Harmonic sage	Minstrel	Boost spells indoors
Inspiration, masterful	Both	+1 to inspiration effects
Instant daze	Skald	Daze those hitting you
Mythic song	Minstrel	Affect giants, dragons
Network of informants	Minstrel	Call in favors from NPCs
Oral tradition	Skald	+2 inherent bonus to Int
Outlaw performer	Both	Multiclass with rogue
Perform., versatile	Minstrel	Swap out skill checks
Powerful voice	Both	Double inspiration range
Probable path	Both	Take 10 on any d20 rolls
Requiem	Minstrel	Affect undead
Roaring skald	Skald	Multiclass with barbarian
Rune lore	Skald	Access to Rune domain
Sacred performer	Both	Multiclass with cleric
Sneak attack	Both	Also incl. cloaked casting
Social graces	Minstrel	+2 inherent bonus to Cha
Splendor	Both	As a rod of splendor
Stone singer	Both	Boost effects underground
Twilight luck	Both	+2 luck bonus to saves
Wilderness harper	Both	Multiclass with druid
Words of power	Skald	Reroll failed Diplomacy

Arcane Bond (Ex) (Minstrel or Skald): You gain the Arcane Bond ability, as a wizard of level equal to your class level. A skald either gains a weapon as a bonded item, or else can choose the Diligent Preparation ability (allowing you to use your Intelligence bonus to calculate your spell and inspiration saving throw DCs). A minstrel can choose a familiar (usually something exotic, like a monkey or parrot), or a musical instrument as a bonded item. The latter functions exactly as a specialist enchanter’s pendant or illusionist’s mirror (your choice), except the instrument must be played in place of your spells’ somatic components (and verbal components, in the case of a woodwind or brass instrument).

If you are a minstrel, starting at 10^th level, whenever you use a spell completion item (wand or instrument of the bards) containing a spell on your spell list, you use your Charisma bonus to set the item’s save DC. At 16^th level, when using such an item, you use your number of ranks in Concentration in place of the item’s default caster level.

Bonus Feat (Minstrel or Skald): You can gain one bonus feat in place of an item of bardic lore; you must meet the prerequisites normally. You may gain this lore multiple times; each time, select a different feat.

Countersong, Reactive (Ex) (Minstrel): You can begin a countersong as an immediate action. You cannot use Reactive Countersong at the same time you are using another bardic inspiration ability (though you could stop the other inspiration to begin Reactive Countersong if so desired). Source: 3.5 edition System Reference Document, “Epic Feats.”

Dauntless (Ex) (Minstrel or Skald): You gain a morale bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells and effects, including all fear effects, equal to your college bonus. In addition, if you fail to save against a [fear] effect, the condition’s severity is lessened by one step, plus an additional step per 6 class levels you possess. This lore supersedes the Daredevil’s variant class feature of the same name, from Ultimate Combat.

Discordance (Sp) (Minstrel or Skald): As long as you have at least one bard spell slot of 1^st level or higher available and ready to cast, you can inflict harm on your enemies with a single word of power (skalds) or discordant note (minstrels). Choose one target within close range; you must succeed at a ranged touch attack against that target. If successful, the victim takes 1d6 sonic damage per level of the highest-level spell slot you have remaining. This ability is otherwise similar to a sorcerer’s eldritch blast ability, and also supersedes the Sound Striker archetype from Ultimate Magic. It counts as a 1^st level spell-like ability for purposes of the Innate Metamagic feat.

• At 8^th level, you gain Innate Metamagic, applied to your discordance ability, as a bonus feat. Choose one of the following effects: Channel Spell, Coercive Spell, Deafening Spell, Empower Spell, Entangling Spell, Fell Frighten, Fell Weaken, Imbue Missile, Maximize Spell, Merciful Spell, Shape Spell, or Storm Evocation. You must meet all prerequisites.

• At 14^th level, you gain an additional discordant metamagic feat; add Blast Spell, Chain Spell, Dazing Spell, Forceful Evocation, Irresistible Evocation, and Slowing Spell to the list shown.

Elder Kantelist (Ex) (Minstrel or Skald): You must have levels in an wizard or sorcerer to select this lore. You gain the following benefits when multiclassing:

• Your arcane class levels provide Strong synergy towards your number of rounds per day of bardic inspiration and the DC of your inspirations. You do not gain new colleges (spell levels) of inspirations in this manner, however.

