Path of the Bard

The Path of the Bard is for generalist performers who use music, theater, and entertainment to charm, inspire, and assist. This Path is recommended for CHA-based support characters who want to buff their allies and still have time for their own performance.

**Requirements:** Light-Hearted (Scholar)

**Path Completion Bonus**: +1 to your lowest 3 Attributes OR +1 Charisma

## Core Abilities

**Bardic Brilliance**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: Passive

For every 10 abilities purchased in the Path of the Bard, gain +1 to your lowest Attribute.

**Virtues of a Troubadour**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: Passive

Gain +2 to all checks made to entertain, distract, or inspire a crowd. When you purchase this ability, choose an entertaining talent such as a musical instrument or type of performance: gain an additional +2 to checks that use this talent. The bonuses of this ability increase by an additional +1 for every 10 abilities purchased in the Path of the Bard.

**My Shot**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: Free Action

At the end of this turn, take another turn. At the end of that turn, lose all remaining Vim and MP. This ability is may be used once per Rest.

**Take Two!**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited** **for:** Charm

**Activation**: Passive

Once per Rest, you can create a disturbance which significantly alters the situation, giving everyone a moment to try again. This immediately ends the current Encounter and starts a new one.

**Scene Change**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: 2 Actions, 3 Vim

You create a grandiose distraction which radically alters the current situation. This ends the current Encounter and starts a new one.

**Cheer On**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited** **for:** Charm

**Activation**: Passive

When Assisting, instead of rolling the same check as your ally, you may roll a CHA check at a -3 penalty.

**Clever Acting**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: 1 Action, 1 Vim

*You fake out your opponents using skillful body language.*

An adjacent enemy gains the debuff *Faked Out* (-10 \* CHA Accuracy) until the start of your next turn.

**Art of Inspiration**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: 1 Action, 1 MP

*Your performance brings inspiration to one of your allies.*

An ally of your choice within 12 meters adds CHA to their next basic attack's damage roll, or half as much to the next casting roll or check.

**Mass Inspiration**

**Prerequisite**: **Art of Inspiration**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: 1 Action, 3 MP, 3 Vim

*Your performance brings your allies inspiration.*

All allies within 12 meters are affected by **Art of Inspiration**.

**Distracting Tune**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: 1 Action, 1 Vim

Choose a target within 12 meters who can hear you. This creature loses 1 Alert and CHA Vim.

**Mass Distraction**

**Prerequisite**: **Distracting Tune**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: 1 Action, 6 Vim

*Your performance is jarring and disorienting to everyone nearby.*

All creatures within 12 meters (including allies, excluding yourself) lose 1 Alert and CHA Vim. You may choose to limit the range of this effect to a smaller radius between 0 and CHA meters.

**Piercing Cacophony**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: 1 Action, 3 Vim

All creatures within CHA meters take an unavoidable CHA damage ignoring Armor. You may choose to limit the range of this effect to a smaller radius between 0 and CHA meters. This ability is usable once per turn.

**Words of Wimpening**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: 1 Action, 3 Vim

Choose a target within 12 meters who can hear you. This creature gains the debuff *Wimpy*: -3 damage on all damage dealt.

**Knife Juggling**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: 1 Action, 3 Vim

*Who would attack the knife juggler?*

Until the start of your next turn, whenever an enemy moves adjacent to you or attacks you (even from a distance), you retaliate with a knife: this is a Dexterity-based skill strike that deals 1d6 + CHA damage. When you activate this ability, make this attack against all enemies who are currently adjacent to you. You may activate this ability multiple times per turn to attack adjacent enemies, but the reactionary attacks do not stack.

**Allegro**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: Free Action, 3 Vim

You speed up one of your performances. Activate one ability you know in the Path of the Bard which normally takes 1 Action or Reaction. Pay other activation costs normally.

**Encore**

**Prerequisite**: **Allegro**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: 1 Reaction

*Second verse, same as the first!*

Select one ability in the Path of the Bard which normally takes 1 Action and which you used last turn. That ability is reactivated this turn using this Reaction. Until the end of the Encounter, you may choose to continue extending the performance by spending 1 Reaction per turn. The ability can have the same or different targets each time it is activated. Pay other activation costs normally.

**Expert Musician**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for:** Charm

**Activation**: Passive

All of your performance abilities in the Path of the Bard which have a range of 12 meters now have a range of 30 meters.

**Anthem of Attack**

**Prerequisite**: **Expert Musician**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for:** Charm

**Activation**: 1 Reaction, 3 Vim

This ability may be activated immediately after another ally’s ability grants a bonus to Accuracy (to themselves, you, or another ally). The bonus is increased by +10 for all targets of the ability.

**Ditty of Dodging**

**Prerequisite**: **Expert Musician**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for:** Charm

**Activation**: 1 Reaction, 3 Vim

This ability may be activated immediately after another ally’s ability grants Alert (to themselves, you, or another ally). The bonus is doubled for all targets of the ability.

**Hymn of Haste**

**Prerequisite**: **Expert Musician**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for:** Charm

**Activation**: 1 Reaction, 3 Vim

This ability may be activated immediately after another ally’s ability grants Speed (to themselves, you, or another ally). The bonus is increased by 1 for all targets of the ability.

**Shanty of Striking**

**Prerequisite**: **Expert Musician**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for:** Charm

**Activation**: 1 Reaction, 3 Vim

This ability may be activated immediately after another ally’s ability grants a bonus to damage (to themselves, you, or another ally). The bonus is increased by 3 for all targets of the ability.

