Bard
A bard might be a travelling minstrel, a conniving confidence man, a court jester, or a noble chronicler. One thing is for sure in Golarion—bards know a bit about everything, and have seen things most people only dream of.
Bards count on their reputation to pay their way. The most successful bards are known far and wide, and can count on drinks, meals, or even lodging at the cost of a few performances. As such, most bards prefer to make themselves known, usually by carrying a standard or mark, but sometimes by dressing lavishly or behaving uniquely.
The nature of wanderlust can arise in any being, and so bards can be found anywhere, from anywhere. They never seem to escape their upbringing, and a bard usually has some distinctive trait that belies his or her heritage.
Career
Other Benefits
Key Ability
Charisma
Combat Proficency
Defense
- Perception- Expert
- Fortitude- Trainedt
- Reflex- Trained
- Will- Expert
- Light Armor- Trained
- Unarmored Defense- Trained
Offense
- Simple Weapons- Trained
- Longsword, Rapier, Sap, Shortbow, Shortsword, and Whip - Trained
- Unarmed Attacks- Trained
Skill
Bards train in Four additional skills, more depending on thier intelligenceClass Features
Occult Spellcasting
Occult Spellcasting
Occult Spellcasting - Class Feature 1
TRAIT
Description
You draw upon magic from esoteric knowledge.
Applications You can cast occult spells using the Cast a Spell activity, and you can supply material, somatic, and verbal components when casting spells. Bards can usually play an instrument for spells requiring somatic or material components, as long as it takes at least one of your hands to do so. If you use an instrument, you don’t need a spell component pouch or another hand free. You can usually also play an instrument for spells requiring verbal components, instead of speaking. Each day, you can cast up to two 1st-level spells. You must know spells to cast them, and you learn them via the spell repertoire class feature. The number of spells you can cast each day is called your spell slots. As you increase in level as a bard, your number of spells per day increases, as does the highest level of spells you can cast. Some of your spells require you to attempt a spell attack roll to see how effective they are, or have your enemies roll against your spell DC (typically by attempting a saving throw). Since your key ability is Charisma, your spell attack rolls and spell DCs use your Charisma modifier.
Applications You can cast occult spells using the Cast a Spell activity, and you can supply material, somatic, and verbal components when casting spells. Bards can usually play an instrument for spells requiring somatic or material components, as long as it takes at least one of your hands to do so. If you use an instrument, you don’t need a spell component pouch or another hand free. You can usually also play an instrument for spells requiring verbal components, instead of speaking. Each day, you can cast up to two 1st-level spells. You must know spells to cast them, and you learn them via the spell repertoire class feature. The number of spells you can cast each day is called your spell slots. As you increase in level as a bard, your number of spells per day increases, as does the highest level of spells you can cast. Some of your spells require you to attempt a spell attack roll to see how effective they are, or have your enemies roll against your spell DC (typically by attempting a saving throw). Since your key ability is Charisma, your spell attack rolls and spell DCs use your Charisma modifier.
Heightening Spells
When you get spell slots of 2nd level and higher, you can fill those slots with stronger versions of lower-level spells. This increases the spell’s level to match the spell slot. You must have a spell in your spell repertoire at the level you want to cast in order to heighten it to that level. Many spells have specific improvements when they are heightened to certain levels. The signature spells class feature lets you heighten certain spells freely.Cantrips
Some of your spells are cantrips. A cantrip is a special type of spell that doesn’t use spell slots. You can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. A cantrip is automatically heightened to half your level rounded up, which equals the highest level of spell you can cast. For example, as a 1st-level caster, your cantrips are 1st-level spells, and as a 5th-level caster, your cantrips are 3rd-level spells.- Spell Repertoire.
- Composition Spells
Composition Spells
Composition Spells - Class Feature 1TRAIT
Description You can infuse your performances with magic to create unique effects called compositions.
Applications Compositions are a special type of spell that often require you to use the Performance skill when casting them. Composition spells are a type of focus spell. It costs 1 Focus Point to cast a focus spell, and you start with a focus pool of 1 Focus Point. You refill your focus pool during your daily preparations, and you can regain 1 Focus Point by spending 10 minutes using the Refocus activity to perform, write a new composition, or otherwise engage your muse. Focus spells are automatically heightened to half your level rounded up, much like cantrips. Focus spells don’t require spell slots, and you can’t cast them using spell slots. Taking feats can give you more focus spells and increase the size of your focus pool, though your focus pool can never hold more than 3 Focus Points. You learn the counter performance composition spell, protecting against auditory and visual effects.Composition Cantrips
Composition cantrips are special composition spells that don’t cost Focus Points, so you can use them as often as you like. Composition cantrips are in addition to the cantrips you choose from the occult list. Generally, only feats can give you more composition cantrips. Unlike other cantrips, you can’t swap out composition cantrips gained from bard feats at a later level, unless you swap out the specific feat via retraining. You learn the inspire courage composition cantrip, which boosts your allies’ attacks, damage, and defense against fear.
