Harbinger CS

Variant Class - Bard

The harbinger is a variant bard. Unless otherwise noted, a harbinger advanced in the same manner as a bard (same Hit Dice, base attack bonus, saving throw bonuses, skill points, and so on). When a character elects to take a level of bard or harbinger, he or she may not later take levels in the other class. This prevents the character from gaining the benefits of a 1st-level bard twice.
Contrary to the uplifting tales woven by bards, there exists a rare and unsettling counterpart to these minstrels of joy and inspiration — the harbinger. Where shadows linger and secrets fester, the harbinger stands as an ominous figure, twisting the very essence of bardic tales into malevolent whispers that corrode the spirit of those that hear their woeful tales.
The harbinger's art is a perversion of the bardic tradition, a sinister dance that taints the threads of storytelling with darkness and doubt. Unlike their counterparts, who illuminate the world with tales of inspiration and valor, the harbinger specializes in crafting narratives that erode morale and lead those who listen down a treacherous path to their own undoing.
In the dank and dark places of the world, harbingers unfurl tales that crawl like venomous serpents through the minds of those who dare to listen. A haunting melody accompanies their words, resonating with the dissonance of despair. As the narrative unfolds, it weaves a tapestry of horror and uncertainty, exploiting the deepest fears and insecurities of the audience. Unlike bards, who commune with the past and rally allies with uplifting war chants, the harbinger's influence is insidious in nature. They tap into the darkest recesses of their art, drawing forth the nightmares that lurk in the corners of the mind. The stories they tell are not of heroism but rather macabre lullabies that coax the listener into a nightmarish trance.
In crowded taverns, deep dungeons, and bloodstained battlefields, the harbinger weaves their maleficent narrative. A bard's enchanting performance may be abruptly overshadowed as the harbinger's whispers reach the ears of the unsuspecting patrons. Laughter turns to hushed murmurs and battle cries turn to groans and lethargy. The once-vibrant walls of the castle halls grow dark and tapestries seem darker and sadder than before as the harbinger's narrative takes hold.

The Corrupting Cadence

The harbinger's tales are not mere words; they are a weapon, a sinister symphony that orchestrates the downfall of those who succumb to its influence. Each syllable drips with a malevolent charm, entwining the listener in a web of psychological manipulation. The bardic magic that should uplift and inspire is twisted into a corrupting tale that erodes the foundations of courage and heroics.
The harbinger's tales are not limited to spoken words alone; they extend to the very fabric of reality. In a clandestine chamber adorned with arcane symbols, the harbinger employs forbidden rituals to infuse their narratives with eldritch power. Shadows dance to the rhythm of their maleficent verses, and illusions manifest as nightmarish apparitions, blurring the line between fact and fiction.
While the standard bard uses their art to illuminate the world, the harbinger plunges it into a dreadful abyss. The once-heroic deeds recounted by bards are perverted and tarnished into cautionary tales of inevitable failure. The valiant charge of the shining-armored warrior becomes a tragic folly, and the enchanting spell of the gnome mage transforms into a curse that lingers in the minds of those who once reveled in its magic.

A Tapestry of Desolation

In their relentless pursuit of darkness, the harbinger weaves a tapestry of desolation and hatred. Wherever they tread, the vibrant hues of hope are drained, leaving behind a monochrome landscape of despair. The ruins that once echoes with the explorer's connection to the past now resonate with the harbinger's lamentations, casting a pallid veil over the ancient stones.
In the heart of the battleground, where the resolute warrior once rallied allies to glorious victory, the harbinger's whispers sow discord among comrades. The protective aura that once enveloped warriors with valorous strength now crumbles under the weight of doubt, leaving them vulnerable to the encroaching shadows.
Even the gnome's captivating presentation, which one enchanted nobles with joyous tales, becomes a dreadful route to depression in the presence of the harbinger. The mischievous glint in the gnome's eyes is replaced by a haunting stare, and the subtle enchantments that once elicited admiration now evoke a sense of foreboding.
The harbinger is a living paradox—a bard inverted. While their counterparts channel the harmonies of creation, the harbinger delves into the dissonance of destruction. Harbingers stand as a cautionary tale, a reminder that even the most enchanting and joyful parts of the world can be twisted into haunting refrains that echo through the corridors of despair.

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Hit Points

Hit Dice: 2 per bard level
Stamina Points at each Level: 1d6 + your Constitution modifier per bard level after 1st.

Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, longswords, rapiers, saps, shortswords, shortbows, and whips

Class Skills: The bard's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Athletics (Str), 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 (Harbinger) 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.

Table: Bardic Knowledge

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.

This feature can be replaced with Bardic Knack

Tales of Terror

1st-Level bard (Harbinger) Feature
Your tales differ from those of a standard bard. Unless otherwise noted, your tales of terror allow a Wisdom save (DC 10 + 1/2 your harbinger level + your Charisma modifier).

Tales of Terror - Instill Fear

1st-Level Bard (Harbinger) 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 graphic scenes to instill fear into your enemies, weakening them against fear and worsening their combat abilities. You must be able to see the targets and be heard by them. The effects lasts for as long as the creature can hear you recite and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected creature takes a -1 penalty on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a -1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, and every six harbinger levels thereafter, this penalty increases by 1 (-2 at 8th, -3 at 14th, and -4 at 20th). Instill fear is a mind-affecting ability.

Tales of Terror - Encourage Failure

3rd-Level Bard (Harbinger) 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 fell to the odds against them. The creature must be within 30 feet and be able to hear you. You must also be able to see the creature. The affected target takes a -2 penalty on all rolls for 1 round. Encourage failure is a mind-affecting ability.

Tales of Terror - Dishearten

9th-Level Bard (Harbinger) 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 the past who were struck down by that which they sought to overcome in order to dishearten a creature within 30 feet that you can see and that can hear you. That creature begins to cower even against the weakest of foes. For every three harbinger levels you have attained beyond 15th, you can dishearten one additional creature. To dishearten, you must recite the tale and be heard for a full round. A creature so affected takes a -4 penalty on saving throw, Dodge, and MAC. The effect lasts for as long as the creature can hear you recite and up to 5 rounds thereafter. Dishearten is a mind-affecting ability.

Tales of Terror - Dirge of Binding

Tales of Terror - Dirge of Binding
If you have 15 or more ranks in a Perform skill or Knowledge (Culture, History, or Nobility and Royalty), you can recite a powerful tale depicting freedom stripped away to the barest root, subjugating those who sought to be free the most. A creature you can see that can hear you within 30 feet of you is paralyzed as they listen to this awful tale. The effect lasts as long as the creature can hear you.

Tales of Terror - Drain Prowess

18th-Level Bard (Harbinger) Feature
If you have 21 or more ranks in a Perform skill or in Knowledge (Culture, History, or Nobility and Royalty), you can recite a wretched tale that causes those who hear it to weaken and have their prowess drained. Up to four creatures of your choice within 30 feet of you that you can see and that can hear you have their skills and fighting capabilities torn away from them. For every three harbinger levels you have attained beyond 18th, you can target one additional creature with a single use of this ability. For as long as the creature hears you recite this tale, the creature gains two levels of energy drain. The affected creatures must repeat the saving throw each time they begin their turn within 30 feet of you, gaining an additional level of energy drain on a failure. A creature can never gain more levels of energy drain in this way than their level minus 5 (minimum of two levels of energy drain).

Arcane Spellcasting

2nd-Level Bard (Harbinger) 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. 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.

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