Its bard to the bone time -_-. Part 7 of my little project! Enjoy the badassness over a song? :P
Anyway, didnt need to change "much" of the bard. But bards did need a few, minor buffs to make them more worth-while for hack and slash-heavy games. I gave them more spells perday, they start with cantrip and 1st level spells, and more skill points. Also added a new feature to the Bardic Music ability itself and added a few new inspirations/songs, and made some slight enhancements to the older ones. (Such as Courage now gives +caster level checks, all damage rolls, not just weapon damage rolls, etc. Not fare that martial types should get all the fun now is it?)
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPLzO...eature=related )
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/4080/scoundrel.jpg
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Bard~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BARD
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th
1st|+0|+0|+2|+2|Bardic Knowledge, Bardic Music, Countersong, Fascinate, Inspire Courage +1|3|1
2nd|+1|+0|+3|+3||3|2
3rd|+2|+1|+3|+3|Inspire Competence|3|2
4th|+3|+1|+4|+4||4|3|1
5th|+3|+1|+4|+4|Inspire Courage +2, Inspire Strength|4|3|2
6th|+4|+2|+5|+5||4|3|2
7th|+5|+2|+5|+5|Suggestion|4|4|3|1
8th|+6/+1|+2|+6|+6||5|4|3|2
9th|+6/+1|+3|+6|+6|Inspire Dread|5|4|3|2
10th|+7/+2|+3|+7|+7|Inspire Courage +3|5|4|4|3|1
11th|+8/+3|+3|+7|+7|Inspire Greatness|5|5|4|3|2
12th|+9/+4|+4|+8|+8||5|5|4|3|2
13th|+9/+4|+4|+8|+8|Inspire Freedom|6|5|4|4|3|1
14th|+10/+5|+4|+9|+9||6|5|5|4|3|2
15th|+11/+6/+1|+5|+9|+9|Inspire Courage +4, Inspire Heroics|6|6|5|4|3|2
16th|+12/+7/+2|+5|+10|+10||6|6|5|4|4|3|1
17th|+12/+7/+2|+5|+10|+10|Mass Suggestion|6|6|5|5|4|3|2
18th|+13/+8/+3|+6|+11|+11||6|6|5|5|4|3|3
19th|+14/+9/+4|+6|+11|+11|Captivating Fascinate|6|6|6|5|4|4|3
20th|+15/+10/+5|+6|+12|+12|Inspire Courage +5|6|6|6|5|5|4|3[/table]
Alignment: Any.
Hit Dice: d8.
Base Attack: Average.
Saves: Poor Fortitude, Good Reflex, Good Willpower.
Class Skills
The Bard's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Dechiper Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silenly (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (8 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: A bard is proficient with all simple weapons, plus longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, and whip. Bards are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields). A bard can cast bard spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance.
Spells: A bard casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the bard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. Every bard spell has a verbal component (singing, reciting, or music). To learn or cast a spell, a bard must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a bard's spell is 10 + the spell level + the bards charisma modifier. Like other spellcasters,a bard can cast only a certain number of spells each spell level per day. In addition, he gains bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.
Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third bard level after that, a bard an choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must by at least two levels lower than the highest-level bard spell the bard can cast.
As noted above, a bard need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell's level.
Bardic Knowledge (Ex): A bard can use a special bardic knowledge check with a bonus equal to his bard level + his intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. A successful bardic knowledge check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a hint as to its general function. A bard may not take 10 or take 20 on this check.
Bardic Music (Su): Once per day per bard level, a bard can use his uncanny talent to re-roll any Perform check as an immediate action. He must choose the new result even if it’s worse than the original one. As he gains levels, a bard can use his talent to do other things, all of them supernatural. A bard can use his song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around him (usually including himself, if desired). While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music and the descriptions discuss stinging or playing instruments,they can be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance. Each ability requires both a minimum bard level and a minimum number of ranks in the Perform skill to qualify; if a bard does not have required number of ranks in at least one Perform skill, he does not gain the bardic music ability until he requires the needed ranks.
Starting a bardic music effect is a standard action. Some bardic music abilities require concentration, which means the bard must take a standard action each round to maintain the ability. Even while using bardic music that doesn't require concentration, a bard cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion, or active magic items by magic word. Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf bard has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use bardic music. If he fails, the attempt still counts against his daily limit.
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Bardic Music Abilities
Countersong (Su): A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music to counter magical effects that depend on sound (but not spells that simply have verbal components). Each round of the countersong, he makes a Perform check. Any creature within 30 feet of the bard (including the bard himself) that is affected by a sonic or language-dependent magical attack (such as a sound burst or command spell) may use the bard's Perform check result in place of its saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Perform check result proves to be the higher. If a creature within range of the countersong is already under the effect of a non instantaneous sonic or language-dependent magical attack, it gains another saving throw against the effect each round it hears the countersong, but it must use the bard's Perform check result for the saves. The bard may keep up the counterspell for 10 rounds.
Fascinate (Sp): A bard with 3 or more ranks in Perform skill can use his music or poetics to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bard, and able to pay attention to him. The bard must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every three levels a bard attains beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with a single use of this ability. To use this ability, a bard makes a Perform check. His check result as the DC for each affected creature's Will save against the effect. If a creature's saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and listens to the song, taking no other actions, for as long as the bard continues to play and concentrate (up to a maximum of 1 round per bard level). While fascinated, a target takes a -4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat requires the bard to make another Perform check and allows the creature a new saving throws against a DC equal to the new Perform check result. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability.
