Bard
Key Attribute
Charisma
At 1st level, your class gives you an attribute boost to Charisma.
Hit Points
8 plus your Constitution modifier
You increase your maximum number of HP by this number at 1st level and every level thereafter.
During combat encounters…
You use magical performances to alter the odds in favor of your allies. You confidently alternate between attacks, healing, and helpful spells as needed.
During social encounters…
You persuade, prevaricate, and threaten with ease.
While exploring…
You’re a font of knowledge, folktales, legends, and lore that provide a deeper context and helpful reconnaissance for the group’s adventure. Your spells and performances inspire your allies to greater discovery and success.
In downtime…
You can earn money and prestige with your performances, gaining a name for yourself and acquiring patrons. Eventually, tales of your talents and triumphs might attract other bards to study your techniques in a bardic college.
You might…
- Have a passion for your art so strong that you forge a spiritual connection with it.
- Take point when tact and nonviolent solutions are required.
- Follow your muse, whether it’s a mysterious fey creature, philosophical concept, psychic force, or deity of art or music, and with its aid learn secret lore that few others possess.
Others probably…
- Relish the opportunity to invite you to social events, either as a performer or guest, but consider you to be something of a curiosity in their social circles.
- Underestimate you compared to other spellcasters, believing you are little more than a foppish minstrel and overlooking the subtle power of your magic.
- Respond favorably to your social charm and abilities but remain suspicious of your beguiling magic.
Initial Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain the listed proficiency ranks in the following statistics. You are untrained in anything not listed unless you gain a better proficiency rank in some other way.
Perception
Expert in Perception
Saving Throws
Trained in Fortitude
Trained in Reflex
Expert in Will
Skills
Trained in Occultism
Trained in Performance
Trained in a number of additional skills equal to 4 plus your Intelligence modifier
Attacks
Trained in simple weapons
Trained in martial weapons
Trained in unarmed attacks
Defenses
Trained in light armor
Trained in unarmored defense
Spells
Trained in spell attack modifier
Trained in spell DC
Class DC
Trained in bard class DC
Bard Advancement
| Your Level | Class Features |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ancestry and background, attribute boosts, bard spellcasting, initial proficiencies, spell repertoire, composition spells, muse |
| 2 | Bard feat, skill feat |
| 3 | 2nd-rank spells, general feat, reflex expertise, signature spells, skill increase |
| 4 | Bard feat, skill feat |
| 5 | 3rd-rank spells, attribute boosts, ancestry feat, skill increase |
| 6 | Bard feat, skill feat |
| 7 | 4th-rank spells, expert spellcaster, general feat, skill increase |
| 8 | Bard feat, skill feat |
| 9 | 5th-rank spells, ancestry feat, fortitude expertise, performer’s heart, skill increase |
| 10 | Attribute boosts, bard feat, skill feat |
| 11 | 6th-rank spells, bard weapon expertise, general feat, skill increase, vigilant senses |
| 12 | Bard feat, skill feat |
| 13 | 7th-rank spells, ancestry feat, light armor expertise, skill increase, weapon specialization |
| 14 | Bard feat, skill feat |
| 15 | 8th-rank spells, attribute boosts, general feat, master spellcaster, skill increase |
| 16 | Bard feat, skill feat |
| 17 | 9th-rank spells, ancestry feat, greater performer’s heart, skill increase |
| 18 | Bard feat, skill feat |
| 19 | General feat, legendary spellcaster, magnum opus, skill increase |
| 20 | Attribute boosts, bard feat, skill feat |
Class Features
You gain these abilities as a bard. Abilities gained at higher levels list the requisite levels next to the features’ names.
Ancestry and Background
In addition to what you get from your class at 1st level, you have the benefits of your selected ancestry and background. These are described in Chapter 2.
Attribute Boosts
In addition to what you get from your class at 1st level, you have four free boosts to different attribute modifiers.
At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, you get four free boosts to different attribute modifiers. If an attribute modifier is already +4 or higher, it takes two boosts to increase it; you get a partial boost and must boost that attribute again at a later level to increase it by 1.
