Skald
Weapons: Simple Martial
Armor: Light Armor Medium Armor Shields (Except Tower)
A skald can cast skald spells in light or medium armor and while using a shield with no arcane spell failure chance; heavy armor imposes the normal chance.
Type: Spontaneous (Arcane)
Casting Ability: CHA
Progression: Three_Quarters
Spells Known: Three_Quarters
Casts cantrips/orisons at will, not counted against spells prepared/known.
Rage Powers
(unlocks at level 3)
Rage Power
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A skald is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields (except tower shields). A skald can cast skald spells while wearing light or medium armor and even using a shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. This does not affect the arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes. Like other arcane spellcasters, a skald wearing heavy armor incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has somatic components.
Bardic Knowledge Level 1 E · Scaling Numeric Track
A skald adds 1/2 his class level (minimum 1) on all Knowledge skill checks, and may make all Knowledge skill checks untrained.
Cantrips Level 1 F · Gated Unlock
Skalds learn a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table: Skald Spells Known. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.
Spells Level 1 N · Spellcasting Chassis
A skald casts arcane spells drawn from the bard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. Every skald spell has a verbal component — these verbal components can take the form of song, recitation, or even non-verbal music like percussion. To learn or cast a spell, a skald must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell's level. The saving throw DC against a skald's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the skald's Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a skald can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Skald. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.
The skald's selection of spells is limited. A skald begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of the skald's choice. At each new skald level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Skald Spells Known. Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a skald knows isn't affected by his Charisma score. At 5th level and every 3 levels thereafter, a skald can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows, following the same rules as a bard.
A skald need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell's level.
Raging Song Level 1 D · Point Pool
A skald is trained to use music, oration, and similar performances to inspire his allies to feats of strength and ferocity. At 1st level, a skald can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. For each level thereafter, he can use raging song for 2 additional rounds per day.
Starting a raging song is a standard action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. Starting a raging song becomes a move action at 7th level and a swift action at 13th level. A raging song cannot be disrupted, but it ends immediately if the skald is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action each round to maintain it. A raging song counts as the bard's bardic performance for any effect that affects bardic performances, and a skald may learn bard masterpieces. A raging song has audible components but no visual components; affected allies must be able to hear the skald. Allies choose each round whether to accept or refuse a raging song's effects.
A skald automatically gains the following raging songs at the listed skald levels (see each for its full effect): Inspired Rage (1st), Song of Marching (3rd), Song of Strength (6th), Dirge of Doom (10th), Song of the Fallen (14th).
Scribe Scroll Level 1 F · Gated Unlock
At 1st level, a skald gains Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat.
Versatile Performance Level 2 A · Selection Pool
At 2nd level, a skald can choose one type of Perform skill associated with the skald class. He can use his bonus in that skill in place of his bonus in the associated skills listed below, using his total Perform skill bonus (including class skill bonus) whether or not he has ranks in that skill. At 7th level, and every 5 levels thereafter, he can select an additional type of Perform to substitute.
The types of Perform and their associated skills are: Oratory (Diplomacy, Sense Motive), Percussion (Handle Animal, Intimidate), Sing (Bluff, Sense Motive), String (Bluff, Diplomacy), and Wind (Diplomacy, Handle Animal).
Well-Versed Level 2 E · Scaling Numeric Track
At 2nd level, the skald becomes resistant to sonic effects. The skald gains a +4 bonus on saving throws made against bardic performance, as well as all sonic or language-dependent effects.
Rage Powers Level 3 A · Selection Pool
At 3rd level and every 3 levels thereafter, a skald learns a rage power that affects the skald and any allies under the influence of his inspired rage. This cannot be a rage power that requires the creature to spend a standard action or rounds of rage to activate it. The skald uses his skald level as his barbarian level for the purpose of selecting and resolving rage powers, and cannot select an individual rage power more than once unless it is expressly repeatable.
When starting an inspired rage, the skald chooses which rage powers (if any) to add to the song; all affected allies gain their benefit. If the skald has the ability to rage from another source, he can use his skald rage powers during that rage as well.
Uncanny Dodge Level 4 F · Gated Unlock
At 4th level, a skald cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does he lose his Dex bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if he is immobilized or feinted against. If a skald already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.
Spell Kenning Level 5 C · Uses-Per-Day Ability
At 5th level, once per day a skald can cast any spell on the bard, cleric, or sorcerer/wizard spell list as if it were one of his skald spells known, expending a skald spell slot of the same spell level. Casting a spell with spell kenning always has a minimum casting time of 1 full round. He can use this ability twice per day at 11th level and three times per day at 17th level.
Lore Master Level 7 C · Uses-Per-Day Ability
At 7th level, the skald can choose to take 10 on any Knowledge skill check that he has ranks in. Once per day, the skald can take 20 on any Knowledge skill check as a standard action; he can do so twice per day at 13th level and three times per day at 19th level.
Improved Uncanny Dodge Level 8
At 8th level, a skald can no longer be flanked, denying enemies the ability to sneak attack him by flanking unless the attacker has at least four more levels in a sneak-attack class than the target has skald levels. Uncanny-dodge levels from other classes stack to determine this threshold.
Damage Reduction Level 9 E · Scaling Numeric Track
At 9th level, a skald gains DR 1/—. At 14th and 19th levels, this damage reduction increases by 1. The skald also grants this DR to all allies affected by his inspired rage.
Master Skald Level 20 F · Gated Unlock
At 20th level, a skald's inspired rage no longer gives allies a penalty to AC, nor limits what skills or abilities they can use. Allies with rage class abilities may use features dependent on those abilities without restriction. When making a full attack, affected allies may make one additional attack each round (as if hasted).
- Hit Die
- d8
- BAB
- 3/4
- Spellcasting
- Spontaneous
- Skills/Level
- 4 + Int
- Source
- Advanced Class Guide