• Your bard levels provide Weak synergy for purposes of determining the effects of your school powers or bloodline abilities.

• You can choose to give up your bard spellcasting ability. In exchange, your bard levels provide Strong theurgy towards your arcane spellcasting progression. You retain access to both class spells lists.

Using this option, the Prestige Bard from Unearthed Arcana can be modeled. A wizard/bard or sorcerer/bard can also be used to simulates the great spellcasting heroes from the Kalevala.

Evasion (Ex) (Minstrel or Skald): You gain evasion, as the rogue class feature. If you have at least 10 levels of bard and/or rogue in any combination, you also gain Improved Evasion. If you have at least 18 levels of bard and/or rogue in any combination, you also gain Greater Evasion.

Fighter Talent (Ex) (Skald): You can learn a fighter talent in place of an item of bardic lore. You must meet all prerequisites listed. You may learn advanced fighter talents in this manner if your base attack bonus is +11 or higher.

If you have levels in Fighter, your bard level provides Full synergy when determining the effective the effects of fighter talents you possess.

Fortune’s Friend (Ex) (Minstrel or Skald): You gain a free Hero Point/Action Point (see “Variations in the Core Rule Mechanics”) each day. These cannot be accumulated; if you start the next day with the previous day’s bonus point unspent, it is lost in favor of the new one. You can gain this talent multiple times; the effects stack. This talent largely supersedes the Fortune’s Friend prestige class, from Complete Scoundrel.

Green Ear (Su) (Minstrel): You are attuned to the green places and the magic of the fey, providing you a number of benefits.

• You gain Domain Access and Improved Domain Access (Plant domain) as bonus feats, using your Knowledge (lore) skill in place of Knowledge (the planes).

• Plants and plant creatures are not immune to your mind-affecting spells and bardic inspiration abilities, and your spells affect fey as if they were humanoids (making them vulnerable to a hold person cast by you, for example).

• You can spend rounds of bardic inspiration to extend the preceding ability to allies within 60 feet as well.

• When you use bardic inspiration with audible components in a forest, the range or area of your chosen performance is doubled.

• The saving throw bonuses from your Well-Versed class feature apply to saving throws against the spells, spell-like abilities, supernatural abilities, and extraordinary abilities of plants and fey.

This lore supersedes the feat of the same name from Complete Adventurer, and also the Leaf Singer feat from the Advanced Player’s Guide.

Harmonic Sage (Ex) (Minstrel): While inside an artificial structure, you can spend a free action to make a DC 15 Craft (construction) check when you begin an inspiration. Success on this check allows you to do one of the following.

• Self-Harmonize: By performing over the reverberations of your performance, you increase the DC of your inspirations by +1.

• Reverberation: You can choose to have the effect of your current bardic inspiration continue for 1 round after you cease maintaining it, regardless of why you cease.

Source: Ultimate Combat.

Inspiration, Masterful (Su) (Minstrel or Skald): When you use any bardic inspiration that grants a numerical bonus or applies a numerical penalty, the bonus or penalty increases by 1. Thus, a 9^th level bard with this feat grants his allies a +4 bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws against fear when he uses inspire courage, rather than the +3 he would normally grant. You may learn this lore up to two times; the effects stack. It supersedes the Master Performer feat from the Pathfinder Faction Guide, the Song of the Heart feat from the Eberron Campaign Setting, and the Epic Inspiration feat from the 3.5 edition System Reference Document.

Instant Daze (Su) (Skald): You can daze an enemy who strikes you in melee (Will negates) by spending 1 round of inspiration upon being struck. The effect lasts for 1 round, or as long as you continue to extend the inspiration and spend additional rounds of use. This is a mind-affecting compulsion. Creatures with HD greater than your bard level are immune. You can’t activate this ability in response to an attack you are unaware of. Source: Players Handbook II.

Mythic Song (Su) (Minstrel or Skald): You are attuned to the lore and magic of mythical creatures, providing you with a number of benefits:

• Your spells and inspirations affect magical beasts as if they were animals, and affect monstrous humanoids and giants as if they were humanoids.

• Dragons normally immune to sleep and paralysis are vulnerable to those effects from your spells or bardic inspiration abilities.

• You can spend rounds of bardic inspiration to extend the above benefits to all allies within 60 ft.

