Bard
Player's Handbook p26

Game Rule Information

The following changes have been made to the powers and abilities of the Bard. Any published rules for the bard that do not directly contradict the contents of this page still apply.

Class Features

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: I use the rules for Weapon Group Feats (UE p94). At first level the bard gains the Basic Weapons feat, and his choice of any two other Weapon Group Feats. This replaces the Simple Weapon Proficiecy and list of additional weapons stipulated on p28 of the PHB. The bard's proficiency with armour is unchanged.

Ignore Spell Failure (Light Armour): The bard gains this feat as a bonus feat at second level.

Ignore Spell Failure (Shields): The bard gains this feat as a bonus feat at sixth level.

Spellcasting: Bards cast Bardic Magic, a sub division of elven Song Magic. Please follow the link for more information on the way in which bards cast spells and how spell-casting in general functions in the House Rules.

Variants

The Unearthed Arcana introduced three new variants to the bard character class. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses and each can easily fit into any generic fantasy setting. The following is a summary of the abilities of these variants and highlights the changes I have made to fit them in with the House Rules. See details of all offical variants here.

Bardic Sage: A bard who focuses his attention on learning and research. Such bards are storytellers and orators more than entertainers. In game terms bardic sages have better Will saves than a normal bard, a bonus on bardic knowledge checks and slightly less powerful bardic music abilities. Some spells that are not normally bard spells are available to this class, and other bard spells are accessible at lower levels. Take the spells prefaced "add the following spells to the bardic sage's class list" and make them available to the character. I rule that the bardic sage has no spells removed from his spell list. He is still a bard after all. Note this is a change to the rules published in the Unearthed Arcana. See UA p49.

Divine Bard: The class features of the divine bard are mechanically identical to that of a standard bard. The big diffierence is that a divine bard is really a priest that mimics the abilities of a bard. Divine bards have spell points equal to a bard of the same level, but they gain access to all their available spells in the same way that clerics do, and they cast those spells in the same way that clerics do. Divine bards do not use bardic magic! Divine bards are beholden on their god for all their powers and if they fall out with their god they lose everything. The divine bard's spell list is dependent upon his god, and will be unique for each priesthood that supports divine bards. This explanation of the divine bard is slightly different to that found on p50 of the Unearthed Arcana.

Savage Bard: Savage bards are skalds, often found in barbarian tribes and the like. Savage bards have good fortitude and will saving throws and a slightly different list of class skills. They are also illiterate. Some spells are available to them that are not available to normal bards but, as with the Bardic Sage, no spells are removed from their spell list. See UA p50.

Planar Substituion Levels: Bards who make the prerequisites may swap out certain class abilities in favour of planar-related ones. At 3rd level they may swap their competence bardic music ability for Planar Inspiration. At 7th level they may swap the suggestion bardic music ability for Portal Dissonance. At 12th level they may swap the song of freedom bardic music ability for Planar Discordance. See Planar Handbook pages 27 and 29 for more details.

See Also

• Magic
• Song Magic
• Spell Points
• Spell Failure
• Languages
• Bards of Iourn