DECIPHER SCRIPT (INTELLIGENCE):
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| Bards often need to decipher and interpret legends and secret writings to acquire more knowledge. This ability allows the bard to decipher writing in an unfamiliar language, a message written in an incomplete or archaic form or a message written in code. If the check succeeds, the character understands the general content of a piece of writing. It takes ten minutes to decipher each page of a script. A decipher script check may be made only once per writing. A bard may use this ability to decipher and then use an arcane scroll, as a wizard or illusionist would, if a successful check is made at a penalty of –10. This ability may not be used to decipher divine scrolls. |
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EXALT (CHARISMA):
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| This is the bard’s ability to inspire companions and listeners, allowing them to surpass their normal level of performance. Some bards invoke this ability through song and music, while others do so through oration, battle cries or sheer acting and demeanor. With a successful attribute check, a bard can help allies succeed at a task. The ally gets a +2 bonus on any action requiring an attribute check, including class ability checks, saving throws and standard attribute checks. This ability does not affect attack rolls. The allies must be able to see and hear the bard, and must be within 60 feet. The Castle Keeper may rule that certain uses of this ability are infeasible. The bard can use this ability once per day per level, and can maintain the effect for a number of rounds equal to the bard’s level. The bard can take other actions while using this ability, unless the Castle Keeper rules otherwise. As the bard rises in levels, the bonus imparted increases as well. It rises to +3 at 6th level, +4 at 12th level and +5 at 18th level. |
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LEGEND LORE (CHARISMA):
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Bards are lore masters of myth and archaic knowledge. With a successful attribute check, a bard gains or remembers some relevant information about local notables, a legendary item, a noteworthy place or any other relevant bit of information. Gaining the information may entail speaking to local inhabitants and/ or doing research. The information might prove useful in diplomacy, entertaining, or otherwise influencing others. The ability also might impart a full or partial understanding of local or secret languages, including rogue’s cant, the secret druidic language or ranger signs.
The check will not reveal the powers of a magic item, but may give a hint to its history, general function or activation. The Castle Keeper gauges the challenge level of the check based on whether the knowledge is:
Common: This constitutes information known by at least a substantial minority of the local population.
Uncommon: The information is known by only a few people in the area, though easy to track down.
Obscure: The information is known by a few, but rather hard to come by.
Extremely Obscure: The information is known by very few scholars and sages, possibly forgotten by most who once knew it, or possibly known only by those who don’t understand the significance of the knowledge. |
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FASCINATE:
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At 4th level, a bard gains the ability to place a single creature into a trance. The creature to be fascinated must be able to see and hear the bard, and the bard must also see the creature. The creature must be able to pay attention to the bard. The distraction of a nearby combat or other danger will prevent the ability from working. The Bard can use music, poetry, chanting, speech, whistling, playing an instrument or any combination of the above to produce the intended effect on the creature, as long as some verbal performance is included. Bards can use this ability three times per day, and can maintain the effect for a number of rounds equal to their level. When a bard uses this ability, the target makes a charisma saving throw to resist the bard’s spellsong. If the saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and listens to the bard for up to the full duration of the effect. While using this ability, a bard must concentrate, as if casting or maintaining a spell. While fascinated, the target is treated as if prone and also suffers a -4 penalty to all saving throws and a -5 to armor class. If the creature’s saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. Any threat that is obvious to the fascinated creature, such as the casting of a spell, drawing of a sword or aiming of a weapon automatically breaks the effect.
As the bard rises in levels, the power of the fascination increases as well, allowing the bard to further influence the listener through suggestion. These specialized uses of the fascinate ability can only be performed on creatures who are under the influence of the bard’s fascinate ability. At 5th level, a bard may attempt a charm person on a fascinated creature. At 8th level, a bard may attempt to implant a suggestion into a fascinated creature. At 12th level, a bard may attempt antipathy/ sympathy on a fascinated creature. At 18th level, a bard may attempt a mass suggestion on fascinated creatures. In each case, the creature receives a saving throw to attempt to resist the spellsong.
As the bard gains experience, the number of creatures that can be affected by the fascination, or one of its specialized uses, increases. The number of creatures is equal to two fewer than the level of the bard. For example, a 4th level bard can fascinate 2 creatures, a 6th level bard can fascinate 4 creatures, and a 12th level bard can fascinate 10 creatures. |
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EXHORT GREATNESS:
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At 9th level, a bard can inspire greatness in one other creature. For every two levels the bard attains beyond 9th, the bard can inspire greatness in an additional creature. To inspire greatness, the bard must use song, poetry or some sort of oration. The creature to be inspired must be able to hear the bard, and must be within 30 feet for the effect to take place. A creature inspired with greatness gains temporary hit points and attack bonuses for as long as the bard is within its hearing and the bard continues to sing or orate. This effect lasts for one minute, or six rounds, at 9th level, and the duration increases by one additional round for every level beyond 9th. The creature can move out of the 30 foot radius once the exhortation has begun, but it must still be able to hear the bard at all times.
