Bard Custom System

Table: The Bard

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Strength Save	Dexterity Save	Constitution Save	Intelligence Save	Wisdom Save	Charisma Save
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	+2	+0	+0
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	+3	+0	+0
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	+3	+1	+1
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	+4	+1	+1
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	+4	+1	+1
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	+5	+2	+2
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	+5	+2	+2
8th	+6	+2	+6	+2	+6	+2	+2
9th	+6	+3	+6	+3	+6	+3	+3
10th	+7	+3	+7	+3	+7	+3	+3
11th	+8	+3	+7	+3	+7	+3	+3
12th	+9	+4	+8	+4	+8	+4	+4
13th	+9	+4	+8	+4	+8	+4	+4
14th	+10	+4	+9	+4	+9	+4	+4
15th	+11	+5	+9	+5	+9	+5	+5
16th	+12	+5	+10	+5	+10	+5	+5
17th	+12	+5	+10	+5	+10	+5	+5
18th	+13	+6	+11	+6	+11	+6	+6
19th	+14	+6	+11	+6	+11	+6	+6
20th	+15	+6	+12	+6	+12	+6	+6

Table: Bard Daily Spells

Level	0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th
1st	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	3	0	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	3	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	3	2	0	—	—	—	—	—
5th	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
6th	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
7th	3	3	2	0	—	—	—	—
8th	3	3	3	1	—	—	—	—
9th	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
10th	3	3	3	2	0	—	—	—
11th	3	3	3	3	1	—	—	—
12th	3	3	3	3	2	—	—	—
13th	3	3	3	3	2	0	—	—
14th	4	3	3	3	3	1	—	—
15th	4	3	3	3	3	2	—	—
16th	4	4	4	3	3	2	0	—
17th	4	4	4	4	3	3	1	—
18th	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	—
19th	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	0
20th	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	1

Table: Bard Bonus Spells

Score	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th
10-11	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
12-13	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
14-15	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
16-17	1	1	—	—	—	—	—
18-19	1	1	1	—	—	—	—
20-21	1	1	1	1	—	—	—
22-23	1	1	1	1	1	—	—
24-25	1	1	1	1	1	1	—
26-27	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
28-29	2	1	1	1	1	1	1
30-31	2	2	1	1	1	1	1
32-33	2	2	2	1	1	1	1
34-35	2	2	2	2	1	1	1
36-37	3	2	2	2	2	1	1
38-39	3	3	2	2	2	2	1
40	3	3	3	2	2	2	2

Hit Points and Stamina Points

Hit Points: 2 per bard level Stamina Dice: 1d6 per bard level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, bucklers, light shields, heavy shields Weapons: 3, chosen from among simple weapons, longswords, rapiers, saps, shortswords, shortbows, and whips, plus 1 every 3 levels Class Skills: The bard’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disguise (Cha), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (All) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Persuasion (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), and Tumble (Dex). Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int Modifier) x4 Skill Points at Each Level After 1st: 6 + Int modifier

Spellcasting Ability

Spell save DC = 10 + Spell Level + your Intelligence modifier Spell attack modifier = Your Base Attack Bonus + your Dexterity modifier

Starting Wealth

As a bard, you begin play with 2d4x10 gp in addition to the equipment from your background.

Bardic Knowledge

1st-Level Bard Feature
You may make a special bardic knowledge check with a bonus equal to your bard level + your Intelligence modifier to see whether you know some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (History), you gain a +2 bonus on this check.
A successful bardic knowledge check will not reveal the powers of a magic item, but may give a hint as to its general function. A bard may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random.

DC	Type of Knowledge
10	Common, known by at least a substantial minority of the local population.
20	Uncommon but available, known by only a few people and legends.
25	Obscure, known by few and hard to come by.
30	Extremely obscure, known by very few, possibly forgotten by most who once knew it, possibly known only by those who don’t understand the significance of the knowledge.

Tales of Old

1st-Level Bard Feature
Once per day per bard level, you can use your tales of heroism, bravery, wonder, and mystery to produce magical effects on those around you. While these abilities fall under the category of Tales of Old and the descriptions discuss reciting tales and history, they can all be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, or some other form of spoken performance to retell the tale, and may not even be a real tale. Each ability requires a minimum bard level and a minimum number of ranks in the Perform skill or specific Knowledge skill to qualify; if you do not have the required number of ranks in at least one Perform skill or the requires Knowledge skill, you do not gain the Tales of Old ability until you acquire the needed ranks.
Starting a tales of old effect is a standard action. Some tales of old abilities require concentration, which means the bard must take a standard action each round to maintain the ability. Even while using tales of old that doesn’t require concentration, you cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), spell trigger (such as wands), or command word. Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, you must succeed at a DC 5 flat check while attempting to recite a tale of old while deafened, or else the recitation fails. If you fail, the attempt still counts against your daily limit.

