Bard, Tome (3.5e Class)


 * This page is about the Tome Bard. You may be looking for the SRD:Bard.

Summary::A bard that kicks enough ass for a Tome game. Length::20 Minimum Level::1 Base Attack Bonus Progression::Moderate Fortitude Save Progression::Poor Reflex Save Progression::Good Will Save Progression::Good Class Ability::Spontaneous Arcane Spellcasting Class Ability::Other Class Ability Progression::Full

Allowed Alignments::Lawful Good Allowed Alignments::Lawful Neutral Allowed Alignments::Lawful Evil Allowed Alignments::Neutral Good Allowed Alignments::Neutral Allowed Alignments::Neutral Evil Allowed Alignments::Chaotic Good Allowed Alignments::Chaotic Neutral Allowed Alignments::Chaotic Evil



Perform Skill
Before there can be a good bard, there needs to be a change to the Perform skill. The first paragraph should be replaced with the following:

"You are trained in several types of artistic expression and know how to put on a show. Possible Perform types include (but are by no means limited to) ballad, buffoonery, chant, comedy, dance, drama, drums, epic, flute, harp, juggling, limericks, lute, mandolin, melody, mime, ode, pan pipes, puppetry, recorder, shalm, storytelling, trumpet, and tuba. You are trained in one form of performance per rank."

Bard
"Every hero has a theme song."

Music has magic. Those who are able to tap into its powers are bards. As unflappable in combat as they are on a stage, bards dazzle and destroy opponents with combinations of musical abilities and devastating spells.

Making a Bard
Abilities: Charisma is far and away the most important ability for a bard. It determines her Perform skill, which is vital to her success due to its intimate involvement with the majority of her class features. It also governs her other diplomatic skills which, depending on the makeup of her party, can give her additional value as the face of the group. Occasionally, it will even be the bard who takes on a new role and leads others into battle, pushing them far beyond their normal limits and turning the tide of combat.

Races: Any.

Alignment: A bard is driven first by the pursuit of an audience for whom they can exhibit their talents. If her heart is good, a bard bring brings hope and courage to the downtrodden and uses her tricks, music, and magic to thwart the schemes of evildoers. If the nobles of the land are corrupt, the good bard is an enemy of the state, cunningly evading capture and raising the spirits of the oppressed. But music can spring from an evil heart as well. Evil bards eschew blatant violence in favor of manipulation, holding sway over the hearts and minds of others and taking what enraptured audiences "willingly" provide.

Starting Gold: As bard.

Starting Age: Moderate.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the bard.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A bard is proficient with all simple weapons, five martial weapons of her choosing, and the following weapons: bladed fan, bolas, elven lightblade, and whip. Bards are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields). When casting bard spells (see below), the bard does not incur any chance for spell failure so long as she is proficient with the armor and shield(s) she is using.

She may cast any spell she knows spontaneously without needing to prepare them beforehand. The bard’s spells are Charisma-based; she must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell’s level in order to cast it, and the save DC’s for his spells are always equal to 10 + the spell’s level + her Charisma modifier. Every bard spell has either a verbal or a somatic component, which requires the bard to make a Perform check (DC 5 + twice the level of the spell) or have the casting attempt fail.

A bard begins play knowing 12 0-level bard spells. For each point of Charisma bonus the bard has, she begins playing knowing one additional 0-level spell of his choosing. At each new bard level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that he can cast (based on her new bard level). A particularly perceptive bard can also learn a new spell by watching or listening to it being performed by another bard. If the spell has a somatic component, the bard can make a Spot check to immediately learn the spell; if it has a verbal component he must make a Listen check to learn it. In either case, the DC of the check is equal to the opposing bard's Perform check upon casting the spell.

