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Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.  Inspire courage can use audible or visual components. The bard must choose which component to use when starting his performance.
Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.  Inspire courage can use audible or visual components. The bard must choose which component to use when starting his performance.
: '''Finale:''' 1 ally may reroll a single die roll, must keep new result (this roll includes the inspire die)
: '''Finale:''' 1 ally may re-roll a single die roll, must keep new result (this roll includes the inspire die)




====Song of Steel (Ex, Stance)====  
====Song of Steel (Ex, Stance)====  
At 1st level, a bard learns to incorporate her performance skills into a deadly song of steel.  While this stance is in effect, the Bard gains a +1 Performance bonus to-hit and damage on melee attacks and range attacks within 30 feet for every two Bard levels they possess, round down,  up to level 19. (Maximum +10 to-hit and damage).  In addition, whenever the Bard declares a full attack action, they gain a free bonus attack at their highest to-hit number regardless of range due to the grace of their attacks.  This free bonus attack will stack with the bonus attack from a Speed weapon, haste, etc. Lastly, while they are running their Song of Steel, they add the bonus die from their Inspire Courage song to their OWN attacks only, as base weapon damage, inflicting sonic damage.  Note that Song of Steel is a Stance, and as such is disrupted by any status effect that causes the bard to lose an action, such as prone. Note that the Song of Steel considers the weapons and shield borne by the Bard during combat to satisfy the 'two hands' requirement of a Bardic Performance: Song of Steel turns combat itself into a Bardic performance.
At 1st level, a bard learns to incorporate her performance skills into a deadly song of steel.  While this stance is in effect, the Bard gains a +1 Performance bonus to-hit and damage on melee attacks and range attacks within 30 feet for every two Bard levels they possess, round down,  up to level 19. (Maximum +10 to-hit and damage).  In addition, whenever the Bard declares a full attack action, they gain a free bonus attack at their highest to-hit number regardless of range due to the grace of their attacks.  This free bonus attack will stack with the bonus attack from a Speed weapon, haste, etc. Lastly, while they are running their Song of Steel, they add the bonus die from their Inspire Courage song to their OWN attacks only, as base weapon damage.  Note that base weapon damage, and this bonus, is multiplied as the Bard gains levels.  Note that Song of Steel is a Stance, and as such is disrupted by any status effect that causes the bard to lose an action, such as prone. Note that the Song of Steel considers the weapons and shield borne by the Bard during combat to satisfy the 'two hands' requirement of a Bardic Performance: Song of Steel turns combat itself into a Bardic performance.
: '''Finale:''' The Bard may shift himself or one ally within 30 feet ten feet as a free action. This is classed as forced movement.
: '''Finale:''' The Bard may shift himself or one ally within 30 feet ten feet as a free action. This is classed as forced movement.


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A bard of 4th level or higher can use his performance to help an ally withstand attacks. The ally must be in range of the bard's performance (30 feet) and be able to see and hear the bard. From the time the bard begins his palliative command performance until the end of the bard's turn after he stops using the palliative command performance on that ally, the ally takes all hit point damage as one-half normal damage (round up) and one-half non-lethal damage (round down).  As normal, once the total damage exceeds their hit-points they are incapacitated, but recall that non-lethal damage heals much more quickly and easily than regular damage.  If the target has damage reduction or some other mitigating ability, it is applied to the damage before Palliative Command divides it into lethal/non-lethal.
A bard of 4th level or higher can use his performance to help an ally withstand attacks. The ally must be in range of the bard's performance (30 feet) and be able to see and hear the bard. From the time the bard begins his palliative command performance until the end of the bard's turn after he stops using the palliative command performance on that ally, the ally takes all hit point damage as one-half normal damage (round up) and one-half non-lethal damage (round down).  As normal, once the total damage exceeds their hit-points they are incapacitated, but recall that non-lethal damage heals much more quickly and easily than regular damage.  If the target has damage reduction or some other mitigating ability, it is applied to the damage before Palliative Command divides it into lethal/non-lethal.
: '''Finale:''' The target heals 1d8 non-lethal damage.
: '''Finale:''' The target heals 1d8 non-lethal damage.




