pathFinal Fantasy

© Square Enix, Final Fantasy The After Years

Bards are storytellers, performers and charlatans. Masters of music, people, and social situations, they recount tales long past, calling upon an arcane force powered by their stories and songs.

Role: Bards are sustained support and utility casters with a variety of songs to allow them to push their party through long engagements

Alignment: Bards can be of any alignment. Chaotic bards often perform impromptu pieces of music, while Lawful bards commonly stick to carefully structured haikus or stories.

Hit Die: D8

Starting Wealth: 3d6 × 10 gp (average 105 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The bard’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks Per Level: 6 + Int modifier

Table: Bard

Class Features

NOTE: All bard features are considered to have performance components, either through voice or an instrument. In addition, they are all Sonic, audible effects. Being deaf does not prevent the Bard’s Rhythm from affecting you with damage effects.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies

A bard is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, shortsword, shortbow, and whip. Bards are also proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields).

Limit Break

At 1st level, a Bard gains the ability to use limit breaks. At the start of each day the Bard chooses Daredevil or Spoony (A bard unique Limit Break Mode) as his limit break mode. If the Bard chooses Spoony, he may make use of Daredevil’s generic limit breaks When a Bard's Limit Break Gauge is filled, they may use a limit break from their chosen mode or the following limit break, unique to them:

Spoony: Whenever the bard performs a song, the bard gains 1 point towards his limit break gauge. Casting a Finale specifically grants a number of points in the limit break gauge equal to the Tempos spent. In addition, the Bard gains 1 point of limit break whenever he is not subjected to any attacks for a round of combat.

Song of Vengeance: For each stack of limit break spent, the bard and all allies within 30 feet gain the Bard's level as a untyped bonus to all attack and damage rolls for one round per stack spent. While this is active, the Bard cannot gain any charges of limit break. In addition, the Bard gains 1 tempo in their pool for each charge. Activating Song of Vengeance is a swift action

Rhythm (Su)

Bards are attuned to a unique magical force, called Rhythm. Intrinsically linked to musical or performative prowess, this Rhythm allows Bards to match and even exceed the prowess of spellcasters, albeit in versatility rather than direct power. Bards blend songs together in a show of magical prowess, evoking magical effects.

Using a single song is a standard action. The bard can perform 2 songs as a full round action, with an additional 1 at levels 8 and 15, for a total of 4 songs as a full round action. Using Rhythm requires either verbal or somatic components, and a song’s somatic components must be fulfilled with an instrument instead of a free hand.

Songs will have either a [Intro], [Tempo] or [Finale] tag. When a bard performs a song, they can start a Rhythm, if they start with an [Intro]. After the Intro is performed, the bard can build up Tempo, by performing songs with the [Tempo] tag. The bard can “store” a number of Tempos equal to his Charisma modifier or bard level, whichever is higher. Once the Bard has stored at least one tempo, their [Finale] songs are boosted by the amount of [Tempo] songs played beforehand, as noted in the individual song. If the Bard does not perform a song for a round they lose one of their stored tempos. If they have no tempos left, the song ends and they must start it again with an [Intro]. The bard can perform any song at any time, but if not in rhythm, the bard takes the minimum effect for that song, and he can only perform this one song as a full round action, regardless of how many he can normally perform. All tempos are expended whenever a Finale is cast.

Bards begin with one song, and an additional number of songs equal to his Charisma modifier. Each time a new level in bard is taken, the bard learns an additional song. Songs have a level prerequisite, as listed on the Song List.
When a bard song requires a duration, it lasts a number of rounds equal to their Charisma modifier. If a bard song requires a DC, the DC is 10 + 1/2 the bard's level + his Charisma modifier.

Rhythm counts as spellcasting and Bard levels count as caster levels for the purpose of item crafting feats. Songs cannot be made into wands or potions. Bards can learn new songs from Orchestrion Rolls or other Bards, paying 5 gil per level of the bard who created it or is teaching, or their own, whichever is higher. Songs take 2 hours to learn in all instances.
Songs can be found here

College Of Performance

At 1st level, a Bard selects a College of Performance. This determines the bard’s role in general, although it never limits him from branching out. At 1st level and each even level thereafter, the Bard takes a bonus song from the College’s list, and gains special bonuses as listed inside each college. These bonuses come into effect at 1st, 9th, and 17th level. In addition, a College has a specific perform skill attached to it. The Bard gains a +1 bonus to that skill, which increases by +1 at 4th and every 4 levels afterwards.

