Vadania Amakiir

* Bard

It is said that music has a special magic, and the bard proves that saying true. Wandering across the land, gathering lore, telling stories, working magic with her music, and living on the gratitude of her audience—such is the life of a bard. When chance or opportunity draws them into a conflict, bards serve as diplomats, negotiators, messengers, scouts, and spies.

A bard's magic comes from the heart. If her heart is good, a bard brings hope and courage to the downtrodden and uses her tricks, music, and magic to thwart the schemes of evildoers. If the nobles of the land are corrupt, the good bard is an enemy of the state, cunningly evading capture and raising the spirits of the oppressed. But music can spring from an evil heart as well. Evil bards forego blatant violence in favor of manipulation, holding sway over the hearts and minds of others and taking what enraptured audiences "willingly" give.

* Adventures

Bards see adventures as opportunities to learn. They practice their many skills and abilities, and they especially relish the opportunity to enter a long-forgotten tomb, to discover ancient works of magic, to decipher old tomes, to travel to strange places, to encounter exotic creatures, and to learn new songs and stories. Bards love to accompany heroes (and villans), joining their entourage to witness their deeds firsthand—a bard who can tell a marvelous story from personal experience earns renown among her fellows. Indeed, after telling so many stories about heroes doing mighty deeds, many bards take these themes to heart and assume heroic roles themselves.

* Characteristics

A bard brings forth magic from his soul, not from a book. She can cast only a small number of spells, but she can do so without selecting or perparing them in advance. Her magic emphasizes charms and illusions over the more dramatic evocation spells that wizards and sorcerers often use.
In addition to spells, a bard works magic with her music and poetry. She can encourage allies, hold her audiences rapt, and counter magical effects that rely on speech or sound.
Bards have some of the skills that rogues have, although bards are not as focused on skill mastery as rogues are. A bard listens to stories as well as telling them, of course, so she has a vast knowledge of local events and noteworthy items.

* Alignment

Bards are wanderers, guided by whim and inuition rather than by tradition or law. The spontaneous talent, magic, and lifestyle of the bard are incompatible with a lawful alignment.

* Religion

Bards revere Fharlanghn (god of roads). They sometimes camp near his wayside shrines, hoping to earn some coin from the travelers who stop to leave offerings for the god. Many bards, even those who are not elves, worship Corellon Larethian, god of the elves and patron of poetry and music. Many good bards are partial to Pelor (god of the sun), believing that he watches over them in their travels. Bards given to chaos and occasional larceny favor Olidammara (god of theives). Those who have turned to evil ways are known to worship Erythnul (god of slaughter), though few admit to it. In any event, bards spend so much time on the road that, while they may be devoted to a deity, they are rarely devoted to any particular temple.

* Background

An apprentice bard learns his skills from a single experienced bard, whom he follows and serves until she is ready to strike out on her own. Many bards were once young run-aways or orphans, befriended by wandering bards who became their mentors. Since bards occasionally congregate in informal "colleges," the apprentice bard may meet many of the more prominent bards in the area. Still, a bard has no strong allegiance to bards as a whole. In fact, some are highly competitive with other bards, jealous of their reputations and defensive about their territories.

* Races

Bards are commonly human, gnome, elf, or half-elf. Humans take well to the wandering life and adapt easily to new lands and customs. Gnomes have a sense of humor and trickery that lends itself to a bardic career. Elves are talented in music and magic, so the career of the bard comes naturally to them. A bard's wandering ways suit many half-elves, who often feel like strangers even when at home. Half-orcs, even those raised among humans, find themselves ill suited to the demands of a bard's career. There are no bardic traditions among dwarves or halflings, though occasional individuals of these races find teachers to train them in the ways of the bard.
Bards are exceedingly rare among the savage humanoids, except among centaurs. Centaur bards sometimes train the children of humans or other humanoids.

* Other Classes

A bard works well with companions of other classes. She often serves as the spokesman of the party, using her social skills for the party's benefit. In a party without a wizard or sorcerer, the bard contributes her magic. In a party without a rogue, she uses her skills. A bard is curious about the ways of more focused or dedicated adventurers, so she often tries to pick up pointers from fighters, sorcerers, and rogues.

* Role

The bard is perhaps the ultimate generalist. In most adventuring groups, she works best in a supporting role. She can't usually match the stealth of the ranger or the rogue, the spellcasting power of the cleric or the wizard, or the combat prowess of the barbarian or the fighter. However, she makes all the other characters better at what they do, and she can often fill in for another character when needed. For a typical group of four characters, the bard is perhapss the most useful fifth character to consider adding, and she can make a great team leader.