The Bard
Bards are still an important cultural facet of life on Dunia. Functioning as entertainers, storytellers, and moral support or guides, Bards are quite prevalent throughout the world. While the network of colleges have long since fallen apart, the traditions remain. Bards have picked up a few new tricks to survive on Dunia.
Archetype Overview
Danse Macabre
What was once an ancient order of highly-trained assassins, the Danse Macabre's techniques live on in the post-cataclysmic world. They were both capable entertainers and spies, studied in the art of death, but their order was officially dissolved after the Verdoyant placed heavy restrictions on both magic use and spycraft. The tradition of the Danse Macabre lived on in secret, preserved by the Espion elves despite growing suspicions that they were involved in a pivotal assassination of a mad ruler, despite evidence to the contrary.
This particular tradition gains a significant portion of its power from dance and the moon's influence, creating a sort of resonant connection between the bard and the moon. As the bard becomes more practiced, the connection becomes significantly stronger, allowing the practitioner of the art to pluck at the very strings and pull of life through necromantic energies calling to the dead.
Fire and Chrome
Very little matches the zeal of a bard who has taken the descent into madness that is the calling of Fire and Chrome. It is a concept that emerged after the Karithat-Aldawi caused a mass extinction event, where the mad ravings of broken people turned to belief in the great Motor Spirit, the living vessel of the apocalypse's madness that carries forth all the chosen to their righteous destiny. Those that choose this path often have explosive personalities, creating fire and thunder through raw emotion and music. They are known to be fierce combatants, combining musical instruments with weaponry and riding into battle atop their 'Divine Chariots', spurring on the rage and power of their allies with battle trances.
Silvertongue
The Silvertongue tradition is a continuation of the defunct College of Lore, but with each orator both a teacher and a student of the spoken word. They often fulfill the need for a diplomat or an intermediary, with the skills necessary to navigate precarious moments where the wrong word could slip and cause a negotiation to go sour. They are not limited to oratory work, though. They are exceptionally skilled magic users, creating resonance cascades that affect everyone around them.
Player Equipment Category
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5 if averaged) + your Constitution modifier per Bard level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Finesse weapons, Firearms (simple), Longswords, and Simple weapons
Tools: Three musical instruments of your choice
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose any three skills
Starting Equipment
You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background.
(a) a Mundane 2-Handed Simple Longarm with 5 spare magazines (10 shotgun shells and 5 slugs if using a shotgun), (No Assault Rifles, Light Machine Guns, or Marksman Rifles)
or
(b) a Recurve Crossbow and 20 Bolts with a Rifle Scope sight mod
(a) a Longsword
or
(b) Two Common Simple melee weapons
(a) A pack of 3 Common Placed Explosives
or
(b) A Mundane 1-Handed Sidearm with 3 spare magazines
(a) Any Common Instrument
or
(b) A Common Acoustic Guitar
(a) A diplomat's pack
or
(b) An entertainer's pack
Baseline Light Armor
Ammunition matching the above firearms and a loaded magazine for each
Features
1st Level
Spellcasting
Bards use the power of resonance and emotion to influence magic while simultaneously drawing out magical energies through music, spoken word or even their art. The very air around them can vibrate with magical energy emanating from their instruments, each note affecting the movement of the chaos particles and forming shape in the air to manifest into a resonant type of spell. The emotion carried through their bodies can influence the power of a spell.
Cantrips
You know two cantrips of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn additional bard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Bard table.
Volatility and Maximum Spell Levels
The Bard table shows your
Volatility Threshold with which you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must raise your volatility by the spell's level. You reduce your volatility by half your current amount when you finish a short rest, and remove all volatility when you finish a long rest. Your maximum spell level is the highest level at which you can cast spells.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell cure wounds but your maximum spell level is at 2nd level, you can cast cure wounds at 1st or 2nd level. If you cast it at 2nd level, you raise your volatility by 2.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the bard spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Bard table shows when you learn more bard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level equal to or less than your Maximum Spell Level, as shown on the table. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the bard spells you know and replace it with another spell from the bard spell list, which also must be of a level equal to or less than your Maximum Spell Level.
Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your bard spells. Your magic comes from the heart and soul you pour into the performance of your music or oration. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Ritual Casting
You can cast any bard spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use a musical instrument (see “Equipment”) as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells in place of other foci. Musical instruments can grant bonuses to spellcasting.
Bardic Inspiration
You can inspire others through stirring words, movement, or music. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.
Once until your group's next rest, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.
2nd Level
Jack of All Trades
Starting at 2nd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.
Expertise in the Craft
When you reach this level as a Bard, you may choose to add Expertise in two of your skills you are already proficient in, doubling your Proficiency Bonus with those skills.
