AD&D - PHBR7 - The Complete Bard's Handbook (2e)

Player’s Handbook

The
Complete

Bard’s

by Blake Mobley

Introduction ..................... 5 Chapter bur: . 64
Optional Rules ................... 5
The Other Complete Books ........ 5 Proficiencies
How to Use This Handbook ....... 7
New Proficiencies ............... 64
Compiled Proficiencies ........... 65

Chapter One: Lhapter five:

Character Creation ...............8 Bard Abilities
Qualifications ................... 8
Core Abilities .................... 8 Pick Pockets ...
GeneratingAbility Scores ........ 12 Detect Noise
Climb Walls .................... 69
Reading. Writing. and Speaking . . . 72

Chapter Two: Chapter Six:

Bard Kits ...................... 15 Magic ......................... 74
Spell Books .................... 74
Kit Subsections ................. 15 Musical Components ............ 74
New Spells ..................... 75
List of Kits ..................... 15
True Bard .................... 16 Alter Instrument .............. 75
Blade ........................ 18 Sound Bubble ............................ 75
Silence15' Radius ......................... 77
Charlatan ................................ 21 ImprovedMagic Mouth ..................
Gallant .................................. 25 Instant Audience ........................
Gypsy-bard .............................. 28
Herald .................................. 31 Wall of Sound ..............
Jester .................................... 34
Jongleur ................................. 36 Conjure Cabinet ....
Loremaster .............................. 38
Meistersinger ............................. 41 Magical Items ....
Riddlemaster ............................. 44
SMd ................................... 47 New Magical Items
Thespian ................................ 49
Creating New Kits .......................... 52 Old Magical Items .....
Acquiring. Dropping. and Changing Kits ...... 52 New Twists on Old Items .

Chapter Three: Chapter Seven
Demi.. Multi.. and Dual-Classed Music ......................... 84
Throughout History ............. 84
Bards .......................... 53 Instruments .................... 84
Musical Proficiency ........... 85
Demihumansas Bards ........... 53 Cost and Weight .............. 85
Demihuman Kits ................ 54 Glossary of Musical Instruments ............ 92
Glossary of Sound .......................... 96
Dwarven Chanter ............. 54 Fundamentalsof Music .................. 96
Elven Minstrel ............................ 56 Common Musical Terms .................. 97
Musical Items .............................. 98
Gnome Professor ......................... 58 Types of Songs ............................. 98
Halfling Whistler ......................... 61 Sample Songs ............... . . . . . . . 99
Multi-Classed Bards ......................... 63
Dual-Classed Bards ......................... 63

2 Table of Contents

Chapter Eight: Tables I

Role-Playing Bards . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 1: THE COMPLETE PHBR LINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
A Bards Mind Isn't Barred ...... 101 2: CLASS QUALIFICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Exverience .................... 101 3: ARMORALLOWED ..................... 8
Reputation .................... 102 4: EXPERIENCELEVELS .................... 9
5: LEVEL IMPROVEMENTS ........... . 9
Following a Performer . . . . . . . .102 6: SPELLPROGRESSION ............. 10
Local Reputation ........................ 105 7: BASE THIEF ABILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Benefits of a Good Reputation ............. 105 8: BARD AVERAGE THIEF SKILLS ......... 10
The Performer ............................ 106 9: THIEF SKILL ADJUSTMENTS . . . . . . . . . . .11
The Effect on Role-Playing ................ 106 10: ILLEGALARMOR ADJUSTMENT ....... 12
Defining Your Bards Personality ........... 107 11: PREGENERATEDABILITY SCORES . 13
Performances ........................... 110 12: LEGEND LORE RESULTS ...........
13: DEMI-BARDS ...................... 18
Chapter Nine:
14: NONWEAPON PROFICIENCIES . . . . .
Comrades ..................... 115 15: DETECT NOISE MODIFIERS ........
Bard Colleges .................. 115 16: CLIMBING MODIFIERS ................. 70
17: BARD CLIMBING RATES . . . . . . . .
Common Events . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 18: VERBAL COMPONENT . . . . . . . . . .
Patrons ....................... 117 19: ERAS ....... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
20: MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Initial Patrons ............... 118 21: BARD EXPERIENCE ................... 101

Gaining and Losing Patrons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 22: COMPLETE BARD EXPERIENCE ........ 102
23: INITIAL REPUTATION ................ 102
Followers ................................. 120 24: REPUTATION LADDER ................ 103
Appendix: Original AD&D@Game ........... 121 ........ 103
Bard Character Record Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 25: REPUTATION MODIFIERS
Bard Kit Record Sheet ..................... 126 26: FAME AND INFAMY .. , .. ........ 104
Index .................................... 127 27: PRECEDING REPUTATION . . . . . . . . . . . .105
28: BARDTRAITS ........................ 108
29: HOURLY STREET-SIDE INCOME . . . . . . .111

30: BOOKED INCOME .................... 112 ~~

31: CARNIVAL SHARES . . . . . . . . . . 113

32: NIGHTLY ATTENDANCE
PER PERFORMER . . . . . . . .
33: NUMBER OF PATRONS ...
34: TYPE OF PATRON . . . . . . . ....
....
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reprOducIlon01 YnBuIhOwed use 01 the material conlained hewn 16 prOhib#ledw h o m
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Random HouJe and its afMlafemmpBnieS have warlhride distribution rights 8n the
bmk lrade lor Engli~hlanguage prcduclo01 TSR I_ Dintribvfedto the book and Design: Blake Mobley
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Editing: Mike Breault
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ADVANCED DUNGEONS 8 DRAGONS, DUNGEON MASTER, and AD80 are Typography:Angelika Lokotz
regislered trademarks owned by TSR, 1°C. Production: Paul Hanchette
The TSR lqlo is 8 trademark owned by TSR, inc.
Printedin lhe U.S.A.

Fourth printing. November 1994

e 1992 TSR. Inc. AI1 Rights ReJewad 2127
ISBN 156076-3604

1 Table of Contents 3



In every era and every region throughout the Nearly half of these kits entertain through mi
world, traveling musicians wandered sic in one form or another: poetry, song, in-
throughout the land. They moved from town struments, etc. But some present such diverse
to town, making a living by plying their trade new kits as the Blade, who entertains through
as artists of sound and motion. In the A D & P creative weapon displays, knife throwing,
game, adventurers who do this are called and sword swallowing. Read on and enjoy.
bards.
Optional Rules
Historically, bards were the poet-musicians
of the Celtic peoples living in the British Isles Within this book are many new rules, bard
(theIrish, Welsh, and Scots). Bards composed kits, suggestionson role-playing, details of in-
music, sang songs, and entertained their mas- struments, and new proficiencies. This info
ters. Usually they worked for noblemen and mation adds to the rules presented in tl
spent their time honoring these noblemen and Player's Handbook.
their families in song and music. Bards often
accompanied their songs on the c m t h , a type It is important to note that this book is
of lyre. Since their music wasn't written
down, most of it has vanished. -supplement to the Player's Handbook. All of

During the early Middle Ages, bards had the rules presented here are optional. As
considerable political power and influence in player, you must have your Dungeon Mastei
the royal houses. However, in 1284 A.D., consent before using any of these new rules.
Edward I conquered Wales; the resulting tur-
moil reduced the importance of bards. Noble- The Complete Bard's Handbook is a book
men had more pressing concerns, and bards of supplementalrules for adding depth, spice,
were left to fend for themselves. A few lin- and life to the bard character class. However,
gered on, into the 17th and 18th centuries in even if your Dungeon Master should decide
Ireland and Scotland as folk singers and musi- that none of the rules within this book can
cians, but they eventually vanished along used in his campaign, you can still gain a lot
with their music. by reading the pages that follow. Most of the
important tables from the Player's Handbook
During the 19th century, a determined ef- (e.g.,level advancement, bard abilities, etc.)
fort was made to revive the bardic tradition. are compressed into one convenient section
Folk music gatherings took place in and near within this book. It is also possible to mimic
Wales. These neo-bardic activities caught on most of the new bard kits within the existing
among the public, and today the annual Eis- bard class. Thisbook answersmany questions
about bardic abilities and presents an exten-
teddfod folk festival is a popular and growing sive list of instruments available to medieval
event in this region of the world. bards, along with illustrations. And, finally,
this book has a lot of good information to
Thus, bards have shown a cunningknack to help gamers to better role-play their bai
characters.
survive through the ages. In one form or an-
other, bards have been around for nearly The Other Complete Books
1,000 years. Besides the Eisteddfod festival,
The Complete Bard's Handbook is the se
the bard has been immortalizedin the genre of enth book of the PHBR series. If you find this
fantasy. Now you have a chance to continue book useful in your gaming, you may want to
the bardic tradition. This book coversnot on- look into the other PHBRs.
ly the traditional bard, but expands the class
with new and unique character kits. All of ..
these kits involve some form of live entertain-
ment, as all bards are entertainers at heart. .Introduction 5

I I

Table 1:THE COMPLETE PHBR LINE of which could be adopted by bard characters.
Since some bards are adept with numerous
Designator Topic Stock # weapons, the section on combat rules applies
PHBRl Fighter's 2110 to certain bards (particularly the expanded
PHBR2 Thief's 2111 weapon proficiency rules, which allow a char-
PHBR3 Priest's 2113 acter to learn multipleweapons while expend-
l'HBR4 Wizards 2115 ing only a few proficiency slots). Fighting
Psionics 2117 styles, martial arts, and other odd combat
PHBR5 Dwarves 2124 rules are also presented here. Even jousting
PHBR6 tournaments are covered (idealfor the Gallant
kit). Within the "Equipment" section is a siz-
All of these books contain much inform able collection of new weapons, new armor,
and new magical items.
tion that can enhance your bard. Some of the
more useful information is listed below. The Complete Thief's Handbook: As you
might expect, this handbook has a great deal
The Complete Fighter's Handbook: The of useful information for the bard class. With-
"Character Creation" section provides an in- in are more useful rules than can be listed
here. However, general topics you may find
depth look into the armorer proficiency. helpful include the following: role-playing
Those bard kits able to wear non-standard ar- thieves, new proficiencies, guilds (construc-
mor will find this topic particularly interest- tion, maintenance, and types), thief tools,
ing. Weapon quality and its effects on combat thief equipment, new magical items, classic
are also discussed. The "Role-Playing" section cons (especiallygood for the Charlatan), new
provides a list of warrior personalities, some thief rules, and a descriptionof the thief-based
campaign.

The Complete Priest's Handbook There is
little information in this handbook that is pe
tinent to the bard character class.

The Complete Wizard's Handbook Chap-
ter 4 discusses campaign worlds with varying
levels of magic. Chapter 5 covers wizards and
combat. Chapter 6 describes spell casting un-
der water, spell functioningon various planes,
and impaired casting. Chapter 7 presents a
commentary on new applications for old
spells, adjudicating illusions, spell research,
and magical item research. Chapter 8 gives
all-new spellsrangingfrom 1stto 8thlevel. Fi-
nally, Chapter 9 contains a number of useful
wizardly lists.

The Complete Psionics Handbook There
are two useful elements within this book.
Most important are the wild talents in Chap-
ter 1.It is possible for a bard to have a few
wild psionic talents (theprocess for determin-
ing this is given in Chapto. 1 Tf il wilA talent

6 Introduction

In

is discovered, the bard player will find the rest from cover to cover unless you wish to be the
of this book invaluable, as it contains all the ultimate bard role-player. Instead, locate the
information needed to run a psionically en- section you wish to explore in greater detail
dowed bard. Also, note that all player charac- and read it to your own satisfaction.
ter Gypsy-bards are wild talents. The psionics
book also contains a number of challenging A major effort has been made to make this
psionic monsters. handbook complete, as its title states. Many of
the rules specific to bards in both the Player’s
How to U s e This Handbook Handbook and DUNGEON MASTER Guide
have been complied and condensed within this
How players use this handbook depends handbook. Also contained herein is the infor-
upon their skill level, seriousness about the
bard character class, and their relationship mation needed to generate a bard and maintain
with their Dungeon Master. him during level advancements. The common-
ly asked questions about standard bards have
Skilled players who are serious about role- been attended to, along with rules clarifica-
playing bard characters will want to read this tions where needed. The bard class has also
book closely. Those who are not as serious been fully defined for all to see. The fine points
will find the table of contents (in the front of of the class have been examined, illuminated,
this book) and the index (in the back) to be and made more accessible. Finally, there are
invaluable in locating topics of interest. many added details concerning role-playing,

A new bard character record sheet is lo- including the bard personality, reputation, and
cated at the back of this handbook. It has been role as a performer.
custom-tailored to the bard character class.
You will find spaces to place every detail of
your bard. Furthermore, the sheet has been
laid out with numerous helpful notes, com-
ments, and formats to provide you with a
plethora of information without referring to
the rule books. You may photocopy the sheet
for your own personal use.

For those of you who wish to create new
bard kits, a handy kit creation sheet is also
bound into the back of this book. This may
also be photocopied for personal use.

It is not necessary for you to read this book

1 Introduction 7

CHAPTER

Character Creation

IrL
1II

Now it is time to begin creating your own Prime Requisites': Dexterity, Charisma
Races Mowed: Human, Half-elf
bard player character. Before you decide
whether he is flippant and cavalier or stately Alignments Mowed: Any Neutral

and pondering, whether he is skilled at play- (m.NG, N, NE,
ing the lyre and reciting lyrics or spinning
tales of long-lost heroes, first you must gen- "Bards with a 16 or better in both Dexterity
erate and record his fundamental character and Charisma gain a 10% bonus to their
statistics. awarded experience points.

This section includes the basic information

needed to generate a bard. The following in- Core Abilities

formation is a comprehensive summary of the Bards can wear any armor providing Ar-
mor Class 5 (chain mail) or worse. Other
Rogue and Bard sections found in the Player's forms of armor are simply too constraining,
Handbook. It is assumed that any player us- heavy, and awkward for true entertainers to
wear. Likewise, bards cannot employ shields,
ing this book is intimately familiar with the as these get in the way of activities such as
Player's Handbook; thus, space is not spent playing instruments or performing sleightsf-
here upon background and role-playing infor- hand tricks. Carrying a lute around in the
mation. For a general discussion of these t o p dungeon is hard enough without worrying
ics, refer to the Rogue and Bard sectionsfound about a large metal shield banging around and
in Chapter 3 of the Player's Handbook. Of getting in the way.
course, The Complete Bard's Handbook
would hardly be complete without discussing Table 3:ARMOR ALLOWED

such subjects. Refer to the "Role-Playing
Bards" section of this book for a detailed ex-
amination of these topics.

