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Bard
Bard icon

Bard

Using spells, skills, and powerful magical songs, Bards are the ultimate support characters, simultaneously strengthening friends and weakening foes.

Solo Ability: Challenging.

FieldValue
HP / Level8
Skill Points / Level6 + Intelligence modifier
Play StyleSupport
Spell DC AbilityCharisma

Class Skills

Proficiencies

More Information

Playing songs is the bard's most impressive ability. With songs bards can give a boost to their allies abilities or subdue foes. The Fascinate song can mesmerize and immobilize enemies better than any other class's spells or abilities.

Bards also have mastery of many different kinds of spells. They can heal allies or attack and manipulate foes and have more spell points than any of the other melee or specialist classes.

With this special blend of abilities, bards can make any party more effective, regardless of composition.

Past Life

Bard

You were a bard in a past life. You occasionally find yourself humming a merry tune. Each time you acquire this feat you gain +2 to saves vs. enchantments and illusions. This feat can be stacked up to three times.

Variants

Advancement Table

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special Spell Points 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
1 +0 +0 +2 +2
  • Bardic Ballad (1/rest)
  • Fascinate (1/rest)
  • Religious Lore
  • Wilderness Lore
50 1
2 +1 +0 +3 +3
  • Bardic Ballad (2/rest)
  • Fascinate (2/rest)
75 2
3 +2 +1 +3 +3
  • Bardic Inspiration (3/rest)
  • Religious Lore
  • Wilderness Lore
  • Bardic Ballad (3/rest)
  • Fascinate (3/rest)
100 3
4 +3 +1 +4 +4
  • Bardic Ballad (4/rest)
  • Fascinate (4/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (4/rest)
125 3 2
5 +3 +1 +4 +4
  • Religious Lore
  • Wilderness Lore
  • Bardic Ballad (5/rest)
  • Fascinate (5/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (5/rest)
150 4 3
6 +4 +2 +5 +5
  • Suggestion (6/rest)
  • Bardic Ballad (6/rest)
  • Fascinate (6/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (6/rest)
175 4 3
7 +5 +2 +5 +5
  • Religious Lore
  • Wilderness Lore
  • Bardic Ballad (7/rest)
  • Fascinate (7/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (7/rest)
  • Suggestion (7/rest)
200 4 4 2
8 +6 +2 +6 +6
  • Soothing Song (8/rest)
  • Bardic Ballad (8/rest)
  • Fascinate (8/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (8/rest)
  • Suggestion (8/rest)
225 4 4 3
9 +6 +3 +6 +6
  • Ballad Melody: Greatness (9/rest)
  • Religious Lore
  • Wilderness Lore
  • Bardic Ballad (9/rest)
  • Fascinate (9/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (9/rest)
  • Suggestion (9/rest)
  • Soothing Song (9/rest)
250 4 4 3
10 +7 +3 +7 +7
  • Bardic Ballad (10/rest)
  • Fascinate (10/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (10/rest)
  • Suggestion (10/rest)
  • Soothing Song (10/rest)
  • Ballad Melody: Greatness (10/rest)
275 4 4 4 2
11 +8 +3 +7 +7
  • Religious Lore
  • Wilderness Lore
  • Bardic Ballad (11/rest)
  • Fascinate (11/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (11/rest)
  • Suggestion (11/rest)
  • Soothing Song (11/rest)
  • Ballad Melody: Greatness (11/rest)
300 4 4 4 3
12 +9 +4 +8 +8
  • Song of Freedom (12/rest)
  • Bardic Ballad (12/rest)
  • Fascinate (12/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (12/rest)
  • Suggestion (12/rest)
