Core Abilities (CBH)

__TOC__
Bards can wear any armor providing Armor Class 5 (chain mail) or worse. Other forms of armor are simply too constraining, heavy, and awkward for true entertainers to wear. Likewise, bards cannot employ shields, as these get in the way of activities such as playing instruments or performing sleight-of-hand tricks. Carrying a lute around in the dungeon is hard enough without worrying about a large metal shield banging around and getting in the way.
 Table 3: Armor Allowed
Armor 	AC	Cost(gp)	Weight(lb)
Leather Armor 	8 	5 	15
Padded Armor 	8 	4 	10
Studded Leather 	7 	20 	25
Ring Mail 	7 	100 	30
Hide Armor 	6 	15 	30
Brigandine Armor	6 	120 	35
Scale Mail 	6 	120 	40
Chain Mail 	5 	75 	40
Although bards fight as rogues and calculate their THAC0s accordingly, they are allowed to use any weapon. Cost, weight, damage, and other relevant statistics for all weapons are found in Chapter 6 of the Player's Handbook.
All rogues (including bards) use Table 25 of the Player's Handbook to determine level and hit dice based upon experience points. As noted in the expanded reprint of this table, a six-sided die is used to determine hit point increases for bards of level 1 through 10 (plus any Constitution adjustments).
After 10th level, bards gain 2 hit points per level advanced. A hit die is no longer rolled and Constitution adjustments no longer apply.
 Table 4: Experience Levels
Level	XPNeeded 	HitDice (d6)	THAC0
1 	0 	1 	20
2 	1,250 	2 	20
3 	2,500 	3 	19
4 	5,000 	4 	19
5 	10,000 	5 	18
6 	20,000 	6 	18
7 	40,000 	7 	17
8 	70,000 	8 	17
9 	110,000 	9 	16
10 	160,000 	10 	16
11 	220,000 	10+2 	15
12 	440,000 	10+4 	15
13 	660,000 	10+6 	14
14 	880,000 	10+8 	14
15 	1,100,000	10+10 	13
16 	1,320,000	10+12 	13
17 	1,540,000	10+14 	12
18 	1,760,000	10+16 	12
19 	1,980,000	10+18 	11
20 	2,200,000	10+20 	11
Proficiency and saving throw numbers are listed in the Table 5 to complete the information for level advancement. If a bard uses a weapon with which he isn't proficient, a -3 attack roll penalty is incurred.
 Table 5: Level Improvements
Level	Prof.	Prof.	Saving Throws	Saving Throws	Saving Throws	Saving Throws	Saving Throws
Level	W 	N/W 	PPDM 	RSW 	PP 	BW 	S
1 	2 	3 	13 	14 	12 	16 	15
2 	2 	3 	13 	14 	12 	16 	15
3 	2 	3 	13 	14 	12 	16 	15
4 	3 	4 	13 	14 	12 	16 	15
5 	3 	4 	12 	12 	11 	15 	13
6 	3 	4 	12 	12 	11 	15 	13
7 	3 	4 	12 	12 	11 	15 	13
8 	4 	5 	12 	12 	11 	15 	13
9 	4 	5 	11 	10 	10 	14 	11
10 	4 	5 	11 	10 	10 	14 	11
11 	4 	5 	11 	10 	10 	14 	11
12 	5 	6 	11 	10 	10 	14 	11
13 	5 	6 	10 	8 	9 	13 	9
14 	5 	6 	10 	8 	9 	13 	9
15 	5 	6 	10 	8 	9 	13 	9
16 	6 	7 	10 	8 	9 	13 	9
17 	6 	7 	9 	6 	8 	12 	7
18 	6 	7 	9 	6 	8 	12 	7
19 	6 	7 	9 	6 	8 	12 	7
20 	7 	8 	9 	6 	8 	12 	7
21 	7 	8 	8 	4 	4 	11 	5
Proficiency Abbreviations:
: W: Weapon Proficiency slots
: N/W: Nonweapon Proficiency slots
Saving Throw Abbreviations:
: PPDM: Paralyzation, Poison, or Death Magic
: RSW: Rod, Staff, or Wand
: PP: Petrification or Polymorph
: BW: Breath Weapon
: S: Spell
In addition to their many special abilities, bards dabble in wizardry. They gain no spells until 2nd level and they progress through the spell levels slower than true wizards. However, they are very adept learners, so their casting level is equal to their experience level. Thus, although a bard gains his first spell at 2nd level, he casts that spell as a 2nd-level spellcaster. For example, if the 2nd-level bard memorized affect normal fires, it would last for four rounds when cast (two rounds/level).
