Bards are the storytellers, messengers, wandering musicians, and warrior poets of the world. Their arts are potent at inspiring allies and keeping morale high. For fame, art, and high adventure.

Bard Table

Class Features

Starting Vitality

As a Bard at level 1, you start with 15+1d12+CON Vitality.

See: Vitality

Language Proficiency

As a Bard, you may learn a new language from the Languages list.

Starting Skills

As a Bard, you start with 4 skill points.

Additionally, you have a +1 bonus to History, Performance and Artistry.

Weapon Proficiencies

Daggers, Swords, Hammers, Axes, the Quarterstaff, the Spear, and Crossbows.

Armor Proficiencies

Light Armor, Medium Armor and Light Shields.

Starting Equipment & Gold

When creating your character, you may choose from the following equipment, as well as what is granted:

• Any single weapon you are proficient with, or 5 gold.

• Any armor worth a maximum of 10 gold, or 5 gold.

• A musical instrument, or 2 Gold.

• A performing costume, or 2 Gold.

• 10 sheets of parchment, ink, and a quill, or 5 gold.

• A waterskin and a common bottle of alcohol, or 1 gold.

• A well-made, blank journal, or 5 gold.

• A rucksack, or 3 gold.

• A belt, a satchel, and a cloak, or 1 gold.

• A bedroll, or 3 gold.

• Fine clothes, or 10 gold.

• A spellcasting catalyst, such as a wand, a talisman, etc, or 10 Gold.

• 200 gold.

• 3d10 gold.

You can use any gold you have to purchase items and add them to your inventory before you finalize your character.

Bard’s Archetype

As a bard, you will will fall into an archetype of sorts. Each archetype has its own features, and choices of different Bardic Arts, should you choose to learn them at later levels.

Below are a list of Bard Archetypes, and what they gain at each Archetype Feature. You can have only one Bard Archetype. You gain archetype features at level 1, 5, 9, 13, and 17.

Troubadour

Troubadours are famously known as travelling bards, carrying with them the stories they've gathered on their path. They wield the power of music and song artfully, channeling their magic. Troubadours are often associated with a romantic view of the world, as they push to get the most out of it, and travel far to see its beauty.

Jester

Jesters turn battle into a bloody drama, a mischievous comedy, or a heroic epic, inspiring and encouraging their allies through song, dance, performance, and a good laugh. From the court of lords, to the village festival grounds, to the ruined dungeons of the Depths, the fool’s entertainment is likely to be welcome by all except the enemy.

Skald

Skalds are warrior poets. They know the ancient warsongs, and may perform poetic epics from the ancient world to invoke their powers. Their practice finds its roots in the Age of Legends, when heroes made their mark upon the world, and gave rise to the first civilizations. Some say that they wield the very same power that gave shape to the world in the hands of the Gods, albeit in a different form.

Inspiration

At level 1, once per turn and for 2 AP, you may choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you that can hear you, and grant them Inspiration. With Inspiration, a creature gains a d6 die they can roll and add to any d20 roll within the next 10 minutes. After you use the Inspiration die it is expended.

The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the die, but only before the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails.

A creature can have only one Inspiration die at a time.

You can use Inspiration an amount of times equal to your Charisma bonus (minimum 1) per Rest.

Tale of Restoration

At level 2, you can perform a Tale of Restoration over 10 minutes, and at the end of the performance, up to 12 creatures that can hear you of your choice within 120 feet of you are healed for 2d6+CHA Vitality. You can perform this ability once per Rest.

At level 6, the amount healed by Tale of Restoration increases to 4d6+CHA Vitality.

At level 10, the amount healed by Tale of Restoration increases to 6d6+CHA Vitality.

Bardic Arts

At level 3, you learn to use tales, acts, poems, music, and all manner of performance to weave magical powers.

You know an amount of Bardic Arts equal to 1 + 1/3rd of your Bard level, rounded down. You choose from the list below, or the list granted by your subclass, to learn them when you level up. You cannot change what Arts you know. You can use each Bardic Art once per turn.

Bardic Art	AP Cost	Description
Soothing Song	3	You choose one target that can hear you within 60 feet. That target has their Vitality restored an amount of d6 dice equal to your Charisma bonus. You can use this ability up to 4 times per Rest.
Rousing Cry	3	Allied creatures that can hear you within 60 feet of you regain their Reaction if it has been spent.
Solo	2	Your next attack is made at advantage, and you add your Charisma bonus to the damage of the attack.
Heroic Song	6	Allied creatures that can hear you within 60 feet of you are immune to being frightened and gain Ward equal to your Charisma bonus for 1 minute.
Countercharm	Reaction	As a reaction, you can make a contested check with a Magic Attribute of your choice to attempt to disrupt a target who is attempting to charm someone. The user of the charm ability must succeed a contested check using a Magic Attribute of their choice or their Charm skill fails.
Song of Renown	None	After 1 minute of boasting, tale-telling and legend spreading, allied creatures of your choice other than you that can hear you within 60 feet of you make Performance, Persuasion, Coercion and Intimidation checks at Advantage against creatures that heard your boasts for the next 10 minutes.

Skill Mastery

At level 3, 10, and 18, you may choose a single Skill to gain a +3 bonus to. You may choose the same skill multiple times.

Finale

At level 6, you learn a new attack ability that gains strength as you use your Bardic Arts called Finale, which can be performed for 1 AP when you make an attack.

Once per turn, when you perform a Bardic Art during a battle, add 1 to the Finale Counter, which starts at 0. Every value above 0 on the Finale Counter adds a d10 die to the damage and a +1 Accuracy bonus to Finale. When you attack a target with Finale, it’s counter is reset to 0, and you are Stunned until the end of your next turn. Your Finale Counter resets to 0 at the end of combat as well.

Improved Inspiration

At level 7, your Inspiration die improves from a d6 to a d8.

Morning Tune

At level 7, when you finish a Rest, you can choose to expend 3 uses of your Inspiration to grant all allies who can hear you 3 additional maximum AP on their first turn in combat.

Attack Efficiency

At level 11, your Attack action costs 1 less action point.

Improved Inspiration

At level 14, your Inspiration die improves from a d8 to a d10.

Tale of Attunement

At level 14, Once per Rest, you can perform a Tale of Attunement over 10 minutes, and at the end of the performance, up to 3 creatures of your choice that can hear you and are within 120 feet of you regain all the Available Casts granted by 1 Attunement Slot of their choice.

Tale of Courage

At level 15, you can perform a Tale of Courage over 10 minutes, and at the end of the performance, up to 12 creatures of your choice that can hear you and are within 120 feet of you gain Advantage on saves made to resist being Frightened or Charmed for the next 12 hours.

Tale of Inspiration

At level 19, you can perform a Tale of Inspiration over 10 minutes, and at the end of the performance, any number of creatures of your choice that can hear you gain a single Inspiration die, which lasts up to an hour rather than 10 minutes.

Improved Inspiration

At level 21, your Inspiration die improves from a d10 to a d12.

Endless Inspiration

At level 21, you regain 1 Inspiration at the start of a battle, when you roll initiative.

Grand Finale

At level 21, your Finale ability now uses a d12 for its extra damage dice and no longer stuns you.