Qualifications Armor 8 Cost Weight
7
Generating ability scores high enough to Leather Armor 7 4 10
qualify for the bard class is difficult. In fact, it Padded Armor 20 25
is unlikely unless your DM allows one of the Studded Leather 6 100 30
alternative dice-rolling methods described in Ring Mail 6 15 30
6 120 35
Chapter 1 of the Player's Handbook. A com- Hide Armor 5 120 40
Brigandine Armor 75 40
plete discussion on generating bard player Scale Mail
characters (along with pre-generated bards) Chain Mail
using all six dice-rolling methods is presented
at the end of this section. Although bards fight as rogues and calcu-
late their THACOs accordingly, they are al-
To be a bard or not to be a bard, these are lowed to use any weapon. Cost, weight,
the qualifications (see Table 2).
damage, and other relevant statistics for all
Table 2: CLASS QUALIFICATIONS weapons are found in Chapter 6 of the Play-
er's Handbook.
Ability Requirements:
Dexterity 12 All rogues (including bards) use Table 25 of
Intelligence 13 the Player's Handbook to determine level and
Charisma 15 hit dice based upon experience points. As
noted in the expanded reprint of this table be-

8 * Chapter One

b low, a six-sided die is used to determine hit
point increases for bards of level 1through 10
(plus any Constitution adjustments).

After 10th level, bards gain 2hit points per
level advanced. A hit die is no longer rolled
and Constitution adjustments no longer

apply.

