Bard

The **Bard** is a class in *Pathfinder: Kingmaker*.

## Description

Untold wonders and secrets exist for those skillful enough to discover them. Through cleverness, talent, and magic, these cunning few unravel the wiles of the world, becoming adept in the arts of persuasion, manipulation, and inspiration. Typically masters of one or many forms of artistry, **bards** possess an uncanny ability to know more than they should and use what they learn to keep themselves and their allies ever one step ahead of danger. **Bards** are quick-witted and captivating, and their skills might lead them down many paths, be they gamblers or jacks-of-all-trades, scholars or performers, leaders or scoundrels, or even all of the above. For **bards**, every day brings its own opportunities, adventures, and challenges, and only by bucking the odds, knowing the most, and being the best might they claim the treasures of each.

## Gameplay

Role: Bards capably confuse and confound their foes while inspiring their allies to ever-greater daring. While accomplished with both weapons and magic, the true strength of bards lies outside melee, where they can support their companions and undermine their foes without fear of interruptions to their performances.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d8.

Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + ½ Int modifier.

Class skills: all.

## Archetypes

* **Archaeologist, Thundercaller, Flame Dancer**

## Class Features

### **Weapon and Armor Proficiency**

A bard is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, shortsword and shortbow. Bards are also proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields). A bard can cast bard spells while wearing light armor and using a shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, a bard wearing medium or heavy armor incurs a chance of arcane spell failure. A multiclass bard still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

### **Spells**

A bard casts arcane spells drawn from the bard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a bard must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class (DC) for a saving throw against a bard’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the bard’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a bard can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on **Table: bard**. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.

The bard’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A bard begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of the bard’s choice. At each new bard level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on **Table: Bard Spells Known**. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a bard knows is not affected by his Charisma score (See Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells).

A bard need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level.

#### **Cantrips**

* Bards can cast a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.

### **Bardic Knowledge**

A bard adds half his class level (minimum 1) to all Knowledge and Lore skill checks.

### **Bardic Performance**

A bard is trained to perform magical effects on those around him, including himself if desired. He can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + his Charisma modifier. At each level after 1st a bard can use bardic performance for 2 additional rounds per day. Each round, the bard can produce any one
of the types of bardic performance that he has mastered, as indicated by his level.

#### **Inspire Courage**

* A 1st level bard can use his performance to *inspire courage* in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against *fear* and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive the bard's performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against *charm* and *fear* effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 5th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +4 at 17th level.

#### **Inspire Competence**

* A bard of 3rd level or higher can use his performance to help allies succeed at a task. They must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the bard. They get a +2 competence bonus on all skill checks as long as they continue to hear the bard's performance. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the bard has attained beyond 3rd (+3 at 7th, +4 at 11th, +5 at 15th, and +6 at 19th).

#### **Fascinate**

* At 6th level, a bard can use his performance to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 30 feet. Each creature within range receives a Will save (DC 10 + ½ the bard's level + the bard's Cha modifier) to negate 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 stands quietly and observes the performance for as long as the bard continues to maintain it. Any damage to the target automatically breaks the effect.

#### **Bardic Performance (Move Action)**

* At 7th level, a bard can start a bardic performance as a move action instead of a standard action.

#### **Dirge of Doom**

* A bard of 8th level or higher can use his performance to foster a sense of growing dread in his enemies, causing them to take become shaken. To be affected, an enemy must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the bard's performance. The effect persists for as long as the enemy is within 30 feet and the bard continues the performance.

#### **Inspire Greatness**

* A bard of 9th level or higher can use his performance to *inspire greatness* in all allies within 30 feet, granting extra fighting capability. A creature *inspired with greatness* gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target's Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves.

#### **Soothing Performance**

* A bard of 12th level or higher can use his performance to create an effect equivalent to the *mass cure serious wounds*, using the bard's level as the caster level. In addition, this performance removes the fatigued, sickened, and shaken condition from all those affected. Using this ability requires 4 continuous performance.

#### **Bardic Performance (Swift Action)**

* At 13th level, a bard can start a bardic performance as a swift action.

#### **Frightening Tune**

* A bard of 14th level or higher can use his performance to cause *fear* in his enemies. To be affected, an enemy must be able to hear the bard perform and be within 30 feet. Each enemy within range receives a Will save (DC 10 + ½ the bard's level + the bard's Cha modifier) to negate the effect. If the save succeeds, the creature is immune to this ability for 24 hours. If the save fails, the target becomes frightened and flees for as long as the target can hear the bard's performance.

#### **Inspire Heroics**

* A bard of 15th level or higher can *inspire* tremendous *heroism* in all allies within 30 feet. Inspired creatures gain a +4 morale bonus on saving throws and a +4 dodge bonus to AC. The effect lasts for as long as the targets are able to witness the performance.

### **Bard Talent**

As a bard gains experience, she learns a number of talents that aid her and confound her foes. At 2nd level, a bard gains a *rogue talent*, as the rogue class feature of the same name. At 6th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the bard gains an additional *rogue talent*. A bard cannot select a *rogue talent* that modifies the *sneak attack ability*.

### **Well-Versed**

At 2nd level, the bard becomes resistant to the bardic performance of others, and to sonic effects in general. The bard gains a +4 bonus on saving throws made against bardic performance.

### **Jack of All Trades**

At 10th level, the bard gains bonus +1 on all skill checks.