Bardic Muses
As a bard, you select one muse at 1st level. This muse leads you to great things, and might be a physical creature, a deity, a philosophy, or a captivating mystery- Enigma Muse
- Maestro Muse
- Polymath Muse
Third Level
- Lightning Reflexes
Lightning Reflexes
-Lightning Reflexes - Class Feature 7, 9TRAIT
Description Your reflexes are lightning-fast.
Applications Your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to expert. - Signature Spell
-Signature SpellSignature SpellTRAIT
Requirements SpellcastingDescription You’ve learned to cast some of your spells more flexibly.
Applications For each spell level you have access to, choose one spell of that level to be a signature spell. You don’t need to learn heightened versions of signature spells separately; instead, you can heighten these spells freely. If you’ve learned a signature spell at a higher level than its minimum, you can also cast all its lower-level versions without learning those separately. If you swap out a signature spell, you can choose a replacement signature spell of the same spell level at which you learned the previous spell. You can also retrain specifically to change a signature spell to a different spell of that level without swapping any spells; this takes as much time as retraining a spell normally does.
Seventh Level
Expert Spellcaster
TRAIT
Description
Your inherent magic responds easily and powerfully to your command.
Applications Your proficiency ranks for spell attack rolls and spell DCs for spells increase to expert.
Applications Your proficiency ranks for spell attack rolls and spell DCs for spells increase to expert.
Ninth Level
- Great Fortitude
-Great FortitudeGreat Fortitude - Class Feature 9TRAIT
Description Your physique is incredibly hardy.
Applications Your proficiency rank for Fortitude saves increases to expert. - Resolve
-ResolveResolve - Class Feature 9 & 17TRAIT
Description You’ve steeled your mind with resolve.
Applications Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to master. When you roll a success at a Will save, you get a critical success instead.
Eleventh Level
Bard Weapon Expertise - Class Feature 11
TRAIT
Description
You have become thoroughly adept with bardic weapons.
Applications You gain expert proficiency in simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, shortbow, shortsword, and whip. When you critically succeed at an attack roll using one of these weapons while one of your compositions is active, you apply the critical specialization effect for that weapon.
Applications You gain expert proficiency in simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, shortbow, shortsword, and whip. When you critically succeed at an attack roll using one of these weapons while one of your compositions is active, you apply the critical specialization effect for that weapon.
Vigilant Senses - Class Feature 11
TRAIT
Description
Through your adventures, you’ve developed keen awareness and attention to detail.
Applications Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to master.
Applications Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to master.
Thirteenth Level
- Light Armor Expertise
-Light Armor ExpertiseArmor Expertise - Class Feature 7 and 13TRAIT
Description You’ve learned how to defend yourself while wearing armor.
Applications Your proficiency ranks for armors you are trained in and unarmored defense increase to expert. - Weapon Specialization
- Weapon SpecializationWeapon Specialization - Class Feature 7 and 13TRAIT
Description You’ve learned to inflict grave wounds with your practiced weapons.
Applications You deal 2 additional damage with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you are an expert. This damage increases to 3 if you’re a master, and 4 if you’re legendary.
Fifthteenth Level
- Master Spellcasting
-Master SpellcastingMaster SpellcasterTRAIT
Description You have achieved mastery over your magic tradition.
Applications Your proficiency ranks for spell attack rolls and spell DCs for spells of your tradition increase to master.
Seventeenth Level
- Greater Resolve
-Greater ResolveGreater ResolveTRAIT
Description Your unbelievable training grants you mental resiliency.
Applications Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to legendary. When you roll a success at a Will save, you get a critical success. When you roll a critical failure at a Will save, you get a failure instead. When you fail a Will save against a damaging effect, you take half damage.
Nineteenth Level
- Magnum Opus
-Magnum OpusMagnum Opus - Class Feature 19TRAIT
Description You have tuned your spellcasting to the highest caliber.
Applications Add two common 10th-level occult spells to your repertoire. You gain a single 10th-level spell slot you can use to cast one of those two spells using bard spellcasting. You don’t gain more 10th-level spells as you level up, unlike other spell slots, and you can’t use 10th-level slots with abilities that give you more spell slots or that let you cast spells without expending spell slots. - Legendary Spellcaster
-Legendary SpellcasterLegendary SpellcasterTRAIT
Description You demonstrate prodigious talent for spellcasting.
Applications Your proficiency ranks for spell attack rolls and spell DCs for spells of your tradition increase to legendary.
