Skald

Similar to a bard, the skald profession can be entertainers in their own right. They are poets, lore keepers, historians and scholars with an adept talent to inspire allies through song or retelling of lost tales. It isn't unusual to find a skald hired by one kingdom to gather information on a nearby land, or another skald employed to assist a wizard in researching a difficult spell. Because of the latter, many skalds dabble in alchemy along with their natural bard-like spellcasting.

In a conflict, a skald inspires his or her allies while pressing forward to assist in melee. Away from the press of battle, skalds are known for being adept healers as well.

Class Skills

The skald has the following professional, or class, skills

• Appraise (Int)
• Bluff (Cha)
• Craft (Alchemy) (Int)
• Diplomacy (Cha)
• Escape Artist (Dex)
• Heal (Wis)
• Intimidate (Cha)
• Knowledge (History, Engineering) (Int)

• Linguistics (Int)
• Perception (Wis)
• Perform (oratory, sing, string, wind) (Cha)
• Profession (Wis)
• Sense Motive (Wis)
• Spellcraft (Int)
• Use Magic Device (Cha)

Skill Points at each Level 4 + Int modifier.

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Class Features

Open to see Base Attack Bonus and Save Bonus Per Level

Skald Base Attack Bonus and Save Bonus Per Level

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Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+7
11th	+8/+3	+7	+3	+7
12th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8
13th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8
14th	+10/+5	+9	+4	+9
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+5	+9
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12

Open to see the Skald Features Per Level

Skald Features and Abilities Per Level

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Level	Special Features
1st	Ever watchful, cantrips, Skald's Gift(+1d6), scribe scroll
2nd	Campfire Tales(d6), well-versed
3rd	Skaldic guardian(+1d6), song of marching
4th	Versatile performance, uncanny dodge
5th	Spell kenning 1/day, Skald's Gift(+1d8)
6th	Inspiration, song of strength
7th	Lore master 1/day, Versatile performance
8th	Improved uncanny dodge, Item lore
9th	Campfire Tales (d8), DR 1/-
10th	Dirge of doom, Skaldic guardian(+2d6), Skald's Gift(+1d10)
11th	Spell kenning 2/day
12th	Skaldic Guardian(+3d6), Versatile performance
13th	Lore master 2/day, Campfire Tales (d10)
14th	DR 2/-, song of the fallen
15th	Skaldic Guardian(+4d6), Skald's Gift(+1d12)
16th	Campfire Tales (d12)
17th	Spell kenning 3/day,
18th	Skaldic Guardian(+5d6)
19th	DR 3/-, lore master 3/day
20th	A Light in the Darkness

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Class Feature Details

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A skald is skilled in use of all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields. This is except for tower shields. Skalds are trained at casting while wearing light or medium armor and even carrying a shield. Therefore they don't suffer the normal arcane spell failure chance with those armor types.

However, if a Skald gains a spell through Spell Kenning from another arcane class, then the spell failure chance does count against the skald.

A Light in the Darkness

At 20th level, if a skald rolls initiative and has no more uses of Skald's Gift remaining, the skald gets one additional use of Skald's Gift. Likewise, the skald's Damage Resistance is granted to their allies for that initiative.

Campfire Tales

Legends state that words have power. None know this better than a skald. At 2nd level, a skald can help revitalize their allies while resting. If the skald tells tails during that rest, then the skald and all nearby friendly creatures listening gain an additional 1d6 hit points + the skald's Charisma modifier.

The number of additional hit points increases as the skald gains levels to 1d8 at 9th level, 1d10 at 13th level, and 1d12 at 16th level.

Cantrips

Skalds can learn and use cantrips like bards or other similar arcane professions.

Damage Reduction

Once a skald has reached 9th level, they gain the damage reduction ability. What this means is that they subtract 1 from the damage taken from a weapon or natural attack. At 14th level, this becomes a -2 and at 19th level this becomes a -3

Dirge of Doom

A skald learns a number of ballads, poems and songs. This one, the Dirge of Doom, will cause a skald's enemies to feel a sense of growing dread from the words. Those that fail a Save vs Will suffer the effects of a penalty to their actions so long as they remain within 30 feet of the skald. This cannot cause the skald's enemy to panic and run as per a fear spell, but a failed save means the target suffers a -2 to all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.

Ever Watchful

Skalds make a point of keeping up with history, recent events and more. A skald can add 1/2 their level, with a minimum of 1, to all Knowledge skill checks.

Improved Uncanny Dodge

With this ability, the skald can no longer be flanked unless the character attempting to flank the skald is four levels higher than the skald.

Inspiration

Skalds are knowledgeable in many different fields of study and are considered to possess keen powers of observation. A number of times a day per their Charisma modifier, a skald may recount an important lesson or bit of information that may help an ally. In that situation, the skald can grant their Charisma modifier to the ally attempting a Knowledge or Perception check.

Item Lore

A skald can use Spellcraft to identify the properties and more of a magic item without the use of detect magic or similar spells.

Lore Master

Once they reach 7th level, a skald has mastered many different types of lore. Therefore, they may choose to "take 10" on any Knowledge check they have ranks in. Once per day, a skald can "take 20" on such Knowledge skill checks as a standard action. This increases to twice a day at 13th level, and three times a day at 19th level.