Colleges of Performance can be found here

Battle Tempo (Ex)

At 1st level, Each time the Bard performs a song, the bard grants one ally within 30 feet a morale bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to their Charisma modifier, for a number of rounds equal to their Charisma modifier. The bard can also apply Battle Tempo as a standard action without performing a song. The Bard can sustain two battle tempos at once, and increases this number at levels 5, 10, 15 and 20, for a maximum of 6 at level 20.

Compose Orchestrion Roll

At 1st level, the Bard gains Compose Orchestrion Roll as a bonus feat.

Bardic Talents

At 2nd level and every two levels afterwards, the Bard may choose a Bardic Talent. These alter or improve class features, or unlock new features to use.
The list of Bardic Talents can be found here

Versatile Performance (Ex)

At 2nd level, a bard can choose one type of Perform skill. He can use his bonus in that skill in place of his bonus in associated skills. When substituting in this way, the bard uses his total Perform skill bonus, including class skill bonus, in place of its associated skill’s bonus, whether or not he has ranks in that skill or if it is a class skill. At 6th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the bard can select an additional type of Perform to substitute.
The types of Perform and their associated skills are: Act (Bluff, Disguise), Comedy (Bluff, Intimidate), Dance (Acrobatics, Fly), Keyboard Instruments (Diplomacy, Intimidate), Oratory (Diplomacy, Sense Motive), Percussion (Handle Animal, Intimidate), Sing (Bluff, Sense Motive), String (Bluff, Diplomacy), and Wind (Diplomacy, Handle Animal).

Well Versed (Ex)

At 3rd level, the bard becomes resistant to the bardic performance of others, and to sonic effects in general. The bard gains a +4 bonus on saving throws made against sonic, and language-dependent effects. This bonus also applies to any effect from other’s Rhythm on the bard.

Life Sustenance Tempo (Su)

At 5th level, in place of granting a buff via Battle Tempo, the Bard can heal an ally for an amount equal to his Charisma modifier. If Battle Tempo is used this way, the buff granted does not expire if the buff’s target is also the target of Life Sustenance Tempo.

Let’s Put On A Show (Ex)

At 7th level, the Bard’s allies can cooperate, even unwillingly, in his songs. A number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier, the Bard can use an ally within 30 feet as the source of the bard’s song, determining range, effects and anything else from that ally's square.

Flow of The Song (Su)

At 9th level, each time the bard uses Battle Tempo or Life Sustenance Tempo, the bonus or healing given increases by +2 if the target differs from the last target of either class feature. This doubles to +4 at level 18. This benefit does not stack with itself, it only improves the base effect.

Ear-Shredding Ballad (Su)

At 11th level, the bard can wound and rend with just their song or voice. Whenever the bard performs an Finale, each enemy creature within 30 feet takes 1d6 per tempo expended, to a maximum of 6d6 + the bard’s Charisma modifier as sonic damage and becomes deafened for 1 round. These creatures may make a Will Save (DC 10 + ½ bard level + Charisma modifier) to half damage and negate the deafen effect.

Skillful Inspiration (Su)

At 13th level, as a standard action, or in place of the normal Battle Tempo buff, the bard can grant a competence bonus to all skill checks, for the same bonus and duration as Battle Tempo, as if it was a use of Battle Tempo

Dual Tempo (Su)

At 15th level, whenever the bard grants Battle tempo, or anything equivalent to Battle Tempo, such as Skillful Inspiration, he may grant two creatures the same effect. These creatures must be within 15 feet of each other.

A Killer Show (Ex)

At 19th level, when using Let’s Put On A Show, the Bard can spend multiple uses of Let’s Put On A Show to use an ally within 30 feet as the source of their song. For each use spent, they can then select a further ally at 30 feet from the last chosen ally. The last ally picked is then used as per Let’s Put On A Show. Each ally in the chain also gains the effects of Battle Tempo, or a similar feature, such as Life Sustenance Tempo or Skillful Inspiration

Extracurricular Study (Su)

At 20th level, the Bard selects a second College, and gains all features, boons, and bonus songs, as if he had that college from 1st level.

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