Bard, Non-Magic Variant: Class Skills (Bard's, + Use Rope')
Bard, Non-Magic Variant: Class Skills (Bard's, + Use Rope')
Characteristics
Minstrel, storyteller, poet, or rogue, the bard is all of these. The bard combines skill, finesse, and panache,
dazzling with her abilities and capturing minds with her arts. Wanderers, the bard has been everywhere and
done everything, or so she would like you to believe. In a fight, the bard tends to be more agile and mobile
then most melee combatants, distracting in their speech and quick with a sword. When she can pick her
battles carefully, a bard becomes a very deadly opponent (not to mention hard to pin down). Bards also hold
their own in social situations, unlike most fighters.
Alignment
Any, tend towards chaotic
Skill Points at 1st Level (Bard’s Skill points): (8 + Int modifier) ×4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.
Weapon Finesse
A bard gains Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat at 1st level even if she does not qualify for the feat.
Improved Feint
A bard gains Improved Feint as a bonus feat at 6th level even if she does not qualify for the feat. The bard
does not feint through movements, but rather through wit, thus a bard must be able to speak and be
understood by her enemy for this application of the feat to work.
Bardic Knowledge
A bard may make 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. (If the bard has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history), he gains a +2 bonus on this
check.)
A successful bardic knowledge check will not normally 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; this sort of knowledge is
essentially random.
DC Type of Knowledge
10 Common, known by at least a substantial minority of the local population.
20 Uncommon but available, known by only a few people legends.
25 Obscure, known by few, hard to come by.
30 Extremely obscure, known by very few, possibly forgotten by most who once knew it, possibly known only
by those who don’t understand the significance of the knowledge.
Roguish Charm
A bard is skilled in the art of communication. A bard gains a +1 competence bonus to Cha skills at 2nd level.
This bonus increases to +2 at 11th level and +3 at 20th level.
Dodge Bonus
A bard is trained at focusing her defenses on a single opponent in melee. Starting at 5 th level she may,
during her action, designate an opponent and receive a +1 dodge bonus to her armor class against melee
attacks from that opponent. She can select a new opponent on any action. This bonus increase by +1 at
every five levels after 5th (+2 at 10th level, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th). A bard loses this bonus when wearing
medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
If the bard also has the Dodge feat, she need not designate the same target for this ability as for the Dodge
feat. (If she designates the same target, the bonuses stack.)
Always Armed
A bard of 7th level or higher is skilled at using whatever is at hand as a deadly weapon. She may wield
improvised weapons without suffering the usual -4 penalty to attacks. Most objects do 1d4 + Str danage,
while two-handed objects (chairs, etc.) do 1d6 + Str. Improvised objects are generally considered blunt,
though the DM should rule based on the object. A broken chair leg, for example, may be blunt/piercing.
Sneak Attack.
At 4th level she gains a sneak attack and every 4 levels thereafter, the character gains a bonus of additional
1d6 on her sneak attack. This bonus stacks with the Rogue’s ability with the same name.
Swashbuckling
Insightful Strike
At 3rd level, a bard becomes able to place her finesse attacks where they deal greater damage. She applies
her Intelligence bonus (if any) as a bonus on damage rolls (in addition to any Strength bonus she may have)
Acrobatic Charge
A bard of 7th level or higher can charge in situations where others cannot. She may charge over difficult
terrain that normally slows movement or allies blocking her path. This ability enables her to run down steep
stairs, leap down from a balcony, or to tumble over tables to get to her target. Depending on
circumstances, she may still need to make appropriate checks (Jump or Tumble checks, in particular) to
successfully move over the terrain.
Improved Flanking
A bard of 8th level or higher who is flanking an opponent gains a +4 bonus to attacks instead of a +2 bonus on
attacks. (Other characters flanking with the bard don’t gain this increased bonus.)
Lucky
Many bards live by the credo “Better lucky than good.” Once per day, a bard of 10 th level or higher may
reroll any failed attack roll, skill check, ability check, or saving throw. The character must take the result of
the reroll, even if it’s worse than the original roll.
Weakening Critical
A bard of 14th level or higher who scores a critical hit against a creature also deals 2 points of Strength
damage to the creature. Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to this effect.
Slippery Mind
When a bard reaches 17th level, her mind becomes more difficult to control. If the bard fails her save against
an enchantment spell or effect, she can attempt the save again 1 round later at the same DC (assuming she
is still alive). She gets only this one extra chance to succeed at a certain saving throw.
Wounding Critical
A bard of 19th level or higher who scores a critical hit against a creature also deals 2 points of Constitution
damage to the creature. (This damage is in addition to the Strength damage dealt but the bard’s weakening
critical class feature.) Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to this effect.
Bardic Music
Once per day per bard level, a bard can use his song or poetics to produce near-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 singing or playing instruments, they can all 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 the required number
of ranks in at least one Perform skill, he does not gain the bardic music ability until he acquires 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
To use the ability, a bard makes a Perform check. His check result is 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 throw 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.
The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as he or she continues to
hear the bard’s music. Certain uses of this ability are infeasible. 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.
Making a suggestion doesn’t count against a bard’s daily limit on bardic music performances. A Will saving
throw (DC 10 + ½ bard’s level + bard’s Cha modifier) negates the effect. This ability affects only a single
creature (but see mass suggestion, below). Suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting,
language dependent ability.