Table 4: EXPERIENCE LEVELS

Level XP Hit THACO
1 Dice(d6) 20
2 Needed
3 0 1 20

1,250 2 19

2,500 3

7 40.000 7 17

~~~

8 70,000 8 17

9 i-i-n-n,-o-o- 9 16

0,000 10

0.000 lO+

0,ooo I O +

13 660.000 10+6 14

14 ss0;ooo 10+8 14

15 1.100.ooo 10+10 13

20 2,200,000 10+20 11

Proficiency and saving throw numbers are
listed in the following table to complete the in-
formation for level advancement. If a bard us-
es a weapon with which he isn't proficient, a
-3 attack roll penalty is incurred.

memorized affect normal fires, it would last hance these skills, they pick up a number of
for four rounds when cast (two roundsAeve1). thief skills. Of course, when times are lean,

Table 6: SPELL PROGRESSION many bards ply these abilities in less-than-

Bard Spell Level honorable manners.
Level 1 All four of these skills are treated as the
-2 -3 4 5 -6
1- - equivalent thief skills. Skill bases are listed
21 - - below.

- --- Table 7: BASE THIEF ABILITIES

Pick Detect Climb Read
Pockets Noise Walls Languages
20% 50% 5%
10%

14 3 3 3 3 1 - The player also gets 20 points to distribute
among the four skills at 1st level and 15addi-
tional points every time the bard advances in
level. If these points are distributed so as to
gradually equalize the skills, the bard might
advance each level as indicated on Table 8.

33 7. - Table 8 BARD AVERAGE THIEF SKILLS

20444443 Level Pick Detect Climb Read
1 Walls Lang.
Besides just dabbling in wizardry, 10th-level 2 Pockets Noise
bards have the powerful ability to use any 16 25 53 11
written magical item, whether it is a scroll, 20 28 56 16
book, map, or other written form. This skill is
not limited by normal class restrictions. Thus, 46 52 70 42
bards can use clerical scrolls, wizard scrolls,
and even magical books restricted to other 14 n 75 84 70
classes.
19; 93 94 95 93
Since all bards are dabblers and not devo- 20: 95 95 95 95
tees of the magical arts, their understanding of
written magic is imperfect. There is a 15%
chance that they use the work incorrectly. The
consequencesof incorrect use is up to the DM,
but they are almost certain to be unpleasant.
(It is common for a bard's allies to flee in panic
when he begins to read such items.)

Bards are most renowned for their com-
munication and entertainment talents. To en-

As with all rogues, a bards thief abilitiesare
adjusted by race, Dexterity, and armor worn.

Table 9:THIEF SKILL ADJUSTMENTS

Pick Detect Climb Read

Race Pockets Noise W-alls La-ng.
Human --
W-elf +lo% - - -

Dwarf - - -10% 5%

Dexterity Adjustments
Pick Detect Climb Read

Dex Pockets Noise Walls Lang.
9 -15% - - -
10 -10% - - -

11

17 +5% - - -

18 +lo% - - -
19 +15% - - -

s

If you compare these armor adjustments to The above information defines the standar
the "Effects of Armor on Thief Skills"table in all bards no matter what setting, history
The Complete Thief's Handbook, you see that
er's Handbook are missing in the above tr
bards have a special advantage when using ment. That is because the standard bard
ring mail, brigandine, scale mail, hide armor, detailed in the Player's Handbook, is con
and chain mail. Since bards often wear such ered a complete kit unto itself. It is called
armor while thieves do not, bards are more
Player's Handbook.
comfortable and familiarwith the workings of
these armor types. Thus, bards suffer only Generating Ability Scores
about half the skill penalties that thieves suffer
if wearing the same armor. player characters. Ability scores have
pre-generated below that qualify for the
If your DM allows a bard to put on any using all six of these methods. The proba
of generating a q u a l i i bard with
form of armor normally disallowed to the method is also provided. Note that it is

class (as suggested by certain kits, for pur- alternative methods do you have a goo
poses of disguise, out of necessity, or for the chance to roll up a bard.

sake of entertainment), the penalties are iden- If these alternative methods are used
tical to those for a thief in similar armor. od VI will practically guarantee a qu

Table 10:ILLEGAL ARMOR ADJUSTMENT

Armor Pick Hear Climb

Twe Pockets Noise walls

Splint Mail -40% -25% -50%

Banded -90%
-95%
Armor ---577055%%% -30% -95%
Plate Mail -50% -95%
Bronze Plate -50% -95%

Field Plate --9955%% -70%
Full Plate -70%

At 9th level, bards attract 10d6 0-level fol-
lowers who arrive as soon as the bard secures

ualifying character is finally rolled.

12 Chapter One

L

Table 11: I

PREGENERATEDABILITY SCORES Method V (slightly under 75%)

Method I (under 1%) Sample
Sample Bard # 4d6 Rolls, Drop Low d6
Bard# Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
1 10 13 11 13 10 15 1 17,15,14,12,10, 9
2 11 13 14 13 14 16 2 17,16,13,13,11,10
3 9 13 15 13 8 16
4 7 12 6 16 11 15 3 18,15,13,13,12,10
5 12 14 8 13 6 17
6 11 12 11 13 7 16 4 16,15,13,12,12,10

Method II (almost 5%) 5 15, 14, 13,11, 10, 9
6 15,14, 12,11,11, 6
Sample
Bard# Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha Method VI (slightly under 98%)

1 12 15 14 16 13 16 Sample 8 Pts Per Ability,
2 10 13 13 15 16 15
3 9 12 13 13 12 15 Bard # Add 7d6 As Desired
4 15 12 14 13 14 15
5 14 12 12 13 11 16 1 16 14 12 11 9 9
6 9 16 17 14 14 15 8
2 17 14 13 11 10 9
Method 111(slightly over 29%) 10
Sample 3 18 13 13 12 10 8
Bard # 3d6 Rolls 9
1 17,13,13,10, 9, 8 4 17 15 13 13 11
2 15,14,13,11, 8, 6
3 17,16,12,11, 9, 6 5 15 14 12 12 9
4 16,14,14,13,12,11
5 18,15,13,13,11,11 6 16 13 12 11 11
6 16,13,13,10, 8, 7
All of the above statistics qualify for a bard
Method N (slightly under 66%) player character. If it is agreeable to you and
your Dungeon Master, you may simply roll
Sample ld6 and consult any of the above tables your
DM allows for a quick way to generate your
Bard # Six Best 3d6 Rolls bards ability scores.If your DM allows all six
methods, you can even roll a first d6 to select
1 15,14,14,13,11,11 the table, then a second d6 to select the actual
2 18,16,14,14,13,12
3 15..14.. 14.. 13..11..11 ability scores.
4 15,15,13,13,13,11
5 15,15,14,13,12,11 Method I and I1 require ability scores to be
6 15,14,13,13,13,11
recorded in the order rolled. This has been

done for you. Since methods 111and up allow
the player to assign the scores as desired, these

scores have been organized from h& to low

for your convenience. Method VI is unusual.
Every ability starts with a base score of 8. The

player then rolls 7d6 and adds the results to

the base 8 in any order or combination. How-
ever, the full count of a die must be added en-
tirely to one ability. If this causes the ability to
raise above 18,then the die cannot be used on

that ability.

I

Character Creation 13

I

14 Chapter One

I I

Kits can be thought of as subclasses of the weapy e an option is
bard character class. They all represent bard
characters, but each is unique enough to war- strongly that they if
rant individual treatment by those players
who enjoy examining the finer points of the bard kits are allowed into the game. They
bard class.
have been carefully selected to give each kit a
All of the bard kits are set up the same way.
There are ten possible subsections to each kit uniqup feel.
that flesh out the kit and delineate its unique
aspects. The details of these subsections are Each bard kit has four bonus pro-
described below.
ies are gained with-
If the word "Standard is listed under any
subsection, it means that the information that out +pending iciency slots. It is
would normally go in that section is identical
to the standard information for the True Bard. strongly suggest least half of a bards
Actually, every kit's subsections should be
thought of as having the "Standard" default. If profi4ency slots be spent in one of three
any question ever arises as to the limits or ex-
tensions of a kit, the True Bard kit should be gaining proficiencies from among those
consulted.
"Suggested list, gaining additional
Kit Subsections
topic' (see the chapter on pdiiiencies) to
Specialty: That kit's entertainment form.
Qualifications: Qualifications will limit or profi&mcies on the Bonus or Suggested lists,
extend allowed race, alignment, and ability
scores for the particular kit. or in improving proficiencies on either list.
Introduction: This section presents a color-
ful, first-person example of the kit. Listen to qor/Equiprnent: Armor restrictions or
the NPC as he chats with you about himself
and his kind. exten ions are listed here. Sometimes special
Description: This section describes the kit
and distinguishes this particular type of bard comI!l ents will be made about equipment,
from the others.
Role:Role explains the role that this type of such As typical dress, identifying colors, spe-
bard plays within a party and in society as a
whole. acter lshould take on a different role-playing
Secondary Skills: Secondary skills is an op- feel +ause of the kit's desrriptiqe informa-
tional rule found in Chapter 5 of the Player's
Handbook. If this rule is used, only skills list- tion.
ed in this subsection of the kit can be selected Sp~cialHindrances: Special ances or
by characters who adopt this kit.
Weapon Profiaencies: A character can be- at don't fit into any
come proficient only in the weapons listed in of thd earlier subsections.
this subsection.
Nonweapon Proficienaes: Although non- List IOf Kits

All1of the bard kits are listed on the follow-

Eing p es. The first kit is that of the TrueBard,

as pr, ented in the Player's Handbook. This

k 'kit es ablishes a base from which all the other

kits e built. The other kits are arranged in
alphajbetical order. A section on multi-classed

ains an additional four
ed to demihumans.

True Bard handed sword or halberd is likely to arous
suspicions about his intentions. A bard witn
Specialty: Jack-of-all-trades. an elegantbow acrosshis back, however, does
Qualifications: Standard ability scores not draw as much attention. A finely crafted
(Dexterity of 12, Intelligence of 13, and Cha- weapon even adds a touch of class to the
risma of 15). bards appearance.
Introduction: This is a typical bard right
out of the Player’s Handbook. No introduc- Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonuses: Si
tions are needed. ing, Musical Instrument, Reading/Writ
Description: Bards are described in the (native tongue), Local History.
Player‘s Handbook. They are the epitome of
the jack-of-all-trades, able to wield all weap- Other proficiencies may be selected as de-
ons, don most types of armor, cast a good sired. For every additional proficiency slot
number of wizard spells, and employ four of
the eight thief skills. Bards are very versatile, spent in the musical instrument proficiency,
but they are masters of no craft. bards not only increase their ability, but they
As with all bards, True Bards are entertain-
ers. They can sing, play instruments, create also gain the use of two more instruments. A
and recite poetry, and spin tall tales. In fact, a bard initially knows how to play one instru-
bards skill at these art forms is such that he
can inspire and rally allies and even negate the ment (of the player’s choosing). If a second
effectsof hostile songs and sounds. proficiency slot is used for musical inst
Bards are always able to read and write ments, the bard can now accompany himse
their native language. They know much about on three instruments.
local history, and they can relate legends per-
taining to many of the powerful magical items Armor/Equipment: The bard can use any
they encounter in their travels. weapon. He can wear any armor up to, and
Bards are tremendous listeners, readers, including, chain mail, but he cannot use a
and searchers. They eagerly listen to any news shield. True Bards generally wear bright,
and stories that folk are willing to tell. If cheerful colors, sometimes wearing plumed
there‘s anything available for a bard to learn, hats to complete the ensemble. Their instru-
he’ll learn it as soon as he can. ments, clothing, and other equipment are all
Role: Bards are excellent characters to play kept in top condition.
in small gaming groups. Their varied skillsen-
able them to fill in for many more-specialized Special Benefits: Influence Reactions
characters. For example, a bard could serve as When performing for an audience, the
a small group’s wizard and thief. They are can attempt to alter the mood of his liste
great survivalists, as they can almost always Such an audiencemust not be attackingor pr
find some skill to help them out of any predic- paring for an immediate attack. The bard mu
ament they fall into. be singing, chanting, spinninga tale, reciting
Secondary Skills:True Bards may select any
secondary skill. powerful oratory, or playing a tune on a
Weapon Proficiencies: Bards are unrestrict- strument with which he is proficient. The
ed as to weaponry, but they rarely carry tended effect of the performance is determi
around bulky weapons, even if they are profi- by the bards player; he may want to make
cient with them. A bard seen carrying a two- audience friendlier or more hostile,
stance. After a length of time (ld10 ro
suggested), all NPCs able to hear the p
ance (regardless of whether or not they ar
paying attention)must roll a saving throw
paralyzation. For small groups, roll individu
saving throws. For large groups, the DM ma
split the audience into’groups of ten or s
and roll a separate saving throw for eac

I

group. There is a -1 penalty to the saving trate intensely. He may perform no additional
throw for every three levels of experience of actions other than a slow (half speed)walk. If
he is struck by an attack or fails a saving
the bard. Those failingthe roll have their reac- throw, his attempt is ruined. The exertion is
tions adjusted one level (from friendly to such that only one counter song may be at-
indifferent, for example) in the desired direc-
tion-consult Table 59: Encounter Reactions, tempted per encounter or battle.
in the DMG. Those whose saving throws suc- Success of the counter song is realized only
ceed have their reactions adjusted one level in
the direction opposite from that intended by if the bard rolls a successful saving throw vs.
the bard. spell. If this is successful, the hostile sounds
have no effects within 30 feet of the bard. If
Rally Allies: To use this ability, the bard
must know the nature of the upcoming com- the saving throw fails, the bards attempt is
bat. A bard can‘t rally allies if there is no obvi- fruitless and the hostile sounds have their
ous opponent. Rallying allies is done is much standard effects (applicablesavingthrows and
the same manner as influencingreactions. The other defenses still apply).

bard sings heroic songs or weaves inspiring Counter singing does not prevent hostile
tales about how his comrades will overcome spellcasters from reading scrolls, using magi-
their foes and win the day. Such heroic recitals cal item command words, or casting spells
(even spells with verbal components).
always take at least three rounds, and the au- Counter singing does prevent all other hostile
dience must be in close proximity to the bard
for theeffects to occur (withina 10-footradius sounds from functioning, including spell ef-
fects that require the caster to speak (e,g.,
per level of the bard). When complete, all the command, quest, suggestion, tongues, etc.).
affected allies automatically receive one of the
Legend Lore: One of the most useful abili-
following three benefits (as decided by the ties of the bard is his knowledge of famous
bards player): +1 to attack rolls, + 1 to sav- magical items and uncanny knack for figuring
ing throws, or + 2 to morale. The chosen ef- out how they function. To perform legend

fect lasts one round per level of the bard. The lore, the bard must scrutinizethe item closely.
effects can be renewed by the bard, even dur- This does not necessarilyrequire actually han-
ing the same encounter, but combatants have dling the item, but it must be fully visible to
to return to within the bards radius and listen the bard.
to his tales for another three rounds. It is im-
possible to rally allies who are actively bat- Scrutiny takes Id10 rounds, after which a
tling opponents. percentile roll is made. The bard has a 5%
chance per level of knowing something about
Note that the benefit appliesonly to the spe-
cific encounter that the bard sings about. It the item. The exact information revealed is up
to the DM. The bard draws upon history, ru-
does not apply to a ranger who hears the tale, mors, and clues based on the item’s construc-
rides off on his horse to warn the rear guard, tion to gain this information. Typical
and is then ambushed by wandering bandits. information revealed includes the item’s histo-
ry, maker, name, and other less technical as-
Counter Song: Another powerful use of
story, song, or tale when voiced by a bard is pects. Information such as the number of
that of counter song. This is the intricate art of pluses, exact command words, etc., are rarely
canceling the effects of hostile sound, whether
it be songs, chants, wails, or even commands learned. This type of specific information is
left for spells, such as idenfib,commune, lim-
and suggestions from magical spells. In order ited wish,and so on.
to sing the proper counter song or chant the
proper counter poem, a bard must concen- A good optional rule is to give some very
specific information to the bard player if the

I1 Bard Kits 17

roll is equal to or less than the bards level. Blade
Furthermore, if the roll is 01, the bard should
know almost everything there is to know Specialty: Assassin/ Spy/Weapon Master.
about the item. Qualifications: Blades must have a Dexte
ty of 13or more, an Intelligence of at least 1
If the DM allows it, the followinn table may and a Charisma of 15or more.
be used as a fast optional method to determine Introduction: So you want to know abo
what is known about an item that was suc-
cessfully examined by a bard. To use this ta- Blades, eh? Well, keep out o f the way a
ble, the bard must first succeed with the can show you about myself and those like
legend lorepercentile roll. If this roll succeeds, M y name's Dark and I'm a Blade. I take m y
the player should roll on the following table name from the black garb that I wear at all
once per level of the bard. Results that come times. I'm actually not exceptional in this, as
up more than once are not rerolled; the bard all Blades dress in dark clothing. But the nu
simply knows a lot about this aspect of the has stuck, and I like it.
item. After rolling, give the DM some time to
come up with a suitable background and his- I currently work for a small carnival th
tory. Few items are detailed with this type of travels around the mid-Flanaess, entertaining
information. After all, bards tend to be more the local crowds and thrilling the women. M y
curious about the legends and lore that lie be-
hind an item's powers than most others. tricks are similar to those of most Blades. I
perform sword dances, swallow sabers, put
Table 12:LEGEND LORE RESULTS on weapon displays, and perform feats of
knife throwing. Most crowds are especially
3d6 Roll Information Gained enthralled when I strap Tatanna, a young-
3 How many charges/uses left looking elf maiden, to a wooden plank, blind-
