I’ve
recently been thinking a lot about bards. I’m not able to find a version of this
class that makes me happy, and so I have decided to do it myself. In AD&D
1e the bard is really a mess, requiring the character to be first a fighter,
then a thief, and finally a bard; the 2nd edition bard is uninspiring, and
OSRIC’s is too complicated for my taste.
I
want a bard with simple rules, some combat effectiveness and no thief skills! I
understand the jack-of-all-trades angle, but I find that bards and thieves are
not in the least related.
Here
is what I think could be an interesting approach to the bard class: d8 for hit
points, clerics’ attack and saving throws matrices, limited armour (chain mail
and elfin chain mail are the best ones a bard can wear), some good weapons,
some spells (a mix from almost all spell-casting lists, with a unique bards’
spell), a chance to read language and a chance to identify magical objects.
I’ve
based the experience (and spells) progression upon OSRIC’s bard, and I think
that a word of caution is necessary: this rules have not yet been tested,
though I hope to see “my” bard in action sooner or later (maybe if I kill one
or two characters in my campaign I could “suggest” a bard as next PC... let me
think about it).
And
if someone wants to have a try and is willing to give me some feedback, I’ll be
truly grateful!
THE BARD
Hit dice: d8.
Ability requirements: Strength 10, Intelligence 15, Wisdom 13, Dexterity 13,
Constitution 10, Charisma 15
Experience bonus (+10%): both Intelligence and Charisma 16 or more.
Alignment: any Neutral.
Amour: leather, studded leather, chain mail, elfin chain mail.
Weapons: club, dagger, dart, javelin, sling, scimitar, spear,
quarterstaff, broadsword, longsword, shortsword, short bow.
Initial number of weapons: 2
Non-proficiency penalty: -4
Added proficiencies in
weapons, per level: 1/4
Starting money: 20-160mo (2d8)
|
Experience points
|
Level
|
HD
|
Spells
|
Lore
|
Read language
|
||||
|
|
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
|
|
|
0 – 2.000
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
0%
|
0%
|
|
2.001 – 4.000
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1%
|
5%
|
|
4.001 – 8.000
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2%
|
10%
|
|
8.001 – 16.000
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
5%
|
15%
|
|
16.001 – 33.000
|
5
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
8%
|
20%
|
|
33.001 – 67.000
|
6
|
6
|
3
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
11%
|
25%
|
|
67.001 – 135.000
|
7
|
7
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
14%
|
30%
|
|
135.001 – 270.000
|
8
|
8
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
18%
|
35%
|
|
270.001 – 500.000
|
9
|
9
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
22%
|
40%
|
|
500.001 – 750.000
|
10
|
9+2
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
-
|
26%
|
45%
|
|
750.001 – 1.000.000
|
11
|
9+4
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
-
|
31%
|
50%
|
|
1.000.001 – 1.300.000
|
12
|
9+6
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
-
|
36%
|
55%
|
|
1.300.001 – 1.600.000
|
13
|
9+8
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
41%
|
60%
|
|
1.600.001 – 1.900.000
|
14
|
9+10
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
46%
|
65%
|
|
1.900.001 – 2.250.000
|
15
|
9+12
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
51%
|
70%
|
|
2.250.001 – 2.600.000
|
16
|
9+14
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
57%
|
75%
|
|
2.600.001 – 2.950.000
|
17
|
9+16
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
63%
|
79%
|
|
2.950.001 – 3.300.000
|
18
|
9+18
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
69%
|
82%
|
|
3.300.001 – 3.700.000
|
19
|
9+20
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
75%
|
84%
|
|
3.700.001 – 4.150.000
|
20
|
9+22
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
81%
|
85%
|
|
4.150.001 – 4.650000
|
21
|
9+23
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
87%
|
86%
|
|
4.650.001 – 5.400.000
|
22
|
9+24
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
93%
|
87%
|
|
5.400.001
|
23
|
9+25
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
99%
|
88%
|
+2 Hit Point per level after the 9th.
Spells
- Bards can cast spells even while wearing allowed armour.
- Since they actually are “songs of power”, all bard spells require a
vocal component.
- A bard does not need a spellbook: every spell, once learned, is never
forgotten. Learnt spells are however not always available: they must be
prepared (usually as soon as the bard wakes up in the morning). The bard decides
every day which spells he memorises (requiring the standard resting and
studying time, as per DMG pag40), picking them from the ones he knows.
- A first level bard knows two random spells from the first level spells’
list. Roll d10 twice. If both dice roll the same result, the player can freely
choose the second spell.
- Bards have a chance to learn new spells as magic users do, and their
Intelligence score determines how many spells/level they can learn (minimum and
maximum number).
- Bards acquire new spells by learning them from their teachers during the
training time or by finding them while adventuring. A teacher normally allows a
bard to add a single spell to his list during the training time.