You may choose two more skills to gain Expertise with when you reach 9th level as a Bard.
Song of Rest
Beginning at 2nd level, you can use soothing music, dance, or oration to help revitalize your wounded allies during a short rest. If you or any allies who can see or hear your performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those allies regains an extra 1d6 hit points.
The extra hit points increase when you reach certain levels in this class: to 1d8 at 9th level, to 1d10 at 13th level, and to 1d12 at 17th level.
3rd Level
2nd Level Spells
Your maximum spell level you can cast, starting at 3rd level, are 2nd level spells.
Expertise
At 3rd level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
At 10th level, you can choose another two skill proficiencies to gain this benefit.
Bardic Focus
At 3rd level, you delve into the advanced techniques of a bardic tradition or focus of your choice, such as the Silvertongue. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th and 14th level.
Archetype Features
Fire and Chrome
Danse Macabre
Silvertongue
4th Level
Ability Score Improvement or Feat
Choose an ASI or feat this level
5th Level
3rd Level Spells
Your maximum spell level you can cast, starting at 5th level, are 3rd level spells.
Bardic Inspiration Improvement
When you reach 5th level as a Bard, your Bardic Inspiration Dice changes to a D8.
Font of Inspiration
Beginning when you reach 5th level, you regain all of your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.
6th Level
Countercharm
At 6th level, you gain the ability to use musical notes or words of power to disrupt mind-influencing effects. As an action, you can start a performance that lasts until the end of your next turn. During that time, you and any friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed. A creature must be able to hear you to gain this benefit. The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or silenced or if you voluntarily end it (no action required).
Archetype Features
Fire and Chrome
Danse Macabre
Silvertongue
7th Level
4th Level Spells
Your maximum spell level you can cast, starting at 7th level, are 4th level spells.
8th Level
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 8th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
9th Level
5th Level Spells
Your maximum spell level you can cast, starting at 9th level, are 5th level spells.
Song of Rest Improvement
When you reach 5th level as a Bard, your Song of Rest Dice changes to a D8.
10th Level
Bardic Inspiration Improvement
When you reach 10th level as a Bard, your Bardic Inspiration Dice changes to a D10.
Magical Secrets
By 10th level, you have plundered magical knowledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose two spells from any class, including this one. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip.
The chosen spells count as bard spells for you and are included in the number in the Spells Known column of the Bard table.
You learn two additional spells from any class at 14th level and again at 18th level.
11th Level
6th Level Spells
Your maximum spell level you can cast, starting at 11th level, are 6th level spells.
Archetype Features
Fire and Chrome
Danse Macabre
Silvertongue
12th Level
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 12th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
13th Level
7th Level Spells
Your maximum spell level you can cast, starting at 13th level, are 7th level spells.
Song of Rest Improvement
When you reach 10th level as a Bard, your Song of Rest Dice changes to a D10.
14th Level
Archetype Features
Fire and Chrome
Danse Macabre
Silvertongue
15th Level
8th Level Spells
Your maximum spell level you can cast, starting at 15th level, are 8th level spells.
Bardic Inspiration Improvement
When you reach 15th level as a Bard, your Bardic Inspiration Dice changes to a D12.
16th Level
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
17th Level
9th Level Spells
Your maximum spell level you can cast, starting at 17th level, are 9th level spells.
Song of Rest Improvement
When you reach 17th level as a Bard, your Song of Rest Dice changes to a D12.
18th Level
Refreshed Inspiration
At 18th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of Bardic Inspiration left, you regain one use.
19th Level
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
20th Level
Roaring Encore
When you reach 20th level, you have achieved true mastery of keeping an audience. When you finish casting a spell from the Bard's list of spells, you may cast a second spell of your choosing with the same action, without raising your volatility, incurring backfire penalties, or incurring the multi-cast penalties for 7th, 8th, and 9th level spells. Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you have finished a Long Rest.
Archetype Features
Archetype Features
Danse Macabre
3rd Level
Ebb and Flow
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the ability to evade attacks through dance-like moves as a Reaction by spending one use of your Bardic Inspiration. When an attack roll is made against you, roll a Bardic Inspiration die. The value rolled is added to your Evasion until the start of your next turn. You add this value before the attack roll succeeds, if it would have hit, just like the Shield spell. For each failed attack made against you, until the start of your next turn once you've used this Reaction, you add +1 damage to your next attack or spell.
Additionally, at 3rd level, you gain advantage on any Performance (Charisma) checks related to dancing.
Half-Moon's Mark
You enhance your deadly dance with grace and a swirl of necromantic energies. A target of your choosing, once it has failed a saving throw against one of your spells or is damaged by one of your attacks, can have a curse placed on them as part of the action. The cursed target will take additional Necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier for the first attack or spellcast of each of you and your allies' subsequent turns. The target is cursed for a duration of a number of combat rounds equal to your Proficiency Bonus.
