Masters of Music

The Bard is a master of music and story, forging magic not in dusty tomes or arcane rituals but through the power of performance. Where knights clash with steel and wizards command cryptic symbols, bards draw on the living currents of melody to inspire courage, sow doubt, or reveal truths hidden in silence. They wander from glittering courts to smoky taverns, gathering tales and perfecting their craft beneath any sky—no stage too grand, no alley too humble. With a flourish of song or a delicate refrain, they rally weary allies, lull wary foes, and weave the echoes of history into the heartbeat of the moment. Though they may seem carefree entertainers, their art is honed discipline: each note strikes a chord in the world’s very fabric, turning every performance into the stuff of legend.

Adventurers

Bards find the road as natural a stage as any grand theater: every tavern, ruined keep, and moonlit crossroads offers fresh inspiration. Their presence in an adventuring party can turn grim marches into grand processions, lifting weary spirits with a well-timed ballad or soothing frayed nerves with a gentle refrain. When diplomacy fails, a bard’s silver tongue can smooth over hostilities; when stealth is required, they slip through shadows weaving silence into their verse. Though some warriors bristle at the bard’s showmanship, few can deny how a stirring chorus at the height of battle turns the tide or how a whispered lament in the dead of night binds comrades in shared purpose.

Many bards take up the adventuring life in pursuit of stories yet untold. Wanderlust and curiosity drive them toward distant halls of power, forgotten libraries, and hidden glades where ancient melodies lie waiting to be rediscovered. Others follow the call of patronage—seeking noble houses or arcane orders that will fund their grand compositions in exchange for songs that immortalize their deeds. And then there are those who answer the road out of necessity: forced from home by famine, war, or the call of destiny, they learn that a quick wit and a deft chord can open doors that remain closed to blade and spell alike.

On the road, bards forge bonds and build their legend in equal measure. They learn new refrains from river merchants and mariners plying winding waterways, trade verses with wandering druids under star-scrawled skies, and pen epic ballads in the company of hardened mercenaries. With every adventure, they expand their repertoire—and with each new audience, they gain allies, patrons, or valuable information. In this life of chance and change, the bard’s song becomes both compass and legacy, guiding them ever onward toward the next great tale.

History and Culture

From the very dawn of civilization, long before runes were carved or scrolls unfurled, music wove the first threads of shared memory and identity. Wandering singers and storytellers—later called bards—carried news of battles, treaties, and wonders from one settlement to the next, forging bonds between distant peoples. In the great city-states of old, temple choirs and palace minstrels held special status: their songs were the living record of a culture’s triumphs and sorrows. As empires rose and fell, it was often the humble ballad that outlived kings, its verses passed from lips to ears across generations, preserving lore that might otherwise have vanished.

Over time, bardic traditions blossomed into vibrant, if diverse, cultural practices. In bustling market towns, open-air performances grew into traveling troupes and collegia that exchanged melodies like merchants traded wares. Mountain monasteries fostered chants said to echo on wind-swept peaks, while forest enclaves cultivated whisper-soft refrains in harmony with rustling leaves. Though some bards still pledge themselves to noble courts or scholarly academies, many remain free spirits, bound only by a code of hospitality: to share their art, uplift the downtrodden, and listen as much as they sing. Across every land, the bard’s life is one of perpetual motion—each new audience a chapter in an ever-unfolding epic of music’s power to unite, to heal, and to transform.

Alignment

Bards do not gravitate toward any single moral or ethical stance simply by virtue of their craft—alignment is a personal compass that shapes how they wield their gift. Many bards embrace a chaotic temperament, drawing on spontaneity and improvisation to bend fate with a flourish of song. Equally, those bound to courtly duty or scholarly tradition may adopt lawful principles, using music to uphold oaths, preserve history, or reinforce social order.

Goodly bards tend to channel their art toward uplifting others—composing anthems of hope, rallying the downtrodden, or amplifying the courage of allies. Their ballads become beacons in dark times, and they often champion causes of justice, freedom, and compassion. Neutral bards view music as a path to personal mastery or scholarly pursuit: they wander in search of rare refrains, trade stories for coin or knowledge, and forge alliances without being beholden to any single creed or code.

Evil bards, by contrast, twist song into a weapon of manipulation. They weave half-truths into deadly rumors, charm their marks with seductive melodies, or sow discord with haunting laments. Whether serving tyrants or furthering their own dark ambitions, these minstrels know that a well-placed verse can topple kingdoms or break spirits more surely than any blade. Regardless of where they fall on the spectrum, every bard’s alignment ultimately reveals itself in the music they choose to share—or the silence they leave behind.

Class Features

Combat Training

• 1st level, one point in Reflex, one point in Will, and one point in your choice of the following: Casting, Melee Weapon Attacks, or Ranged Weapon Attacks.
• 2nd level, one point in your choice of the following: Fortitude, Reflex, or Will.
• 3rd level, one point in your choice of the following: Casting, Melee Weapon Attacks, or Ranged Weapon Attacks.
• 5th level, one point in Reflex and one point in Will.
• 6th level, one point in Casting.
• 7th level, one point in Parry.
• 9th level, one point in your choice of the following: Casting, Melee Weapon Attacks, or Ranged Weapon Attacks.
• 10th level, one point in your choice of the following: Fortitude, Reflex, or Will.
• 11th level, one point in Reflex, one point in Will, and one point in your choice of the following: Casting, Melee Weapon Attacks, Ranged Weapon Attacks, or Parry.

Bard Specialties

When your character earns a Class Specialty, you may choose one from the following list.