Bards often serve as negotiators, messengers, scouts, and spies. They love to accompany heroes (and villains) to witness heroic (or villainous) deeds firsthand, since a bard who can tell a story from personal experience earns renown among his fellows. A bard casts arcane spells without any advance preparation, much like a sorcerer. His magic emphasizes charms and illusions, and the bard can also play an inspiring song that strengthens him and his allies. Bards also share some specialized skills with rogues, and their knowledge of item lore is nearly unmatched.
Due to engine limitations with spontaneous caster spellbooks, PRCs that advance Bard's spellbook require spells to be set with chat commands upon each spellbook advancing PRC level.
| Lvl | BAB | Saves | Feats | HP | Base spells per day | Known spells | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | ||||||
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Bardic Knowledge, Bard Song |
6 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Evasion | 12 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | 5 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | 18 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 5 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Uncanny Dodge | 24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 5 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | ||
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | 30 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 5 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | - | |||
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +5 | +5 | 36 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 5 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | - | |||
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +5 | +5 | 42 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | |||
| 8th | +6/+1 | +2 | +6 | +6 | 48 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | |||
| 9th | +6/+1 | +3 | +6 | +6 | Light Armor Mastery | 54 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | ||
| 10th | +7/+2 | +3 | +7 | +7 | 60 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | - | |||
| 11th | +8/+3 | +3 | +7 | +7 | 66 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - | |||
| 12th | +9/+4 | +4 | +8 | +8 | 72 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - | |||
| 13th | +9/+4 | +4 | +8 | +8 | 78 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | |||
| 14th | +10/+5 | +4 | +9 | +9 | 84 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | |||
| 15th | +11/+6/+1 | +5 | +9 | +9 | 90 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | |||
| 16th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +10 | +10 | 96 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | |||
| 17th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +10 | +10 | 102 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |||
| 18th | +13/+8/+3 | +6 | +11 | +11 | 108 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |||
| 19th | +14/+9/+4 | +6 | +11 | +11 | 114 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | |||
| 20th | +15/+10/+5 | +6 | +12 | +12 | 120 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | |||
Bard Song: Bards are able to sing a song that can bolster their allies. Deafened creatures are not affected by the bard's singing. The song affects all allies within 30 feet and lasts for 20 rounds. The higher the bard's final perform skill and class level, the better the bard song. Refer to the table at the bottom of the page for more information.
Weapon Proficiency (Bard): Bards are automatically proficient with longswords, short swords, shortbows, rapiers, and whips.
Bardic Knowledge: This feat allows the character to identify items more easily than others. It grants the character a bonus equal to their bard level to any lore checks.
Evasion: Whenever a reflex save is allowed for half damage, the character instead takes no damage if he succeeds at the save.
Uncanny Dodge: The character retains his dexterity bonus to AC, even if caught flat-footed or attacked by a hidden or invisible creature.
Light Armor Mastery: At level 9, the bard has learned how to cast without Arcane Spell Failure in Light Armor as long as they do not use a shield larger than ‘small'.
Bonus feats: The epic bard gains a bonus feat every three levels after 20th. In other words, at levels 23, 26, and 29.
Epic bonus feats: arcane defense, curse song, empowered music, epic skill focus, epic spell focus, epic will, great charisma, great dexterity, greater spell focus, greater spell penetration, improved combat casting, lasting inspiration
Bonus Epic Bard Spells Per Day: 23rd: Bonus 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st level use
Bonus Epic Bard Known Spells:
| Bard level | Perform | Attack | Damage | Will | Fort | Reflex | THP | AC | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| 14 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 3 | 2 |
| 15 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 4 | 3 |
| 16 | 30 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 5 | 4 |
| 17 | 35 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 5 | 5 |
| 18 | 40 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 5 | 6 |
| 19 | 45 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 26 | 5 | 7 |
| 20 | 50 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 28 | 5 | 8 |
| 21 | 55 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 5 | 9 |
| 22 | 60 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 32 | 5 | 11 |
| 23 | 65 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 34 | 5 | 12 |
| 24 | 70 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 36 | 5 | 13 |
| 25 | 75 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 38 | 6 | 14 |
| 26 | 80 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 40 | 6 | 15 |
| 27 | 85 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 42 | 6 | 16 |
| 28 | 90 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 44 | 6 | 17 |
| 29 | 95 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 46 | 6 | 18 |
| 30 | 100 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 48 | 7 | 19 |
Bards who take the Curse Song feat, are able to sing a song that can curse their enemies. Deafened creatures are not affected by the bard's singing. The song affects all enemies within 30 feet and lasts for 10 rounds. The higher the bard's final perform skill and class level, the more powerful the curse song. Curse song shares uses with bard song.
| Bard level | Perform | Attack | Damage | Will | Fort | Reflex | Sonic Damage | AC | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 6 | -1 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 9 | -1 | -2 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | 12 | -1 | -2 | -1 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| 8 | 15 | -2 | -2 | -1 | -1 | -1 | 8 | 0 | -1 |
| 11 | 18 | -2 | -2 | -1 | -1 | -1 | 8 | -2 | -2 |
| 14 | 21 | -2 | -3 | -1 | -1 | -1 | 16 | -3 | -2 |
| 15 | 24 | -2 | -3 | -2 | -2 | -2 | 16 | -4 | -3 |
| 16 | 30 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 20 | -5 | -4 |
| 17 | 35 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 22 | -5 | -5 |
| 18 | 40 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 24 | -5 | -6 |
| 19 | 45 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 26 | -5 | -7 |
| 20 | 50 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 28 | -5 | -8 |
| 21 | 55 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 30 | -5 | -9 |
| 22 | 60 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 32 | -5 | -11 |
| 23 | 65 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 34 | -5 | -12 |
| 24 | 70 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 36 | -5 | -13 |
| 25 | 75 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 38 | -6 | -14 |
| 26 | 80 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 40 | -6 | -15 |
| 27 | 85 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 42 | -6 | -16 |
| 28 | 90 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 44 | -6 | -17 |
| 29 | 95 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 46 | -6 | -18 |
| 30 | 100 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | 48 | -7 | -19 |