4 Whether item is intelligent fold myself, step back 12 paces, then encirc
5 Whether items is cursed/evil her body in a wall of knives.
6 Value on the open market
7 Name Entertainingfools is only m y surface caree
8 Famous past owners On the last day of a performance, a half doz
9 Age of item o f m y fellow performers and I stage the real
10 What race created it entertainment-at least from m y point of
11 Where it was made view. We slip into the upper class section o
12 Who crafted it town and relieve some pompous wealt
13 Alignment of owners dupe of his family fortune.
14 Whocanuseit
15 General effects Although these "sideshows" are very pro
16 How to activate it itable, they still don't give me the old thrill
17 Item type (as per DMG) that I used to get. Thus, I've turned to a more
18 Let player read DMG entry daring hobby-assassination. I'm not a
"Blade for hire," and I absolutely hate those
Special Hindrances: None.
mindless, ruthless killers. What Z do is feel o

a town to discover who's oppressing the
lace the most. Once I've found the bigg
ly in town, I slip into his residence,
him, and plan his untimely demise.
perform m y greatest solo act. I slip into the
fellow's bedroom, poison him, cast so

mobubble, wake him, and then share in his

few

Description:Blades are master artisans with ing. These dances include thrusts, lunges,
bladed weapons. Everyone has seen a Blade in leaps, graceful arcs, etc.

action at fairs and carnivals. They are the If there is a showy way to wield, throw, or
knife throwers who pop balloons while blind-
folded and swallow slender sabers such as perform with a weapon, a Blade knows how
those used by lawless pirates on the high seas. to do it better than anyone.

Blades also perform amazing displays of Role: Blades have great reputations as the
most deadly weapon masters in the land. This
weapon skill and control as they flash various is generally far from the truth. Any warrior is
weapons all about their bodies with deadly more skilled than most Blades at successfully
precision. Oriental Blades are perhaps the attacking opponents. Blades don't understand
most skilled at this particular art form. Using
offensive and defensive weapon maneuvers,
weapons such as the three-piece rod, nuncha- nor do they know the locations of vital body
ku, or the katana, Oriental Blades put on parts. Blades can be effective in many combat
amazingdisplays of rapid weapon movement, situations, however, as they use flash and
including offensive and defensivespins, katas, flare to enhance their attacks.

and ritual dances. Occidental Blades are also Imagine what an orc would think if it was
impressive, as they rapidly spin short swords,
trapped in a cavern with only two exits and a
quarterstaves, or sickles about them. man blocking each. One man (a warrior)
Besides rapid displays of weapon skill, wears plate mail and is calmly holding a long
sword; the other (a Blade) is dressed in solid
Blades also perform slow, elegant dances, in- black studded leather armor and is grasping a
volving incredibly precise movement and tim-

Bard Kits 19

halberd. Both men advance upon the hapless an effect, the Blade must whirl a non-missile
weapon about his body. The observer must be
orc, but the Blade begins rotating his halberd
in an everquickening offensive spin, demon- close enough to the Blade to see the display
(e.g.,a darkness spell negates the effect). The
strating masterful control of his weapon. display has no effect upon those already en-
Which opponent will the orc choose? gaged in close combat, as they are too busy to
pay attention to the show. Also, Weapons
Blades are valuable aids to any party, as Display works only on those of Low (5)or
their amazing displays can have significant ef- better Intelligence, who can either use weap-
fects upon the resolve and morale of oppo- ons or have seen them used. (It is impossible
nents.
to impress green slime by twirling a dagger in
For every Blade who leads an adventurous your fiiers.) Likewise, a highly intelligent
life, there is another who serves in the role of creature that has never seen a weapon used
assassin. Blades make perfect killers, as they will also be unintimidated by the Blade's dis-
know how to climb walls, cast wizard spells,
and use any weapon they choose. Further- play.
By whirling a melee or hurled weapon
more, Blades can use their performing per-
sonae to gather information and even get about, a Blade can affect the morale and cour-
themselves invited to perform within the age of others. Such a display of skill, preci-
homes of their victims. sion, and deadly grace lowers opponents'
morale by 2 (but it does not require an imme-
Secondary Skills:Armorer, Bowyer/Fletch- diate morale check) and inspires allies, giving
er, Gambler, Weaponsmith. a +1 bonus to allies' attack rolls.

Weapon Profidencim At least half of a The display must occur for a full round
Blade's weapon proficiency slots must be se- without interruption. During this time, any
lected from the following: sword (any), dag- successful attack upon the Blade, or failed
saving throw by the Blade, disrupts the dis-
ger, knife. Blades are also limited to expending
but one slot on a purely missile weapon (one play.
Weapons Display may be used only once
that cannot be used in melee combat). This
does not include such weapons as spears or per encounter; the display lasts for one round

hand axes, which can be thrown or used in per level of the Blade.
melee. This ability requires a lot of room; it cannot

Nonweapon Profidenam Bonuses: Read- be done in a narrow corridor. Specifically, the
ing/Writing (native tongue), Local History, Blade must be able to stand with his arms ex-
Blind-fighting, Juggling. Suggested: Black- tended while holding out the weapon and be
smithing, Bowyer/Fletcher, Disguise, Poetry, able to move his arms in all directionswithout
contacting any obstructions.
Weaponsmithing.
AnnorEquipment: To complement their en- Handle Weapon: Blades train and perform
with weapons in both hands. Although all
tertainment image as mysterious and fear- thieves are allowed to attack with two weap-
some men, Blades often dress in black garb, ons (see Chapter 9 of the PHB), Blades suffer
even going so far as to wear masks, facial no penalty to their main weapon and only a
wraps, or black headgear. Their weapons are - 2 penalty to the attack roll with their sec-

always kept in perfect condition and highly ondary weapon.
polished for maximum effect during a per- Blades are considered to be ambidextrous.
formance. A man dressed in solid black, flash-
They can shoot a bow equally well with either
ing gleaming silver blades, is truly an their left or right hand, they can wield a sword
awesome sight.

Spedal Benefits:
Weapons Display: For this ability to have

20 Chapter Two

in either hand, and they can throw daggers opponent. The spin must last for the entire
with either hand-all with no penalties. round, duringwhich the Blade does not attack
(nor does he receive any Armor Class adjust-
When a Blade tries to catch small weapons ment, as he would for a defensive spin). On
that are thrown at him, the attack roll (see the the next round, the Blade makes a normal at-
jusgling proficiency) is made using the Blade's tack roll. If this hits, the victim must roll a
level as a bonus. successfulmorale check or it will try to stay at
least ten feet from the Blade (going off to at-
Trick Throw: Although this ability is called tack other members of the Blade's party or
fleeing in terror if the Blade is the only availa-
"trick throw," it functions the same for both ble opponent). Offensive spins may be at-
missile weapons and hurled weapons. Trick tempted only once on a particular creature.
throw enables a Blade to perform called shots Furthermore, the Blade cannot have been
(asper Chapter 9 in the DMG). The usual - 4 damaged by that creature prior to the offen-
sive spin attack (a creature won't fear some-
attack roll penalty is lessened by 1for every one it has already injured). This is a difficult
five experiencelevels of the Blade (round frac- condition to fulfill, as the creature gets a free
tions up). Thus 1st- through 5th-level Blades round to attack while the Blade is the first
round of the offensive spin. Offensive spins
suffer only a -3 penalty, 6th- through 10th- function only against creatures of Low (5) or
level Blades suffer only a -2 penalty, and so better Intelligence.
on.
If the Blade's spin is interrupted (either vol-
Because Blades throw weapons blind- untarily or by a successful attack), the Blade
folded, they extend the blind-fighting profi- does not get an attack that round.

ciency to include hurled weapons and missile Special Hindrances: Unlike many other
weapons (to a maximum range of 30 feet). bards, Blades do not gain the l0th-level ability
to use all forms of written magical items.
Defensive/Offensive Spin: Defensive and Blades study weapons, not scrolls, maps, and
offensive spins are elements of a good weapon books.
display. They have other uses as well.
Notes: Although Blades do not receive a
A defensive spin is a specialized form of single bonus to damage or attack rolls, and
parrying (see Chapter 9 of the PHB) in which they fight as rogues, they are still some of the
the Blade whirls his weapon to create a deadly flashiest combatants you'll ever meet or play.

shell about his body. A Blade may not attack Charlatan
during any round in which he is performing a
defensive spin. The Blade's Armor Class is Specialty TricksterKon Artist.
Qualifications: Standard ability scores.
lowered by half the Blade's level (round frac- Charlatans live off the fat of the land, bending
all the rules and hopping through loopholes in
tions up) during this maneuver. In addition, the law. It is completely against the personali-
any creature that makes a melee attack on the ty of the Charlatan to be lawful. Charlatans
Blade must roll a successful saving throw vs. are limited to NG, N, NE, or CN a l i i e n t s .
paralyzation or suffer damage equal to half Gnomes may become Charlatans and advance
up to 6th level.
the Blade's level (round fractions up; the dam- Introduction: My real name is Tiel, but
age is limited to the weapon's maximum dam-
age, including any bonuses of the weapon). A

defensive spin may be used only once per
combat; it lasts for a maximum number of
rounds equal to the Blade's Constitution. A
successful hit upon the Blade disrupts his con-
centration and ends the defensive spin.

An offensive spin is a much more threaten-
ing maneuver. The Blade creates a fearsome-
looking display of skill directed at a specific

Bard Kits 21

most of the fools who fall into m y traps call to be conned. Then the Charlatan's quick f
me Tori. I know exactly how to get what I may serve him better th

want from others. Especially those who are Role: Charlatans are wanderers. Th

overconfident, weak, or emotional. from town to town,

People often believe what they want to be- tity to another, alw

lieve, and l take advantage of this. l know person they swindl

how to swindle these simple-minded fools and

make them feel good about it.

I have many disguises with which to cloak

m y activities. M y favorite is that of a cleric of

Tyr. Of course, none of m y ruses has ever

been uncovered, and it's a good thing. There's

a saying: "There are two types of Charla-

tans-those who are good and those who are

dead." ading as priests, healers,

I usually don't stay in one place for very powerful mages, and retired heroes.

long; it's not safe. By the time the poor fool As player characters, Charlatans are

I've hicked has figured out what happened, useful in town-based campaigns

I'm long gone.

Once, I agreed to watch over the castle of a

good "friend," the rapacious Sir John of Can-

ters, while he went o f fon a quest. I sold the of their talents have little

castle and made off with all the loot before he ruins or wilderness areas.

returned. For now, I am performing sleight- ten pose as wizards, wa

of-hand tricks for mere pocket coins until I sometimeseven priests.

meet another "friend." Perhaps tomorrow I really come into their own.
will be a powerful mage or a war hero.
Secondary Skills:Charlatans can have a

I thrive in cities and towns where victims secondaryskill. However, well over ha

are plentiful and easy to manipulate. Lately, I Charlatans are gamblers, jewelers, or 1

have been considering the possibility of pos- painters, for these skills help fill their coi

ing as a thief. W h y ? So I can accompany a purses in lean times.

party of adventures in a quest and collect m y Weapon Proficiencies: Charlatans mu

"share" of the treasure. take dagger, short sword, or long sword a

Description: Charlatans are masters at ma- one of their initial weapon profidencies,

nipulating people. Using their high Intelli- these weapons are used in so many roles t

gence and understanding of human nature, they shouldn't be passed over. At least ev

Charlatans prey upon the foolish, overconfi- second weapon proficiency gained must b

dent, and greedy people around them. one of these three until they are all selected.

Charlatans often seem bold and boisterous, A Charlatan selects the rest of his weapons

but they always maintain self-control. The to fill the needs of various roles. For example,

profession of swindling others and making if Charlatan decides to masquerade as a pow-

them feel good about it is an age-old practice erful warrior, he arms himself with a heavy

and none are better at it than Charlatans. combat weapon (a two-handed sword, po-

The Charlatan's profession has its down- learm, long bow, or a battle axe) and spends a

side, too. When a Charlatan's facade is proficiency slot learning it. This way he can

I pierced, he is in grave danger, for no one likes appear to be a skilled and tough fighter. The

Charlatan always uses his proficient weapon
in dire situations. If an encounter is less
threatening, the Charlatan uses one of the oth-
er weapons so as to appear to be a well-round-
ed fighter (the -3 non-proficiency penalty is
easier to hide when attacking monsters with
poor Armor Classes).

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonuses: Act-
ing, Disguise, Forgery, Gaming. Suggested:
Appraising, Astrology, Healing, Herbalism,

Juggling, Reading Lips, Religion, Rope Use,

Singing, Ventriloquism.
Annor/Equiprnent:A Charlatan is allowed

to wear any type of armor if a role requires it.
Thus, a Charlatan masquerading as a paladin
can wear plate mail and carry a shield. But a
Charlatan is a finesse character; heavy, bulky
armor goes against the grain of his personali-
ty. No Charlatan will maintain a role that re-
quires him to wear non-bard armor for more
than a few weeks.

Special Benefits:
Charm: Charlatans are aware of their
unique charm and flair. They have learned to
use this gift to sway the reactions of others.
However, such charm must be carefully tai-
lored to a specific audience. Charlatans can
affect only a small group of people, no larger
in number than their current level.
To be charmed, a group must be in average
to high spirits. (You can't charm a merchant
who's just been robbed.) The Charlatan must
mingle among the intended group and chat for
at least ld10 rounds. After this time, those in
the group roll a saving throw vs. paralyzation
with a penalty of -1 per three levels of the
Charlatan. Those who succeed are unim-
pressed with the Charlatan and may even find
him to be an irritation. If they succeed on a
natural 20, they see through the Charlatan's
facade.
Those who fail have been caught up in the

Charlatan's tales and find him to be a most re- endeavor.
markable person. The effects of the charm are
identical to the wizard spell of the same name. Unlike the True Bard, the Charlatan onlv
However, it is not magical in any way, and
future saving throws are not made based on appears to be a jack-of-all trades. He does n i t
Intelligence and time. Rather, every time the
study skills to use them, but for the sake uf
Charlatan stresses the relationship-by call-
ing for a favor, or requesting delicate informa- conning others into believing he has them.
tion-the paralyzation saving throw is
The use of this ability is resolved by the
rerolled. The DM can give bonuses or penal-
in much the same manner as an illusion s
ties depending on how much stress the request
puts on the relationship. If the performance is not overly suspicious

Masquerade: The ability of masquerading and the characterswatchinghave no reason to

requires much study, time, and effort on the disbelieve the bards ability, then the attempt

part of the Charlatan. This enables a Charla- appears genuine. Otherwise, a saving thro
tan to appear to have a specific skill. This is
not a disguise, as the proficiency of that name. vs. paralyzation is rolled with a -1 penalt
Rather, it is the ability to appear proficient at
the chosen skill. The character picks up the per three levels of the Charlatan. Those wh
language (IJUZwZords'), professional manner-
isms, and general techniques to help him in his succeed realize that the Charlatan is a fraud

A Charlatan can use his masquerade abili

to fake any nonweapon proficiency or secon

ary skill. Furthermore, if the Charlatan rolls

successfulIntelligencecheck with a -10

ty, he actually functions as if

the skill or proficiency (for th

ly). Thus, a Charlatan can act

enough to keep skeptics satisfied.

For example, if Tiel is masquerading as

cleric, she can daim to know the healing

ficiency even though she doesn't really

it. Unless those she heals are suspicious,

will believe that the attempts are genuine

they are suspicious, roll as described two par

agraphs prior to this one). First -Ti1e0l'spepnlaaylteyl
rolls an Intelligencecheck with a

If that roll succeeds, she next rolls a heal

proficiency check. If this check also succee

the patient is healed of ld3 points of damage

If the Intelligencecheck fails, everyonewatch

ing rolls a savingthrow vs. paralyzation (wi

a -1penalty per three levels of the Charlat

to notice that the Charlatan is a fraud. If

Intelligence check succeeds but the

check fails, the patient and onlooker

only that a valid attempt was made but it jus

didn't help.

Each time Tiel masquerades as a healer, a

Intelligence check is rolled with a -10 penalty

If the check succeeds, a successfulhealing pro.

ficiency check will actually heal ld3 uoints o

Detect Fakery: Because Charlatans are so She rolls a 25 and swindles her way into pay-
skilled at faking their personalities, lying, and ing only two gold and one electrum for the
concealing their feelings and reactions, they wine (25% of the original cost). If she had
can see right through false personae and ver- rolled a 54-69 the barkeeper would have no-
bal trickery when others attempt them. As the ticed the error and politely requested the re-
old saying goes, "You can't con a con man." mainder of the money. On a 70 or above the
Any time a Charlatan player requests it, he barkeeper would not only have noticed the er-
can try to determine if someone is lying, oper- ror, but he would have realized that Tiel tried
ating under false pretenses (including a mas- to swindle him (with unpleasant consequences