 Table 6: Spell Progression
BardLevel	Spell Level	Spell Level	Spell Level	Spell Level	Spell Level	Spell Level
BardLevel	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	6
1 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2 	1 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
3 	2 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
4 	2 	1 	— 	— 	— 	—
5 	3 	1 	— 	— 	— 	—
6 	3 	2 	— 	— 	— 	—
7 	3 	2 	1 	— 	— 	—
8 	3 	3 	1 	— 	— 	—
9 	3 	3 	2 	— 	— 	—
10 	3 	3 	2 	1 	— 	—
11 	3 	3 	3 	1 	— 	—
12 	3 	3 	3 	2 	— 	—
13 	3 	3 	3 	2 	1 	—
14 	3 	3 	3 	3 	1 	—
15 	3 	3 	3 	3 	2 	—
16 	4 	3 	3 	3 	2 	1
17 	4 	4 	3 	3 	3 	1
18 	4 	4 	4 	3 	3 	2
19 	4 	4 	4 	4 	3 	2
20 	4 	4 	4 	4 	4 	3
Besides just dabbling in wizardry, 10th-level bards have the powerful ability to use any written magical item, whether it is a scroll, book, map, or other written form. This skill is not limited by normal class restrictions. Thus, bards can use clerical scrolls, wizard scrolls, and even magical books restricted to other classes.
Since all bards are dabblers and not devotees of the magical arts, their understanding of written magic is imperfect. There is a 15% chance that they use the work incorrectly. The consequences of incorrect use is up to the DM, but they are almost certain to be unpleasant. (It is common for a bard's allies to flee in panic when he begins to read such items.)
Bards are most renowned for their communication and entertainment talents. To enhance these skills, they pick up a number of thief skills. Of course, when times are lean, many bards ply these abilities in less-than-honorable manners.
All four of these skills are treated as the equivalent thief skills. Skill bases are listed below.
 Table 7: Base Thief Abilities
Pick 	Detect	Climb	Read
Pockets	Noise 	Walls	Languages
10% 	20% 	50% 	5%
The player also gets 20 points to distribute among the four skills at 1st level and 15 additional points every time the bard advances in level. If these points are distributed so as to gradually equalize the skills, the bard might advance each level as indicated on Table 8.
 Table 8: Bard Average Thief Skills
Level	PickPockets	DetectNoise	ClimbWalls	ReadLang.
1 	16 	25 	53 	11
2 	20 	28 	56 	16
3 	24 	33 	58 	20
4 	29 	36 	60 	25
5 	33 	40 	63 	29
6 	37 	44 	65 	34
7 	41 	48 	68 	38
8 	46 	52 	70 	42
9 	50 	56 	72 	47
10 	54 	59 	75 	52
11 	59 	63 	77 	56
12 	63 	67 	79 	61
13 	67 	71 	82 	65
14 	71 	75 	84 	70
15 	76 	78 	87 	74
16 	80 	82 	89 	79
17 	84 	86 	91 	84
18 	88 	90 	94 	88
19 	93 	94 	95 	93
20 	95 	95 	95 	95
As with all rogues, a bard's thief abilities are adjusted by race, Dexterity, and armor worn.
 Table 9: Thief Skill Adjustments
Race 	PickPockets	DetectNoise	ClimbWalls	ReadLang.
Human 	- 	- 	- 	-
Half-elf	+10% 	- 	- 	-
Dwarf 	- 	- 	-10% 	-5%
Elf 	+5% 	+5% 	- 	-
Gnome 	- 	+5% 	- 	-
Halfling	+5% 	+5% 	-15% 	-5%
 Dexterity Adjustments
Dex 	PickPockets	DetectNoise	ClimbWalls	ReadLang.