Bard Spellcasting
You draw upon magic from esoteric knowledge. You are a spellcaster and can cast spells of the occult tradition using the Cast a Spell activity (see Casting Spells on page 299). As a bard, when you cast spells, your incantations might be musical riffs or clever limericks, your gestures might incorporate dance and dramatic pantomiming, and you might accompany your spellcasting by playing a musical instrument.
Each day, you can cast up to two 1st-rank spells. You must know spells to cast them, and you learn them via the spell repertoire class feature. The number of spells you can cast each day is called your spell slots.
As you increase in level as a bard, your number of spells per day increases, as does the highest rank of spells you can cast, as shown on the Bard Spells per Day table.
Some of your spells require you to attempt a spell attack to see how effective they are or have your enemies roll against your spell DC (typically by attempting a saving throw). Since your key attribute is Charisma, your spell attack modifiers and spell DCs use your Charisma modifier.
Heightening Spells
When you get spell slots of 2nd rank and higher, you can fill those slots with stronger versions of lower-rank spells. This increases the spell’s rank, heightening it to match the spell slot. You must have a spell in your spell repertoire at the rank you want to cast in order to heighten it to that rank. Many spells have specific improvements when they are heightened to certain ranks. The signature spells class feature lets you heighten certain spells freely.
Cantrips
Some of your spells are cantrips. A cantrip is a special type of spell that doesn’t use spell slots. You can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. A cantrip is automatically heightened to half your level rounded up—this is usually equal to the highest rank of bard spell slot you have. For example, as a 1st-level bard, your cantrips are 1st-rank spells, and as a 5th-level bard, your cantrips are 3rd-rank spells.
Initial Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain a number of proficiencies that represent your basic training. These are noted at the start of this class.
Spell Repertoire
The collection of spells you can cast is called your spell repertoire. At 1st level, you learn two 1st-rank occult spells of your choice and five occult cantrips of your choice. You choose these from the common spells from the occult list or from other occult spells to which you have access. You can cast any spell in your spell repertoire by using a spell slot of an appropriate spell rank.
You add to this spell repertoire as you increase in level. Each time you get a spell slot (see the Bard Spells per Day table), you add a spell to your spell repertoire of the same rank. At 2nd level, you select another 1st-rank spell; at 3rd level, you select two 2nd-rank spells, and so on. When you add spells, you might add a higher-rank version of a spell you already have, so you can cast a heightened version of that spell.
Though you gain them at the same rate, your spell slots and the spells in your spell repertoire are separate. If a feat or other ability adds a spell to your spell repertoire, it wouldn’t give you another spell slot, and vice versa.
Swapping Spells in Your Repertoire
As you gain new spells in your repertoire, you might want to replace some of the spells you previously learned. Each time you gain a level and learn new spells, you can swap out one of your old spells for a different spell of the same rank. This spell can be a cantrip. You can also swap out spells by retraining during downtime.
Composition Spells
You can infuse your performances with magic to create unique effects called compositions. Compositions are a special type of spell that often require you to use the Performance skill when casting them. Composition spells are a type of focus spell. It costs 1 Focus Point to cast a focus spell, and you start with a focus pool of 1 Focus Point. You refill your focus pool during your daily preparations, and you can regain 1 Focus Point by spending 10 minutes using the Refocus activity to perform, write a new composition, or otherwise engage your muse.
Focus spells are automatically heightened to half your level rounded up, much like cantrips. Focus spells don’t require spell slots, and you can’t cast them using spell slots. Taking feats can give you more focus spells and increase the size of your focus pool, though your focus pool can never hold more than 3 Focus Points.
You learn the counter performance composition spell, protecting against auditory and visual effects.
Composition Cantrips
Composition cantrips are special composition spells that don’t cost Focus Points, so you can use them as often as you like. Composition cantrips are in addition to the cantrips you choose with bard spellcasting. Unlike other cantrips, you can’t swap out composition cantrips gained from bard feats at a later level, unless you swap out the specific feat via retraining.
You learn the courageous anthem composition cantrip, which boosts your allies’ attacks, damage, and defense against fear.