Tales of Old - Perseverence

1st-Level Bard Feature
If you have 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill or Knowledge (History), you can use your recitations of tales that depict perseverence in the face of adversary to counter magical effects that depend on sound (but not spells that simply have verbal components). Each round that you recite this tale, you must make your choice of a Perform or Knowledge (Arcana) check (so long as you have at least 3 ranks in that skill). Any creature within 30 feet of you (including yourself) that is affected by a sonic or language-dependent magical attack may use your check result in place of its saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the check result proves to be higher. If a creature within range of your tale of perseverence is already under the effect of a noninstantaneous sonic or language-dependent magical attack, it gains another saving throw against the effect each round it can hear your recitation, but it must use your check result for the save. This tale has no effect against effects that don’t allow saves. You may keep up this recitation for 10 rounds.
Alternatively, you can use a chanting recitation that interferes with spellcasters. While reciting in this way, enemy spellcasters within 30 feet of you must make a DC 5 flat check when casting any spell that has a verbal component (as if they were deafened), losing the spell on a failure. You can maintain this version of the recitation for 3 rounds.

Tales of Old - The Unknown

1st-Level Bard Feature
If you have 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill or Knowledge (Arcana, Psionics, Religion, Technology, or The Planes), you can use your recitations of tales that depict the mysterious unknown to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with you. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear you, and able to pay attention to you. You must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every three bard levels you attain beyond 1st, you can target one additional creature with a single use of this ability.
To use this ability, you must make your choice of a Perform, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Psionics), Knowledge (Religion), Knolwedge (Technology), or Knowledge (The Planes) check. Your check result is the DC for each affected creature’s Wisdom save against the effect. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, you cannot attempt to fascinate them in this way again for 24 hours. If the saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and listens to your tale, taking no other actions, for as long as you continue to recite the tale and concentrate (up to a maximum of 1 round per bard level). While fascinated, a target takes a -4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat requires you to make another check of the same kind and allows the creature a new saving throw against a DC equal to the new check result.
Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. This tale is an enchantment, mind-affecting ability.

Tales of Old - Courage

1st-Level Bard Feature
If you have 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill or Knowledge (Culture, History, or Nobility and Royalty), you can use your recitations of tales that depict extreme feats of courage in the face of danger to inspire that same courage in your allies (including yourself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, a creature must be able to hear you recite the tale. The effect lasts for as long as you are heard by that creature and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected creature receives a +1 Morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects anda +1 Morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and +4 at 20th). This tale is a mind-affecting ability.

Tales of Old - Competence

3rd-Level Bard Feature
If you have 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill or Knowledge (any), you can use your recitations of tales that depict those who managed to master brain over brawn to overcome challenges to help others succeed at a task. The creature must be within 30 feet of you and be able to see and hear you. You must also be able to see the creature.
The creature gets a +2 Competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as he or she can hear your recitation. Certain uses of this ability are infeasible, and thus will fail. The effect lasts as long as the you concentrate, up to a maximum of 2 minutes. You can’t inspire competence in yourself. This tale is a mind-affecting ability.

Tales of Old - Suggestion

6th-Level Bard Feature
If you have 9 or more ranks in a Perform skill or Knowledge (Arcana, Psionics, Nobility and Royalty, or Religion), you can weave a tale to inspire others to action, making a suggestion (as the spell) to a creature that you have fascinated. Using this ability does not break your concentration on your tale of the unknown, nor does it allow a second saving throw against the fascinate effect.
Making a suggestion doesn’t count against your daily limit on tales of old recitations. A wisdom saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your bard level + your Charisma modifier) negates the effect. This ability affects only a single creature. Suggestion is an enchantment, mind-affecting, language-dependent ability.

Tales of Old - Greatness

9th-Level Bard Feature
If you have 12 or more ranks in a Perform skill or Knowledge (Culture, History, or Nobility and Royalty), you can recite tales of great warriors of old who overcame the odds against them to inspire similar greatness in yourself or a single willing creature within 30 feet, granting that target extra fighting capability. For every three bard levels you have beyond 9th, you can target one additional creature with a single use of this ability (two at 12th, three at 15th, four at 18th). To inspire greatness, you must recite your tale and the target must hear you sing. The effect lasts for as long as you recite and for 5 rounds thereafter. 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, but only if it is positive), a +2 Competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 Competence bonus on Strength and Constitution saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependant. This tale is a mind-affecting ability.