You may use this feature once per short or long rest.
6th Level
Deathborne of the Eclipse
Upon reaching 6th level in the Danse Macabre tradition, the potency of your deadly dance has improved. Targets that have been marked by the
Half-Moon's Mark feature will reanimate as a
Deathborne Puppet with ghostly strings tethered to you once they drop to 0 HP regardless if they are still under its effects or not. The size of the Deathborne Puppet will always be medium, regardless of the cursed target's size.
The puppet is immune to Necrotic damage, and it gains a weapon that matches what you have currently equipped. The puppet intrinsically mirrors your movements and performs attacks against whatever you choose, and you can command it to perform any action, bonus action, or reaction that you can perform except spells.
You can issue a command to it telepathically, telling it where to move and what to do. It will take its turn immediately after yours and will stay under your command for up to 1 hour. It cannot move further than 60 feet away from you. If you move more than 60 feet away from it, it will be pulled towards you during your movement so that it is still within 60 feet. After the duration is up, it turns into a black vapor and the wisps fly towards the moon.
If you make a Performance check to dance as an Action while the puppet is active, all hostile targets that can see you or the puppet must make a Wisdom saving throw against your rolled Performance check or be charmed until the end of your next turn. You may use this performance aspect of the feature once per Short or Long rest.
11th Level
Dance of Death
Your dances create shadowy ribbons that glimmer with sparks of necromantic energies which distract your opponents. Starting at 11th level, when you use your Reaction as part of the
Ebb and Flow feature to evade enemy attacks, each time an enemy attacks you or any allies within 30 feet of you and fails, you and your allies within 30 feet gain a stacking +1 bonus to Evasion until the start of your next turn.
Additionally, for each enemy attack that misses, you alone are granted 5 feet additional movement speed on your next turn. After using this Reaction, you will not provoke Opportunity Attacks when you move.
14th Level
Moonlight Sonata
You may now use the
Half-Moon's Mark feature twice per short or long rest, and any
Deathborne Puppet you create can cast copies of your Bard spells, up to 5th level, at the cost of raising your Volatility by the same level as the spell that was cast. Each puppet may only cast a spell once per short or long rest. You may now also control up to two puppets at a time.
The maximum range your puppets can be from you increases from 60 feet to 90 feet. These puppets now have a duration of up to 24 hours, and can be dismissed or re-summoned in that timeframe at will as a Bonus Action.
Back to the Archetype Overview
Fire and Chrome
3rd Level
Amplified Beat of War
The primal call of war beckons, thunder and fire fills your heart and ears, and the blood in your heart beats faster. When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn to channel your resonance magic through electric signals, gaining several schematics. You gain two schematics for Electric Instruments of your choice, and another is an amplifier. You may wear the amplifier on your back and emit audio further than before. You are proficient with whatever Electric Instrument you choose.
The Amplifier projects your Bard spells further or increases their area by an amount equal to 5 + 5x your Proficiency Bonus in additional feet.
See the Electric Instruments list for a schematic choice.
Blood and Thunder
Starting at this level, and each time you level up, you may choose spells outside of the Bard spell list that have the following damage types: Fire or Thunder. Until 11th level, if these spells are outside the Bard Spell list, they do not receive the Amplifier's benefits, but still gain benefits from your Electric Instrument.
6th Level
Chrome Redemptor
Starting at 6th level as a Fire and Chrome Bard, you learn four weapon schematics that you may combine with your Electric Instrument as a modification. You are considered proficient with each of these weapons. They are considered magical and have a limited number of uses, equal to 2x your Proficiency Bonus per Short or Long Rest.
Making a normal Melee Attack with your instrument while these mods are equipped counts as an improvised melee weapon, uses your Charisma modifier for the attack roll, and deals 1d4 + your Strength modifier in Bludgeoning damage, but does not consume any uses.
In addition to the schematics gained, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn with these weapons. You can use your Bardic Inspiration either when you make attack rolls or damage rolls with these weapons.
The schematics are as follows.
Boombap: A short-range augment that counts as a radial melee weapon. Each target in a 5 foot radius originating from you must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spellcasting DC. On a failed save, a target takes 2d6 thunder damage and is pushed 5 feet away from you. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage and isn't pushed. In addition, unsecured objects that are completely within the area of effect are automatically pushed 15 feet away from you by the area of effect and the attack emits a thunderous boom audible out to 300 feet. If the target saves, a second attack with the Boombap imposes disadvantage on their Dexterity Saving Throws against your spells and attacks until the end of your next turn. This can be equipped to drums and other percussion instruments.