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A bard of 8th level or higher can use his performance to foster a sense of growing dread in a single enemy that can see or hear the bard (depending on perform skill being used), causing it to roll 2d20 all d20 rolls. The target must take the worst of the two rolls. The effect persists for as long as the enemy is within range of the bard's performance (30 feet) and the bard continues the performance. Dissonance is a mind-affecting fear effect, and it relies on audible or visual components (depending on the type of instrument or performance the bard is using). Note that, while it is perfectly usable outside of combat, this ability moves the target's opinion negatively against the bard, and will be detrimental to the bard's reputation if used too often.
A bard of 8th level or higher can use his performance to foster a sense of growing dread in a single enemy that can see or hear the bard (depending on perform skill being used), causing it to roll 2d20 all d20 rolls. The target must take the worst of the two rolls. The effect persists for as long as the enemy is within range of the bard's performance (30 feet) and the bard continues the performance. Dissonance is a mind-affecting fear effect, and it relies on audible or visual components (depending on the type of instrument or performance the bard is using). Note that, while it is perfectly usable outside of combat, this ability moves the target's opinion negatively against the bard, and will be detrimental to the bard's reputation if used too often.
: '''Finale:''' Target must make a save vs. Will (DC 10 + 1/2 bard's level + bard's Cha modifier) rolling 2d20 and taking the worst result, or become [[Shaken]].
: '''Finale:''' Target must make a save vs. Will (DC 10 + 1/2 bard's level + bard's Cha modifier) rolling 2d20 and taking the worst result, or become [[Shaken]].




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* At 20th level, this ability improves to heal 5 hp each round to all allies within 30 feet of the bard.
* At 20th level, this ability improves to heal 5 hp each round to all allies within 30 feet of the bard.
* At 25th level, this ability improves to heal 7 hp each round to all allies within 30 feet of the bard.
* At 25th level, this ability improves to heal 7 hp each round to all allies within 30 feet of the bard.
* At 30th level, this ability improves to heal 10 hp each round to all allies within 30 feet of the bard.
* At 30th level, this ability improves to heal 9 hp each round to all allies within 30 feet of the bard.


: '''Finale:''' A single ally within range gains an additional effect of "Cure Serious Wounds", using the Bard's level as caster level.
: '''Finale:''' A single ally within range gains an additional effect of "Cure Serious Wounds", using the Bard's level as caster level.
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===Magic Bard Instruments===
===Magic Bard Instruments===
Magic bard instruments are a subset of magical weapons which follow modified rules for their construction.  A magical Bard instrument, unlike a magical weapon, never has an enhancement bonus to-hit or to damage.  Unlike normal weapons, Bard instruments may have one or more magic properties even without an enhancement bonus.  The magic properties for a Bard weapon may only be chosen from the list below, following the same rules as magic weapon properties for the number of properties which may be added (i.e. campaign limits must be followed as to the maximum amount of properties which are allowed).  The cost to create a magic instrument is the same as the cost for a comparably enchanted magic weapon (i.e. 300 gp for masterwork, plus the cost of the instrument itself, plus the cost for the absolute bonus of the total number of magic weapon properties being applied).


These weapon properties are activated when the bard uses the enchanted instrument to perform either Harmony or Staccato attacks (though some of the properties only apply to Harmony). The following list of magic weapon properties are the only properties a Bard can enchant onto a magic instrument:
In order to use their Performance skill and enter a Performance Stance, a bard must use an Instrument with both hands.  This may be a traditional instrument such as a lute, violin, or flute, or it may be any other Instrument which the Bard uses to focus his Performance.  It can be an item of clothing such as a signature hat, it can be an artifact such as Yorick's Skull to which he declaims dramatically, it can be a scarf which is held and manipulated to emphasize the performance, or anything else the player wishes.
 
In addition to allowing the use of their Performance skill to enter a Performance Stance, a Bard's Instrument can, optionally, be enchanted to act as a light shield. This has the advantage that they can gain a shield bonus without having to put their Instrument away, and vice versa.  In such cases, the Instrument can only be used for one function at a time, much as a Double Weapon: IE, if you are using it with one hand defensively as a shield, you may not wield it with both hands as an Instrument to Perform.
 
Magic bard instruments are a subset of magical shields which follow modified rules for their construction.  Like normal shields, Bard instruments may have one or more magic properties in addition to an enhancement bonus. Bardic Instruments may also be made with any dweaomermetal, with the caveat that the proprties of the dweaomermetal only apply in rounds when the Instrument is being used as a shield.  
 
The magic properties for a Bard Instrument being used as a shield may be chosen as for any other shield, following the same rules as magic shield properties for the number of properties which may be added (i.e. campaign limits must be followed as to the maximum amount of properties which are allowed).  The cost to create a magic instrument is the same as the cost for a comparably enchanted magic shield (i.e. 300 gp for masterwork, plus the cost of the instrument itself, plus the cost for the absolute bonus of the total number of magic weapon properties being applied).


* [[Cunning]] - Harmony only
* [[Limning]] - Applies to both Harmony and Staccato
* [[Merciful]] - Applies to both Harmony and Staccato
* [[Planar]] - Applies to both Harmony and Staccato
* [[Thundering]] - Harmony only
* [[Designating, Lesser]] - Harmony only
* [[Phase Locking]] - Applies to both Harmony and Staccato
* [[Designating, Greater]] - Harmony only
* [[Nimble Shot]] - Harmony only





Revision as of 21:56, 18 January 2016