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Blackdrop
2008-01-22, 07:02 AM
I'll post fluff and the skald spell list later. For now, I must rest

Alignment
Any neutral

Hit Die
d6.

Class Skills
The skalds class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex)

Skill Points at 1st Level
(4 + Int modifier) ×4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level
4 + Int modifier.

The Skald
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th| 9th

1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|Animal Companion, Skaldic Verse, Wild Empathy, Song of Battle +1|3|1

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+3|Woodland Stride|4|2

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+3||4|2|1

4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4||5|3|2

5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|Song of Magic +1|5|3|2|1

6th|
+4|
+2|
+5|
+5||5|3|3|2

7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|
+5||6|4|3|2|1

8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+6|
+6|Song of Battle +2|6|4|3|3|2|

9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+6|
+6||6|4|4|3|2|1

10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+7|
+7|Wild Shape 1/day, Song of Magic +2|6|4|4|3|3|2

11th|
+8/+3|
+3|
+7|
+7||6|5|4|4|3|2|1

12th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+8|Wild Shape 2/day|6|5|4|4|3|3|2

13th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+8||6|5|5|4|4|3|2|1

14th|
/+10/+5|
+4|
+9|
+9|Wild Shape 3/day, Song of Battle +3|6|5|5|4|4|3|3|2

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+9|
+9| Song of Magic +3, Wild Shape (Skaldic Verse)|6|5|5|5|4|4|3|2|1

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+10|Wild Shape 4/day|6|5|5|5|4|4|3|3|2

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+10||6|5|5|5|5|4|4|3|2|1

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+11|
+11|Wild Shape 5/day|6|5|5|5|5|4|4|3|3|2

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+11||6|5|5|5|5|5|4|4|3|2

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+12|
+12|Song of Battle +4, Song of Magic +4|6|5|5|5|5|5|4|4|4|4[/table]


Class Features
All of the following are features of the skald.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Skalds are proficient with the following weapons: Battleaxe, Club, Dagger, Hand Axe, Greataxe, Greatsword, Longbow, Longspear, Longsword, Quarterstaff, Shortbow, Shortsword, Shortspear, Sling, Throwing Axe. Skalds are proficient with light armor and with shields (except tower shields).

Spells
A skald casts divine spells, which are drawn from the skald spell list. A skald must choose and prepare her spells in advance (see below).

To prepare or cast a spell, the druid must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a skald’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the skald’s Wisdom modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a sklad can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Skald. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score. She does not have access to any domain spells or granted powers, as a cleric does.

A skald prepares and casts spells the way a cleric does, though she cannot lose a prepared spell to cast a cure spell in its place (but see Spontaneous Casting, below). A skald may prepare and cast any spell on the skald spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.

Animal Companion
A skald may begin play with an animal companion selected from the following list: badger, dire rat, dog, eagle, hawk, owl, snake (Small or Medium viper), or wolf. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the following creatures are also available: porpoise, Medium shark, and squid. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the skald on her adventures as appropriate for its kind.

A 1st-level skald’s companion is completely typical for its kind except as noted. As a skald advances in level, the animal’s power increases. If a skald releases her companion from service, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer. This ceremony can also replace an animal companion that has perished.

A skald of 4th level or higher may select from alternative lists of animals. Should she select an animal companion from one of these alternative lists, the creature gains abilities as if the character’s skald level were lower than it actually is. Subtract the value indicated in the appropriate list header from the character’s skald level and compare the result with the skald level entry on the table to determine the animal companion’s powers. (If this adjustment would reduce the skald’s effective level to 0 or lower, she can’t have that animal as a companion.)

Skaldic Verse
Once per day per skald level, a skald can use his poetics to produce magical effects on those around him (usually including himself, if desired). While these abilities fall under the category of skaldic verse and the descriptions discuss singing or poetry, they can all be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, or singing melodies. Each ability requires both a minimum skald level and a minimum number of ranks in the Perform (Oratory) or Perform (Sing) skills to qualify; if a skald does not have the required number of ranks in at least one Perform skill, he does not gain the skaldic verse ability until he acquires the needed ranks.

Starting a skaldic verse effect is a standard action. Some skaldic verse abilities require concentration, which means the skald must take a standard action each round to maintain the ability. Even while using skaldic verse that doesn’t require concentration, a skald cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), spell trigger (such as wands), or command word. Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf skald has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use skaldic verse. If he fails, the attempt still counts against his daily limit.

Wild Empathy
A skald with 3 or more ranks in Perform (Oratory) or Perform (Sing) can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The skald rolls 1d20 and adds her skald level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result.

The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.

To use wild empathy, the skald and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.

A skald can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a -4 penalty on the check.

Song of Battle
A skald with 3 or more ranks in Perform (Oratory) or Perform (Sing) can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering their combat abilities and increasing their fearlessness. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the skald sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, and every six skald levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and +4 at 20th).

This song continues to enhance an allies effectiveness as the skald gains levels. In addition at 8th level, the Song of Battle gives +2 enhancement bonus to an allies armor class (this bonus increases to +4 at 14th level an to +6 at 20th level). A skald must have 11 ranks in Perform (Oratory) or Perform (Sing) to use this extra effect.The Song of Battle is a mind-affecting ability.

Woodland Stride
Starting at 2nd level, a skald may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect her.

Song of Magic
A skald of 5th level or higher with 8 or more ranks in Perform (Oratory) or Perform (Sing) can use his singing or poetics to increase the effectiveness of an allies' spells. The ally must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the skald. The skald must also be able to see the ally.

An affected ally receives a +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against their spells. At 10th level, and every five skald levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 10th, +3 at 115th, and +4 at 20th).

This song continues to enhance spellcasters effectiveness as the skald gains levels. In addition to enhancing a spell DC, at 10th level, the Song of Magic gives +2 bonus on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) made to overcome a creature’s spell resistance (this bonus increases to +4 at 15th level an to +6 at 20th level). A skald must have 13 ranks in Perform (Oratory) or Perform (Sing) to use this extra effect. The Song of Magic is a mind-affecting ability.


Wild Shape
At 10th level, a skald gains the ability to turn herself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the alternate form special ability, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per skald level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time you use wild shape, you regain lost hit points as if you had rested for a night.

Any gear worn or carried by the skald melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the skald reverts to her true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on her body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the skald's feet.

The form chosen must be that of an animal the skald is familiar with.

A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)

A druid can use this ability more times per day at 12th, 14th, 16th, and 18th level, as noted on Table: The Skald.

The new form’s Hit Dice can’t exceed the character’s druid level.

At 15th level, a skald becomes able to use its skaldic verse ability while wild shape. They use the animal's normal sounds to imitate her normal vocal cords. However, the imitation isn't perfect and she treats all skaldic verses as a skald one-half her level rounded down.