AD&D Character Class: Bard

The druids will not accept any candidate who has not honed his skills to at least level 5 fighter ability and level 5 thief ability. However, they will also reject candidates who have achieved name level--level 9 Lord for the fighter, level 10 Master Thief for the thief class--due to the notoriety and obligations (and followers) of characters who achieve these levels. Therefore, the character must retire not before level 5, but absolutely upon achieving level 8 as fighter, level 9 as thief. The multi-classed half-elf fighter/thief must similarly retire at a time when both classes have reached the minimum of level 5, but neither has exceeded the maximum specified level. A character who fails to do this will not be accepted into bardic training. Note that a character can refuse to train for the new level, losing experience points that would have been gained, in order to fail to advance and remain eligible for the bardic class if he wishes the other class to be raised further. MyWorld rules permit a character to take the thief-acrobat split class and still become a bard; no other thief sub-class is satisfactory. (This is referred to as the Bard-Acrobat anywhere in these rules in which it is distinct from the standard Bard.) No fighter or cavalier sub-class is acceptable except ordinary fighter, but weapon specialization is permitted in one weapon.

The bard gains hit points as a fighter during his fighter advancement; true to the terms of the character with two classes, he gains no hit points as a thief until his thief level exceeds his fighter level. The multiclassed fighter/thief gains split hit dice as described under multiclassed characters. In either case, once bardic studies are begun, the character will begin accumulating d6 hp/level after level 1. The bard will always fight at the best fighter ability he achieved with any weapon he learns. However, the weapons and armor permitted to him are limited by the necessities of the thief class and the druidic magic use. He may wear leather, studded leather, ring mail, elfin chain, or magical chain mail; he may not use a shield. Bard armor will affect thief abilities as they would affect a thief. Weapons include club, dagger, dart, garrote, javelin, knife, lasso, sap, scimitar, sling, spear, staff, bastard sword, broad sword, falchion sword, long sword, and short sword. Under MyWorld rules, he may continue to use any weapons learned as a fighter, provided these do not interfere with his skills as a thief. Bards may use flaming oil as a combat weapon, and evil bards may use poison. The bard also retains all thief and/or thief acrobat skills acquired throughout his bardic life.

Advancement table:

Level		From	To
1	Rhymer	0	2000
2	Lyrist	2001	4000
3	Sonnateer	4001	8000
4	Skald	8001	16000
5	Racaraide	16001	25000
6	Joungleur	25001	40000
7	Troubadour	40001	60000
8	Minstrel	60001	85000
9	Muse	85001	100000
10	Lorist	110001	150000
11	Bard	150001	200000
12	Master Bard	200001	400000
13		400001	600000
14		600001	800000
15		800001	1000000
16		1000001	1200000
17		1200001	1400000
18		1400001	1600000
19		1600001	1800000
20		1800001	2000000
21		2000001	2200000
22		2200001	3000000
23		3000001	Over

With each level advanced as a bard, the bard gains druidic spells. These increase to a maximum of 5 spells of each of the first five levels of druidic spells. They are gained and cast as a druid. Spells are cast as a druid of the same level up to level 12, and remain as spells cast by a level 12 druid until the bard reaches level 23, at which time the spells are cast as a 13th level druid. Additionally, a bard has all of the abilities of a druid of the same level unless otherwise specified. Bards can read scrolls which are readable by druids.

Bards belong to colleges, which change as they advance. With the exception of the Magna Alumnae, who will happily advise any other bard, bards do not associate with those of a lower college.

In addition to any languages learned based on race and intelligence, the bard may learn languages as a druid. These are not learned at the same rate or the same levels as the druid, but as on the chart below. These languages must come from the list of druid languages until that list is exhausted. Druidic is an acceptable language for a bard to learn. (Note that having been a thief, he already knows thief's cant.)

The bard has a chance to charm (as the charm person/charm monster spells) any person or creature with his music. The target gets normal saves (vs. spells vs. will power) and magic resistance as appropriate. The chance of successfully casting the spell is given on the chart; there is no limit to how often this may be attempted, except that it can only be used on the same creature once per day. This charming effect reaches a 4" (40' indoors and underground, 40 yards outside) radius, and all creatures not associated with the bard will stand and listen for a full minute, while those which fail to save will remain transfixed as long as the bard continues to sing. If the bard makes a suggestion (as the spell), entranced characters must save or be affected by the suggestion; if it is planted in the song, the saves are at -2, but those who make the save are freed from the entrancement. Loud noise or physical attack will negate the charm effect, but will not erase a suggestion already implanted.

The bard also has a chance to know about legendary and significant objects, especially magic objects. The chart shows a "Legend Lore and Item Knowledge Percentage", which is the chance the bard will know something about a legendary person, place, or thing. This same number is the chance the bard will be able to identify a magic item, provided it is an item of one of the following types: weapons, armor, potions, scrolls, rings, any item a bard can use, and any item marked by magical inscriptions. (Bards can read runes, glyphs, characters, symbols, and other types of arcane writing.) In addition to identifying the item, the bard may be able to identify the alignment of an object if it is of an appropriate type and has an alignment. He does not need to touch the item to perform these skills. The information gained will be on the order of a legend lore spell. Artifacts and relics are legendary in nature, and not covered specifically by this ability. Bards may use any magic items which are usable by fighters, thieves, or druids, and are helped or harmed by them in the best and worst ways. Musical magic items are bonused in the hands of a bard, and some will work for no other character class.

Level	College	+Lang	Charm	Legend Lore
1	(Probationer)	0	15%	0%
2	Fochlucan	0	15%	5%
3	Fochlucan	0	22%	7%
4	Fochlucan	1	24%	10%
5	MacFuirmidh	0	30%	13%
6	MacFuirmidh	1	32%	16%
7	MacFuirmidh	1	34%	20%
8	Doss	0	40%	25%
9	Doss	1	42%	30%
10	Doss	1	44%	35%
11	Canaith	0	50%	40%
12	Canaith	1	53%	45%
13	Canaith	1	56%	50%
14	Cli	0	60%	55%
15	Cli	1	63%	60%
16	Cli	1	66%	65%
17	Anstruth	0	70%	70%
18	Anstruth	1	73%	75%
19	Anstruth	1	76%	80%
20	Ollamh	1	80%	85%
21	Ollamh	1	84%	90%
22	Ollamh	1	88%	95%
23	Magna Alumnae	1	95%	99%

Saving throws are the best available to the character with all classes begun, that is, fighter saves while a fighter only, the better of fighter or thief saves when both, and the best of fighter, thief, and druid saves when a bard. The fighter and thief saves are at the highest level attained, and the bardic saves are on the cleric/druid table at the current level of the bard.

Once a bard, the character must always have a stringed musical instrument in order to perform bardic functions. Bardic verse can raise the morale of associated creatures +10% after two rounds of song; it can in the same time also grant +1 to hit for such associates. Both effects (which occur together) will remain for one full turn (10 minutes). Verse can be spoken during combat, but not concurrently with spell casting or bardic singing.

Bardic music will negate the effects of harpies and any other attacks which rely on song. It will also soothe shriekers, eliminating the noise they make.

Bards will not serve as henchmen another than for brief periods (up to 4 months). They may not take henchmen until Bard level 5, when they may take 1; additional henchmen may added, one at a time, at levels 8, 11, 14, 17, and 20, and up to the maximum allowable by charisma at level 23. In any event, all henchmen will be fighters, thieves, or druids (or combinations thereof) of human, half-elven, or elven races. No bard below level 23 will construct any kind of stronghold or in any way settle down.

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