9 	-15% 	- 	- 	-
10 	-10% 	- 	- 	-
11 	-5% 	- 	- 	-
12 	- 	- 	- 	-
13-15	- 	- 	- 	-
16 	- 	- 	- 	-
17 	+5% 	- 	- 	-
18 	+10% 	- 	- 	-
19 	+15% 	- 	- 	-
 Kit Adjustments
Kit 	PickPockets	DetectNoise	ClimbWalls	ReadLang.
True Bard 	- 	- 	- 	-
Blade 	- 	+5% 	+5% 	-5%
Charlatan 	+5% 	- 	- 	+5%
Gallant 	-25% 	- 	-5% 	+5%
Gypsy 	+10% 	+5% 	-10% 	-5%
Herald 	-5% 	+10% 	-10% 	+5%
Jester 	+10% 	-5% 	- 	-10%
Jongleur 	+5% 	- 	+15% 	-5%
Loremaster 	-5% 	+5% 	-10% 	+15%
Meistersinger	-10% 	+10% 	- 	-10%
Riddlemaster 	- 	+5% 	+5% 	+5%
Skald 	- 	+5% 	- 	-25%
Thespian 	+5% 	+5% 	- 	+5%
 Demi-Bards
Demi-Bard 	PickPockets	DetectNoise	ClimbWalls	ReadLang.
Dwarf Chanter 	-5% 	- 	+5% 	-
Elf Minstrel 	- 	- 	- 	-
Gnome Prof. 	-5% 	- 	- 	+10%
Half. Whistler	- 	+10% 	- 	-
 	 	 	 	
Armor 	PickPockets	DetectNoise	ClimbWalls	ReadLang.
None* 	+5% 	- 	+10% 	-
Leather 	- 	- 	- 	-
Padded 	-30% 	-10% 	-30% 	-
Studded Leath 	-30% 	-10% 	-30% 	-
Ring Mail 	-25% 	-10% 	-25% 	-
Brigandine 	-20% 	-10% 	-25% 	-
Scale Mail 	-25% 	-15% 	-40% 	-
Hide Armor 	-30% 	-5% 	-30% 	-
Chain Mail 	-25% 	-10% 	-25% 	-
Elven Chain 	-20% 	-5% 	-20% 	-
*Includes small magical items, such as rings, bracers, and cloaks, but not large or bulky devices.
If you compare these armor adjustments to the "Effects of Armor on Thief Skills" table in The Complete Thief's Handbook, you see that bards have a special advantage when using ring mail, brigandine, scale mail, hide armor, and chain mail. Since bards often wear such armor while thieves do not, bards are more comfortable and familiar with the workings of these armor types. Thus, bards suffer only about half the skill penalties that thieves suffer if wearing the same armor.
If your DM allows a bard to put on any form of armor normally disallowed to the class (as suggested by certain kits, for purposes of disguise, out of necessity, or for the sake of entertainment), the penalties are identical to those for a thief in similar armor.
 Table 10: Illegal Armor Adjustment
ArmorType 	PickPockets	HearNoise	ClimbWalls	ReadLang.
Splint Mail 	-40% 	-25% 	-50% 	-
Banded Armor	-50% 	-30% 	-90% 	-
Plate Mail 	-75% 	-50% 	-95% 	-
Bronze Plate	-75% 	-50% 	-95% 	-
Field Plate 	-95% 	-70% 	-95% 	-
Full Plate 	-95% 	-70% 	-95% 	-
At 9th level, bards attract 10d6 0-level followers who arrive as soon as the bard secures a stronghold.
The above information defines the standard bard character class. This core is common to all bards no matter what setting, history, personality, or bard kit is used. As such, it does not include the special kit abilities or personality aspects that make a character stand out. This type of information is found in the chapter on character kits later in this book.
The experienced player will note that many of the bard's special abilities listed in the Player's Handbook are missing in the above treatment. That is because the standard bard, as detailed in the Player's Handbook, is considered a complete kit unto itself. It is called the True Bard kit. This kit combines the core information above with the kit approach of this book to define the bard as it appears in the Player's Handbook .