• The saving throw bonuses from your Well-Versed class feature apply to saving throws against the spells, spell-like abilities, supernatural abilities, and extraordinary abilities of dragons, giants, monstrous humanoids, and magical beasts.

Network of Contacts (Ex) (Minstrel): You have contacts and “friends of friends” all over the world. Whenever you are in any settlement, town, or city, once per week you may call in favor from someone you know, or who knows someone you know. The maximum CR of this NPC is equal to half your bard level. The NPC will try to accomplish any one task that is not suicidal, doesn’t seriously affect his or her resources, and takes up to one day. Exact details on how calling in the favor works, who the NPC is, etc., are subject to player and referee agreement.

Oral Tradition (Ex) (Skald): Your long practice at composing and memorizing complex lays has heightened your memory and sharpened your intellect. You gain a +2 inherent bonus to Intelligence, as if from a Tome of Clear Thought. You must be at least 11^th level to learn this lore. You may learn this lore multiple times; each time, the bonus improves by +1, to a maximum inherent bonus of +5 at 20^th level (after taking it 4 times).

Outlaw Performer (Ex) (Minstrel or Skald): You can learn rogue skill talents (if you are a minstrel) or combat talents (if you are a skald) in place of bardic lore, although you still must meet all prerequisites listed. Your effective rogue level for these talents is equal to your rogue level plus half your bard level (Full synergy); you qualify for advanced rogue talents if your effective rogue level is 10^th or higher.

• If you have levels in rogue, your bard levels provide Weak synergy when calculating your sneak attack damage.

• Your rogue levels provide Weak synergy when calculating the number of rounds of bardic inspiration per day that can be maintained and the DC of your bardic inspirations.

• You can choose to give up your rogue skill tricks and instead gain Strong theurgy (see Chapter 7) from your rogue levels to your bardic spellcasting ability and college. Alternatively, if you give up all bard spellcasting, your bard levels provide Strong theurgy to your rogue tricks progression, and you still retain access to the bard bonus spells in the form of inspirations.

This lore largely supersedes the Archaeologist archetype from Ultimate Combat.

Performance, Versatile (Minstrel) (Ex): You become adept at bolstering your chances of success with other skills by judicious use of performance. When using any of the skills from the list below, if conditions allow you can choose to take a full round action and also make a Perform check of the associated type. If the perform check is better, you can use those results in place of the skill check results. You cannot use this ability in combat, or when you would otherwise be unable to take 10. You must possess at least one rank in the associated skill to use this ability, although this requirement is waived once you gain the Jack-of-All-Trades ability (q.v.) at 10^th level.

Skill	Associated Performance
Acrobatics	Dance
Bluff	Acting
Diplomacy	Music
Fly	Dance
Handle Animal	Music

For example, when attempting a Handle Animal check, you might be able to soothe the animal with music, even if you would normally be unable to handle such a fierce beast.

Powerful Voice (Su) (Minstrel or Skald): Double the range of any bardic inspiration ability that has a range (as if using Reach Spell, but without any increase in casting time or spell level).

In addition, if the power affects multiple creatures, it affects one additional creature (over the normal number) for every five levels beyond 5^th (this does not affect powers that affect only a single creature).

You can learn this lore multiple times; its effects on range stack (remember that two doublings equals a tripling, and so forth). This lore supersedes the Ranged Inspiration epic feat from the 3.5 edition System Reference Document, the Verbose Performer feat from the Pathfinder Faction Guide, and the War Singer and Wide Audience variant class features from the Advanced Player’s Guide.

Probable Path (Ex) (Minstrel or Skald): You can calculate the action likely to bring success with the least risk. Any time you make a d20 roll, you can choose to take 10, even if this is not normally possible. This lore supersedes the archivist-bard’s class feature of the same name, from the Advanced Player’s Guide.

Requiem (Su) (Minstrel): Add speak with dead to the class list of 3^rd level spells. Undead are not immune to your mind-affecting spells and bardic inspiration abilities, and you can spend rounds of bardic inspiration to extend this ability to allies within 60 feet. Alternatively, you can expend bardic inspiration use in order to produce an effect that duplicates a halt undead spell, lasting as long as you continue the inspiration. This lore supersedes the feat of the same name from Libris Mortis.

Roaring Skald (Ex) (Skald): You may learn this lore only if you have at least one level in barbarian.