0&mdash; create water, cure light wounds, detect magic, detect poison, flare, guidance, know direction, light, resistance, summon instrument, ventriloquism, virtue

1st&mdash; alarm, animate rope, charm animal, charm person, command, detect secret doors, disguise self, expeditious retreat, feather fall, grease, greater dispel magic, hideous laughter, hypnotism, identify, Ishara's enticing directive, mage armor, random action, silence, silent image, sleep, sound burst, undetectable alignment

2nd&mdash; animal affinity, animal trance, blindness/deafness, blur, calm emotions, cure serious wounds, dream, Ekbom's egotistical episode, Ekbom's imaginary insects, freedom of movement, glossolalia, invisibility, levitate, locate object, magic weapon, minor image, mirror image, neutralize poison, see invisibility, shatter, summon monster, tiny hut 3rd&mdash; analyze dweomer, blink, confusion, cure critical wounds, detect scrying, deep slumber, false vision, fear, fly, haste, hallucinatory terrain, hold person, greater heroism, legend lore, locate creature, nightmare, phantom steed, rainbow pattern, Rien's spontaneous regression, secure shelter, seeming, shout, sibling rivalry, slow, song of discord,  suggestion, zone of silence

4th&mdash; all in the family, antipathy, bestow curse, charm monster, dimension door, dream sight (SC 74), freedom of movement, geas/quest, greater invisibility, greater shout, heroes' feast, illusory pit (SC 121), mind fog, mirage arcana, modify memory, scrying, shadow walk, sympathy

5th&mdash; break enchantment, contact other plane, demand, greater command, dominate person, eyebite, hold monster, insanity, mage's magnificent mansion, mass suggestion, mislead, persistent image, plane shift, song of discord, summon horde, sympathetic vibration, true seeing, veil

6th&mdash; find the path, greater scrying, mass charm monster, maddening scream, permanent image, programmed image, project image, Sasha's separate psyche, sins of the father, temporal stasis

7th&mdash; greater scrying, greater teleport, hindsight, hiss of sleep (SC 114), irresistible dance, power word kill, repulsion, scintillating pattern, weird

8th&mdash; brain spider, discern location, dominate monster, foresight, greater prying eyes, maddening whispers (SC 135), mink blank, oath of blood, Rien's false reality, teleportation circle

9th&mdash; bind thrall, eye of the gods, freedom, foresight, forgiveness, mage's disjunction, mantle, nightmare steel cage, Norton's copied casting, pavilion of grandeur (SC 153), phantasmagorical image, wail of the banshee, winds of memory

She is also considered to have local knowledge of any area that she has been in for any length of time; treat him as having 1 rank worth of local knowledge per day he spends in that area, up to the maximum number of ranks she possesses in the Knowledge (local) skill, so long as she spends at least one hour of each day telling stories and listening to local gossip.



Activation or continuation of a performance trick requires a swift action every round, but always lasts for at least an entire round.

Tricks are also categorized according to the types of performances required to use them, and the components used vary for each type according to this list:

At 1st level, the bard selects three Performance Tricks for use, provided each is useable with a style of performance in which she is trained. Every odd-numbered bard level thereafter, she may select a single additional Performance Trick for any style she is trained in.

 (Ex): At 2nd level, the bard's performance tricks and spells are not affected by the silence spell; she can continue to use all of her abilities or spells normally inside the area of any silencing effect. She also incurs no penalties from being deafened.



 (Ex): The bard has an intuitive grasp for languages, a skill she has honed through years of learning to adapt almost instantly to her environment. Once she reaches 4th level, she may pick up a new language (gaining all the benefits of the Speak Language skill without having to invest a skill rank) after only five minutes of exposure to it. This even applies to secret languages or languages that do not require verbal communication; if the language requires a unique physiology that the bard lacks, she may understand it but not be able to converse.

 (Ex): A bard of 6th level or higher may cast spells and use Performance Tricks cooperatively even if they both have verbal or somatic components, provided the spell she is casting has a level no higher than her highest spell level -2.

This ability has no XP cost, but otherwise functions in the same manner as the spell except as noted above.

She may now take 10 on a skill check for any skill in which she has the Skill Focus feat.

 (Ex): A bard of at least 12th level can make an attack of opportunity against any opponent that she threatens who has just been struck for melee damage by another character. She also may make an additional attack of opportunity each round.

