Quintessential II 12: Bard (d20)
There is magic in poetry and in stories¸ the way they can inspire people to reach towards impossible goals. Music has its own brand of magic¸ the manner in which it can mix a mere twelve notes and create pure emotion¸ talking to the heart and mind without need of words. Such is the magic of the bard¸ a singer of songs and teller of tales¸ a jack of all trades who finds his knowledge and power not in the dusty halls of a library or the obscure heritage of a strange bloodline¸ but in the whim of inspiration and the freedom of the roads. The diversity with which he approaches life makes him capable of tackling almost any situation¸ not as well as a specialist but with sufficient expertise to come out on top. With the help of this sourcebook¸ any character choosing the bard class will find many alternatives and options for expanding his range of abilities. With Career Paths¸ bards can customise their advancement with their chosen branch of training. The Legendary Bard offers an expansion of character features that elevates the bard to epic levels and beyond. Multiclassing gives advice on to how best integrate two classes¸ while Superior Tools ensure that his performance is unparalleled. The Magical Bard offers a new range of magical items while Tricks of the Trade provides new rules for Spellsongs¸ Scores and Metamusic feats. Power Performances broadens the bardic music ability even further¸ opening up a large number of new art forms and styles for a bard to pursue. Finally¸ Survival Tactics covers how best to build a bard character for a number of different roles.
Here you will find a plethora of options for giving your bard that little bit of extra focus. From combat worthy bards to bards that are rogues to scholars with a creative flair you can make them all here. You will also find an expansion to the bardic music ability here. These new musical gifts allow you to explore the mysteries of music without sacrificing combat or magical ability. Indeed with these rules a bard could focus almost exclusively on being a musician and still be an effective and important character for a group. Of particular interest to bards should be the chapter on duels. Now there are more ways to enter into conflicts with an NPC than rolling some contested dice or hitting them with a sword. Creativity¸ style¸ and grace now play just as important a part as raw power. Yes¸ that fighter may well be able to ring the bard like a bell when it comes to fighting¸ but can he do it with grace and style? If not¸ he can find himself on the losing end of a duel that he otherwise would have won. You will also find a lengthy new selection of spells to round out your bard's abilities as a master enchanter and manipulator of men. Finally¸ there is an entire section dedicated to various ways in which bards find and maintain their own venues for performance. Your bard no longer has to wander around like a vagabond; he can become a wealthy and powerful member of the artistic community.