Bard Spells Per Day
| Your Rank |
Spell Rank | ||||||||||
| Cantrips | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | |
| 1 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 14 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 15 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 16 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 17 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 18 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 19 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1* |
| 20 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1* |
* The magnum opus class feature gives you a 10th-rank spell slot that works a bit differently from other spell slots.
Muses
As a bard, you select one muse at 1st level. This muse leads you to great things and might be someone you know, a supernatural creature, location, deity, philosophy, or captivating mystery. Depending on the type of inspiration you receive, your 1st-level muse grants you a specific 1st-level bard feat and adds a spell to your repertoire.
In addition to this, each muse opens the door to many later bard feats. If one type of inspiration is not enough to represent your muse, consider the Multifarious Muse feat.
Enigma
Your muse is a mystery, driving you to uncover the hidden secrets of life and the multiverse. These muses can be people you cannot fully grasp, texts layered deeply with symbolism, or emotional paradoxes that underline a lifetime’s work. If your muse is an otherworldly creature, it might be a mysterious aeon or an occult dragon; if a deity, it might be Irori or Nethys. Art inspired by an enigma muse could be cryptic, eerie, or laden with speculation and conspiracy.
As a bard with the enigma muse, you support your allies by providing knowledge alongside inspiration and occult support.
Muse Feat Bardic Lore
Muse Spell sure strike
Maestro
Your muse constantly inspires you to greater heights of artistic prowess. For many bards, a teacher or rival fills this role, although some set their sights higher and attempt to surpass great composers of the past or blaze a new trail entirely. If your muse is a supernatural creature, it might be one who loves to perform, such as a choral angel or a lyrakien azata; if a deity, it might be Shelyn. Art inspired by a maestro muse is precise and inventive, a formalist achievement.
As a bard with a maestro muse, you are an inspiration to your allies and confident of your musical and oratorical abilities.
Muse Feat Lingering Composition
Muse Spell soothe
Polymath
Your muse is a jack of all trades, flitting between skills and pursuits. Some bards are constantly moved by new muses or draw their inspiration from an idealized being, whether it’s based on a real person or purely philosophical. If your muse is a single creature, it might be an eclectic creature like a fey or one who’s learned a lot over a long lifespan; if a deity, it might be Desna or Calistria. Art inspired by a polymath muse is restless, with each composition exhibiting new techniques and an ever-evolving style.
As a bard with a polymath muse, you are interested in a wide array of topics but rarely dedicated to any one, and you rarely make up your mind—you want to try everything.
Muse Feat Versatile Performance
Muse Spell phantasmal minion
Warrior
The battlefield is your stage, the clang of steel, your song. Your muse has seen countless battles, whether reveling in combat or resigned to its necessity. An individual soldier or general might inspire you, but so might a battlefield or weapon with a particularly profound history. If your muse is a creature, it might be an otherworldly soldier, such as an archon or devil soldier. If it’s a deity, it might be Gorum. Art inspired by a warrior muse is triumphant and strident, often detailing epic battles.
As a bard with a warrior muse, you train for battle in addition to performance, and you prepare your allies for the dangers of combat. You might even wade into the thick of things with them.
Muse Feat Martial Performance
Muse Spell fear
Key Terms
Bard Feats 2nd
At 2nd level and every even-numbered level, you gain a bard class feat.
Bard Feats by Name
Skill Feats 2nd
At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill feat. Skill feats can be found in Chapter 4 and have the skill trait. You must be trained or better in the corresponding skill to select a skill feat.
General Feats 3rd
At 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain a general feat. General feats are listed in Chapter 5.
Reflex Expertise 3rd
You’ve developed a knack for dodging danger. Your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to expert.
Signature Spells 3rd
Experience allows you to cast some spells more flexibly. For each spell rank you have access to, choose one spell of that rank to be a signature spell. You don’t need to learn heightened versions of signature spells separately; instead, you can heighten these spells freely. If you’ve learned a signature spell at a higher rank than its minimum, you can also cast all its lower-rank versions without learning those separately. If you swap out a signature spell, you can choose a replacement signature spell of the same spell rank at which you learned the previous spell. You can also retrain specifically to change a signature spell to a different spell of that rank without swapping any spells; this takes as much time as retraining a spell normally does.