Chromeshredder: Combine a rotary sawblade with your Electric Instrument's body and reinforce the rest of its frame. This weapon dishes out 5d4 AP III Slashing damage and has the Hemmhoraging property when you make a melee weapon attack with it. The Hemmhoraging property inherits your Spellcasting DC. This can be equipped to Guitars and other stringed instruments.
Firespewer: Combine a flamethrower with your Electric Instrument that dishes out 4d4 fire damage in a 30x5 foot line as an attack. This weapon mod inherits your spellcasting DC. If the instrument is a drum, it changes the attack type to a 15ft cone instead. Making a successful melee attack roll with the Firespewer allows you to deal 2d4 fire damage in a perpendicular 15x5ft wide line in front of you, along with the improvised weapon damage from the attack roll.
Rokkit Launcher: Combine a concealed rocket launcher with your Electric Instrument that deals 2d8 Force damage and 1d8 Fire damage in a 10ft radius, with a minimum arming distance of 20 feet and an effective range of 90ft, and a long range of 225ft. You may attempt to make a direct hit as part of the attack, dealing 2d4 unmitigated Bludgeoning damage. If you miss the attempt at a direct hit, the Rocket will sail past the target, either colliding with a surface and explode, or travel to its maximum range and explode. Targets hit directly by the rocket have disadvantage on their saving throws. Targets hit with the rocket's AOE must make a Dexterity Saving Throw against your Spellcasting DC. If a target successfully saves, it takes half damage. Targets that failed their saves take the rolled damage. The explosion counts as Anti-Armor and as such, does unmitigated damage to vehicles.
Crafting Requirements (Each Mod)
8 Mundane Metal materials
2 Mundane Mechanical components
2 Mundane Electronic components
2 Mundane Plastic components
Rolling Metal
Starting at 6th level as a Fire and Chrome Bard, Your healing spells now restore vehicle parts and paneling HP.
11th Level
Legion of Boom
Starting at 11th level as a Fire and Chrome Bard, you may now use your portable Amplifier in tandem with your Fire and Thunder elemental spells. These spells gain half the range bonuses listed in the 3rd level feature
Amplified Beat of War, rounded to the closest increment of 5. You also learn the Vehicle Amp Stacks schematic, which allows you to project your spells by triple the distance from a Vehicle or increase the radius of a spell by 3 times as much from the Vehicle Amp Stacks. You may only use the Vehicle Amp Stacks while in initiative in a vehicular encounter.
Hit the Pedals
After casting a spell, you can make a melee weapon attack as a Bonus Action with your instrumental weapon.
14th Level
Weapons of Mass Distortion
The Motor Spirit has acted as your muse, and it has granted you with visions of a glorious blazing engine of the apocalypse, that which tears through the sky and roars with thunder, raining fire on your enemies. You may now, at 14th level as a Fire and Chrome bard, summon an
Aspect of the Almighty V12, similar to a spellcast, by raising your volatility by 7. This does not incur a multi-cast penalty if you cast a 7th level spell before your next Long Rest. It responds to your commands telepathically, whether or not it is in your line of sight. You can see what it sees as well.
Once summoned, the Aspect of the Almighty V12 persists for 10 minutes or until it reaches 0 HP, after which it will vanish into a bright flare of flames and smoke, briefly lighting up the landscape.
You may use this feature once per Long Rest.
Back to the Archetype Overview
Silvertongue
3rd Level
Skillful Orator
When you choose the tradition of the Silvertongue at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with three skills of your choice.
Cunning Ploy
Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. When a hostile target that you can see within 90 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the target's roll. You can choose to use this feature after the target makes its roll, but before the GM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the target deals its damage.
6th Level
Magical Discoveries
At 6th level, you learn two spells of your choice from any class. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast, as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip. The chosen spells count as bard spells for you but do not count against the number of bard spells you know. You can choose to replace any one of these spells whenever you level up, with another spell that is of a level you can cast.
Brilliant Recollection
As a Silvertongue bard, you are well-studied in all media pertaining to historical magic use, myths, and locations. You are much like a walking encyclopedia. Starting at 6th level, when you make a History or Arcana check related to stories of people or locations, you do so with advantage.
11th Level
Rousing Speech
Starting at 11th level, you may make a Performance check as an Action to rally your allies to fight on and inspire courage.
Make a Performance check against a DC equal to 10 plus the number of allies you wish to inspire. If you succeed, you give your chosen allies within 60 feet of you advantage on saving throws against the Frightened condition for 10 minutes and expend one use of Bardic Inspiration, granting the rolled amount in Temporary HP for each of them.
14th Level
Peerless Skill
Starting at 14th level, when you make an ability check, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration. Roll a Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to your ability check. If you fail the check, the Bardic Inspiration is not expended.
If you are to make a Performance or Persuasion check while using this feature, you gain advantage on that roll.
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