Tales of Old - Freedom

12th-Level Bard Feature
If you have 15 or more ranks in a Perform skill or Knowledge (Culture, History, Nature, Technology, or The Planes), you can recite a powerful tale depicting freedom from that which would seek to oppress to create an effect equivalent to the break enchantment spell (caster level equals your bard level). Using this ability requires 1 minute of uninterrupted concentration and recitation, and it functions on a single target within 30 feet. You cannot use this tale on yourself. For each point by which your Charisma modifier exceeds 4, this ability takes 6 less seconds to perform.

Tales of Old - Heroism

15th-Level Bard Feature
If you have 18 or more ranks in a Perform skill or Knowledge (Culture or History), you can use tales of heroism to inspire the same effects in yourself or a single willing creature within 30 feet. For every three bard levels you attain beyond 15th, you can inspire heroics in one additional creature. To inspire heroics, you must recite and a creature must hear you recite for a full round. A creature so inspired gains a +4 Morale bonus on all saves, on Dodge, and on MAC. The effect lasts for as long as the creature hears you recite the tale and for up to 5 rounds thereafter. This tale is a mind-affecting ability.

Tales of Old - Mass Suggestion

18th-Level Bard Feature
If you have 21 or more ranks in a Perform skill or Knowledge (Arcana, Psionics, Nobility and Royalty, or Religion), you can much better influence creatures. When you use your tales of old to make a suggestion, you can simultaneously make the same suggestion to any number of creatures that you have already fascinated. This tale is an enchantment, mind-affecting, language-dependent ability.

Arcane Spellcasting

2nd-Level Bard Feature
As a bard, you have picked up bits of arcane knowledge similarly to a wizard and can cast spells in a similar method. A bard must choose and prepare his or her spells ahead of time.
To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the bard must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a bard’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the bard’s Intelligence modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a bard can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day, as shown on Table: Bard Daily Spells above. In addition, he or she receives bonus spells per day if he or she has a high Intelligence score as shown on Table: Bard Bonus Spells.
A bard may know any number of spells, which are stored in his or her spell book. He or she must choose and prepare his or her spells ahead of time by getting a good night’s sleep and spending 1 hour studying his or her spellbook. While studying, the bard decides which spells to prepare.
Each spell can be prepared any number of times, to a maximum of the number of slots you have for that spell’s level. For example, a 7th level bard with an Intelligence score of 14 has four 1st-level spells available to him or her each day, and so he or she can prepare four spells of that level. The bard may choose to prepare a single spell multiple times, such as preparing the magic missile spell three times to dish out direct damage, and preparing a sleep spell in the final slot in case they need to peacefully dispatch foes.

Spellbooks

A bard must study his or her spellbook each day to prepare his or her spells. He or she cannot prepare any spell not recorded in his or her spellbook, except for read magic, which all bards can prepare from memory.
Even though a bard cannot cast spells until 2nd level, the bard still begins play with a spellbook containing two Common 1st-level spells of his or her choice from the bard spell list, as well as any Uncommon or Rare 1st-level spells the bard already has access to from the bard spell list. For each point of positive Intelligence modifier the bard has, he or she gains one additional 1st-level spell of his or her choice from the bard spell list. At any time, a bard can also attempt to add spells found in other spellbooks, whether belonging to another bard or a wizard, or in arcane scrolls to his or her own spellbook. Each spell requires a number of pages in the spellbook equal to 1d6-1 plus the spell’s level, and a typical spellbook has 50 sheets of pages, equating to 100 pages available. Copying a spell requires special inks costing 35gp per page required to copy the spell. A bard that fails the attempt to copy a spell does not expend the inks, and it is assumed the bard has used must less valuable materials while practicing and seeking understanding of the spell, but still requires 3 hours per level of the spell, as normal.
Each spell has a DC to learn it. A bard must successfully make a Spellcraft check in order to properly learn and understand the spell before they can copy it into their spellbook and prepare it. If the spell is written in Arcane Common Script, the DC is reduced by 5, and if the bard is copying the spell from their own notes after having already learned it, they need not make a check. However, if a bard has their spellbook stolen or otherwise lost, they cannot copy that spell again without re-learning it unless they currently have that spell prepared.
Additionally, the bard begins play with a cantrip book, an object similar to a spellbook but with only enough pages to hold the already discovered 0-level bard spells. Spells of 1st-level or higher cannot be added into this book and prepared later.

Variant Features

Bardic Knack 

Variant Classes

Harbinger