• You take no penalty to Intelligence while raging, and can use bardic inspiration while in a rage. Your barbarian levels provide Strong synergy towards your bardic inspiration (rounds per day, and DC) and college.

• Your bard levels provide Weak synergy for determining the type of rage you can enter, your rage attribute bonuses, and your effective initiator level for determining the effects of level-dependent rage powers.

• Whenever you become eligible for a new item of bardic lore, you can elect to choose a rage power instead. Your barbarian levels provide Weak synergy when calculating the effects of level-dependent bardic lore.

• When using the rage spell as an inspiration on allies, you can spend one additional round of inspiration per round to give affected allies access to any one rage power you possess. You can likewise spend additional rounds to give your allies access to additional rage powers you have.

• Finally, you can freely spend rounds of bardic inspiration in order to extend your rage, or spend rounds of rage in order to maintain bardic inspirations.

Rune Lore (Su) (Skald): You gain Domain Access. Improved Domain Access, and Domain Channeling (Rune domain) as bonus feats, using your Knowledge (linguistics) skill in place of Knowledge (the planes). Add explosive runes and all symbol spells to your list of class spells.

“No man should carve runes /

unless he can read them well;

many a man go astray / around those dark letters.”

―Egil’s Saga

Sacred Performer (Su) (Minstrel or Skald): You can select this lore only if you already possess levels in cleric, archivist, or incarnate. You gain the following advantages when multiclassing:

• Your bard levels provide Strong synergy to your channeling energy progression (for purposes of determining your number of channeling dice and the channeling DC) or to your incarnate resistances or terrain.

• Your cleric or archivist levels provide strong synergy to your bard level, for purposes of determining your number of rounds per day of bardic inspiration, inspiration DC, and college.

• You may choose to give up your bard spellcasting ability. If you do so, your bard levels provide Strong theurgy to your cleric, archivist, or incarnate spellcasting progression. You retain access to spells on both class lists.

This lore supersedes the feat of the same name from Dragon magazine (issue 357). A bard/cleric using this option supersedes the Divine Bard from Unearthed Arcana, and also the Evangelist archetype from Ultimate Combat (such a character might prepare the following in the place of Domain bonus spells: 1^st—command; 2^nd—enthrall; 3^rd—tongues; 4^th—suggestion; 5^th—greater command; 6^th—geas/quest; 7^th—mass suggestion; 8^th—sympathy; 9^th—demand).

Sneak Attack (Ex) (Minstrel or Skald): You gain sneak attack +1d6, as the rogue class feature. You also add a +1 circumstance bonus to the save DC of spells and bardic performance against opponents who are denied their Dexterity bonus, and +2 circumstance bonus to Concentration checks to overcome spell resistance against such foes. You may select this lore multiple times; each time, increase your sneak attack damage by 1d6, the save DC bonus improves by +1, and the level check boost to defeat SR improves by +2.

If you already have sneak attack from another class, the damage dice stack (subject to the limitations described in Chapter 1). This lore subsumes the Sandman’s variant class feature of the same name, from the Advanced Player’s Guide.

Social Graces (Ex) (Minstrel): You are long accustomed to social interactions of all kinds, from dealing with the common folk to entertaining nobles. You gain a +2 inherent bonus to Charisma, as if from a Tome of Leadership and Influence. You must be at least 11^th level to learn this lore. You may learn this lore multiple times; each time, the bonus improves by +1, to a maximum inherent bonus of +5 at 20^th level (after taking it 4 times).

Spell Kenning (Sp) (Minstrel or Skald): Once per day, you can cast any spell on the cleric or sorcerer/wizard spell list as if it were one of your spells known. Casting the spell requires you to expend two spell slots of that spell level or higher, and the spell takes 1 full round per spell level to cast (or increase the existing casting time by that much, if the desired spell normally requires 1 full round or longer to cast). At 11^th level, you can use this ability twice per day. At 17^th level, you can use this ability three times per day.

Splendor (Su) (Minstrel or Skald): You must be at least 11^th level to gain this lore, which grants a +4 enhancement bonus to your Charisma score. Once per day, you can garb yourself in magically-created clothing of the finest fabrics, plus adornments of furs and jewels. Apparel created by this magic remains in existence for 12 hours. However, if you attempt to sell or give away any part of it, use it for a spell component, or the like, all the apparel immediately disappears. The same applies if any of it is forcibly taken from you. The value of noble garb created ranges from 7,000 to 10,000 gp (1d4+6 × 1,000 gp)—1,000 gp for the fabric alone, 5,000 gp for the furs, and the rest for the jewel trim (maximum of twenty gems, maximum value 200 gp each).