 (Ex): At 14th level, a bard may quicken a spell without affecting its spell level once per day. Once per round, this quickening allows the bard to cast a spell as a free action; any further use of the ability in the same round consumes a swift action normally. The bard may use this ability twice per day at 16th level and three times per day at level 20.

 (Ex): By 18th level, the bard becomes able to meld her spellcasting in seamlessly with Performance Tricks. She can now cast any bard spell on the same turn as using a Performance Trick even if they have overlapping components.

Performance Tricks
"My teacher always said my music could wake the dead. He didn't know how right he was."

The key thing to remember concerning performance tricks is that they are constant effects that last an entire round, so even those with a one-time effect cannot be used more than once per round. Any and all save DC’s used with tricks are equal to 10 + ½ the bard’s character level + his Charisma modifier).

Bewilder
The bard makes a performance so avant-garde, so surprising, that onlookers are left unsure of what to do or say. Audiences within Close range (25 feet + 5 ft./2 levels) must make a Will save each round or become dazed for one round. A successful save makes the target immune to the effects of this performance trick for 24 hours.

Allowed Performance Styles: Acting (S, V), Comedy (S, V), Dance (S), Keyboard Instruments (S, F), Oratory (V), Percussion Instruments (S, F), String Instruments (S, F), Wind Instruments (S, V, F), Singing (V)

Building Crescendo
Inanimate objects within Medium range of the performance are considered magically treated (+20 break DC, x2 hardness) and have a saving throw bonus to all saves equal to the bard's Will save, and this protection continues for as long as the bard maintains the performance. In addition, any who perform a Craft check for at least an hour within the influence of the crescendo will make twice as much progress for that day; thus allowing crafting to be done in half the time if the bard is around for multiple consecutive days.

Allowed Performance Styles: Oratory (V), Percussion Instruments (S, F), Singing (V), String Instruments (S, F)

Chant of the Undying
All allies within Close range, as well as the bard, can continue to function normally when at 0 hp or worse. However, strenuous actions still reduce their hit points, and an ally (or you) dies when he or she a number of negative hit points equal to one third of their normal hit point total. Additionally, allies within Close range gain DR X/-, where X is equal to one-half the bard's character level.

Allowed Performance Styles: Acting (S, V), Comedy (S, V), Oratory (V), Singing (V)

Countersong
While the performance is ongoing, the bard can attempt to suppress magical effects with the [Sonic] descriptor and spells with a verbal component. Anyone within Medium range of the bard attempting to use or maintain such a spell or ability must make a Will save or their spell or ability fizzles.

Allowed Performance Styles: Acting (S, V), Comedy (S, V), Keyboard Instruments (S, F), Oratory (V), Percussion Instruments (S, F), String Instruments (S, F), Wind Instruments (S, V, F), Singing (V)

Dance of the Seven Swords
As long as the bard continues to dance, she is considered to have a Base Attack Bonus equal to her character level (as a fighter). The bard may make an extra attack of opportunity each round for every 10 full points her Perform check exceeds 10. The bard gains a +1 bonus to attack and a +1d6 bonus to damage rolls for every full 20 points her Perform check exceeds 10.

Allowed Performance Styles: Dance (S)

Deafening Blast
One opponent within Close range must make a Fortitude save or be deafened. If the target fails the save by 3 or more, they are also staggered. If they fail by 5 or more, they are stunned. The condition remains for as long as the trick is maintained, and then for 3 rounds afterward. Each turn that the trick is maintained, the victim may make another save, subject to the same rules as the first, to attempt to alleviate the effects.

Allowed Performance Styles: Percussion Instruments (S, F), Wind Instruments (S, F), Singing (V)

Destructive Cacophony
When this trick is activated, the bard deals 1d6 points of sonic damage to all squares within 10 feet of her. For each consecutive turn the trick is maintained, the area of effect is increased by 10 feet and the damage by 1d6 (to a maximum number of squares and damage dice equal to the bard's level). Once the maximum range and damage has been reached, the bard can continue this performance at maximum effectiveness for a number of rounds equal to her bard level.

