Nerves le) oker tae ela | eal QUINTESSENTIAL BARD Collector Series Book: FifteenThe Quintessential Bard Shannon Kalvar Contents Credits Introduction 2 Editor Paul Tucker Character Concepts 4 ji Cover Art rest The Prestige Bard 16 ea Tricks of the Trade 30 F 36 Interior Illustrations eats Brent Chumley, Danilo Moretti, Drew Tools of the Trade 40 Langston, Eric Bergeron, Gillian Pearce, Marcio Fiorito, Patricio Soler, Sarwat The Power of Lore 59 Chadda, Stephen Shepherd, Tony Parker st f Musi Mysteries of Music oT Production Manager Bard Spells 87 Alexander Fennell Bardic Duels 92 Playtesting Venues 98 Steve Mulhern, Mark Howe, Daniel . Scothome, Mark Sizer, Michael Young, Mark Designers Notes 117 Billanie, Daniel Haslam, Jamie Godfrey, Alan Index 118 Moore: Rules Summary 121 Proof Reading : I t¢ Licenses 128 an Barstow OPEN GAME CONTENT & COPYRIGHT INFORMATION “The Quintessential Bard©2003 Mongoose Publishing ll ighs reserved. Reproduction of non-Open Gare Content ofthis wodk by any rans ‘without the written permission ofthe publisher i expressly forbidden. The Quiletental Bard is presented under the Open Gane and 20 Licenses. Seo gage 128 for the text of these ences Alte! pargrape and bles containing game mechanic and ates derivative of Open ‘Game Content andthe Sytem Reference Documess ae conidere ta be Open Game Contes, Aloe sigan character, names, places, items, art and fext hei are copyrighted by Mongoose Publishing. All ight reserved. I you have questions about ne Open Came Cseent ‘aus of any materi herein, please contact Moagoose Publishing for clanifistion. “20 System” andthe "20 System logo are Trademarks ‘owned by Wizards ofthe Coa and are wd acocing tothe terms ofthe 20 Sytem Licence version 3.0. A copy of hi Licence canbe found ‘a wrviands com. The mention of or ference to any company or product in hese pages is ota challenge to he trademark or copie ‘soneemed, Dungeons & Dragons and Wizards of the Coast® are Registered Trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, andar used with Permission. Printed in Canad MONGOOSE PUBLISHING Mongoose Publishing, PO Box 1918, Swindon, SN3 1DG, United Kingdom info@mongoosepublishing.com Visit the Mongoose Publishing website at www.mongoosepublishing.com for additional rules and news 1(Of all the B20 classes the bard stands out as the most difficult to pigeonhole. Players often pass it up in favour of more easily understood and playable classes, ‘A fighter is very good at going toe to toe with things. ‘A rogue sneaks around, The wizards and the sorcerers toss out spell after spell. The clerics invoke the power of the gods for healing and smiting, ‘What then does the bard do? ‘The bard does a litle bit of everything; cast spells, heal, fight with a sword. He also brings @ unique skills set and two special abilities tothe table, He has all of the skills of a rogue and a wizard, with a broad range of knowledge, He also has a chance to know anything (represented by his bardic knowledge ability). Finally he can create some enchantment like effects using the power of his own performance. ‘This mishmash of abilities turns alot of players off ‘What, exactly, is a bard supposed to do in the average dungeon? Out of the dungeon he can sing for his supper, but in it? Maybe he uses his inspite courage Song to assist the fights, but for the most part a bard. seems as useless as a third wheel ‘We aim to change that with this book. THE COLLECTOR’S SERIES ‘The Collector’s Series is a range of class and racial sourcebooks from Mongoose Publishing, all designed to greatly widen a player’s options for his character ‘within the d20 games system. Slotting seamlessly into any fantasy-based campaign, each will give a ‘comprehensive guide to one class or race within the ‘game, allowing both players and Games Masters the ‘chance to present old character types in a completely new way without overpowering or unbalancing the game asa whole. The Collector's Series will not necessarily allow players to create a better character, but they will be able to do a lot more than they ever thought possible before. THE QUINTESSENTIAL BARD Here you will find a plethora of options for giving. your bard that little bit of extra focus. From combat worthy bards to batds that are rogues to scholars with a creative flair you can make them all here, ‘You will also find an expansion to the bardic music ability here. These new musical gifts allow you to explore the mysteries of music without sacrificing combat or magical ability. Indeed with these rules bard could focus almost exclusively on being a ‘musician and still be an effective and important character for a group. ‘Of particular interest to bards should be the chapter (on duels. Now there are mote ways to enter into conflicts with a Non-Player Character than rolling some contested dice or hitting them with a sword. Creativity, style, and grace now play just as important a part as raw power. Yes, that fighter may well be able to ring the bard like a bell when it comes to fighting, but ‘can he do it with grace and style? If not, he can find ‘himself on the losing end of a due! that he otherwise would have won, You will also find a lengthy new selection of spells to round out your bard’s abilities as @ master enchanter and manipulator of men, Finally, there is an entire section dedicated to various ‘ways in which bards find and maintain their own venues for performance. Your bard no longer has to wander around like a vagabond; he can become a wealthy and powerful member of the artistic community. The Quintessential Bard offers players a comprehensive guide to playing characters of this class that will prove to be invaluable for characters of any level from to 208,Zz 2 I 3 8 & a‘ards require a very flexible approach when ‘considering what they can and cannot ‘accomplish. Systemically they can acquire ‘second best’ skills in every area: fighting, healing, stealth, skills and magic. Additionally they possess two unique abilities: Bardic Lore and mind-affecting music. ‘This diversity allows them to span a gamut of potential archetypes, from the dashing rogue swinging into the