- Scrolls with bard spells do exist. Only bards may us them. A bard scroll
can be used to cast a spell directly from it or to study the spell(s) in order
to add it to one’s spell list, exactly as magic users do.
Read languages: the percentage shows both the chance to understand a written
text and the overall comprehension of the document.
Lore: the percentage shows the chance to identify magical objects, and is
modified by +1% per 1,000gp (or fraction thereof) of value of the item.
Attack and saving throws: bards use the same attack and saving throws matrices as
clerics/druids.
Permitted races: only humans, elves and half-elves can become bards.
Bard
spells
|
LEVEL 1
|
||
|
1
|
Speak with animals
|
Druids 1
|
|
2
|
Charm person*
|
Magic users 1
|
|
3
|
Detect magic
|
Magic users 1
|
|
4
|
Friends
|
Magic users 1
|
|
5
|
Audible glamer
|
Illusonists 1
|
|
6
|
Change self
|
Illusonists 1
|
|
7
|
Hypnotism
|
Illusonists 1
|
|
8
|
Phantasmal force
|
Illusonists 1
|
|
9
|
Bless
|
Clerics 1
|
|
10
|
Remove fear
|
Clerics 1
|
|
LEVEL 2
|
||
|
1
|
Barkskin
|
Druids 2
|
|
2
|
Charm person or mammal**
|
Druids 2
|
|
3
|
Fools gold
|
Magic users 2
|
|
4
|
Forget
|
Magic users 2
|
|
5
|
Pyrotechnics
|
Magic users 2
|
|
6
|
Scare
|
Magic users 2
|
|
7
|
Strength
|
Magic users 2
|
|
8
|
Deafness
|
Illusonists 2
|
|
9
|
Misdirection
|
Illusonists 2
|
|
10
|
Peaceful sleep
|
Bards 2
|
|
LEVEL 3
|
||
|
1
|
Hold animal
|
Druids 3
|
|
2
|
Plant growth
|
Druids 3
|
|
3
|
Protection from fire
|
Druids 3
|
|
4
|
Clairaudience
|
Magic users 3
|
|
5
|
Haste
|
Magic users 3
|
|
6
|
Slow
|
Magic users 3
|
|
7
|
Suggestion
|
Magic users 3
|
|
8
|
Tongues
|
Magic users 3
|
|
9
|
Dispel illusion
|
Illusonists 3
|
|
10
|
Fear
|
Illusonists 3
|
|
LEVEL 4
|
||
|
1
|
Animal summoning I
|
Druids 4
|
|
2
|
Hold plant
|
Druids 4
|
|
3
|
Protection from lightning
|
Druids 4
|
|
4
|
Speak with plants
|
Druids 4
|
|
5
|
Charm monster **
|
Magic users 4
|
|
6
|
Confusion
|
Magic users 4
|
|
7
|
Fumble
|
Magic users 4
|
|
8
|
Hold person
|
Magic users 3
|
|
9
|
Bestow curse †
|
Magic users 4
|
|
10
|
Emotion
|
Illusonists 4
|
|
LEVEL 5
|
||
|
1
|
Animal growth
|
Druids 5
|
|
2
|
Animal summoning II
|
Druids 5
|
|
3
|
Commune with nature
|
Druids 5
|
|
4
|
Contact other plane
|
Magic users 5
|
|
5
|
Feeblemind
|
Magic users 5
|
|
6
|
Hold monster
|
Magic users 5
|
|
7
|
Chaos
|
Illusonists 5
|
|
8
|
Maze
|
Illusonists 5
|
|
9
|
Quest
|
Clerics 5
|
|
10
|
True seeing
|
Clerics 5
|
* bards can reverse this spell (on the spur of the moment, without need
to memorise the reversed version) in order to get a kind of remove charm: they bestow a +4 bonus on
a single creature’s saving throws against charm
spells for one turn, or they allow and immediate, additional saving throw to a
victim of a charm spell; this saving throw is made with a +1 bonus for every
level of the bard.
** this spell is actually a more powerful and encompassing version of
the first level spell charm person,
and like the latter it can be reversed (q. v.).
† this spell is the reversed version of remove curse; bards can only bestow curses, and cannot remove them.
New spell
Peaceful sleep [Enchantment/Charm]
Level: 2 Components:
V, S, M
Range: 6” Casting
time: 1 turn
Duration:
Permanent Saving Throw:
None
Area of
effect: One creature per 3 levels of the
bard
The
bard’s playing and singing soothe the wounded target and induce a particularly
resting sleep. If it can sleep for at least 8 hours, the target wakes up fully
rested, having recovered 1-8 plus the bard’s level hit points. If the sleep is
interrupted, the spell has no effect. The material component is the bard’s
instrument, which must be played while the bard gently sings a lullaby.
(peaceful sleep has been developed by the
great wizard-druid FMP, whom I thank for letting me use it!)