querade), or swindling him. A Charisma for Tiel).
check is rolled. Success means the Charlatan
realizes the deception. Swindling rolls should not be used for
amounts in excess of 10 gp per level of the
Furthermore, a Charisma check with a -10
penalty enables the Charlatan to determine a Charlatan. Such grand swindles require full
person's alignment. This requires that the role-playing.
Charlatan speak with and observe the individ-
ual for ld10 rounds. Special Hindrances: None.

Swindling: Major cons, such as duping a Gallant
king into believing that you are a highly re-
Specialty: Romantic Warrior (cavalier).
spected sage, drawing him into your inner
confidence, and then relieving him of the Qualifications: Standard ability scores.
crown jewels, should be done only through
role-playing. However, Charlatans hone such Gallants cannot be neutral evil. Most Gallants
skills by constantly performing minor swin-
dles and tricks. These are far too numerous are neutral good.
and insignificant to role-play every time.
Swindling covers this aspect of a Charlatan's Introduction: Life as a Gallant?Well, take it
skill repertoire.
from me, Sir Gladiel, that life and love are one
By performing various cons, sleight-of-
hand, and other deceptions, a Charlatan is of- and the same. I and my squire, Thorp, have
ten able to walk away from a merchant with
been traveling the Dale Lands since we met
far more than a fair deal. The same is true of
any common outlay of coins, such as buying some four years ago. Always I am enriched by
meals at a tavern, paying for a room at an inn,
and purchasing ordinary items. In instances the charming young ladies I encounter. Be-
like these, the Charlatan makes a pick pockets
roll. If successful, the cost of the item is re- tween them and the innocent children, I don't
duced to the percentage rolled; this is what the
Charlatan pays. If the roll fails by more than see how any man can claim that we live in evil
the Charlatan's Charisma, the con is seen
times.
through. Swindle rolls above 95 are always
detected by the victim. For the past seven months Ibe been follow-

For example, Tiel tries to swindle a bar- ing the jousting circuit established by his royal

-keeper for a 10-gpglass of imported wine (Tiel highness, Duke Mark of Gunwar Keep. It's

has onlv six gold coins left). Tiel's oick oock- been a splendid round of competition. So far

she has a I've only won three of m y 27 matches, but

nearly two dozen ofthe fairer sex will whisper

m y name for years to come, for I have en-

tranced them with m y honest charm and pure

heart.

Unfortunately, there are few men left these

days who believe in love for love's sake, who

protect the innocent, and who strive for moral

purity. Even paladins are too caught up in

their own righteousness to live life nronerlv.I
I. I

Bard Kits 2 5

is the goal of life. Winningand losing is unim- Role: Gallants travel the lands in search o
beauty and true love. Their romantic outlook
?portant.All that tters is that you are happy is such that they can always imagine a purer
life just over the next ridge. Thus, they neve
and that your actzon do not deprive others of stay in one place for long. Because of this
happiness. most Gallants own a horse to travel the lands

Description: There is no character as pure The pastime of many Gallants is the medi
eval tournament. Here the skills of jousting
and romantic as the Gallant. He travels the dueling, archery, and other combat practice
are honed. Such tournaments draw crowds o
lands on the wings of romance and true love, young men and women before which the Gal

stealing the hearts of the young and lightening lants may perform. Although the warrio
the spirits of the elderly. A Gallant seems to be classes usually win these tournaments, Gal
blessed with a grace and charm not given to lants often win the hearts of the onlookers an1
others of his race. steal the day's glory away from the victoriou
warriors. Of course, this causes a lot of fric-
Gallants are often mistaken for paladins or tion between Gallants and jealous warriors.
cavaliers. They dress and act much l i e heroic
When a Gallant goes on an adventure, it i
warriors. But they are not driven by blood lust likely the result of some promise to a fai
or the desire to slay monsters for the sake of de-
maiden, to retrieve an item of beauty an1
stroying evil. Gallants are romantics at heart. love, or for some other romantic cause. 11
They defend beauty, innocence, and love.

Yet the ways of love and romance cause
many a famous Gallant to end his life in trag-

edy. Shakespeare's Romeo would be such a
Gallant.

26 Chapter Two

I

'%

these situations, the Gallant adopts the role of immediately drop over dead. Rather, he lin-
a heroic fighter and charges forward regard- gers on long enough to recite one final tragic
less of the dangers that lie ahead. poem for those who will listen. If the Gallant

Secondary Skills:A Gallant should pick his is slain in combat while defending love, inno-
secondary skill from one of the following: Ar- cence, or beauty (includmg members of the
opposite sex), the Gallant hangs on and fights
morer, Bowyer/Fletcher, Groom, Hunter, for another ld4 rounds or until struck for ad-
Leather Worker, Weaponsmith. ditional damage equal to his level. Then he re-
cites his poem and dies.
Weapon Proficiencies: Gallants must select
the jousting lance for use in tournaments. Be- Code of the Gallant: Gallants all live by a
ing the romantic fightersthat they are, it is im- codeof ethics that has slowly evolved over the
portant that Gallants always keep their years. If a Gallant is true to this code, he gains
weapons in perfect order and well polished. an inner confidenceand peace that results in a

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonuses: Danc- + 2 bonus that can be applied to either his at-
ing, Etiquette, Languages (Ancient), Poetry.
tack roll, damage roll, Armor Class, or saving
Suggested: Animal Training, Armorer, Artis-
tic Ability, Blacksmithing, Blind-fighting, throw each round. During the round, the Gal-
Bowyer/Fletcher, Languages (Modern), lant player may decide to use the +2 bonus at
Leatherworking, Musical Instrument, Riding any time before rolling the dice that will be

(Land-Based), Reading/Writing, Singing, adjusted. Once the bonus is used in a round, it
Weaponsmithing. is not available again until next round. The
bonus cannot be split into two +1 modifiers.
Armor/Equipment: Gallants are allowed to
wear any form of armor, even those not nor- If a Gallant breaks this code, he loses the
mally allowed to the core bard. However, + 2 bonus until the infraction is remedied.
Further, he must seek out a priest who will lis-
Gallants are more interested in quality and ap- ten to his transgressions and cast atonement
pearance than in the armor's actual protec- upon him (suchpriests will often require some
tion. They will don a gleaming suit of chain
mail instead of a dented suit of plate mail. A form of penance).

suit of studded leather +1 is more appealing The Code of the Gallant

to them than the gleaming chain, but padded T. h.e. Gallant will . . . innocent, and those
leather +4 is even better (i.e., the bigger the
magical bonus the better, regardless of the ar- defend lovers, the
mor type). However, of all forms of armor, el-
ven chain mail is most prized by the Gallant. of the opposite sex and aid them in times of

The same logic holds true for all of their .need (unlessthey are enemies or hostile).

equipment. . . never marry nor solemnly vow to love
Special Benefits:
Essence of Purity: Because Gallants are so .. .only one person.
never retreat from combat until allies of
infused with love, beauty, and the aspirations
of a romantic, they seem to hang onto life the oppositesex have done so first (unless they

when others would allow it to slip away. . . .are fellow Gallants).
Thus, Gallants gain a bonus of 1 hit point never overstay his welcome at any
each level (in addition to any Constitution bo-
.place.
nuses). Furthermore, if a Gallant fails a saving
. .spend at least half of his money on the
throw that will result in his death, the savin-g
. . .innocent or romance.
throw is rerolled for a second chance. own only what he can carry with him.
Even when a Gallant is slain, he does not
Romantic Appeal: The romantic appeal of a
Gallant is so strong that non-hostile encounter

I Bard Kits 27

reactions are adjusted one level in a more Specialty: Dance/Instruments/Singiig.
friendly direction unless a successful saving
throw vs. paralyzation is rolled with a -1 Qualifications: Standard ability scores.

penalty per three levels of the Gallant. How- Gypsy-bards cannot be lawful neutral. Elves
ever, if the encounter includes mixed genders,
those of the same sex as the Gallant will actu- can become Gypsy-bards able to advance to

ally be adjusted one level in the opposite di- the 9th level.
rection if they succeed on their saving throw Introduction:I'm known as Madraime, and
(as jealousy rears its ugly head).
I'm a Gypsy lady. Oh, I'm not what most peo-
Poetic Charm: A Gallant who directs his at- ple would call a typical Gypsy. Within the so-
tention to one person of the opposite sex can ciety o f gypsies, there are many different
types of individuals. I am what is known as a
attempt to win that person's heart. This re- Gypsy-bard, performing-Gypsy, or dancin-g-
quires the Gallant to perform many subtle acts girl.
of wit and charm. Among these acts must be
the recital of at least one poem concerning the I travel with my father's caravan, perform-
ing for the locals o f a region as we pass
person. The entire effort takes a minimum of through. When I'm not singing and dancing
Id10 turns, after which the person rolls a sav- for the outsiders, I often entertain those of m y
ing throw vs. paralyzation with a -1 penalty caravan in the evening hours. There is nothing
per three levels of the Gallant. Failure means
that the person is affected as if the Gallant cast as lovely as spending an evening among my
a charm spell on him or her. own kind, dancing, singing, and enjoying the
company of those who understand the world.
The effect is not magical and doesn't wear
Like all Gypsies, I realize that humans,
off over time, unless the Gallant exploits or elves, dwarves, and others were meant to lead
treats the person badly. Each such abuse re- lives of inner discovery, peaceful joy, and as-
sults in another saving throw being rolled to sociation with nature. I know that many peo-

break the Gallant's charm. TheDungeon M a 5 ple distrust Gypsies, calling us thieves and
worse. This occurs because we Gypsies are
ter may apply adjustmentsbased on the situa- misunderstood. Our beliefs are so pure and so
tion. For example, if a Gallant asks a princess
to tell him where the king's treasure is hidden, natural that they are hard for outsiders to
she will gain a saving throw adjusted by the understand.
degree of loyalty she has to her father. Strik-
ing the princess (something greatly out of For example, as a Gypsy, I understand that
character for a Gallant) to gain this informa- ownership of an item exists only so long as the
tion is likely to result in at least a +5 bonus to
item is not ignored or forgotten. If I lay down
break free of the Gallant's charm. m y magical dagger, walk away, and one of m y
brothers should find it, the dagger is then his.
Special Hindrances: A Gallant is a wander- If1want it back I must trade him something in
exchange.
er who never builds a stronghold. Nor does he
How can anyone claim to own something
attract followers at 9th level. At 5th level, that they aren't using or aren't holding? What
however, a Gallant gains a squire (a 1st-level gives a king the right to say that he owns the
fighter). This squire is absolutely devoted to land of a country? The land was there before
the Gallant, maintains his equipment in top he or his family ever lived, and it will be there
order, and accompanies him on all of his long after they are all dead. Likewise, how can
quests. If a Gallant's squire is slain, a new a farmer claim that he owns the sheep that
feed upon the land? These sheep exist because
squire arrives as soon as the Gallant acquires
two more experience levels.

they eat the fruit of the land, and the land be- their free will, their brethren, and from their
longs to no one. The ways of outsiders are natural surroundings.
very odd indeed.
A Gypsy-bard is loyal to and protects his
We Gypsies are a peaceful folk who wish
only to travel upon the good earth, laugh, friends, but friendship must be earned, and it
sing, and live the ways of life. is not gained easily.

Description: This kit defines the role of the Possession and ownership are the same.
Money is useless unless it brings you
bard in Gypsy life. Gypsies can be treated as a pleasure; trade is a better form of commerce.
coherent society or as any group with a no- You should always dress and act natu-
rally and comfortably.
madic lifestyle. The rigid customs and beliefs of non-
Gypsies are often called "forest nomads." Gypsies are foolish and should be ignored.

They travel the lands in caravans comprising Only a fellow Gypsy truly understands the
carts, wagons, horses, and the Gypsy folk.
These people are well known for their strange Gypsy way of life. Others wrongly classify
Gypsy music and dances. Some caravans sur- Gypsies as thieves, beggars, carnival people,
nomads, or any number of other erroneous
vive by entertaining the communities they en- names. If a label must be used, the most accu-
counter. Not all gypsies are bards; the rate is "freemen."
Gypsy-bard is only one type of character that
fills the ranks of a Gypsy band. Role: Gypsy-bards wander the land, experi-
encing l i e as they go. They travel until they
Gypsy ways are strange to others and poor- find something of interest: a beautiful glade,
ly understood by most. They do not recognize an interesting village, an audience to sing and
the existence of private property. The fruits of dance before, or someone who wants to trade
the land belong to all. If there is not enough to with them. Then they establish a temporary
camp and remain until their need to see more
go around, it is easy enough to pack the wag-
ons and move along. Likewise, Gypsies use of the world overpowers their desire to stay.
An adventuring Gypsy-bard may be on a
only what they need and do not seek wealth
or possessions for their own sake, or for the personal quest to locate some special animal
influence or power that they bring. They do
not have a king or queen, although sometimes or flower for the "Gypsy queen," or he could
they will lay claim to these titles to gain ad- simply be out to experience the great wonders
that appear along the adventuring path. In
vantage in bartering (when outsiders believe any event, a Gypsy-bard always has a pur-
this, the Gypsies take it as proof of their gulli- pose and philosophy to his adventuring, even
bility and stupidity). if it is "to wander for the sake of wandering."

Gypsy-bards have an entire collection of Secondary Skills: Forester, Gambler,
unconventional concepts that make up their Groom, Hunter, Jeweler, TeamsterIFreighter,
philosophy of life: Trader/Barterer.

Gypsy-bards are free thinkers. For exam- Weapon Proficiencies: Gypsy-bards must
ple, many do not marry, seeking companion- take either dagger or knife, and their first
ship only for as long as both parties agree to sword (if any is ever taken) must be either the
the arrangement. khopesh or scimitar. Gypsy-bards cannot be-
come proficient in the following weapons:
Gypsy-bards love nature. battle axe, lance (any), polearm (any), tri-
Many Gypsy-bards don't worship deities dent, two-handed sword, bastard sword, or
warhammer. All other weapons are available
(although certain deities may look over
them). Instead, they worship the concepts of

nature, free will, and life.
Gypsy-bards draw their energies from

to them. mals. They automatically gain the proficien-
Nonweapon Profidencies: Bonuses: Danc- cies of animal handling, animal lore, animal
training, and riding (land-based). Further-
ing, Direction Sense, Languages (modem- more, their training and riding skills
any animal with which they become
Gypsy), Musical Instrument (tambourine,
violin, mandolin). Suggested: Ancient Histo- At 5th, 10th and 15th levels, G
ry, Astrology, Cooking, Craft Instrument,
gain the ability to cause certain
Disguise, Fire-Building, Gaming, Herbalism, fects, each once per day. At 5th le
able to cause the effects of anim
Hunting, Juggling, Singing, Spellcraft, Sur- by speaking kindly in the secret langua
their own (Gypsydialect). At 10th level,
vival, Tracking, Ventriloquism, Weather can concentrate and gain the benefits of a
cute animals or plants spell. Finally, at
Sense. level, they gain the speak with animals ab

Armor/Equipment: Gypsy-bards can wear Allure of the Gypsies: Certain Gypsy so
only leather, padded, studded leather, hide, or and dances are very alluring and can h
elven chain mail. The other types are too powerhl influences over those who will
noisy, bulky, and are considered to be impure listen or take part. For such performances
and unnatural. function, a group of at least three Gyps

Both male and female Gypsy-bards love to bards must be performing together, or the a
wear gaudy jewelry. Their garments are typi- dience must be willingly participating.
cally loose-fitting and comfortable.

Special Benefits:
Animal Rapport: Gypsy-bards are nearly
druidical in their ability to associate with ani-

These performances take at least ldlO Special Hindrances: A Gypsy-bards climb
turns. The effect of such performances can be walls ability works best when climbing trees.
identical to any one spell of the enchantment/ They are not skilled at climbing cliffs, build-
ing walls, or cave walls; they suffer a 25%
charm school (as determined by the dance). penalty when scaling these surfaces.
However, at least one of the main performers
must be high enough level to cast the spell. It Herald
is not required that the performer have the
spell memorized, but he must have personal Specialty: Linguist/Orator.
knowledge of it (in his spell books; roll a suc- Qualifications: Standard ability scores.
Demihumans can become Heralds of up to 6th
cessful "chance to learn spell" check). The level.
spell range, duration, and other effects that Introduction: Hello, m y name is Bard,
vary by caster level are determined by the eli- JamesBard, and I'm a Herald working for His
gible performer's level, as if he actually cast Majesty, the king.
the desired spell. M y duties are of the utmost importance to
the king and to the continued vitality of the
Fortune Telling: By using any magical item kingdom, for I am secretly in charge of the
suited for scrying or divining the future, such King's private men-at-arms and personal
as a crystal ball or medallion of ESP, a Gypsy- bodyguards. If the king's life is in danger, I am
bard can gain the benefits of an augury spell. responsible for ensuring his safety.
Each day, the Gypsy-bard can ask one ques- M y public image is one of party-goer,
ladies' man, and general royal busybody. I
