The
Bard
Whether scholar, skald, or scoundrel, a bard weaves magic through words and music to inspire allies, demoralize foes, manipulate minds, create illusions, and even heal wounds. The bard is a master of song, speech, and the magic they contain.
Who is the Bard?
The greatest strength of bards is their sheer versatility. Their primary use is as a “Jack-of-all-trades” type support character, having as many proficiencies available as possible. They have wide-ranging knowledge of many subjects and a natural aptitude that lets them do almost anything well. Bards become masters of the talents they set their minds to perfecting, from musical performance to esoteric knowledge.
Many bards prefer to stick to the sidelines in combat, using their magic to inspire their allies and hinder their foes from a distance. Their spells lean toward charms and illusions rather than blatantly destructive spells.
((Last updated: 9.13.2024))
Class Abilities
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The Bard in Numbers
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Armour Proficiency: Light Armour
Weapon Proficiency: Simple Weapons
Skill Proficiency: You gain a +2 to Performance, Acrobatics, Persuasion
Base Hit Points: 104
Base Spell Pool: 56
Bardic Inspiration: 3
Bard Mastery Bonuses
8th & 9th Level Spells
Attribute Increase: +1 to 2 attributes of your choice
HP: +32
Spell Pool: +20
Bardic Inspiration: +2
Rituals
Level 5
Spells & Abilities
Level 1
Level 2
Level 6
Level 7
Level 8 - Mastery Only
Level 9 - Mastery Only
Subclasses
On Mastery & Subclasses
Spells, Abilities, and Cantrips under the base class above spread to the subclasses listed on their respective pages. Any additional abilities under the subclass sections are their special twist.
Subclasses on the Old Guard server work like specializations of your class and enable players to customize their general class into something more fitting their RP and general play style. They create additional nuance in your class, providing unique skills or bonuses.
Changing the subclass (or the class on that account) is also possible, as the only thing required is another player who trains you ICly. All on-class, subclass, and mastery training can be found here.
College of Glamour
The College of Glamour is the home of bards who mastered their craft in the vibrant realm of the Feywild or under the tutelage of someone who dwelled there. Tutored by satyrs, eladrin, and other fey, these bards learn to use their magic to delight and captivate others.
The bards of this college are regarded with a mixture of awe and fear. Their performances are the stuff of legend. These bards are so eloquent that a speech or song that one of them performs can cause captors to release the bard unharmed and can lull a furious dragon into complacency. The same magic that allows them to quell beasts can also bend minds. Villainous bards of this college can leech off a community for weeks, abusing their magic to turn their hosts into thralls. Heroic bards of this college instead use this power to gladden the downtrodden and undermine oppressors.
Class Abilities
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College of Lore
Bards of the College of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. Whether singing folk ballads in taverns or elaborate compositions in royal courts, these bards use their gifts to hold audiences spellbound. When the applause dies down, the audience members might find themselves questioning everything they held to be true, from their faith in the priesthood of the local temple to their loyalty to the king.
The loyalty of these bards lies in the pursuit of beauty and truth, not in fealty to a monarch or following the tenets of a deity. A noble who keeps such a bard as a herald or advisor knows that the bard would rather be honest than politic.
The college’s members gather in libraries and sometimes in actual colleges, complete with classrooms and dormitories, to share their lore with one another. They also meet at festivals or affairs of state, where they can expose corruption, unravel lies, and poke fun at self-important figures of authority.
Class Abilities
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Additional Proficiencies:
You gain a +2 to Performance, Persuasion, and Acrobatics.
Spells & Abilities
Level 1
Level 4
Level 6
Level 7
Level 9 - Mastery Only
College of Valor
Bards of the College of Valor are daring skalds whose tales keep alive the memory of the great heroes of the past and thereby inspire a new generation of heroes. These bards gather in mead halls or around great bonfires to sing the deeds of the mighty, both past and present. They travel the land to witness great events firsthand and to ensure that the memory of those events doesn’t pass from the world. With their songs, they inspire others to reach the same heights of accomplishment as the heroes of old.
Class Abilities
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Additional Proficiencies:
Armour Proficiency: Medium Armour, Shield Proficiency
Weapon Proficiency: Martial Weapons
College of Whispers
Most folks are happy to welcome a bard into their midst. Bards of the College of Whispers use this to their advantage. They appear to be like any other bard, sharing news, singing songs, and telling tales to the audiences they gather. In truth, the College of Whispers teaches its students that they are wolves among sheep. These bards use their knowledge and magic to uncover secrets and turn them against others through extortion and threats.
Many other bards hate the College of Whispers, viewing it as a parasite that uses the bards’ reputation to acquire wealth and power. For this reason, these bards rarely reveal their true nature unless they must. They typically claim to follow some other college or keep their true nature secret in order to better infiltrate and exploit royal courts and other settings of power.