  • Soothing Song (12/rest)
  • Ballad Melody: Greatness (12/rest)
325 4 4 4 3
13 +9 +4 +8 +8
  • Religious Lore
  • Wilderness Lore
  • Bardic Ballad (13/rest)
  • Fascinate (13/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (13/rest)
  • Suggestion (13/rest)
  • Soothing Song (13/rest)
  • Ballad Melody: Greatness (13/rest)
  • Song of Freedom (13/rest)
350 4 4 4 4 2
14 +10 +4 +9 +9
  • Improved Inspire Courage (14/rest)
  • Bardic Ballad (14/rest)
  • Fascinate (14/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (14/rest)
  • Suggestion (14/rest)
  • Soothing Song (14/rest)
  • Ballad Melody: Greatness (14/rest)
  • Song of Freedom (14/rest)
375 4 4 4 4 3
15 +11 +5 +9 +9
  • Inspiration Melody: Heroics (15/rest)
  • Religious Lore
  • Wilderness Lore
  • Bardic Ballad (15/rest)
  • Fascinate (15/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (15/rest)
  • Suggestion (15/rest)
  • Soothing Song (15/rest)
  • Ballad Melody: Greatness (15/rest)
  • Song of Freedom (15/rest)
  • Improved Inspire Courage (15/rest)
400 4 4 4 4 3
16 +12 +5 +10 +10
  • Bardic Ballad (16/rest)
  • Fascinate (16/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (16/rest)
  • Suggestion (16/rest)
  • Soothing Song (16/rest)
  • Ballad Melody: Greatness (16/rest)
  • Song of Freedom (16/rest)
  • Improved Inspire Courage (16/rest)
  • Inspiration Melody: Heroics (16/rest)
425 5 4 4 4 4 2
17 +12 +5 +10 +10
  • Religious Lore
  • Wilderness Lore
  • Bardic Ballad (17/rest)
  • Fascinate (17/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (17/rest)
  • Suggestion (17/rest)
  • Soothing Song (17/rest)
  • Ballad Melody: Greatness (17/rest)
  • Song of Freedom (17/rest)
  • Improved Inspire Courage (17/rest)
  • Inspiration Melody: Heroics (17/rest)
450 5 5 4 4 4 3
18 +13 +6 +11 +11
  • Mass Suggestion (18/rest)
  • Bardic Ballad (18/rest)
  • Fascinate (18/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (18/rest)
  • Suggestion (18/rest)
  • Soothing Song (18/rest)
  • Ballad Melody: Greatness (18/rest)
  • Song of Freedom (18/rest)
  • Improved Inspire Courage (18/rest)
  • Inspiration Melody: Heroics (18/rest)
475 5 5 5 4 4 3
19 +14 +6 +11 +11
  • Religious Lore
  • Wilderness Lore
  • Bardic Ballad (19/rest)
  • Fascinate (19/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (19/rest)
  • Suggestion (19/rest)
  • Soothing Song (19/rest)
  • Ballad Melody: Greatness (19/rest)
  • Song of Freedom (19/rest)
  • Improved Inspire Courage (19/rest)
  • Inspiration Melody: Heroics (19/rest)
  • Mass Suggestion (19/rest)
500 5 5 5 5 4 4
20 +15 +6 +12 +12
  • Improved Inspire Courage (20/rest)
  • Bardic Ballad (20/rest)
  • Fascinate (20/rest)
  • Bardic Inspiration (20/rest)
  • Suggestion (20/rest)
  • Soothing Song (20/rest)
  • Ballad Melody: Greatness (20/rest)
  • Song of Freedom (20/rest)
  • Improved Inspire Courage (20/rest)
  • Inspiration Melody: Heroics (20/rest)
  • Mass Suggestion (20/rest)
525 5 5 5 5 5 4

Abilities Granted at Every Level

Arcane Lore

Represents your knowledge of the arcane.

Level 1

Bardic Ballad

You are constantly surrounded by a faint aura of Bardic Music, and it benefits you and your nearby allies in combat. You and all nearby allies receive the benefits of Inspire Courage as long as you are alive and not incapacitated. Certain Bard feats and abilities can alter or increase the benefits of your Aria.

