Archetypes

An animal speaker focuses not on the ears and minds of humans, but on the creatures of the wild and those in the underbellies of cities.

ReplacesFascinate, Well-versed, Inspire competence +1

A diplomatic bard who turns bardic performance toward calming disputes and coordinating allies' teamwork.

ReplacesVersatile Performance, Well-Versed, Inspire Competence +1

A master of the martial applications of steel and spell, the arcane duelist blends both into a lethal combination.

ReplacesBardic Knowledge, Countersong, Suggestion +5

Weaves arcane magic into life-giving energy, channeling healing to mend allies in battle.

ReplacesVersatile Performance

No stodgy researcher, this archaeologist meets his research head-on in the field.

ReplacesWell-Versed

Some bards greatly prefer academic pursuits to the drama (and sometimes melodrama) of their artistic brethren.

ReplacesInspire Courage, Suggestion, Mass Suggestion +4

A bard whose silvery voice smites fiends and devils with radiant, dispelling song.

ReplacesDirge Of Doom, Fascinate, Frightening Tune +3

A bard who weaves magic into outrageous lies, making the impossible sound believable.

ReplacesBardic Knowledge, Countersong, Lore Master +2

A pirate bard who fights to subdue rather than kill, coaxing enemies into surrender.

ReplacesBardic Knowledge, Lore Master, Mass Suggestion +1

A street performer whose physical stunts — juggling, disguise, sleight of hand — stand in for bardic performance.

ReplacesBardic Performance

Known for being known, a celebrity bard is a master of performance who captures the imagination and attention of his audience.

ReplacesInspire courage, Lore master, Dirge of doom

A bard attuned to constructs, able to soothe, frighten, and even reanimate them with performance.

ReplacesDirge Of Doom, Fascinate, Frightening Tune +1

Spending years studying all of the finer points of erudition and etiquette, the court bard takes up the role of resplendent proclaimer and artist-in-residence at the hand of nobility, royalty, and the well-moneyed elite who aspire to join their ranks.

ReplacesInspire Courage, Inspire Competence, Dirge of Doom +4

A jester bard who uses buffoonery and misdirection to protect allies from mind-affecting harm.

ReplacesBardic Knowledge, Lore Master, Countersong +1

A druid-leaning bard who channels the Green Faith into plant magic and protective barriers of living growth.

ReplacesBardic Knowledge, Lore Master, Well-Versed +1

As quick at wordplay as at swordplay, daredevils are dashing heroes, inspiring their allies to match their clever repartee and acrobatic feats.

ReplacesBardic knowledge, Inspire courage, Versatile performance +2

Not content with providing amusing and occasionally instructive performances, the demagogue seeks to inflame and ignite his audience, driving them toward a specific purpose with carefully chosen words and tones that may spark momentous change.

ReplacesInspire Courage, Lore Master, Suggestion +1

Not all bards inspire others with their performances.

ReplacesWeapon and Armor Proficiency, Suggestion, Mass Suggestion +7

Piecing together clues and catching the guilty with sheer cleverness, the detective is skilled at divining the truth.

ReplacesInspire courage, Inspire greatness, Inspire heroics +3

A composer of sonorous laments for the dead and elaborate requiems for those lost yet long remembered, dirge bards master musical tools and tropes that must appeal to the ears and hearts of both the living and the dead.

ReplacesJack-of-all-trades, Well-versed, Versatile performance +1