tion per five levels of experience (roundedup). frequent all the best parties in town. The king
Note that Gypsy-bards can even tell fortunes often ensures that I am invited. At these func-
by using magical scrying items that are not tions, I meet important people and use m y
otherwise usable by them. For example, crys- fantastic communication skills and intellect to
tal balls are usable only by wizards, and not uncover potential plots against the throne.
even a Gypsy-bard can gain the typical bene- When I'm not partying, the public finds me
fits of the ball. However, by looking into one at the castle gate. When a party comes to the
castle, I use m y knowledge to identify their
and concentrating, a Gypsy-bard can ask one Herald or banner and call out their name,
augury-style yes/no question per five levels, such as: "Duke Amenga and entourage from
during that day. Castle Peledge." This is a useful service, but
m y real purpose is to identify these visitors,
Besides items suited for scrying and divin- assess their potential threat to the king, and
ing the future, Gypsy-bards are able to per- act accordingly.
form the same feat with a deck of many Enough talk, I must be off to chat with that
things. Additionally, when a deck of many strange-looking man entering the gates over
things is used by the Gypsy-bard for this pur- there.
pose, the cards turned never affect him for Description: Heralds make their living by
good or bad. Drawing the void or the donjon uncovering hidden truths. If a royal family
card will not cause the deck to vanish. How- has a closely guarded secret, a Herald will un-
ever, the deck still functions normally when doubtedly discover it. In the struggle for land
and power among kingdoms, the Herald is a
used for purposes other than the augury. key force. A good Herald knows who is plot-
Psionics: An unusually large number of

Gypsy-bards are psionic. If the optional psi-
onics rules are used (see The Complete Psi-
onics Handbook), all player character

Gypsy-bards should be wild talent psionics.
Psionic talents are determined by whatever

method the DM prefers.

ting against his king and why. The royal Herald might be sent by his
Heralds are confident and Dn an undercover fact-finding mission-
instance, to investigate a rumor that Z
matters of social etiquette. They often gather Keep is secretly funding an orc uprising
south. Often, a Heralds communications
their information at royal events, such as balls will prove invaluable on such quests.
and other celebrations. They are often mis-
taken for nobility; thus, they can easily make Secondary Skills: Groom, Hunter, Jewele
their way past guards. Heralds dress in the lat- Limner/Painter, Scribe.
est and most expensive fashions of the day.
They prefer silk and bright colors. Members Weapon Proficiencies: Heralds are not r
of the opposite sex are often attracted to Her- stricted in this area.

alds by their self-confident manner and slight Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonuses:
arrogance. quette, Heraldry, Local History, Readi
Writing. Suggested: Languages (ancient
One thing is certain, Heralds are some of modern), Musical Instrument (horn famil
At least half of a Herald's nonweapon pr
the most competent communicators around. ciencies must be spent in learning languages.
They can speak dozens of languages, under-
Armor/Equipment: Standard.
stand sophisticated words, locate a person's Special Benefits:
home village by his dialect, and can read al- Identify Rumors: Heralds are always awar
of their surroundings and have picked up th
most everything they get their hands on. skillsnecessary to stay atop local events. An
Role: There are two types of Heralds. One
I
travels from place to place, relating current
events across the land. They sell their tales of
travel and the news they learn to those who
will listen. Most medieval commoners cannot

read or write, so it is up to such Heralds to
relate local events.

The other type of Herald secretly serves a
king. It is the royal Herald's duty to uncover

plots against the king and royal family. The
royal Herald is quick witted and fast talking.
Heralds of this stature often have a reputation

that precedes them. They are recognized and
feared by their foes. Thus, they must occa-
sionally deal with assassination attempts at
inconvenient times (for instance, a delayed
blast fireball under the bed). Royal courts of-

ten employ them to preside over jousting tour-
naments, announce the arrival of important
foreign envoys, and for personal counsel.

Heralds turn to the adventuring life for sev-
eral reasons. Primary among them are the
fantastic stories that can be related from such
ventures. "News" has a very broad meaning in
the campaign world, and tales of a daring
band of heroes braving unknown horrors not
only qualifies, but often draws a larger crowd
than local gossip.

32 Chapter Two

time rumors are generated for player charac- guage, even if the Herald does not speak that
ters, Heralds learn twice as many as a normal language. The Herald incorporates bits and
character. Heralds are also able to determine
pieces of fundamental root languages, certain
the validity of a rumor. A Charisma check is universal gestures, and common expressions
rolled; if it succeeds, the Herald knows wheth- to get his meaning across. For the Herald to
er the rumor is true or false. Even if a rumor
table isn't included in a given adventure, the perform such difficult communication, the
"listener" must be within ten feet, clearly visi-
Dungeon Master should make up at least one ble, and there must be no distractions (includ-
rumor per three levels of the Herald and ing combat).
inform him of the rumors at the adventure's
onset. Success is determined by succeeding with a
read languages roll (even though the com-
Local Lore: After snooping about an inhab- munication is rarely in written form). A sepa-
ited area, a Herald is able to learn who the im- rate roll is needed to send or receive ideas.
portant people are, what most of the buildings Thus, it is possible for a Herald to understand
a being, but be unable to communicate his
are used for, the quality of certain establish-
ments, etc. It takes a Herald one day per 1,OOO own ideas (or vice versa).
inhabitants to gain a good information base. Persuade Crowd: A Herald can affect the
Of course, a Herald could concentrate on a
specific quarter of town or neighborhood and mood of a crowd by telling them true (or
accomplish the task much faster. slightly altered) local rumors and news. The

Once a Herald is done scouting, he can re- Herald must be able to speak the crowds lan-
call the name of an important official if he guage to use this ability. To determine a
rolls a successful Intelligence check. If the
check is successful with a -2 penalty, he can crowds mood or opinion on a given topic, use
identify the person on sight. This roll can also Table 59 in the DMG.
be used if the Herald player wants to know
After ldlO minutes, those listening to the
other local lore, such as where to go for the Heralds words are allowed a saving throw vs.
best food in town, what neighborhoods are paralyzation, with a -1 penalty per three
dangerous at night, what time the city watch levels of the Herald. Those who fail have their
rotates, or which local sage is said to be most reactions adjusted one level in favor of the
reliable. If the check is a 20, the Herald be- Heralds opinion. Those who succeed have
lieves he knows the desired information, but their reactions adjusted one level in the oppo-
the Dungeon Master actually makes up some site direction.
false tale for the player.
A Herald could attempt to persuade a
This ability must be carefully judged by the crowd not to eat at the Skinned Dog Tavern
until dragon eggs are back on the menu, to
Dungeon Master. Penalties should be applied cast stonesat the cruel teamster Tornack, or to
based upon the information's local signifi- go and plunder the local granaries. Of course,
cance. It is unlikely that a Herald will know reactions can be altered only one level by this

the name of a typical citizen in a large city (a method. For example, if everyone is indiffer-
ent to the fact that Tornack whips his horses
-10penalty might be appropriate). However, cruelly, the Herald will at most persuade them
to be cautious about using the teamster's wag-
the name of the king's horse is likely a well- ons to haul their goods.

known fact (no penalty). Special Hindrances: None.
Basal Communication: As stated above,

Heralds are master linguists. In fact, they can
often communicatewith races that are of low
Intelligence or better and have a spoken lan-

4
Bard Kits 33

Jester in with. I would hate to see them lug all that

Specialty: Pantomime/Acting/Dancing/ gold, silver, and jewelry clear back to their
Jokes.
homelands.
Qualifications: Standard ability scores, ex-
cept that Dexterity must be at least 14.Jesters Description: Jesters are known by many

must be of any chaotic alignment, since no names: fools, clowns, jokers, buffoons, etc.
mind attuned to law and order could possibly
sustain such an odd personality. Gnomes may The Jester kit covers them all. Jesters are co-
advance to 15th level as Jesters, while half-
lings cannot rise above 8th level. medians at heart. They love to have a good

Introduction: M y name is Marigold the time and enjoy sharing their mirth and merr
Mirthful, and I am proud to be called a Jester,
for I am one of the greatest fools in all the ment with others (even when they aren‘t we
kingdom. Being a fool is not all bad, for who
eke can poke fun at the most powerful people corned). Most people enjoy having a Jeste
around without meeting the gallows or
worse? about, as they raise morale, entertain, and

Indeed, I lead the perfect life. The king puts make great scapegoats when problems arise.
me up in a fantastic little room at the top of
the East Tower. When the morning sun comes Jesters are flamboyant, outrageous, and ri-
through m y little window, I rise and don m y
charming gear. Then I spring and dance down diculous. Many sages believe that Jesters live
the 40-foot-long spiral staircase to the main
hall. All the while, m y costume bells are jin- in a constant state of borderline insanity. It is
gling and I can hear the moans and groans as
the court wakes from m y passing. Next, I known that they live for attention and feel re
tumble down all the castle’s halls and awaken
the rest of the royal patrons. laxed only when they are the focus of events.

Unless there are foreign envoys to be enter- Role: Jesters are often hired by noblemen
tained at noon, I am off until evening. I wan-
der about, keeping the young folk happy and for entertainment. They dance, prance, and
feeding the chickens and the castle‘s two war
dogs. Then I usually find a comfortable wil- jump about while the more civilized look on
low tree and lie down for a short nap.
and laugh at the fools. More often than not,
Most evenings, the king invites me in to en-
tertain him, his family, and his guests. I dance these noblemen are paying the price for their
about, act foolish, juggle a bit, perform some
minor acrobatics, pretend to get burnt by the entertainment, as the Jester is liable to make
fireplace, and tell jokes that I made up while
lying under the willow tree. off with a piece of gold for every laugh he

So you see, I live in the king’s castle and ac- hears. Other Jesters serve as clowns in travel
tually do little or no work. What a lucky life!
Of course, the real fun occurs when foreigners ing carnivals or circuses. And of course ever
arrive. I always make sure they leave the
king’s court with fewer goods than they came community has its local fool.

Jesters rarely take up the adventuring life.

(PCJestersare the obvious exceptions.)Thei-

motivations for doing so will have to be care

fully constructed to maintain realism. A Jester

may be sentenced to escort a group of heroes

on a dangerousquest as punishment for a joke

about the king’s nose (throwing him in jail

would hardly be appropriate). A Jester might

be assigned to accompany a band on a grim

and deadly adventure, to combat the gloom

and dread that will be encountered. Whatever

the reason, having a Jester in the party will

certainly result in more than one good laugh.

SecondarySkills: Any.

Weapon Proficiencies: Jesters spend mo!

of their lives entertaining others by playing

the role of a fool or clown. Large weapons do

not fit into this role. Thus Jestersmay become

proficient lowgun, hand cross-

34 Chapter Two

bow, dagger, dart, hand axe, javelin, knife, feet of the Jester and who are able to fully
view him. This form of jesting causes those
quarterstaff, scourge, sling, short sword, and being jested at to roll a saving throw vs. para-
whip. lyzation, with a -1 penalty per three levels of
the Jester. Those who fail must immediately
Nonweapon Profidendes: Bonuses: Act- try to physically strike the Jester for as long as
ing, Dancing, Juggling, Tumbling. Suggested: the jesting continues. The effect ends when the

Crowd Working, Disguise, Jumping, Musical jesting ends. Combat strategy is ignored by
Instrument, Poetry, Singing, Ventriloquism. those who are affected. They recklessly pass
by more dangeroustargets in an attempt to at-
Armor/Equiprnent: Jesters may wear only tack the Jester. Jestingis thus a wonderful way
the followingtypes of armor: leather, padded,
studded leather, or elven chain mail. Other to break the ranks of enemy forces.
types of armor do not fit the image of fools. Joking:The practice of creating and telling

Jesters almost always act and dress in the jokes has been elevated to an art form by the
most outlandish manner. Even when danger is Jester; this skill can be used for many special
imminent, Jesters still hop around in their
purposes. Jokesare told in an attempt to alter
flashy suits with tassels and foppish hats. encounter reactions. For any form of joke to
Special Benefits: function, the Jester must speak a language
Fool's Luck: It is amazing to most that known by the recipient of the joke. Further-
more, the Jester must be within easy verbal
Jesters can survive in any situation. They are range of the recipient.

careless, foolish, and given to whimsical deci-
sions. It is fool's luck that has saved many a
Jester's life.

Jesters receive a +1 bonus ( +5% on per-
centile rolls) to most die rolls. This includes

saving throws, initiative, surprise, proficien-
cy checks, thief skill checks, ability checks,
and ability sub-checks (e.g., bend bardlift
gates, resurrection survival, and so on). The

fool's luck also adds a +1bonus to the Jester's

Armor Class.
About the only die rolls that the fool's luck

ability doesn't affect are attack rolls, damage

rolls, initial character generation rolls, and
Hit Die rolls.

Jesting:Jestingis the art of projecting mean-
ing and mood through the use of body mo-

tions. By jesting (orgesturing), a Jester may
communicate a single sentence each round to

anyone who rolls a successful Wisdom check
with a -5 penalty. Such communication is to-
tally silent and does not rely upon a shared
language. The Jester must use his entire body
for the communication; thus, he must be fully
visible and within 30 feet for communication

to take place.
Jesting may be done to taunt or tease. Such

jesting affects only those who are within 30

Bard Kits 35

Such jokes require Id10 rounds to tell, after Introduction: Yes, I am a Jongleur.M y stage
which the audience must roll a saving throw name isJonclaurthe Jongleur,and that will do
vs. paralyzation with a -1 penalty per three for now. I travel across the Hanaess with a
levels of the Jester. Those who fail have their small carnival band. I believe you have al-
reactions adjusted one level in the direction ready met one of m y companions, Dark, He's
desiredby the Jester. However, those who suc- good with knives and swords, but his person-
ceed take the joke the wrong way and have ality matches his name a little too much for
their reactions adjusted one level in the oppo- me.
site direction.
When our troupe puts on a show, I tend to
Finally, a joke told at just the right moment draw the largest and most consistent audi-
can dispel the effects of fear. Such a joke re- ence. In particular,families and village thieves
quires a round to tell and enables all those af- enjoy watching my act. Families watch be-
fected by fear (normal or magical) to roll a cause m y juggling, pole vaulting, acrobatics,
second saving throw to avoid the fear (note and tightrope walking amazes them (and oc-
that those affected by the fear do not immedi- casionally fills them with concern when m y
ately run away, but remain until the joke is act looks particularly hazardous). The thieves
told). If no first saving throw was allowed, come to study my actions. Many thieves can
then the saving throw is rolled vs. spell. pole vault, walk tightropes, and perform vari-
ous feats of acrobatics, but none have m y
A Jester'sMind: Jesters are immune to at- skill. In a way, it'sa form o f researchfor them.
tacks that cause insanity. Jesters also gain a
saving throw bonus equal to their level vs. And it is true, though I hate to admit it, that
wizard spells of the enchantment/charm
school and priest spells of the charm sphere. m y talents are occasionally put to less-than-
(A saving throw of 1always fails, however.) honorable uses. On one of the last few days of
our show, a large part of our troupe often
Furthermore, any attempt to read a Jester's stages some complex burglary. M y skills are
mind has a percentage chance equal to the
Jester's level of causing confusion in the mind often invaluable. I can vault across moats or
reader (treat as if under the effect of a confu- into upper story windows that are protected
sion spell). by walls coated with contact poison. If a man-
sion is guarded by dogs, I use a crossbow to
Special Hindrances: None. fire a line from a nearby building, then walk
Notes: Jesterscan be a lot of fun if properly across it. Of course, I rarely keep m y share of
played with the right gaming group. How- this booty. Instead, I usually donate it to the
ever, this character kit can be devastating to local orphanage or poorhouse.
an overly serious campaign. It is strongly sug-
gested that both DMs and players discuss the Well, nice chatting with you, but I must get
ramificationsof the kit and how it will fit into
the game if allowed. back. M y second act is about to begin.

Jongleur Description: Jongleurs are loosely based
upon the French entertainers of the same
Specialty: Juggler/Acrobat.
Qualifications: Jongleursmust have a Dex- name. They are masters at manipulatingsmall
terity of 14 or more (other ability scores,
standard). Gnomes can advance to the 9th items with their hands. They can catch and
level as Jongleurs. Halflings can attain 12th
level. juggle almost anything. On top of this they

are skilled acrobats, able to traverse tight-

ropes, turn flips, polevault, and perform any

number of acrobatic feats. Their agility pro-

vides them with great defensive resources.
Role: As entertainers, most Jongleurs are

typically found accompanying carnivals or

circuses. A troupe of Jongleurs can put on a aren't stupid.
