BCF: Spellcasting, Bard
Bard
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You gain the ability to cast spells, as bards tend to do.
The Bard is a rather uniquely gifted spellcaster, able to do so through their knowledge, crafts and art. Bards are traditionally known for their magic dovetailing with their scholarly or artistic pursuits, which enable their magic and allow it to take nearly any form. You gain the following, pertaining to your ability to cast spells.
Because this feature is complex, each part of this feature, both unique to the class and from common features, will be reviewed point by point.
Unique to the Bard.Common Features gained:
- The Spellcasting Attribute for all your Bard spells will be your class’s key attribute, unless you multiclassed into it. Then it will be Charisma.
- You will gain and manage spells from the Arcane and Occult Universal Spell Lists, as well as the Bard / Troubadour Spell List.
- You can use generic casting focuses to cast spells. You can also use your Instruments, Implements, and/or items associated with your Perform - X skill to cast spells, including magic items that act as substitutes.
- Finally, the Bard is a Full-Caster, meaning your Caster Level from this class is equal to your Class Level (rounded up), following the Spellcaster Level Table if you have Spell Slots. This also affects the tier of spell you can learn at certain ranks, gaining higher ones at Class Level 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17.
- Spell Repertoire, for storing your spells in, via Known Spells.
- Caster Spell Slots, giving you Spell Slots tied to your total Caster Level (see above). These slots recover on a Long Rest.
- Spell Complexity: Simple, allowing you to cast simple spells. Additionally, you can ⤴/Augment Up your spells, provided you have the resources to Heighten/Upcast with.
- Class Cantrips, Cantrip Expansion, allowing you to learn, store, and manage 0th rank spells in your Spell Repertoire (equal to Half-Proficiency (x2) + 2.
- Class Save DC, which makes your Class DC 10 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Key Attribute. For the Bard, this is often the same as the key attribute listed above (traditionally Charisma).
Class Save DC
Your class provides you with many tools that will ask for a Saving Throw. This common feature grants what you need.
When you gain this feature, your class’s Key Attribute (one that was chosen on character creation) will be used to govern the Save DC of your features and abilities. If the class was not gained during character creation (as with Multiclassing), a preset Attribute will be used (such as Intelligence for Wizards, Strength for Barbarians, etc).
To this end, your Class DC is 10 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Key Attribute.
Cantrip Expansion
Your mastery of magic broadens your range of accessible spells.
If you have a Spell Repertoire , you gain an additional amount of 0th rank spells from your Spell Lists. If you have a Spell Library / Prepared Spells, you can prepare more 0th rank spells.
The added amount is equal to your Half-Proficiency.
Caster Spell Slots
* You round up for your caster levels for half and quarter casters. (For Half Casters, 2 at class level 3, 3 at class level 5, so on. For Quarter casters, d 2 at class level 4, 3 at class level 8, so on, forYou can use spell slots, or a huge magical pool of resources to use on abilities at your whim.
You gain a number of Spell Slots, as determined by your total Caster Levels and the Spellcaster Level Table.
Unlike other common features, you can only have one version of this. Instead, you add your classes' total caster levels, if they come from multiple sources/classes.
Unless otherwise stated, all spell slots recover fully on a Long Rest
| Caster Level | 1st rank spell slot lvl | 2nd rank spell slot lvl | 3rd rank spell slot lvl | 4th rank spell slot lvl | 5th rank spell slot lvl | 6th rank spell slot lvl | 7th rank spell slot lvl | 8th rank spell slot lvl | 9th rank spell slot lvl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 12th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 13th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| 14th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 15th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 16th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 17th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 18th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 19th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 20th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 21st+ (starts from the beginning) | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Class Cantrips
You've learned how to use some of the most accessible spells as part of your class or profession.
You learn a number of 0th rank spells equal to 2 + Half-Proficiency, coming from the Spell List(s) of the class that gave you this common feature.
Additionally, these spells are an intrinsic part of your class.
If you have a Spell Repertoire, these spells are kept within it, and once per Long Rest, you can switch out one 0th rank spell with another, provided they are part of the same class's spell list(s).
. If you have a Spell Library, those spells are kept within it, and you may add and prepare these spells as you would the others (via Managing your Library / … and Preparing Your Spells / …) with the amount of cantrips you prepare per day being the amount you learn from this feature.
Spell Complexity, Simple
You are a simple spellcaster, able to cast any spell that's not too heady.
Simple SpellcastingSimple Spellcasting gives you access to most spells, with only the more heady spells being out of your reach. Simple spells tend to specialize in straightforward, but effective means of magic. To this end, you gain the following effects:
You can learn and use spells and hybrid abilities from your class's spell lists, as long as they have "Simple" in their Ability Complexity stat. You can still use more complex spells if they are granted from other features, classes, and/or abilities.
⤴/Augmenting UpWhen you gain access to higher rank spells, you can cast stronger versions of lower-rank spells using the same resources. This increases the spell's rank, heightening or "Augmenting up" it to match the Spell Slot or resources used. Many spells have specific improvements when they are augmented up to certain ranks, or even change into stronger versions of a spell. Such changes will always be listed on the spell's description.
As normal, you can only augment your spells up to the limit imposed by your Caster Levels.
Spell Repertoire
You have a collection of spells you know by heart or have memorized intensely. These were classically referred to as "Known Spells", but for you this is called your Spell Repertoire.
Your Spell Repertoire is a pool of spells you have equal half your Class Level, plus the Class Key Attribute of the class that gave this feature, with a minimum of 2. Each time this number increases, you learn of a new spell of your choice from the spell list(s) that assigned this common feature.
As an example, A Level 3 Sorcerer with 4 of their key attribute (commonly, INT or CHA) will have 6 spells (2+4) in their repertoire.
Managing your RepertoireOnce per day, after finishing a Long Rest or during your daily preparations, you may exchange one spell from your Repertoire with another from your spell list(s), as long as you are eligible for both.
Additional Spells from Features/TalentsCertain features will use language like 'you learn x ability...' or 'you gain x ability...'). These spells are freely added to your Repertoire and follow all the same rules as your other spells, and do not count against the maximum number of spells collected with this feature. You cannot exchange those spells while managing your repertoire.