Operations
Tools
Starting Equipment
- Adventurer's Pack
- Dagger
- Studded Leather Armor
- Sling
- Rapier
- 20 Sling Bullets
- 8 gp, 2 sp
Type
Entertainment
Other Associated professions
Class Feats
First Level
- Reach Spell
Reach Spell
Reach Spell - Class Feat 1SINGLE ACTION
Description You can extend the range of your spells.
Applications If the next action you use is to Cast a Spell that has a range, increase that spell’s range by 30 feet. As is standard for increasing spell ranges, if the spell normally has a range of touch, you extend its range to 30 feet.
Second Level
- Cantrip Expansion
Cantrip Expansion
Cantrip Expansion - Class Feat 2TRAIT
Description You better understand the basic power of Magic. Add two additional cantrips from your spell list to your repertoire. - Multifarious Muse
Multifarious Muse
Multifarious Muse - Class Feat 2TRAIT
Description Your muse doesn’t fall into a single label.
Applications Choose a type of muse other than that of your own. You gain a 1st-level feat that requires that muse, and your muse is now also a muse of that type, allowing you to take feats with the other muse as a prerequisite. You don’t gain any of the other effects of the muse you chose. Special You can take this feat multiple times. Each time you do, you must choose a different type of muse other than that of your own.
Fourth Level
- Melodious Spell
Melodious Spell
Melodious Spell - Class Feat 4SINGLE ACTION
Description You subtly weave your spellcasting into your performance.
Applications If the next action you take is to Cast a Spell, attempt a Performance check against all observers’ Perception DCs. If your Performance check is successful against an observer’s Perception DC, that observer doesn’t notice that you are Casting a Spell, even though normally spells have sensory manifestations that would make spellcasting obvious to those around you, and verbal, somatic, and material components are extremely overt. You hide all of these as part of an ordinary performance. This hides only the spell’s spellcasting actions and manifestations, not its effects, so an observer might still see a ray streak out from you or see you vanish. - Triple Time
Triple Time
Triple Time Feat - Class Feat 4TRAIT
Description You learn the triple time composition cantrip, which speeds up you and your allies for a round.
Sixth Level
- Dirge of Doom
Dirge of Doom
Dirge of Doom Feat - Class Feat 6TRAIT
Description You learn the dirge of doom composition cantrip, which frightens your enemies. - Steady Spellcasting
Steady Spellcasting
Steady Spellcasting - Class Feat 6SINGLE ACTION
Description You don’t lose spells easily.
Applications If a reaction would disrupt your spellcasting action, attempt a DC 15 flat check. If you succeed, your action isn’t disrupted.
Tenth Level
- House of Imaginary Walls
House of Imaginary Walls
House of Imaginary Walls Feat - Class Feat 10TRAIT
Description You erect an imaginary barrier others believe to be real.
Applications You learn the house of imaginary walls composition cantrip. - Quickened Casting
Quickened Casting
Furious Sprint - Class Feat 10DOUBLE ACTION
Description You rush forward.
Applications Stride up to five times your Speed in a straight line. You can increase the number of actions this activity takes to 3 to Stride up to eight times your Speed in a straight line instead.
Twelth Level
- Inspirational Focus
Inspirational Focus
Inspirational Focus - Class Feat 12SINGLE ACTION
Description Your connection to your muse has granted you unusual focus.
Applications If you have spent at least 2 Focus Points since the last time you Refocused, you recover 2 Focus Points when you Refocus instead of 1.
Fourteenth Level
- Allegro
Allegro
Allegro Feat - Class Feat 14SINGLE ACTION
Description You can quicken your allies with a fast-paced performance.
Applications You learn the allegro composition cantrip. - Soothing Ballad
Soothing Ballad
Soothing Ballad Feat - Class Feat 14SINGLE ACTION
Requirements focus poolDescription You soothe your allies’ wounds with the power of your performance.
Applications You learn the soothing ballad composition spell. Increase the number of Focus Points in your focus pool by 1.
Sixteenth Level
- Effortless Concentration
Effortless Concentration
Effortless Concentration - Class Feat 16FREE ACTIONCLASS FEATBARD 16WIZARD 16ORACLEWITCHSORCERER
Requirements You haven’t acted yet on your turn.Description You can maintain a spell with hardly a thought.
Applications You immediately gain the effects of a Sustain a Spell action, allowing you to extend the duration of one of your active bard spells.
Twentieth Level
- Fatal Aria
Fatal Aria
Fatal Aria Feat - Class Feat 20TRAIT
Requirements focus poolDescription Your songs overwhelm the target with unbearable emotion, potentially striking them dead on the spot.
Applications You learn the fatal aria composition spell. Increase the number of Focus Points in your focus pool by 1. - Perfect Encore
Perfect Encore
Perfect Encore - Class Feat 20TRAIT
Requirements Magnum OpusDescription You develop another incredible creation.
Applications You gain an additional 10th-level spell slot.
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