remarkable show all by themselves. They of- Special Benefits:
Extended Proficiencies: Because Jongleurs
ten perform in taverns or clubs, using their
arts to draw in the crowd and captivate them are extremely skilled at all forms of juggling
long enough for the barkeeper (as well as the and acrobatics, they gain certain special bene-
Jongleurs) to drain the crowds purses. Of fits to their bonus proficiencies.
course, a few free-lancers work the streets out
of greed or need. Juggling:
The Jongleur adds his level to the attack
Jongleursare useful adventuring allies; their
skills are invaluable when the going gets roll when trying to catch small items.
tough. They are able to squeeze into places Missile or hurled weapons too large to
where nobody else can go without the aid of
magic. Finally, their skill at avoiding certain catch can be deflected by using the juggling
proficiency.
traps makes them excellent scouts.
Secondary Skills: Any. Jumping:
Weapon Proficiendes: Jongleurscan use all The Jongleur doubles his level for all

hurled weapons. A hurled weapon is any jumping calculations.
weapon that can be thrown (this does not in- The character can use poles up to 20 feet
clude bows, blowguns, or other missile weap-
ons that are fired or shot). Otherwise, longer than himself.
Jongleursare restricted to the followingweap- Vaults can be made with a 15-fOOt run.
ons: polearms, quarterstaff, sling, staff sling,
and whip. All of these weapons can be used in The pole need not be dropped if a second pro-
ficiency check is successful.
their performances. For example, they can
juggle daggers, pole vault with polearms, and
balance with wears or auarterstaves.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonuses: Jug-
gling, Jumping, Tightrope Walking, Tum-
bling. Suggested: Direction Sense, Endurance,
Poetry, Rope Use, Running.

Armor/Equipment: If a Jongleur wears any

type of armor other than leather, studded
leather, padded, or elven chain mail, he can-
not use any of the following special benefits.
All other forms of armor are simply too re-

strictive or bulky for the Jongleur to properly
perform.

Jongleurs tend to dress in rather flashy col-
ors. However, they don't take this to the ex-

tremes that Jesters do. They avoid large
capes, robes, and other garments that can
catch or tangle during movement. Of course,

this does not mean that a Jongleur is going to
wear a flaming red suit that sparkles in the
dimmest of lights when exploring ancient ru-
ins. They prefer flash and fanfare, but they

Bard Kits 37

II

Tightrope Walking: Master feels could be avoided by a sudden ag
All penalties are halved, dropping frac- ile leap (possiblybreath weapons). Of
if a jump to safety is impossible, the J
tions (Le., -5 for one-inch surfaces, -2 for cannot attempt a dodge. Not
two-to six-inch surfaces, and -2 attack roll are also able to climb walls
penalty). certain situations by cl

Use of a balancing rod provides a + 4 Entertain Crowd: B
bonus.
ence. This ability is similar to the True
Tumbling: influence reactions ability.
The +4 Armor Class bonus applies dur-
As with that ability, the crowd cannot be
ing any round in which initiative is won, even tacking or about to attack. The Jongleurm
if the Jongleur opts to attack later that round. perform for ldlO rounds, after which all no
player characters viewing the perfoman
No proficiency check is required to re- must roll saving thr
duce falling damage. However, a successful
proficiencycheck doubles the falling distances have their reactio
(i.e.,no damage up to 20 feet and only half
damage up to 120feet). tempt to worsen
very difficult to juggle or walk
Dodge: Jongleurs are amazingly agile and an offensive manner). Howeve
have very quick reflexes. This enables them to saves with a natural 1,the onlookers disa
jump free of many potentially harmful situa- prove of the Jongleur and their
tions if a successful saving throw vs. paralyza- ally worsen by one level.

tion is rolled. The only bonus allowed to the Special Hindrances: Jongleu
the 10th-level ability to use any written m
save is the defensivebonus for hlgh Dexterity. cal item.

If the attempted dodge fails, the Jongleur Loremaster

suffers the full effects of the danger. No other Specialty: Chronicler/Historian.
saving throw can be rolled to avoid the threat, Qualifications: Loremasters must have
as the dodge takes the place of all other saving Intelligence and Wisdom of 14 or more (ot
throws. The benefit of dodging is that all ability scores are standard). Elves can
harm is completely avoided, whereas many vance up to 12th level as Loremasters.
successful saving throws result in half dam- Introduction: You want to know about h
age. Of course, the Jongleur player can opt to tory, lost civilizations, and other fascinati
skip the dodge attempt in favor of any nor- topics? Well, let me introduce myself, I
mally allowed saving throws. Ashlan, a gray elf and self-proclaimed Lore

Dodging does not affect missile weapons or
hurled weapons, personal spells (thosethat af-
fect only one person) directed specifically at
the Jongleur, or spells that have no physical
effect to dodge (such as hold person).

Situations that can be avoided include falls
(into pits, through illusionary floors, down
sliding stairways traps, etc.), being struck
from above (by ceilingblocks, rocks, piercers,
collapses, etc.), area-effect spells that can be
dodged (lightning bolt, web, fireball, etc.),
and any other situation that the Dungeon

I guess I've been poring over old tomes, ex- eccentric than wizards. Their preoccupation
ploring ancient ruins, and searching for lost with old tomes, arcane lore, ancient lan-
civilizations for the past 150 years or so. And guages, and lost civilizations dominates their
I've learned many important things. Did you lives, when they aren't putting on an oratori-
know that, in ages past, the entire inland cal performance. From their research, Lore-
plains were covered with a vast forest of masters gain unique wisdom and insight,
pinon and pine trees? Humans were scarce allowing them to identify certain magical
back then and elves ruled the land. Oh, that items, understand ancient writings and lan-
must have been a beautiful time! Then there guages, gain special benefits in the arcane lore
of magic, and incite crowds to action.
came the great goblin wars, when all
goblinkind rose up in anger after being pushed Role: There is a fine line between Lore-
master and sage. So fine that many Lore-
far below ground. They were lead by Trogun- masters call themselves sages and are rarely
dak, perhaps the largest and most mil troll
shaman who ever lived. questioned about it. However, true sages are
knowledge specialists who concentrate their
But I forget myself. You want to know efforts into mastering a specific field such as
about me and not the past. Well, I'm called a mushrooms, elven swords, and so on. Lore-
recluse by most of the villagers around here. masters are fond of any aspect of history that
makes a good story.
This is actually far from the truth. I love peo-
ple, all people. I love to study about their past Many Loremasters are travelers who wan-
history in an attempt to understand them bet- der the lands searching for great historical
ter than they understand themselves. Then I tales and facts to relate to crowds. In order to

try to teach them about their past and educate gain the substance of their tales, Loremasters
them so they won't commit the mistakes of often take up adventuring. Unlike many other
adventurers, Loremastersare not simply seek-
their forefathers all over again. ing gold or magic. Rather, they are searching
I guess I do seem a bit odd to the average
for a new legend or tale. Loremasters are the
soul, seeing as how I'm always poking around first to open old tomes, read the runes on pas-
sage walls, and record the general events of an
cemeteries, old churches, ruins, and private adventure.
libraries. Most people can't figure me out.
Some think I'm a cleric, others belime me to Secondary Skills: LimnerPainter, Naviga-
tor, Scribe (better than a third of all Lore-
be a simple hermit, and there are those who masters are scribes.)
call me sage or wizard. It is true that I can
Weapon Proficiencies: Due to their great in-
speak over half a dozen languages, but I'm terest in knowledge and their concentration
just a Loremaster, that's all. on the past, Loremasters bother to learn only
the lightest and simplest of weapons. They are
Remember, study your past; it can be the limited to selecting weapon proficiencies for
most powerful tool you have. blowgun, dagger, dart, hand crossbow, knife,

Description: Loremasters are romantically quarterstaff, sling, and staff sling.
entranced by the past. They believe in the cir- Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonuses: An-

cular nature of history and relate the lessons cient History, Languages (ancient), Naviga-
of ancient times to the problems of the present tion, Reading/Writing. Suggested: Animal
Lore, Artistic Ability, Astrology, Direction
to help guide their people along the path to the Sense, Engineering, Etiquette, Heraldry, Lan-
future. As Loremasters proceed through life,

they record the events of their own times for

posterity.
Loremasters love to relate the lessons of his-

tory to those who will listen. However, they

are often viewed as being more reclusive and

Bard Kits 3 9

I

4

strument, Religion, Spellcraft, Weather Sense. strange magical items not normally usable b
the bard class. Thus, Loremasterscan attempt
Annor/Equipment:Loremasters spend their to use any magical item. A Wisdom check is
time studying arcane tomes and ancient civili- rolled; if it is successful, the Loremaster su(
zations. They do not bother to practice the use cessfully uses the magical item in questior
of heavy armor. Thus Loremasters can use This does not mean that the Loremaster fully
understands the operation of the item, onlv
only leather armor. that his attempt to use it in this particular wa
Loremasters generallv dress and act much is successful.

like wizards. Loremasters also pore over scrollsand spell
Special Benefits: books whenever they get the chance. This en-
Legend Lore: Loremasters gain the same hances their understanding of magical spells
so much that they memorize and cast spells as
legend lore ability as True Bards. This ability if they were one level higher. Thus, a 1st-level

works in similar fashion, with the following Loremaster casts spells the sameway as a 2116-
exception: All of the optional rules suggested level True Bard.

for the True Bards legend lore ability are re- Persuasion: Usually Loremasters recit
their collections of historical fables and leg
quired for the Loremaster.
Arcane Lore: Through their devoted study ends to a crowd simply to entertain and edb-
cate. Although these oral performances are
of the past, Loremasters come across numer- wonderful to hear, they do not necessari--

ous texts on the arcane lore of magic. They
read all of these, hoping that some great tale

will be uncovered. Loremasters eventually
gain a fundamental understanding of many

40 Chapter Two

have any direct impact upon the crowd. for as long as I can remember. M y father is a
When a Loremaster wishes to affect the ranger who patrols the forest and m y mother
maintains a small cottage for us all.
mood or actions of an audience, he uses his
great skills of verbal persuasion, oratory, and M y dearest friends are Simbiom, a red barn
rhetoric. He might relate the legend of the hor- owl, and Moshma, a jet black panther. They
rible massacreof Tothar Keep by lizard men in accompany me wherever I go. And where is
an attempt to incite the crowd to hate and de- that? Well, I don't really have a job as most
spise lizard men. people would define it. I often help the rangers
who patrol the Great Wood. They are con-
Using such persuasion takes at least Id10 cerned with the security of some kingdom or
rounds. All who are listening to and can un-
derstand the Loremaster must roll a saving other and want to keep the forest free of spies
throw vs. paralyzation with a -1 penalty for and evil monsters. I help them by reporting
every three levels of the Loremaster. Those any strange people or creatures I encounter.
who fail have their reactions adjusted one
level up or down (as desired by the Lore- But m y real goal is to keep the forest and its
master). Those who succeed are not inspired animals safefrom the encroachment of "civili-
by the tale, and those few who roll a natural
20 strongly disagree with the tale and have zation." Greedy furriers and loggers and
their reactions adjusted one level in the oppo- wasteful travelers are m y enemies. I have
site direction. freed countless animals from live traps, have
broken numerous logging saws, and have
Etymology: Loremasters can make their scared o f fseveral dozen city folk this year.
read languages attempt twice if the language
in question is an ancient one (a language no Isecretly work with the druids. Togetherwe
longer spoken). They can also use their read
languages ability to decipher runes, glyphs, have kept the forest and its creatures rela-
pictograms, ideograms, or any other form of tively safe from harm. But our jobs grow
ancient visual communication. more and more difficult as new villages keep
popping up near the forest's edge. And with
Even though a Loremaster cannot be profi- that said, I must go and plant some more trees
cient in a newly encountered ancient lan- before Simbiom eats all of m y nuts.
guage, if he makes his Ancient Languages
proficiency check, he understands the basics Description: Meistersingers wander the
of the ancient language. Elementary use of the woodlands, mountains, and deserts, seeking
language is gained, allowing for written or out thosewho will listen to their songs. Unlike
even spoken communication at one-tenth the other bards, Meistersingersrarely perform for
normal rate. humankind. They tailor their music to the
tunes of nature. Their audiencesare the birds,
Special Hindrances: None.
the bees, and the behemoths.
Meistersinger Meistersingers have wandered unsettled

Specialty: Pied l'iper/Animal Charmer. lands sincethe dawn of mankind. Loremasters
Qualifications: Standard ability scores. tell tales about how the ancient dryads and
Elves can become Meistersingers and reach nymphs would find lost human children and
15th level.
Introduction: Welcometo Great Wood. M y teach them the ways of the forest. Others were
name is Shellana and I will be guiding you taken in by druids. Over the years, these chil-
through this beautiful forest. I've lived here dren of nature have evolved into a definable
class of character-the Meistersinger. Wheth-

er these tales are true or not, Meistersingersdo
exist.

The concerns of Meistersingers center
around nature, especially animals. Lawful

,
I
I Bard Kits 41

"

neutral, true neutral, and chaotic neutral ing, Herbalism, Hunting, Mountaineering,
Meistersingers see themselves as one with na- Riding (airborne), Riding (land-based), Rope

ture (although each views the structure of na- Use,Set Snares, Swimming, Tracking, Weath-
ture differently). They protect animals as
humans protect those of their society. Neutral er Sense.
Annor/Equiprnent: Standard.
good Meistersingerslook upon animals as in- Special Benefits:
nocent children who should be isolated and Song of Companionship: At lst, 5th,

protected from the harsh and uncaring realms 10th levels, a Meistersinger can play the S
of civilization. Neutral evil Meistersingers see of Companionship, which lasts for 2
hours.
animals as subjects to be controlled and ex-
The DM and player should select six natu
ploited. They use animals as some lords use rally occumng wild animals (not domesti
cated or fantasy-based) appropriate to the
slaves. True neutral Meistersingers are closest current terrain. A d6 is then rolled and the se-
to druids in the way they look upon animals. lected animal emergesfrom the nearby woods
or over the next hill. The animal is a faithful
Role:Meistersingersare the mortal enemies companion to the Meistersinger from that da!
onward.
of ruthless and profiteering hunters, trappers,
and fishermen. They believe such activities The Meistersinger and animal can commu
should occur only when the game is needed nicate simple thoughts and desires. Such com
for survival and no part of the animal is munication must be in the form of music or
song by the Meistersinger, and a growl, caw,
wasted. hiss, or some other appropriate sound by the
Forests, deserts, and mountains are the typ- animal. Others cannot understand the com-
munication. The companion has hit points
ical arena for the adventuring Meistersinger. equal to those of the Meistersinger at his cur-
rent level. The companion's hit points do not
Rarely does a Meistersinger adventure any- increase as the Meistersinger rises in level.
where unless animals are somehow involved
The companion gained at 1st level s
-as mounts, as companions, or perhaps as be tiny or small (asper the "Size" entry
captives who need to be set free. Monstrous Compendia).The animal tran

Secondary Skills:Farmer, Forester, Groom, its primary sensory power onto the M
singer. This is much like the find fa
Hunter, Teamster/Freighter, Trapper/Furrier. spell, but it is not identical and does n
Weapon Proficiencies:The followingweap- the place of that spell.

ons are forbidden to the Meistersinger: har- The 5th-level companionshould be small
medium in size. The Meistersinger gains t
poon, lances, mancatcher, polearms, and ability to polymorph his arms and head int
trident. those of this companion, for purposes of un-
armed combat. Attacks are made using the
As a hunter and woodsman, a Meister- Meistersinger's THACO, but successful at-
singer must maintain a variety of weapons: tacks cause damage equal to that of the ani-
those that are purely for melee, those that are mal's natural weaponry. The Meistersinger
purely missile weapons, and those that can be
also receives multiple attacks, if the animal is
used in both melee and missile combat (hurled entitled to them.
weapons). At 1st level, a Meistersinger must
select one melee and one missileweapon. Each The 10th-levelcompanion should be medi-
additional weapon proficiency slot must be
spent in the following repetitive sequence:
hurled, melee, missile.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonuses: Ani-
mal Lore, Musical Instrument, Singing, Sur-
vival. Suggested: Agriculture, Animal
Training, Blacksmithing, Craft Instrument,
Dancing, Direction Sense, Fire-Building, Fish-

III I I

um or large. The Meistersinger gains the abili- er of good will around him. Any attacking an-
ty to shape change (as the 9th-level wizard imal or monster must roll a saving throw vs.
spell) into this companion's form once per paralyzation with a -1 penalty per three
day. levels of the Meistersinger or ignore the Meis-
tersinger and those within one foot per level of
A Meistersinger's companions are his best him for as long as the song is played. The ef-
friends. If one is slain, the mental strain of the fect of the song is ended if the Meistersinger
loss forces the Meistersinger to roll a success-
ful system shock check or die. (Likewise,if the attempts to move or if anyone in the protected
