Bard (Alternative Campaign Class)

Prime Requisite: INT, CHA
Requirements: DEX 9
Hit Dice: 1d4
Maximum Level: 14

This is a variant of the Bard class with spellcasting abilities. There is some built-in variation for those who use the Heroic Fantasy rules.

Bards are inheritors to a tradition of lore that combines poetry and song with magic. Not mere scholars of dusty tomes or entertainers, they can use their music to weave magical effects. This tradition may have been passed down from elves, or discovered by some ancient bardic college.

At first level, bards hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. They advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every four levels of experience (as thieves). Bards cannot wear armor heavier than leather, and cannot use shields or exclusively two-handed weapons. They may use any missile weapons and any one-handed melee weapons. They may fight with a one-handed weapon in each hand, or wielding a one-handed weapon with two hands. Bards may use any magic item usable by thieves.

IF THE CAMPAIGN USES SPELLSINGING MECHANICS: Bards can learn and cast arcane spells using spellsinging, as a mage of 1/3 their class level. Bards can also cast arcane spells from scrolls.

IF THE CAMPAIGN ALSO USES HEROIC FANTASY ELDRITCH SPELLCASTING: Bards have 2 bonus spell points, and have an additional first level spell in their repertoire, and can use spellsinging starting at 1st level.

IF THE CAMPAIGN DOES NOT USE SPELLSINGING MECHANICS: Starting at 2nd level, bards can learn and cast arcane spells as a mage of 1/3 their class level. Bards can also cast arcane spells from scrolls. Bards can use magical music to serenade someone who would be potentially attracted to them (as a charm person spell) or tame savage beasts (as a sleep spell), provided they succeed on an appropriate Performance proficiency throw. If successful, the effect begins immediately and lasts until the performance stops. If the bard performs for a full turn (10 minutes), the effect has the duration of the spell. Magical music has no effect on creatures in combat.

All bards can sing, recite poetry, or play a group of instruments in a skilled manner. The bard chooses the type of performance that his character knows. A bard may take the Perform proficiency to learn other types of performances (see Chapter 4, Proficiencies in the ACKS Rulebook).

By reciting heroic lays and epic poems, bards can inspire courage. Inspiring courage requires a few moments of oration before a battle (one round), and grants the bard’s allies within a 50' radius a +1 bonus to attack throws, damage rolls, morale rolls (for monsters or NPCs allied with the bard), and saving throws against magical fear. The bonus lasts for 10 minutes (1 turn). A bard can inspire courage in any given character once per day per class level. (Even the most inspiring epic gets old if you hear it twice in the same day.) A bard cannot inspire courage on characters who are already engaged in combat.

Because of their study of ancient annals and legends, bards possess loremastery. This knowledge allows them to decipher occult runes, remember ancient history, identify historic artifacts, and similar tasks. At 1st level, a bard must make a proficiency throw of 18+ on 1d20 to succeed in these tasks. The proficiency throw required reduces by 1 per level.

Bard possess the ability to read languages, including ciphers, treasure maps, and dead languages, but not magical writings. A proficiency throw of 5+ on 1d20 is required. If the roll does not succeed, the bard may not try to read that particular piece of writing until he reaches a higher level of experience.

At 9th level (Master Bard), a bard can establish a conservatory, and 2d6 bard apprentices of 1st level will come to work with the character. If hired, they must be paid standard rates for henchmen. A successful character might use these followers to start a Thieves' Guild. Conservatories follow the rules for hideouts detailed in the Campaign chapter of the ACKS Rulebook.

Bard Proficiency List: Acrobatics, Alertness, Ambushing, Arcane Dabbling, Armor Training, Art, Beast Friendship, Bribery, Climbing, Collegiate Wizardry, Combat Trickery (disarm), Diplomacy, Disguise, Eavesdropping, Elven Bloodline, Fighting Style, Language, Leadership, Lip Reading, Mimicry, Magical Music*, Mystic Aura, Performance, Prestidigitation, Seduction, Swashbuckling, Unflappable Casting, Weapon Finesse

* Replace with Battle Magic if not using Spellsinging rules.

Bard Level Progression
Experience Title Level Hit Dice Loremastery
0 Dilettante 1 1d4 18+
1,520 Versifier 2 2d4 17+
3,050 Lyrist 3 3d4 16+
6,100 Balladeer 4 4d4 15+
12,200 Minstrel 5 5d4 14+
24,500 Troubadour 6 6d4 13+
50,000 Nightingale 7 7d4 12+
100,000 Rhapsodist 8 8d4 11+
200,000 Bard 9 9d4 10+
300,000 Bard, 10th level 10 9d4+2* 9+
400,000 Bard, 11th level 11 9d4+4* 8+
500,000 Bard, 12th level 12 9d4+6* 7+
600,000 Bard, 13th level 13 9d4+8* 6+
700,000 Master Bard 14 9d4+10* 5+
* Hit point modifiers from Constitution are ignored

Bard (Thief) Attack and Saving Throws
Level Petrification & Paralysis Poison & Death Blast & Breath Staff & Wands Spells Attack Throw
1–2 13+ 13+ 16+ 14+ 15+ 10+
3–4 12+ 12+ 15+ 13+ 14+ 9+
5–6 11+ 11+ 14+ 12+ 13+ 8+
7–8 10+ 10+ 13+ 11+ 12+ 7+
9–10 9+ 9+ 12+ 10+ 11+ 6+
11–12 8+ 8+ 11+ 9+ 10+ 5+
13–14 7+ 7+ 10+ 8+ 9+ 4+

Bard Spell Progression
Level Spellcasting Level 1 2 3
1 — — — —
2–4 1 1 — —
5–7 2 2 — —
8–10 3 2 1 —
11–13 4 2 2 —
14 5 2 2 1

Bard Spellsinging
Spellsinging Throw by Spell Level
Level Spellsinging Level Spell Points 1 2 3 4 5
10——————
2–41114+16+18+20+—
5–72213+15+17+19+—
8–103412+14+16+18+20+
11–134611+13+15+17+19+
145910+12+14+16+18+

Bard Spell Progression & Spellsinging (Eldritch Spell List)
Spell Repertoire Spellsinging Throw by Spell Level
Level Spellsinging Level Spell Points 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
1121——14+16+18+20+—
2–4143——14+16+18+20+—
5–7254——13+15+17+19+—
8–103741—12+14+16+18+20+
11–134942—11+13+15+17+19+
1451242110+12+14+16+18+