Demihumans as Bards
As per the Player's Handbook, only humans and half-elves can become bards. Even the Complete Bard's Handbook doesn't allow dwarves, elves, gnomes, and halflings to become bards in the true sense of the word. However, each of these races has a strong tradition in the performing arts. Dwarven chanters are legendary, as are the great elven minstrels. Gnome professors and halfling whistlers are also well-known.
Unlike humans and half-elves, those playing demihumans must take a bard kit if they are to run bard player characters. If the kit system is not used, dwarves, elves, gnomes, and halflings cannot be bards. Since these races cannot be true bards, they are referred to as demi-bards. Only a few kits are open to these races, but each race has a kit that is available only to members of that race (indicated by italic type in the following table). Note that the kits that are exclusively demihuman cannot be chosen by human characters.
Dwarves*
Elves
Gnomes**
Halflings*
* Counter Spell: Dwarves and halflings are extremely nonmagical. These two demi-bards are not allowed to cast spells. They also fail to receive the 10th-level bard ability to use any written magical item.
However, as demi-bards, these two races possess the curiosity of all bards. This leads them to study the workings of magic (i.e., dwarf and halfling demi-bards must take the Spellcraft proficiency). Although this doesn't result in the acquisition of magical powers, it enables them to gain special resistances to spells they understand.
If a halfling or dwarf is able to find a spell and learn it (i.e., succeed with their "chance to learn spells" roll), they become highly resistant to the effects of that spell. Of course, these two races can learn to resist only spells of the same level as bards are typically able to cast. Thus, a 2nd-level dwarf or halfling demi-bard can learn how to resist the effects of all 1st-level spells that he has learned (as per Table 6: Spell Progression). Of course, the demi-bard is still limited to the number of spells he can learn to counter. This limit is set by his "Maximum # of Spells per level" (an aspect of Intelligence).
When a dwarf or halfling demi-bard is subjected to a learned spell's effects, he can roll his "chance to learn spells" in an attempt to thwart the spell's effects. This roll is in addition to all other saving throws normally allowed. This does not cancel the spell; it simply prevents it from having any effect upon the dwarf or halfling demi-bard.
** Illusions: Gnomes have a hard time understanding and casting the more practical and substantial spells. They prefer spells that create illusions, flashy colors, and other wondrous effects. Because of this, gnome demi-bards do not gain the full range of spells normally allowed to bards. Instead, they must select and use spells as if they were illusionists. However, they still use Table 6: Spell Progression, to determine the number of spells they cast at a given level.
Demihuman bards may multiclass using only the following combinations.
Dwarf
Fighter/Chanter
Fighter/Skald
Elf
Mage/Minstrel
Thief/Gypsy
Gnome
Illusionist/Professor
Thief/Professor
Thief/Jongleur
Half-Elf
Fighter/True Bard
Fighter/Blade
Fighter/Gallant
Fighter/Skald
Ranger/True Bard
Ranger/Meistersinger
Mage/Loremaster
Mage/Riddlemaster
Cleric*/True Bard
Druid/Meistersinger
Thief/True Bard
Thief/Gypsy
Thief/Jongleur
Thief/Thespian
Halfling
Thief/Jongleur
*Includes Specialty Priests
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