Meistersinger is slain, the companion animals area attacks (including offensive spell use).

must roll system shock checks, at 80% + 1% Animal Charm: Meistersingers know a
number of songs that have special charm-like
per hit die.) If the check is successful, the effects upon animals (including giant ani-
Meistersingergoes into deep mourning for 101 mals).
days, during which he does not adventure. A
Meistersinger can call for one replacement If the Meistersinger concentrates, he can at-
companion each time he advances in level (he tempt to charm one animal within view by his
is not required to call for a replacement).The singing. Only an animal of Hit Dice equal to
replacement is the same size as the lost com- or less than the Meistersinger's level can be af-
panion and confers the same abilities upon the fected. Furthermore, the total Hit Dice of all
Meistersinger. such charmed animals accompanying the
Meistersinger cannot exceed twice the Meis-
Song of Sanction: This song envelops the tersinger's level.
Meistersinger, creating a nearly magical barri-

Bard Kits 43

The song takes Idlo rounds, but the animal lect the most advantageous seat, and then
is held temporarily spellbound during the per- evaluate the fare as 1 decide what to have.
formance, as long as no hostile advances are None of m y decisions are made without delib-
made upon it by the Meistersinger or his al- erate, conscious thought.
lies. After Idlo rounds, the monster rolls a
Yet, 1 can be entertaining as well. 1 love to
saving throw vs. paralyzation with a -1 pen- pose questions and riddles. For example:

alty per three levels of the Meistersinger. If it If the world were round,
fails, it is under the effects of a charm spell. If
it succeeds, it is unaffected and acts normally. And you stood on the ground,
If the roll was a natural 20, the animal is en-
raged and immediately attacks the Meister- How many places could you stand . . .
singer.
Walk south 20 leagues, east 20 leagues,
lnfluence Reactions: Meistersingers can at- north 20 leagues
tempt to influence the reactions of animals
that aren’t attacking and that allow the Meis- and end up hand in hand.
tersinger to play for them. This ability is han- The answer is not the north pole, but ”One.”
dled exactly as the True Bard‘s influence True, the North Pole is the only place where
reactions ability (except that it affects only you can do this, but 1asked, ”howmany plac-
animals). es,” not which places.

Special Hindrances: Meistersingers do not And now, as I have summed up your worth
gain followers, nor do they build typical to me, I must be off to a new challenge.
strongholds. Their animal companions serve
as their followers, and they tend to build sev- Description: Riddles, rhymes, and puzzles
eral small cottages or huts throughout the are the medium of the Riddlemaster. These
lands they patrol. characters look upon life as an intricate and

Riddlemaster challenging puzzle to be solved. Their seem-

Specialty: Riddler/Intellect. ingly strange ways cause many a commoner
to label them crazy (much like the Jester).
Qualifications: Riddlemastersmust have an However, Riddlemasters are exceptionally in-
Intelligence of 15 or more. Their other ability telligent, and their minds work on a level
scores are standard. Gnomes can rise to be- above that of the common man.
come 8th-level Riddlemasters. Halflings can
advance up to 9th level. Riddlemastersdevote their entire intellect to
maximizingfavorableoutcomesfor themselves
Introduction: Yes, 1 am Retean, the Riddle-
and their friends. Some believe that Riddle-
master, mastermind of enigmas and games. I masters are just extraordinarily lucky, but this

can solve any riddle and complete any puzzle. is not the case. Riddlemasters are always con-
Pay the price and watch me twice. sidering the environment around them, being
sure to stand in the most favorable places, so-
A s a Riddlemaster, m y mind is constantly in cializing with the most advantageous people,
motion. l’m wiser than most clerics, and asking the best questions, and so on. They seek
smarter than most sages. Always thinking, al- to develop the supreme mind.
ways plotting, always alert.
To flaunt their skills, Riddlemasters often
When1encounter someone, 1analyze him, speak in riddles or rhymes, causing others to
evaluate his value to myself, and act accord-
ingly. When 1 enter a tavern 1 don’t just grab stop and think in order to understand them.
the nearest chair. Instead, 1scan the room, se-
Riddlemasters love to pose questions, in the
form of riddles, to everyday people. These
riddles are carefully constructed and often

conceal lessons or observations that apply to

the Riddlemasters‘audience..

Role: Each Riddlemasterapplies his intellect intellect to help make the decision. In such
in a different way. Evil Riddlemasters seek to cases, the DM secretly rolls an Intelligence
demean and put down others in order to rise check for the Riddlemaster, with a penalty
above them. Good Riddlemasters make their equal to the number of previous probable path
way through society attempting to educate decisions made that day (representing mental
the "less fortunate." Others simply travel fatigue). If the roll succeeds, the DM tells the
around, enjoying the sport of poking fun at player all significantclues that the Riddlemas-
others while advancing their own intellectual ter might know or observe. If there are no
understanding. clues, no information is gained-Riddlemas-
ters aren't lucky, they're just very intelligent.
Traveling Riddlemasters are most common,
as their unique ways often irritate others, If the roll is a natural 20, the information
forcing them to maintain a mobile lifestyle. gained is misleading.
Adventuring Riddlemasters enjoy the su-
preme tests of judgment and intelligence that Unless a given situation changes somehow,
using this ability multiple times in the same
must be passed in order to survive perilous situation gives identical results.
quests. Besides this, their input on decisionsis
nearly invaluable. Of course, some party Riddles/Puzzles: If any adventure includes
members may find their manner difficult to an actual riddle or puzzle that the players
put up with. must solve, the player of the Riddlemaster can
make twice as many attempts to solve the rid-
Secondary Skills: Few Riddlemastershave a dle or puzzle as is normally allowed. For ex-
secondary skill, as they have spent their time ample, an adventure might include an
in intellectual pursuits. Those who do are
most likely Gamblers, Jewelers, or Trader/ l!

Barterers. Bard Kits 45
Weapon Proficiencies: Riddlemasters enjoy

finesse weapons over those that require simple

brawn. They can become proficient in the
blowgun, bow, crossbow, dagger, dart, hand
axe, javelin, knife, quarterstaff, sling, spear,
staff sling, short sword, or whip.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonuses: Artis-
tic Ability (riddles), Languages (modern),
Poetry, Reading/ Writing. Suggested:
Appraising, Blind-fighting, Direction Sense,
Gaming, Heraldry, Musical Instrument, Navi-
gation, Reading Lips, Singing, Weather Sense,
Ventriloquism.

Armor/Equipment: Standard.
Special Benefits:
Probable Path: Riddlemasters can use their
great intellects to make analytical decisions.
When a decision must be made concerning
multiple options (e.g., which hallway to pro-
ceed down, which door to open first, which
opponent to attack first in order to achieve
some goal, etc.), the Riddlemaster can use his

I1

\
i

b

encounter in which the party runs into a ability to use any written magical item at 8th
sphinx. The sphinx may demand the answer level, instead of 10th level.
to a riddle in exchange for safe passage. In this
situation, if the Riddlemaster gives the an- Common Sense: To signify the common
swer, the player can actually make two guess- sense a Riddlemaster has at his disposal,
Riddlemastersgain certain benefits. Although
esast,isafinedd.if either is correct, the sphinx is these benefits are similar to those of the Jester
kit, they are not luck, but rather a result of
The same thing applies if the party comes intellectual calculations made by the Riddle-
across a room with a tiled floor that must be master.

crossed in a specific sequence. The Riddlemas- The Riddlemaster has a +1adjustment
ter is allowed to make one free mistake. Only to his Armor Class.
on his second mistake does the character suf-
fer any hazardous consequences. A Riddlemaster receives a + 1 (or 5%)
bonus to many die rolls, including saving
If a problem has a time limit, the Riddle- throws, individual initiative, attacks rolls,
master has twice the allotted time to solve it. damage rolls, proficiency checks, thief skill
checks, ability checks, and all ability-based
A special use of solving riddles and puzzles rolls (bend bards, system shock, etc.), except
occurs when a Riddlemaster attempts to un- for resurrection survival.
derstand a newly discovered spell. The
The only die rolls that common sense
Riddlemaster has a +10% bonus to his roll to doesn’t affect are surprise, initial character
generation rolls, hit die rolls, resurrection sur-
learn spells (to a maximum of 95%).
Furthermore, the Riddlemaster gains the

46 @ Chapter Two

vival, and monster damage rolls. Everyone issilent, the only sound is the creak-
Riddling and Rhyming: By chanting certain ing of oars and soft slap of the water, and you
can hear the chatter of teeth due to the cold
riddles and rhymes, a Riddlemaster can influ- and nerves. We eventually slip up onto land,
ence an audience‘sreactions. This ability func- enter the village, then I shout out a mighty
tions in all ways as the True Bards influence chant and the fun begins.
reactions ability.
Description: Skalds are honored and re-
Special Hindrances: None. spected members of their clans. These great
poets memorize the feats of each raid and bat-
Skald tle, setting them down in the form of poetry.

I Specialty: Viking Poet/Warrior. Every war party loves to have a Skald in its
Qualifications: Standard ability scores. midst. This assures that their great deeds and
Dwarves can advance up to the 12th level as mighty skills will be honored in the Skalds
Skalds. next recital, and thereafter immortalized for
all time. Members of most bands treat Skalds
Introduction: with utmost respect and courtesy. It is well
I’m Herak the Skald known that the foolish warrior who maligns a
and I am quite bald, Skald will soon hear his name slandered in in-
but I have lots of gold, numerable ballads across the land.
as I am quite bold.
I t needs a little work, but I can get to that Poems are the form in which Skalds honor
latter. Welcome! Come in by the fire and I’ll others and themselves. Poems are also used to
tell you a bit about m y clan. relate the oral history of the clan. Significant
Being a Viking,Z‘m a great wam’or and be- ballads are passed down from one generation
long to the mightiest clan of raiders ever as- to another via the Skalds talents. In this way,
sembled. Whenwe go on our great forays, it is the lessons and deeds of the past are related to
I , Herak, who records our deeds for all to those of the present so they can be passed into
hear. But that is only part of m y role as a the future.
Skald. When combat is fierce, I often chant
one of the great war songs of m y forefathers. Role: Skalds are often supported and pro-
These songs have great power, and more than tected by clan nobles and kings who love to
once have I turned the tide of battle in our hear of great duels and mighty wars. When
favor. events are unfolded in the form of poetry, it
When m y clan isn’t at war or on a raid, I makes the telling all the more inspiring. Such
work on ballads, poems, and chants. I t is our men would hear Skalds relate tales of their
tradition that the clan’s elder Skald pass on family’s glory to visitors.
those songs that establish the clan’s worth to
the upcoming Skalds. To these are added the Skalds rarely perform together unless they
greatest tales of the current clansmen. In this have entered into a poetic duel.
way, all our descendants will know how great
they are. They can retell these tales, sing the Adventuring Skalds are common. Every
ballads, and thus establish their place among Skald is easily caught up in the fervor and
the clans. majesty of adventure, danger, and combat.
Being a Skald is a wonderful life. There is Great quests also serve as source material for
nothing to match rowing a longboat across a their ballads and poems.
mist-shrouded bay early in the morning, in
preparation for a raid on some enemy village. Secondary Skills: Armorer, Bowyer/
Fletcher, Hunter, Leather worker, Weapon-

smith.
Weapon Proficiencies: An initial proficien-

cy slot must be spent on either the broad

- Bard Kits 47

sword, hand axe, battle axe, or spear. At least of the Skald (rounded up).
half of the Skalds weapon proficiencies must A +1 bonus to all attack rolls.
be spent on these weapons (until they are all A +1 bonus to all damage rolls.
A +1 bonus to all saving throws.
selected). A -1 bonus to everyone's Armor Class.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonuses: An-
Influence Reactions: If a Skald spends Id10
cient History, Local History, Poetry, Singing. rounds singing ballads, he can attempt to im-
Suggested: Armorer, Blacksmithing, Blind- prove the reactions of an audience. Everyone
fighting, Bowyer/Fletcher, Crowd Working, able to clearly hear and understand the Skald
Etiquette, Hunting, Leatherworking, Musical must roll a saving throw vs. paralyzation with
Instrument, Weaponsmithing. a -1 penalty per three levels of the Skald.
Those who fail have their reactions to the
See "Special Hindrances" concerning the Skald improved by one level. Those who suc-
reading/writing proficiency. ceed do not find the Skalds ballad to be par-
ticularlv moving;. Those who succeed on a
Armor/Equipment:Skalds lean toward war- naturaf20 find The song to be offensive and
rior skills more than most bards. Because of their reactions worsen one level.
this, they can wear any form of armor up to
bronze plate, and they can even use shields. Battle Chant: Skalds are a bit more combat-
ive than most bards. This provides them with
Special Benefits: certain combat advantages. The Skald fights
War Chant: By chanting a war song, a
Skald can inspire allies as they go forward in-

to combat. For the chant to have an effect, the
Skald must begin chanting at least three
rounds before combat begins, otherwise his
allies are too caught up in the events about
them to benefit from this ability.

Such chanting has an effective range of ten
feet per level of the Skald. The effects end as
soon as the Skald receives his first wound. If
the Skald does not enter the fray (and avoids
being wounded), the effects end in a number
of rounds equal to the Skalds level.

At 1st level, the Skald can choose only one

of the following six effects per battle; at 3rd
level two effects are chosen, three at 6th, four
at 9th, etc. The Skald player chooses the ef-
fects, and can change them from one battle to

the next.
Chanting can elevate spirits, remove con-

cerns about danger, keep men's minds focused
on combat, and fill friendly forces with a

sense of being larger than life. Translated into
game terms, this results in the following six
possible effects for the members of the Skalds
party:

Bonus hit points equal to the Skalds Hit
Dice.

A morale bonus of 1for every six levels

with a +1 attack roll bonus any time he is ing campaign setting. This character can take
singing or chanting during combat, even a soft reading/writing proficiency when he gains his
chant under his breath. In addition, the Skald next level, provided he has the proficiency
gains a +1 damage bonus when using a slots available. He gains the ability to cast
broadsword, axe (any type), or spear while he spells as outlined above.
is chanting, provided that he has proficiency
with the weapon. These bonuses almost al- Notes: The Vikings Campaign Sourcebook
ways apply, unless the bard is silenced, under- is a good resource to be used in conjunction
water, etc. with Skald bards.

Legend Lore: Skaldslove legendsabout war Thespian
and combat. Legend lore works the same for
Specialty: Actor/Mime.
Skalds as it does for Tme Bards, except that Qualifications: Standard ability scores.
Skalds can perform legend lore only upon Introduction: 1am Glateela the Thespian. 1
magical items having to do with war or com- would like to invite you to the performance of
bat (e.g., weapons, armor, strength potions, the "GreenDragon and Golden Knight," given
etc.). this weeks' end in the Old King's Theater. 1
will be playing Maiden Zephnia.
Special Hindrances: The Skalds society 1 have played various roles on the Old
does not have a written language. Because of King'sstage for the past fouryears. Acting is a
this, Skalds cannot take the reading/writing wonderful occupation. I'm always busy learn-
proficiency when created. Furthermore, they ing parts, performing, and teaching the young
do not get the read languages ability at 3rd children. When l'm not performing, some
level if they stay in their home society. How- courtly gentleman or other has me over for
ever, both of these limits are lifted once the blackroot tea. I'm on a first-name basis with
the city mayor, all o f the ranking constables,
Skald comes into contact with a culture that and even the Duke knows me.
reads and writes. He can then pick up the What few people realize is that Z'm sister to
reading/writing proficiency at twice the nor- the infamous wanderer Hanalacious, and we
mal cost and gains the read languages ability
at a 0% base (Le., he must put points into the often adventure together. Hanalacious is actu-
skill or he has a zero chance for success). ally a warrior. Her reputation as a bard is a
result of m y dressing up as her double and act-
Skalds do not gain the use any written mag- ing the part. In this way, the legend of Hanala-
ical item ability at 10th level. cious grows with a speed that would be
impossible for any single human.
Spells are also nearly unknown in the
Skalds society, and they are viewed with sus- Unknown even to Hana is the fact that 1oc-
picion in any event. Thus, Skaldscannot learn casionally play other off-stage roles. This is
any spells until they encounter a spellcasting the real thrill of being a Thespian. You can be
culture. Once contact has been made, the anyone you want if you are good enough.
Skald can begin casting spells when he gains
his next level. At this time he is considered a Hope to see you this weekend. And if you
2nd-level spellcaster (providing he is at least whisper a word of m y secret to anyone, you'd
3rd level by this time). His spellcasting level best beware of everyone you meet, for one of
increases by 1 every time he gains a level them will be me in disguise and 1will silence
thereafter. your loose tongue forever.

If your campaign does not have a Viking Description: Of all the various types of
culture, but a player still wishes to play a bards, Thespians put the most time and en-
Skald, assume that the character left his dis-
tant homeland and has journeyed to the exist-

Bard Kits @ 49