Skill Increases 3rd
At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill increase. You can use this increase to either become trained in one skill you’re untrained in or become an expert in one skill in which you’re already trained.
At 7th level, you can use skill increases to become a master in a skill in which you’re already an expert, and at 15th level, you can use them to become legendary in a skill in which you’re already a master.
Ancestry Feats 5th
In addition to the ancestry feat you started with, you gain an ancestry feat at 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter. The list of ancestry feats available to you can be found in your ancestry’s entry in Chapter 2.
Expert Spellcaster 7th
Your magical techniques grow stronger. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifiers and spell DCs increase to expert.
Fortitude Expertise 9th
Your physique has grown hardy in your adventures. Your proficiency rank for Fortitude saves increases to expert.
Performer’s Heart 9th
The greatest performances require an understanding of your own mind and flawless concentration. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Will save, you get a critical success instead.
Bard Weapon Expertise 11th
You have become thoroughly adept with bardic weapons. Your proficiency rank for martial weapons, simple weapons, and unarmed attacks increases to expert. When you critically succeed at an attack roll using one of these weapons or an unarmed attack while one of your compositions is active, you apply the critical specialization effect for that weapon or unarmed attack.
Perception Mastery 11th
You’ve developed keen awareness and attention to detail. Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to master.
Light Armor Expertise 13th
You’ve learned how to dodge while wearing light or no armor. Your proficiency ranks for light armor and unarmored defense increase to expert.
Weapon Specialization 13th
You’ve learned how to inflict greater injuries with the weapons you know best. You deal 2 additional damage with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you’re an expert. This damage increases to 3 if you’re a master and 4 if you’re legendary.
Master Spellcaster 15th
You pluck the threads of magic like the strings of a harp. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifiers and spell DCs increase to master.
Greater Performer’s Heart 17th
Your performances warp the mind and cause emotions to flower, and understanding how to do this also forges an incomparable understanding of your own mind. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to legendary. When you roll a critical failure on a Will save, you get a failure instead. When you fail a Will save against an effect that deals damage, you take half damage.
Magnum Opus 19th
You have tuned your spellcasting to the highest caliber. Add two common 10th-rank occult spells to your repertoire. You gain a single 10th-rank spell slot you can use to cast these spells using bard spellcasting. Unlike other spell slots, you can’t use 10th-rank slots with abilities that give you more spell slots or that let you cast spells without expending spell slots. You don’t gain more 10th-rank spells as you level up, but you can take the Perfect Encore feat to gain a second slot.
Legendary Spellcaster 19th
Your command of magic is the stuff of legends. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifiers and spell DCs increase to legendary.
Bard Feats
At every level that you gain a bard feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before selecting the feat.
1st Level
- Bardic Lore
- Hymn of Healing
- Lingering Composition
- Martial Performance
- Reach Spell (Bard)
- Versatile Performance
- Well-Versed
2nd Level
- Cantrip Expansion (Bard)
- Directed Audience
- Emotional Push
- Esoteric Polymath
- Loremaster’s Etude
- Multifarious Muse
- Song of Strength
- Uplifting Overture
4th Level
- Combat Reading
- Courageous Advance
- In Tune
- Melodious Spell
- Rallying Anthem
- Ritual Researcher
- Triple Time
- Versatile Signature
6th Level
- Assured Knowledge
- Defensive Coordination
- Dirge of Doom
- Educate Allies
- Harmonize
- Song of Marching
- Steady Spellcasting (Bard)
8th Level
- Accompany
- Call and Response
- Eclectic Skill
- Fortissimo Composition
- Know-It-All
- Reflexive Courage
- Soulsight
10th Level
- Annotate Composition
- Courageous Assault
- House of Imaginary Walls
- Ode to Ouroboros
- Quickened Casting
- Symphony of the Unfettered Heart
- Unusual Composition
12th Level
14th Level
16th Level
18th Level
20th Level
