Bard

[Mr. Cheez-It]

It is said that music has a special magic, and the bard proves that saying true.  Wandering across the land, gathering lore, telling stories, working magic with his music, and living on the gratitude of his audience: such is the life of a bard.  When chance or opportunity draws them into conflict, bards serve as diplomats, negotiators, messengers, scouts, and spies.

A bard's magic comes from the heart.  If his heart is good, a bard brings hope and courage to the downtrodden and uses his tricks, music, and magic to thwart the schemes of evildoers.  If the nobles of the land are corrupt, the good bard is an enemy of the state, cunningly evading capture and raising the spirits of the oppressed.  But music can spring from an evil heart as well.  Evil bards eschew blatant violence in favor of manipulation, holding sway over the hearts and minds of others and taking what enraptured audiences “willingly” give.

Faerunian bards are as likely to create their own heroic sagas as they are to sing of others' exploits.

In both the Dalelands and the wilderness of the North, a semi-secret society known as the Harpers recruits courageous bards of good alignments to carry on a millennia-old fight against evil.  While not all bards are Harpers, the noble deeds of this group have given bards something of a heroic glow that they might not have in other worlds.  Good bards who are not Harpers often carry themselves as if they were, a type of self-fulfilling prophecy that frequently causes common folk to look to bards for more than a good song.

Adventurers

Bards see adventures as opportunities to learn.  They practice their many skills and abilities, and they especially relish the opportunity to enter a long-forgotten ancient tomb, to discover ancient works of magic, to decipher old tomes, to travel to strange places, to encounter exotic creatures, and to learn new songs and stories.  Bards love to accompany heroes (and villains), joining their entourage to witness their deeds firsthand â€" a bard who can tell a marvelous story from personal experience earns renown among his fellows.  Indeed, after telling so many stories about heroes doing mighty deeds, many bards take these themes to heart and assume the role of hero themselves.

Characteristics

A bard brings forth magic from his soul, not from a book.  He can cast only a small number of spells, but he can cast them without selecting or preparing them in advance.  His magic emphasizes charms and illusions over the more dramatic evocation spells that wizards and sorcerers often use.

In addition to spells, a bard work magic with his music and poetry.  He can encourage allies, hold audiences rapt, and counter magical effects that rely on speech and sound.

Bards have some of the skills rogues have, although they are not as focused on skill mastery as rogues are.  Bards listen to stories, as well as tell them, of course, so they have a vast knowledge of local events and noteworthy items.

Alignment

Bards are wanders, guided by whim and intuition rather than by tradition or law.  The spontaneous talent, magic, and lifestyle of the bard are incompatible with a lawful alignment.

Other Classes

A bard works will with the companions of other classes.  He often serves as the spokesman of the party, using his social skills for the party's benefit.  In a party without a wizard or sorcerer, the bard relies on his magic.  In a party without a rogue, he uses his skills.  A bard is curious about the ways of more focused of dedicated adventurers, often trying to pick up pointers from fighters, sorcerers and rogues.

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Rules

• Cannot be of a lawful alignment. Bards are unable to progess in levels if their alignment ever becomes lawful.
• Pick pocket restrictions.  All attempts at picking another character's pocket (both PC and NPC) will automatically fail.  However, this skill still works when rolling a skill check, attempting to conceal items during a search, and using it as part of a quest's dialog.