Bardic Schools (Legendary Bard)

### **School of the Blade**

The legendary bard has trained in the school of the blade, allowing them to hone their martial prowess and seamlessly blend it with their bardic casting.

The legendary bard gains their choice of increasing their proficiency with martial combat (see below), or gaining a combat feat of their choice. In addition, the legendary bard gains the ability to cast bard spells using a hand wielding a weapon for their somatic components, rather than requiring a free hand.

If the legendary bard chooses to increase their proficiency, they gain proficiency with all martial weapons and with shields. If they already have proficiency with light armor, they gain proficiency with medium armor. If they could cast bard spells while wearing light armor, they can cast it while wearing medium armor as well.

Each time the school of the blade is selected after the first, the legendary bard gains a combat feat of their choice.

### **School of the Expert**

The legendary bard has trained in the school of the expert, granting them further expertise with skills. When the legendary bard selects this school they gain a bonus feat from the following list: Skill Focus, Signature Skill, or any feat that has Skill Focus as a prerequisite. Each time the school of the expert is selected after the first, the legendary bard gains an additional bonus feat from the list above.

### **School of the Mage**

The legendary bard has trained in the school of the mage, granting them knowledge of spells normally outside of the purview of bards.

When the legendary bard selects this school they learn two spells of a level they can cast from any spell list. If a spell is a different spell level for multiple classes, the legendary bard uses the highest spell level when determining its effective spell level (unless the spell is on the bard spell list, in which case they use that spell level).

The bard can choose to learn new spells in place of any of the spells selected as part of this school. Replacing the spells requires training from a character that knows the spell the legendary bard wishes to learn, or requires the legendary bard to acquire a scroll or spellbook that contains the spell. Learning this spell requires spending 8 hours researching the spell per level of the spell, and the normal material components for learning a spell of that level. The legendary bard can only spend 8 hours in a single day researching the spell. After completing their research, they choose which spell they have learned using this school to replace with the new spell.

Each time the school of the mage is selected after the first, the legendary bard learns an additional two spells.

### **School of the Performer**

The legendary bard has trained in the school of the performer, granting them the ability to use their Perform skill in a variety of new ways.

Versatile Performance: When the legendary bard selects this school, they choose one type of Perform skill. The legendary bard can use his bonus in that skill in place of their bonus in associated skills to that Perform skill. When substituting in this way, the legendary bard uses their total Perform skill bonus, including class skill bonus, in place of its associated skill’s bonus, whether or not he has ranks in that skill or if it is a class skill.

The types of Perform and their associated skills are: Act (Bluff, Disguise), Comedy (Bluff, Intimidate), Dance (Acrobatics, Stealth), Keyboard Instruments (Handle Animal, Intimidate), Oratory (Diplomacy, Intimidate), Percussion (Handle Animal, Intimidate), Sing (Bluff, Diplomacy), String (Bluff, Handle Animal), and Wind (Diplomacy, Handle Animal).

Each time the school of the performer is selected after the first, the legendary bard can choose to learn an additional versatile performance from the list above, or can choose from one of the additional options below.

Expanded Versatility: The legendary bard chooses one Perform skill that they have already selected with versatile performance. They add one of the following skills to the list of skills that are associated with the chosen Perform skill for the purpose of the versatile performance ability: Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Sense Motive, or Use Magic Device. This option can be selected multiple times, but no skill can be associated with the same Perform skill more than once.

Martial Performance (Ex): The legendary bard chooses one weapon belonging to a fighter weapon group that is associated with a Perform skill they have selected with versatile performance (see below). They gain proficiency with this weapon. If the bard is already proficient with this weapon or later becomes proficient with it, they gain Weapon Focus with that weapon as a bonus feat instead. In addition, the legendary bard’s effective fighter level is equal to 1/2 their legendary bard level for the purpose of qualifying for feats that specifically select weapons from those Perform skills’ associated fighter weapon groups.

The types of Perform skills and their associated fighter weapon groups are: Act (close, double), Comedy (flails, thrown), Dance (monk, spears), Keyboard Instruments (hammers, siege engines), Oratory (heavy blades, light blades), Percussion (close, hammers, firearms), Sing (close, natural), String (axes, bows, crossbows), and Wind (monk, thrown).

Masterpiece: The legendary bard gains a Bardic Masterpiece. They must meet the masterpiece’s prerequisites, and the masterpiece must list ranks in a Perform skill that the bard has chosen with versatile performance as a prerequisite.

### **School of the Scoundrel**

The legendary bard has trained in the school of the scoundrel, granting them talents in skills often frowned upon by society.

When the bard selects this school they gain the ability to deal an additional damage with their attacks, as the sneak attack ability of the rogue. The legendary bard only deals 1d6 damage with this ability, though it stacks with any other sources of sneak attack the bard might possess. In addition, the legendary bard gains a single rogue talent, legendary rogue talent or unchained rogue talent of their choice, treating their legendary bard level as their rogue level for these rogue talents. When the legendary bard reaches 10th level, they can select advanced talents as well.

Each time the school is selected after the first, the legendary bard gains another rogue talent or of their choice or may increase the damage of the sneak attacks granted by this school by 1d6 (to a maximum number of d6 equal to half their legendary bard level, rounded up).

### **School of the Socialite**

The legendary bard has trained in the school of the socialite, allowing them to learn the skills to sway the masses and improve their standing within society.

When the legendary bard selects this school they gain a vigilante social talent of their choice. They treat their legendary bard level as their vigilante level when determining their prerequisites and abilities of this talent. For the purposes of this class feature, the legendary bard does not have a vigilante identity and is always considered to be in their social identity. They cannot select talents that rely on the dual identity feature to function or rely on them being able to change their identity using this bardic school, such as the many guises talent.

Each time the school of the socialite is selected after the first, the legendary bard gains a vigilante social talent of their choice.