Skald
Specialty
Viking Poet/WarriorQualifications
Standard ability scoresIntroduction
I'm Herak the Skald
and I am quite bald,
but I have lots of gold,
as I am quite bold.
It needs a little work, but I can get to that latter. Welcome! Come in by the fire and I'll tell you a bit about my clan.
Being a Viking, I'm a great warrior and belong to the mightiest clan of raiders ever assembled. When we go on our great forays, it is l, Herak, who records our deeds for all to hear. But that is only part of my role as a Skald. When combat is fierce, I often chant one of the great war songs of my forefathers. These songs have great power, and more than once have I turned the tide of battle in our favor.
When my clan isn't at war or on a raid, I work on ballads, poems, and chants. It is our tradition that the clan's elder Skald pass on those songs that establish the clan's worth to the upcoming Skalds. To these are added the greatest tales of the current clansmen. In this way, all our descendants will know how great they are. They can retell these tales, sing the ballads, and thus establish their place among the clans.
Being a Skald is a wonderful life. There is nothing to match rowing a longboat across a mist-shrouded bay early in the morning, in preparation for a raid on some enemy village. Everyone is silent, the only sound is the creaking of oars and soft slap of the water, and you can hear the chatter of teeth due to the cold and nerves. We eventually slip up onto land, enter the village, then I shout out a mighty chant and the fun begins.
Description
Skalds are honored and respected members of their clans. These great poets memorize the feats of each raid and battle, setting them down in the form of poetry. Every war party loves to have a Skald in its midst. This assures that their great deeds and mighty skills will be honored in the Skald's next recital, and thereafter immortalized for all time. Members of most bands treat Skalds with utmost respect and courtesy. It is well known that the foolish warrior who maligns a Skald will soon hear his name slandered in innumerable ballads across the land. Poems are the form in which Skalds honor others and themselves. Poems are also used to relate the oral history of the clan. Significant ballads are passed down from one generation to another via the Skald's talents. In this way, the lessons and deeds of the past are related to those of the present so they can be passed into the future.Role
Skalds are often supported and protected by clan nobles and kings who love to hear of great duels and mighty wars. When events are unfolded in the form of poetry, it makes the telling all the more inspiring. Such men would hear Skalds relate tales of their family's glory to visitors. Skalds rarely perform together unless they have entered into a poetic duel. Adventuring Skalds are common. Every Skald is easily caught up in the fervor and majesty of adventure, danger, and combat. Great quests also serve as source material for their ballads and poems.Weapon Proficiencies
An initial proficiency slot must be spent on either the broad sword, hand axe, battle axe, or spear. At least half of the Skald's weapon proficiencies must be spent on these weapons (until they are all selected).Nonweapon Proficiencies
Bonuses
Ancient History, Local History, Poetry, Singing.Suggested
Armorer, Blacksmithing, Blind-fighting, Bowyer/Fletcher, Crowd Working, Etiquette, Hunting, Leatherworking, Musical Instrument, Weaponsmithing. See "Special Hindrances" concerning the reading/writing proficiency.Armor/Equipment
Skalds lean toward warrior skills more than most bards. Because of this, they can wear any form of armor up to bronze plate, and they can even use shields.Special Benefits
War Chant
By chanting a war song, a Skald can inspire allies as they go forward into combat. For the chant to have an effect, the Skald must begin chanting at least three rounds before combat begins, otherwise his allies are too caught up in the events about them to benefit from this ability. Such chanting has an effective range of ten feet per level of the Skald. The effects end as soon as the Skald receives his first wound. If the Skald does not enter the fray (and avoids being wounded), the effects end in a number of rounds equal to the Skald's level. At 1st level, the Skald can choose only one of the following six effects per battle; at 3rd level two effects are chosen, three at 6th, four at 9th, etc. The Skald player chooses the effects, and can change them from one battle to the next. Chanting can elevate spirits, remove concerns about danger, keep men's minds focused on combat, and fill friendly forces with a sense of being larger than life. Translated into game terms, this results in the following six possible effects for the members of the Skald's party:- Bonus hit points equal to the Skald's Hit Dice.
- A morale bonus of 1 for every six levels of the Skald (rounded up).
- A +1 bonus to all attack rolls.
- A +1 bonus to all damage rolls.
- A +1 bonus to all saving throws.
- A -1 bonus to everyone's Armor Class.
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