The target creature gains a +2 bonus on all ‘to hit’ rolls, and gains temporary hit points as if two hit dice (or levels) higher. Apply the creature’s constitution modifier, if any, to each bonus hit point roll. See the combat section for a detailed explanation of temporary hit points. |
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Dwarf Traits & Abilities
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ATTRIBUTE MODIFIERS: +1 Constitution, -1 Dexterity
ANIMOSITY (ELVES): The disparate personalities of dwarves and elves have resulted in eons of misunderstandings, squabbles and even wars between the two races. Dwarves consider elves to be disloyal and untrustworthy partners in war or trade. As a result, dwarves suffer a -2 penalty to charisma checks when dealing with elves to whom they are not closely associated.
DEEPVISION: Ages spent beneath the earth in the dark and quiet places of the world have imbued dwarves with the ability to see in darkness where a human would find it impenetrable. This vision extends up to 120 feet in even the darkest of nights and deepest of tunnels. Colors tend to erode with deepvision, and objects appear in many shades of gray. It is otherwise like normal sight, and dwarves can function well with no light at all. Bright lights, such as from a lantern or other light source, spoil deepvision. A dwarf requires one minute to adjust his or her eyes when a light source is extinguished before gaining full use of deepvision.
DETERMINE DEPTH AND DIRECTION: The world beneath mountains and in the deeps of the earth is the natural
home of the dwarf. Dwarves can sense their approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up. The dwarf can determine direction underground just as easily.
ENMITY (GOBLINS/ORCS): Eternal wars against goblins and orcs have created an undying crucible of hatred for
these vile creatures. When in combat against goblins or orcs, this fury and hatred allows dwarves a +1 bonus to hit
these creatures. Dwarves have a similar distrust of half-orcs. Dwarves find inter-breeding with goblinoids to be the worst of all sins, and their powerful antipathy towards pure goblinoids negatively affects dwarven relations with half-orcs. Dwarves suffer a -4 to charisma checks when interacting with half-orcs, goblins and orcs.
DEFENSIVE EXPERTISE (GIANTS/OGRES): Long regarded as a food source by many giants, dwarves have
developed considerable expertise in fighting them. Combined with their small size, this tactical expertise allows dwarves to offer resistance to the powerful giants. When fighting giants or ogres, dwarves receive a +4 bonus to armor class.
RESISTANT TO ARCANE MAGIC: As unshakeable as granite or iron, dwarves are particularly resistant to arcane
magic. They receive a +3 bonus to all saving throws against arcane spells and spell-like effects.
RESISTANT TO FEAR: Dwarven loyalty, duty, stubbornness and honor lend them courage where other races might falter. Dwarves receive a +2 bonus to all saving throws against fear.
RESISTANT TO POISONS (CONSTITUTION): Dwarves are imbued with great constitutional fortitude. Poisons that might fell a normal human are less likely to affect a dwarf. Dwarves receive a +2 bonus to all poison saving throws.
STONECRAFT (WISDOM): Dwarves spend much of their lives carving halls, castles and underground fortresses out of solid rock, so they possess an extensive knowledge of stoneworking and construction. They possess almost a sixth sense in this regard which gives them various bonuses and abilities. Dwarves are capable of spotting unusual or unique construction or stonework features including new construction, unfamiliar architecture, sliding walls, stonework traps, unsafe stone surfaces, unstable ceilings and secret or concealed doorways constructed or disguised as stone. A dwarf passing within 10 feet of one of these features is entitled to a wisdom check at +2 to recognize the feature, as if actively looking for it. Should a dwarf actively search for these features, the bonus to the wisdom check is +4. When examining a feature, a successful wisdom check reveals other bits of knowledge, such as which race created the feature, its approximate age, and if applicable, the approximate value of a stone or metal object. |
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Bard Equipment
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WEAPONS: Broadsword, bows, club, dagger, dart, hand axe, hammers, javelin, longsword, rapier, scimitar, short sword, sling, spear, staff
ARMOR: Breastplates, chain shirt, cuir bouille, greek ensemble, hide, laminar leather, leather, leather coat, padded, ring mail, studded leather |
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