In addition, you gain a second special power, usable once per week. As a full-round action, you can create a palatial tent—a huge pavilion of silk 60 feet across. Inside the tent are temporary furnishings and food suitable to the splendor of the pavilion and sufficient to entertain as many as 100 people. The tent and its trappings last for 1 day. At the end of that time, the tent and all objects associated with it (including any items that were taken out of the tent) disappear.

Stone Singer (Su) (Minstrel or Skald): The power of the earth infuses your songs and poems. Source: Advanced Player’s Guide.

• When you use a bardic inspiration with audible components underground, the range or area of your chosen inspiration is doubled.

• You can affect deaf creatures if they possess tremorsense and are in your new range.

• In addition, the DC for saving throws against your bardic inspiration is increased by +2 for creatures of the earth subtype, regardless of where the performance occurs.

• You gain favored terrain (underground), as the ranger class feature, with a bonus equal to the highest spell level you are able to maintain as a bardic inspiration.

• If you have the Earth elemental or Dao sorcerer bloodline, Stone incarnate mystery, or Elemental Earth domain, your bard levels provide Strong synergy for purposes of determining your bloodline, domain, or mystery powers (the levels at which you gain them and at which they operate).

Twilight Luck (Ex) (Minstrel or Skald): You receive a +2 luck bonus to all saving throws. You can select this lore multiple times; each time, the bonus increases by +1 (to a maximum bonus of +5, after selecting this lore 4 times).

Wilderness Harper (Ex) (Minstrel or Skald): When you gain new spells known, you can learn druid spells as if they were bard spells of equal level. The normal druid oaths regarding armor are relaxed, allowing you to wear light metal armor (or medium armor, for skalds) with no loss of spellcasting, supernatural, or spell-like abilities.

• If you have levels in druid, your druid levels provide Strong synergy with your bard levels for purposes of determining your number of rounds per day of bardic inspiration, the DC of those inspirations, and your college.

• Your bard levels provide Weak synergy with your druid level for purposes of determining the druidic initiate powers (q.v.) you have and their effects. For example, a 6^th level bard/4^th level wild shaper druid would create bardic inspirations as a 8^th level bard, and would wild shape as a 7^th level druid.

• You gain access to the druid class spells list. If you have levels in druid, you can choose to give up your normal bard spellcasting; if you do so, your bard levels provide Strong theurgy with your druid spellcasting progression. You retain access to both class spells lists.

• A minstrel with this lore can use Perform (music) in place of Handle Animal in efforts to befriend animals, vermin, etc. This supersedes the Soothe the Beast feat from the Eberron Campaign Setting handbook.

A druid/skald using this option can simulate the Fochlucan Lyrist prestige class from Complete Adventurer.

Words of Power (Ex) (Skald): Even the most prideful noble, no matter how deeply offended, might be mollified to hear mighty stanzas composed and recited in his honor). If you fail a Diplomacy check, you can subsequently attempt a Linguistics check and use those results instead, “erasing” the results of the failed Diplomacy check.

You also learn the words of power that govern magic; when making a Spellcraft check as a full round action, you can also make a Linguistics check and use the better of the two results.

Appendix D: Bard Feats

The following feats are listed here, rather than in Chapter 5, because they are specific to bard characters.

Inspiration, Extra

You can use your bardic performance ability more often than normal.

Prerequisite: Bardic inspiration class feature.

Benefit: You can use bardic inspiration for 6 additional rounds per day.

Special: The effects of this feat stack with other class synergy features, and with itself (if selected multiple times), and the normal HD limits described in Chapter 1 do not apply.

Inspiration, Practiced

Prerequisite: Bardic inspiration class feature.

Benefit: Treat your bard level as 4 levels higher than is actually the case for purposes of determining the DC of your bardic inspirations, your college, and the number of rounds per day your inspirations may be maintained. Your effective bard level cannot exceed your total number of hit dice.

Special: The effects of feat stack with class synergy features improving your effective bard level; this a specific exception to the non-stacking rule. Your total limit based on effective character level, as described in Chapter 1, remains in force.