Allowed Performance Styles: Keyboard Instruments (S, F), Percussion Instruments (S, F), String Instruments (S, F), Wind Instruments (S, V, F), Singing (V)

Electric Slide
You can now move up to 10 feet whenever you would normally be able to make a 5-foot step, and may do so as an immediate action. In addition, any opponent adjacent to a space the you move into with a step from this ability takes 1d6 points of electricity damage per class level you possess, with a Reflex save to halve the damage. This movement otherwise functions in the same manner as a normal 5-foot step.

Allowed Performance Styles: Dance (S)

Enduring Melody
You subsume the concentration of a spell into the magic of your song, allowing concentration to be maintained through the performance rather than the spell itself. This frees up the bard so that he can cast another spell while maintaining the first one with his performance, potentially allowing for two spells of concentration duration at once. Allowed Performance Styles: Dance (S), Oratory (V), Keyboard Instrument (S, F), Percussion Instrument (S, F), Singing (V)

Forest Song
All plant creatures within Medium range are no longer immune to mind-affecting effects, but instead have a +5 bonus on any saves against such effects as long as they remain in range and the song is maintained.

Allowed Performance Styles: Keyboard Instruments (S, F), Percussion Instruments (S, F), String Instruments (S, F), Wind Instruments (S, F), Singing (V)

Heavy Metal
The dark and depressing tones of this performance make opponents feel heavier and slower, reducing their abilities to move. Each time this trick is activated and continued, all enemies within Close Range incur a cumulative 5-ft. penalty to all movement speeds (to a minimum of 0 feet) and become unable to run or perform any associated actions (such as charging). Creatures with fly speeds that are reduced to 0 by this ability fall and take damage accordingly. This penalty ends when the performance is stopped.

Allowed Performance Styles: Keyboard Instruments (S, F), Percussion Instruments (S, F), String Instruments (S, F), Singing (V)

Inspire Courage
All allies within close range of the bard who see or hear the performance gain a morale bonus to attack rolls equal to 1/4th of the bard's class level (round up) and a +3 bonus to damage for each +1 granted to attack rolls. This effect lasts for as long as the performance continues and allies remain in range, and for 1 round per level after they are no longer able to perceive the performance or are no longer in range.

Allowed Performance Styles: Acting (S, V), Comedy (S, V), Dance (S), Keyboard Instruments (S, F), Oratory (V), Percussion Instruments (S, F), String Instruments (S, F), Wind Instruments (S, V, F), Singing (V)

Monster Ballad
All of your summons have their duration extended by a number of rounds equal to your ranks in Perform, and any allied summoned creatures within Medium Range of you while this performance is active gain +4 bonuses to their Strength and Constitution scores (whichever are applicable). These bonuses stack with those provided by the Augment Summoning feat, but any individual summon cannot benefit from this performance more than once.

Allowed Performance Styles: Acting (S, V), Dance (S), Keyboard Instruments (S, F), Oratory (V), Percussion Instruments (S, F), String Instruments (S, F), Wind Instruments (S, V, F), Singing (V)

Refrain of the Long Road
Allies within Close range gain a +10 foot bonus to movement speed if they can hear this trick. If allies within Close range listen to this trick for 10 minutes, any exhaustion on them is reduced to fatigue, fatigue is removed, and they recover an amount of nonlethal damage equal to the bard's level.

Allowed Performance Styles: Wind Instruments (S, F), Oratory (V), Singing (V)

Requiem
The bard can produce a haunting melody that renders undead very docile, possibly even friendly. For the first 10 rounds an undead creature hears the song (and is within close range), the song acts as a halt undead effect, undead which fail their Will saves are stuck fast for 10 rounds (or until the performance stops or the undead creatures are no longer in range or take damage). If the effect is still going at the end of 10 rounds, the bard may make a Perform check as if it were a Diplomacy check to improve the undead creature's disposition. Regardless of the outcome of that check, the undead creatures can again move normally.

Allowed Performance Styles: Keyboard Instruments (S, F), Percussion Instruments (S, F), String Instruments (S, F), Wind Instruments (S, V, F)

Rhythm of Distraction
The bard can distract one opponent within Close range. Make a Perform check opposed by the opponent's Sense Motive check, modified as if you were using Bluff to feint in combat. If you succeed, that opponent is rendered flat-footed against an ally of your choice. This condition remains as long as you maintain the trick, or until you change to a different target.