Inspire Courage (Su): A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. 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. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls, caster level checks, damage rolls, and saving throws against charm, despair and fear effects. At 5th level, and every five bard levels thereafter, this increases by 1. Inspire courage a mind-affecting ability.
Inspire Competence (Su): A bard of 3rd level or higher with 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to help an ally succeed at a task. The ally must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the bard. The bard must also be able to see the ally. Depending on the task that the ally has at hand, the bard may use his bardic music to lift the ally's spirits, to help him or her focus mentally, or in some other way. The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on ability checks and skill checks with a particular ability check or skill as long as he or she continues to hear the bard's music. The effect lasts as long as the bard concentrates, up to a maximum of 2 minutes. A bard can't inspire competence in himself. Inspire competence is a mind-affecting ability.
Inspire Strength (Su): A bard of 5th level or higher with 8 or more ranks in a Perform skill can imbue himself and his allies wih greater physical power. The bard and all allies within 30 feet who can hear gain a +4 morale bonus to Strength checks, Strength based skill checks and their effective Strength Score is considered +2 higher for determining their weight capacity for the duration of the bard's performance and for 5 rounds thereafter. This is a mind-affecting ability.
Suggestion (Sp): A bard of 7th level or higher with 10 or more ranks in a Perform skill can make a suggestion (as the spell) to a creature that he has already fascinated. Using this ability does not break the bard's concentration on the fascinate effect, nor does it allow a second saving throw against the fascinate effect. Making a suggestion doesn't count against a bard's daily limit on bardic music performances. A will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 bard's level + bard's Cha modifier) negates the effect. This ability affects only a single creature. Suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language-dependent ability.
Inspire Dread (Su): A bard of 9th level or higher with 12 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use music or peotics to inspire fear in her foes. All enemys within a radius of 30 feet are subject to the effect if they have fewer HD then the bard. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will save remains immune to that bards frightful presence ability for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with fewer then half the bard's HD become panicked for 2d6 rounds and those with HD equal to r greater then half the bard's HD become shaken for 2d6 rounds. This is a mind-affecting effect.
Inspire Greatness (Su): A bard of 11th level or higher with 14 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use music or poetics to inspire greatness in himself or a number of allies within 30 feet equal to his charisma modifier (if positive), granting the targets extra fighting capability. To inspire greatness, a bard must sing and the selected allies must hear him sing. The effect lasts for as long as the allies hear the bard sing and for 5 sounds thereafter. All creature's inspired with greatness gain 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target's Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack and damage rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude and Willpower saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells such as sleep. Inspire greatness is a mind-affecting ability.
Inspire Freedom (Sp): A bard of 13th level or higher with 16 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use music or poetics to create an effect equivalent to the break enchantment spell (caster level equals the character's bard levels). Using this ability requires 1 minute of uninterrupted concentration, and it functions on a single target within 30 feet. A bard can't use inspire freedom on himself.
Inspire Heroics (Su): A bard of 15th level or higher with 18 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use music or poetics to inspire tremendous heroism in himself or a number of allies within 30 feet equal to his charisma modifier (if positive), allowing those creatures to fight bravely even against overwhelming odds. To inspire heroics, a bard must sing and the selected allies must hear the bard sing for a full round. All creatures so inspired gain a +4 morale bonus on saving throws and a +4 dodge bonus to AC. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for up to 5 rounds thereafter. Inspire heroics is a mind-affecting ability.
Mass Suggestion (Sp): This ability functions like suggestion, above, except that a bard of 17th level or higher with 20 or more ranks in a Perform skill can make the suggestion simultaneously to any number of creatures that he has already fascinated. Mass suggestion is an enchantment (Compulsion), mind-affecting, language-dependent ability.
Captivating Fascinate (Sp): This ability functions like fascinate, above, except that a bard of 19th level or higher with 22 or more ranks in a Perform skill can target one creature per level and the creatures do not have to pay attention to her. Distractions such as nearby combat do not prevent the ability from working. If successful, the target's Spot and Listen checks suffer a -6 penalty instead of the standard -4. The target receives a second saving throw only if the bard stops his performance. If the target fails the second saving throw, he remains captivated for 1d6 + the bard's Charisma modifier additional rounds, or until the bard begins his performance again. Drawing a weapon or casting a spell does not immediately break the effect, but it does grant the target a new saving throw. Captivating Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability.
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Bard Spells Known
Level/Spells Known
1st-- 5/1
2nd-- 6/2
3rd-- 6/2
4th-- 6/3/1
5th-- 6/3/2
6th-- 6/3/2
7th-- 6/4/3/1
8th-- 6/4/3/2
9th-- 6/4/3/2
10th- 6/4/4/3/1
11th- 6/5/4/3/2
12th- 6/5/4/3/2
13th- 6/5/4/4/3/1
14th- 6/5/5/4/3/2
15th- 6/5/5/4/3/2
16th- 6/6/5/4/4/3/1
17th- 6/6/5/5/4/3/2
18th- 6/6/5/5/4/3/2
19th- 6/6/6/5/5/4/3
20th- 6/6/6/5/5/4/3