**Ballad of Blocking**

**Prerequisite**: **Expert Musician**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for:** Charm

**Activation**: 1 Reaction, 3 Vim

Until the end of the Encounter, you and your allies have a +3 Shield Bonus, in addition to any existing Shield Bonuses.

**Poem of Parrying**

**Prerequisite**: **Expert Musician**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for:** Charm

**Activation**: 1 Reaction, 3 Vim

Until the end of the Encounter, you and nearby allies add 5 times your CHA to Accuracy when using Parry (Fighter).

**Refrain of Recovery**

**Prerequisite**: **Expert Musician**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for:** Charm

**Activation**: 1 Reaction, 3 Vim

This ability may be activated immediately after another ally’s ability restores HP (to themselves, you, or another ally). The bonus is increased by your CHA for all targets of the ability.

**Melody of Mana**

**Prerequisite**: **Expert Musician**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for:** Charm

**Activation**: 1 Reaction, 3 Vim

This ability may be activated immediately after another ally’s ability restores MP (to themselves, you, or another ally). The bonus is increased by your CHA for all targets of the ability.

**Verse of Vigor**

**Prerequisite**: **Expert Musician**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for:** Charm

**Activation**: 1 Reaction, 3 Vim

This ability may be activated immediately after another ally’s ability restores Vim (to themselves, you, or another ally). The bonus is increased by your CHA for all targets of the ability.

**Magnificent Maestro**

**Prerequisite**: **Expert Musician**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited** **for:** Charm

**Activation**: Passive

Your Speed and Initiative permanently increase by +2.

**Master Musician**

**Prerequisite**: **Magnificent Maestro**

**Cost**: 500 XP

**Expedited** **for:** Charm

**Activation**: Passive

Gain +6 max Vim.

**Improv Genius**

**Prerequisite**: **Magnificent Maestro**

**Cost**: 600 XP

**Expedited** **for:** Charm

**Activation**: 1 Action

*You prepare to coordinate with your allies' own hearts.*

Until the start of your next turn, abilities you know in the Path of the Bard which normally take 1 Reaction instead take a Free Reaction. Pay other activation costs normally.

**Jack of All Trades**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Path Completion of Path of the Bard

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for:** Charm

**Activation**: Passive

For every Path you complete, gain +1 to any Attribute below 2, or your lowest Attribute if none are below 2. This ability applies retroactively.

## Course of Heroism

**Clever Conductor**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Course of Heroism

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited** **for:** Charm

**Activation**: Passive

For each time you are Supported, all abilities in the Path of the Bard which increase an ally’s bonus grant an additional +1.

**You Have My Instrument**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisites**: Course of Heroism, **Expert Musician**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited** **for:** Charm

**Activation**: 1 Action, 10 Vim

All allies within CHA + SPI meters are Supported and gain an extra Action on their next turn. If you are Supported, this ability costs half as much Vim. This ability is usable only once per turn.

**Showstopper**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisites**: Course of Heroism

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: Attack, 3\* Vim

*You display a great amount of flourish and prowess in your attack.*

You may only use this ability after declaring an attack which has been awarded a Narrative Bonus (such as Heroic Creativity). Choose to spend any amount of Vim on this ability (minimum 3). Your attack is automatically a direct hit and gains +X damage, where X is the amount of Vim spent on this ability. This ability is usable once per Rest.

## Course of Combat

**Gibe**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Course of Combat

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited** **for:** Charm

**Activation**: 1 Action

You mock a target within line of sight who can hear and understand you. They take an unavoidable 2d6 Vim damage and are threatened. Once affected by **Gibe**, a target becomes immune to this ability until the end of the Encounter.

**Shift the Blame**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Course of Combat

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited** **for:** Charm

**Activation**: 1 Action

Choose an ally within sight. Any creatures you are currently threatening are instead threatened by your chosen ally.

**Taunting Performance**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Course of Combat

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: 1 Action

Your performance irritates and provokes a nearby target, threatening them.

**Mass Taunt**

**Prerequisite**: **Taunting Performance**

**Cost**: 500 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: 1 Action, 3 Vim

Your performance irritates and provokes all nearby hostile creatures, threatening them.

## Course of Conditions

**Song of Sorrows**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Course of Conditions, **Expert Musician**

**Cost**: 500 XP

Expedited for: Charm

Activation: 2 Actions, 4 Vim

All enemies within 12 meters are staggered. This ability is usable only once per Rest.

## Course of Damages

**Aura of Jazz**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Course of Damages

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: Passive

You and allies within 30 meters are resistant to paralysis damage and gain 1 Action at the start of their next turn when paralyzed. You may have one aura active at a time. Your aura can be switched during a Rest.

**Aura of Rock**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Course of Damages

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: Passive

You and allies within 30 meters are resistant to stun damage and gain 1 Reaction when stunned. You may have one aura active at a time. Your aura can be switched during a Rest.

## Course of Bounty

**This'll Fetch**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Course of Bounty

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for**: Charm

**Activation**: Passive

When you roll to loot for humanoids or treasure, add your CHA to the result.

## Course of Deltas

**Bardic Luck**

**Prerequisite**: Course of Deltas

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited** **for:** Charm

**Activation**: Passive

*"99% luck. 26% skill. 57% concentrated power of will. An Intelligence score of -2. And absolutely no concept of how percentages work."*

Gain *+1 Luck.* Up to CHA times per Rest, when you would make a check, you may make a *Luck* check instead.