Overview: There is power in words, say the Bards of Midworld. They have the power to bolster, to soothe and to devastate. The Bards take the “common thread” of words and weave them into intricate, potent compositions that border the realm of the supernatural… and with erudite compositions, go beyond. Though a good Bard is hard to find and even harder to become, they can find easy welcome anywhere, even with the stodgiest Dwarf or the cynical Necromancer. Everyone, even the cruelest of killers, likes a good tune now and then…
BASIC BARD: A first level character that chooses Bard as his first Profession receives the following:
- Bardic Evocation Skill
- Bardic Lore-keeper
- Gain the Composition: Soothing Composition
| BUILD COST | SKILL NAME | SKILL COMPLEXITY |
| 0*/5/10 | Bardic Evocation | B/C/E |
| 5 | Disguise | Basic |
| 5 | Haggle | Basic |
| 1 | Rumormonger | Basic |
| 5 | Willpower | Basic |
| 5 | Lore-Keeper | Basic |
| 10 | Poker Face | Erudite |
SKILL OVERVIEW:
Bardic Evocation: Through talent and training, you have mastered the basic concepts of performance, of weaving words and symbols into a nigh-magical power.
- This skill allows you to utilize basic bardic compositions.
- Also, using a Bardic Composition is not counted as strenuous activity for the purposes of a short rest.
Bardic Expertise: You have delved the depths of Bardic lore and achieved an expertise with the finer concepts of performance. No mere apprentice are you to the Bardic arts but a journeyman well on his way to true mastery.
- This rank of the skill allows you to utilize complex bardic compositions.
- When you successfully perform a bardic composition, you regain 5 HP as the expression of your soul renews its hold upon your flesh.
- Furthermore, you have become very skilled in dealing with people. The Gather Information Feat, Suggestion Feat and the Befriend Feat only require 1 minute of conversation before they can be used. If you are under the effects of a spell that allows the use of similar effects to these feats, this skill similarly augments the usage of that spell.
Bardic Mastery: You have plumbed the depths of performance and can now harness the full measure of bardic power.
- This rank of the skill allows you to utilize erudite bardic compositions.
- When you successfully perform a long bardic composition, you may affect your audience with the effects of 2 different basic compositions.
- Furthermore, you are only required only engage in 10 seconds of conversation before using the Gather Information Feat, Suggestion Feat and the Befriend Feat. If you are under the effects of a spell that allows the use of similar effects to these feats, this skill similarly augments the usage of that spell.
- Lastly, when you use the Mocking Words feat, you may throw up to three spell-packets instead of just one but each must strike a different target. Preface each throw with "Wave taunt 30".
With this skill, you are able to read all Lore cards.
When fighting an unknown monster, you may invoke this skill and ask “What are you?” to find out the name of whatever you are fighting. You get no other information, although further research in the subject can provide you with information.
Disguise
With this skill, you may put on a cosmetic disguise. You can only disguise yourself as a member of your own race, not a different race. Sense Deception can penetrate this disguise.
Phys Rep: Costume, Make-up for Disguise
Haggle
With this skill, you can receive a 10% discount when purchasing items from NPCs. Likewise, you can mark-up your prices by 10% when dealing with NPC merchants.
Rumormonger
With this skill, you can ply the innkeeper for information regarding the current happenings in the local lands. After 5 minutes of conversation, this skill will yield information that may or may not be relevant to the event. This skill is usable once per period.
Omni-Linguist
With this skill, you are able to understand and speak in all languages except for the Forbidden tongues.
Poker Face
With this skill, you are immune to mundane and magical attempts to discern whether you are lying or not. Whenever, such an attempt is invoked, you can counter it by invoking this skill. There do exist spells and abilities that breach the defenses of this skill, but so far, they are not known.
Likewise, when tasked to a truthful answer by a Feat or a Spell, you may simply invoke this skill to avoid answering the question.
Willpower
When you are affected by a Charm effect, it only affects you for half the regular duration. When you would break out of the effect, invoke this skill.
BARD FEAT LIST:
Build Cost: Each feat costs 5 build to learn.
Befriend
Diplomacy
Gather Information
Mocking Words
Resist Charm
Sense Deception
Suggestion
FEAT OVERVIEW:
Befriend
1 SP
Basic, Conversation, Fascinate, Charm
Effect: After a conversation of at least 5 minutes, you may invoke “Befriend”. The subject of this feat will find himself fascinated by you and will listen intently to what you have to say (whether they believe it or not). This could mean having a new friend or boring a stranger, depending on how you cut things. Pressing matters will drag your victim away, but if he is not doing anything, he may as well be listening to what you have to say.
This is a Charm effect and therefore can be countered by Resist Charm and similar feats and spells.
Diplomacy
1 SP
Complex, Pacify, Charm
Effect: When hostility threatens to erupt, you can invoke “Pacify 30” upon a single target. You can then proceed to make a plea for calmer heads to prevail. As long as no one in the vicinity has a weapon in hand, they will allow peace to reign for 30 more seconds. Or they can negate this feat with a Resist Charm feat.
Gather Information
1 SP
Basic, Conversation, Detect Information, Charm
Effect: After 5 minutes of conversation, you may ask a yes or no question. The target has to truthfully answer “yes” (or nod), “no” (or shake his head) or “I don’t know” (shrug), even if he does not want to.
Resist Charm and Poker face can be used to defend against this feat, although it is technically not an attack – merely a sly attempt to discover information.
Mocking Words
1 SP
Basic, Melee/Ranged Taunt, Charm
Effect: This feat allows you to place a 30 second Taunt effect upon a target. To use this feat as a ranged attack, invoke this feat and then throw a spell packet at your target. In mid-throw, invoke “taunt 30”.
To use this feat in melee, you must forgo dealing damage with a weapon strike that targets the opponent’s torso area. In mid-swing, invoke “Taunt 30”. If the strike lands and is undefended, your target must suffer the effects of your invocation and will bring his attacks to bear on you to the exclusion of others.
Resist Charm
1 SP
Basic, Charm Defense
Effect: When hit by a Charm effect, such as Fascinate, Taunt, Pacify or Suggestion, you can negate its effects by invoking this Feat within 5 seconds of the attack.
Sense Deception
1 SP
Basic, Detect Deception
Effect: You may invoke this Feat during a conversation when you believe someone is lying to you or deceiving you. Invoke this Feat and they can nod their head for “Yes, I just lied” or shake their head for “No, I didn’t lie.
You can also use this Feat to determine whether someone is using a disguise, although it will not reveal who is behind the disguise.
Special: The Poker Face skill will make a character immune to lie detection Feats and Spells.
Suggestion
1 SP
Basic, Conversation, Deception, Charm
Effect: After a conversation of at least 5 minutes, you may invoke this feat then make a statement. Unless they defend against it with a Resist Charm or a Sense Deception, they must act as if they believe in it…although that does not necessarily mean that they should act upon the information.
The Suggestion must a reasonable one, such as: “You forgot to give me what you owed me last week” or “Loan me some gold, I promise I’ll pay you back this time”.
“Give me your money” will not work.
When confronted with convincing proof of your deceit, your victim will not believe you for the rest of the month (and they might attempt to get some training in detecting falsehoods or bringing a friend with them that can).