Scribe Scroll

At 1st level, a skald gains Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat.

Skaldic Guardian

This reflects the skald's study of historical works on combat and tactics. At 3rd level, when the skald sees a creature attack an ally that is within 5 feet of the skald, they may add a 1d6 to the AC of their ally. This increases to 2d6 at 10th level, 4d6 at 15th level, and 5d6 at 18th level.

A skald may only have one target of their Skaldic Guardian ability at one time.

Skald's Gift

A skald's words can inspire their allies to great feats through poem, speech or song. As a standard action, a skald may choose one ally (other than themselves) that is within 60 feet of them and can hear them. That ally gains a +d6 die to apply their next ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. Note that the Skald's Gift may only be bestowed on one ally at a time. It may not be stacked.

A skald may use this Gift a number of times per their Charisma modifier. They regain the use of this ability after resting.

A Skald's Gift increases as they gain levels. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.

Song of the Fallen

Once a skald reaches 14th level, they may use a heroic poem, speech, or song to revive an ally that has just died within the past few rounds of combat. This has the same limitations as raise dead. The ally must be within 60 feet and the skald must spend a standard action doing nothing but reciting or singing the Song of the Fallen.

At that point, the fallen ally is brought back to life for one combat round. The revived ally, is alive but staggered. The skald may continue to spend a standard action to perform the Song of the Fallen to keep the ally alive for another round. If the skald is interrupted or stops in any way, that ally immediately dies.

The skald may perform this a number of times per day equal to their Charisma modifier.

Song of Marching

At 3rd level, a skald may use their command of words and song to lift their ally's spirits, granting them relief from fatigue and fatigue effects for the next hour.

The skald may perform this a number of times per day equal to their Charisma modifier.

Song of Strength

Once a skald reaches 6th level, they may recite or sing the Song of Strength to inspire their allies to feats of heroic or legendary strength. Use of this ability requires the skald to spend a standard action performing this song.

When this song is used, allies within 60 feet that are able to hear the skald are allowed to add 1/2 the skald's level to any Strength check or Strength based skill check.

Spell Kenning

At 5th level, skald's become adept at learning magic of other spellcasters such as wizards, clerics, bards, or sorcerers (depending on the bloodline of the sorcerer). Once per day, a skald can cast a spell from those other arcane professions as if its one of their own, expending the same number of spell points as the level of the spell like normal.

Once a skald reaches 11th level, they may perform this twice a day. At 17th level, this becomes three times per day.

On Selecting Spells for Kenning

Skalds may only learn spells at their skald level - 3 to a minimum of 1 (All levels of Skald can cast 0th and 1st level spells).

Spells

All skalds are trained in arcane spellcasting and as so may learn to use spells from the Bard profession spell list. Every skald spell has a verbal spell component, which take the form of a song, recitation, or even music. To learn to cast a particular spell, the skald must have a Charisma score that is equal to 10 + the spell's level at a minimum.

All saving throws against a skald's spell is 10 + the spell's level + Charisma modifier.

A skald starts play with 2 + their Charisma bonus in spells. After that, as they increase in levels, they may select 2 new spells each level to add to their collection.

Uncanny Dodge

On reaching 4th level, a skald becomes adept at reaction to danger as if warned by a supernatural "sixth sense". The skald cannot be caught flat-footed, nor do they lose their Dex bonus to AC against invisible attackers. However, if the skald is immobilized they will still lose their Dex AC bonus. Likewise, if an attacker makes a successful feint against the skald, then the skald loses their Dex bonus to AC.

Versatile Performance

On reaching 4th level, a skald may choose one type of Perform skill that is associated with the skald class. They may use the bonus in that skill in place of the standard skill bonus in the list below. Note that the total Perform skill bonus, including class bonuses, are used no matter if the skald has any ranks in the skill check being attempted or not.

At 7th and 12th levels, the skald can select an additional substitution.

Perform skills and their associated skills are as follows:

• Oratory may be substituted for either Diplomacy or Sense Motive
• Sing may be substituted for either Bluff or Handle Animal
• String may be substituted for either Bluff or Diplomacy
• Wind may be substituted for either Diplomacy, Handle Animal

Well-Versed

Once a skald reaches 2nd level, they are resistant to sonic effects. A skald gains a +4 bonus on all saving throws against any song or sound dependent actions, such as Harpy songs, Bardic performances, etc.

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Type

Research / Scientific

Alignment

Any

Hit Die

d8

Starting Wealth

3d6 x 10 gp

(average 105 gp)

Bard and Skald Base Spell Points Per Level

Here would be the base spell points a bard or a skald gets per level.

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Level	Spell Points
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	5
5	8
6	10
7	13
8	18
9	22
10	26
11	33
12	39
13	44
14	53
15	61
16	67
17	78
18	88
19	94
20	100

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Author's Note: This is a homebrew 'Skald' class for Legends of Elohey. It's inspired by the Pathfinder 1e Skald class but is in no way a copy of what Pathfinder 1e uses.