Inspire Courage: You and nearby allies benefit from +1 to hit, damage, saves vs fear, and +3 to Universal Spell Power.

Fascinate

Activate this Song to make your foes stop what they're doing and listen to your soothing notes. Requires 3 trained ranks (not total mod) of the Perform skill to use. Has a save DC of your perform skill plus the roll of a twenty-sided die.

Religious Lore

Represents your knowledge of religion.

Wilderness Lore

Represents your knowledge of the wilderness.

Level 3

Bardic Inspiration

Activate this ability to Inspire a single target ally or yourself. This ability's base duration is 5 minutes plus 30 seconds per Bard level. Future Bard abilities can modify or increase the effect of your Inspiration, and gaining more effective Bard Level will increase the duration of this ability. At Bard Level 3, this automatically includes Inspire Competence.

Inspire Competence: Grants you or a single ally +4 Music Bonus to all Skills.

Requires 6 trained ranks (not total mod) of the Perform skill to use.

Religious Lore

Represents your knowledge of religion.

Wilderness Lore

Represents your knowledge of the wilderness.

Level 5

Religious Lore

Represents your knowledge of religion.

Wilderness Lore

Represents your knowledge of the wilderness.

Level 6

Suggestion

Activate this bard ability to charm a fascinated foe for a short time. Requires 9 trained ranks (not total mod) of the Perform skill to use.

Level 7

Religious Lore

Represents your knowledge of religion.

Wilderness Lore

Represents your knowledge of the wilderness.

Level 8

Soothing Song

Sing a Song to apply a small positive energy heal to your target and nearby party members.

In addition, your inspire courage now gives an additional +1 bonus to attack, damage, and fear saves, and +3 Universal Spell Power.

Level 9

Ballad Melody: Greatness

Adds the effects of Inspire Greatness to your Bardic Ballad. Other Bard abilities may modify and increase the effects of Inspire Greatness.

Inspire Greatness: Allies and yourself benefit from +20 Temporary Hit Points, +3 Physical Resistance Rating, and +10 Healing Amplification as long as you are not incapacitated and they are within the Ballad.

Requires 12 trained ranks (not total mod) of the Perform skill.

Religious Lore

Represents your knowledge of religion.

Wilderness Lore

Represents your knowledge of the wilderness.

Level 11

Religious Lore

Represents your knowledge of religion.

Wilderness Lore

Represents your knowledge of the wilderness.

Level 12

Song of Freedom

Activate this bard ability to create an effect equivalent to the break enchantment spell on one of your allies. Requires 15 trained ranks (not total mod) of the Perform skill.

Level 13

Religious Lore

Represents your knowledge of religion.

Wilderness Lore

Represents your knowledge of the wilderness.

Level 14

Improved Inspire Courage

Your inspire courage now gives an additional +2 bonus to attack, damage, and fear saves, and an additional +3 Universal Spell Power.

Level 15

Inspiration Melody: Heroics

Adds the effects of Inspire Heroics to your Bardic Inspiration. Other Bard abilities may modify the effects of Inspire Heroics.

Inspire Heroics: +4 Music bonus to Armor Class, +4% Music bonus to Dodge, and +4 Music bonus to all Saves.

Requires 18 trained ranks (not total mod) of the Perform skill to use.

Religious Lore

Represents your knowledge of religion.

Wilderness Lore

Represents your knowledge of the wilderness.

Level 17

Religious Lore

Represents your knowledge of religion.

Wilderness Lore

Represents your knowledge of the wilderness.

Level 18

Mass Suggestion

Activate this bard ability to charm multiple fascinated foes for a short time. Requires 21 trained ranks (not total mod) of the Perform skill to use.

Level 19

Religious Lore

Represents your knowledge of religion.

Wilderness Lore

Represents your knowledge of the wilderness.

Level 20

Improved Inspire Courage

Your inspire courage now gives an additional +3 bonus to attack, damage, and fear saves, and an additional +3 Universal Spell Power.