Allowed Performance Styles: Percussion Instruments (S, F)

Siren's Call
Your performance transcends distance. A single creature on the same plane chosen by you makes a Will save with the same modifiers as scrying, failure resulting in them receiving a short message (25 words or less) as well as the bard learning a very rough approximation of direction and distance to the target.The bard can use the message to request the presence of the victim, forcing a second Will save or react two steps more friendly in attitude towards the request (includes a basic idea of where the bard is). Successfully making the save against either of the effects renders the victim immune to further use of the bard's performance trick for 24 hours. Allowed Performance Styles: Keyboard Instruments (S, F), Singing (V), Wind Instruments (S, V, F)

Song of the Weak Mind
While the music plays, the audience suffers a -4 penalty on Will saves vs. spells of the Illusion and Enchantment schools for as long as they remain within medium range. The duration of any stunned or dazed conditions are extended by 1 round if they are applied within medium range of the source of the song.

Allowed Performance Styles: Keyboard Instruments (S, F), String Instruments (S, F), Wind Instruments (S, V, F), Singing (V)

Stage Choreography
You create an invisible thread between yourself and one willing ally. This allows the two of you to move cooperatively, although both consume the same action for whatever movement they take (the person who would have moved later would still be counted as giving up their move action, or move actions, for that round). In addition, someone on either end of the thread may take an immediate action to move the person on the other end up to 10 feet in any direction; if this movement takes the creature out of range of an attack or effect, they are not affected.

Allowed Performance Styles: Dance (S), Puppetry (S)

Strings of Healing
While this trick is maintained, all allies within Close range gain fast healing equal to your ranks in Perform. Additionally, any ally that currently benefits from this trick can be targeted with cure spells cast by you even if they are not within Touch range.

Allowed Performance Styles: Puppetry (S), String Instruments (S, F)

Taming of the Beast
For the first 10 rounds an animal hears the song (and is within close range), the song acts as a daze monster effect, stopping the creature for 10 rounds (or the performance ends, out of range, or the creature takes damage). If the effect is still going at the end of 10 rounds, the bard may make a Perform check as if it were a Diplomacy check to improve the animal's disposition. Regardless of the outcome of this check, the animal is released from the daze effect and can move normally.

Allowed Performance Styles: Dance (S), Singing (V), Wind Instruments (S, V, F)

Through the Fire and Flames
The bard delivers a performance that is...heated. He radiates an aura of intense heat out to a distance of Close range, lighting combustible items and forcing anyone who stays within the aura for more than a minute to make a Fortitude save or become fatigued and begin taking take 1d4 points of fire damage per turn they remain inside the area. Creatures in the area for more than 10 minutes become exhausted, and any metallic items become affected by a heat metal spell. In addition, the bard becomes protected by a fire shield effect (shielding him from both fire and cold) for as long as he maintains this trick.

Allowed Performance Styles: Percussion Instruments (S, F), Oratory (V), String Instruments (S, F), Wind Instruments (S, V, F)

Torrent of Anger
The bard attempts to inflame passions against a target. All audience members find the performance fascinating and are compelled to watch for its duration (or until they are snapped out of it by violent action) if they are within Medium range and fail a Will save. Once one or more creatures have watched for at least 10 minutes, the bard may make a Perform check as if it were a Diplomacy check to cause the viewers to become unfriendly to a target of the bard's choosing (unless they were already hostile), and one step more friendly towards any person or group known to be enemies of the new source of antipathy.

Allowed Performance Styles: Acting (S, V), Comedy (S, V), Oratory (V), Singing (V)

Warning Shout
While this trick is maintained, one ally within Close range gains evasion. You may switch the ally that gains the benefit as part of the swift action that continues this effect, or you may switch the ally as an immediate action, in which case the effect ends at the end of the next round and cannot be maintained.

Allowed Performance Styles: Oratory (V), Singing (V)