Editing Complete Book Series (section)

===The Complete Bard's Handbook===
The Complete Book of Bards was, in its way, one of the more experimental of the Complete Books, being full of new optional rules and ideas to make the [[bard]] class more fun.

The very first chapter is '''Character Generation''', which even opens with an admission that the standard dice rolling mechanic for character generation makes you extremely unlikely to qualify for a bard, what with the need for being an [[Alignment|Any Neutral]] [[Human]] or [[Half-Elf]] with [[Dexterity]] 12, [[Intelligence]] 13 and [[Charisma]] 15. The rest of this chapter breaks down and simplifies the rules for creating a bardic character, as it was considered one of the more complex characters of AD&D.

The 2nd chapter is the obligatory [[Kits]] chapter. It even presents the original PHB bard in kit format, as a True Bard, in order to make it easier to understand which features a given kit retains in common and which are unique. Aside from the True Bard, the kits presented consist of the following:
* Blade (bards that make a show of weapon-skill and stunts)
* Charlatan (bards specialized in deceiving others, [[gnome]]s can take this kit to 6th level)
* Gallant (romantic warrior type; sort of a bardic [[paladin]])
* Gypsy-bard (nomadic tribal performer with some very [[/pol/]] overtones, [[elves]] can take this kit to 9th level)
* Herald (bards that use their social skills to aid nobles, all [[demihuman]]s can take this kit to 6th level)
* Jester (bards specialized in amusing through buffooner, [[gnome]]s and [[halfling]]s can take this kit to 15th level and 8th level respectively)
* Jongleur (bards specialized in juggling and acrobatics, [[gnome]]s and [[halfling]]s can take this kit to 9th level and 12th level respectively)
* Loremaster (bards specialized in chronicling and historical knowledge, [[elves]] can take this kit to 12th level)
* Meistersinger (musicians with an affinity for the wilderness, which gives them authority over animals; [[elves]] can take this kit to 15th level)
* Riddlemaster (bards that entertain with the use of riddles, rhymes and puzzles, [[gnome]]s and [[halfling]]s can take this kit to 8th level and 9th level respectively)
* Skald (warrior-poets, [[dwarves]] can take this kit to 12th level)
* Thespian (professional actors & mimes)

Chapter 3 expands on the bardic class options. One of the longer chapters in the book, it opens with the idea of [[Demihuman]] bards; whilst demihumans are barred from the "True Bard", this section not only confirms that the previous Kits chapter provided variant bards open to certain demihuman races, it also provides four 15th level demihuman-exclusive variant/kit bards - the [[Dwarf]] Chanter, the [[Elf]] Minstrel, the [[Gnome]] Professor and the [[Halfling]] Whistler - as well as explaining how dwarf/gnome/halfling "demi-bards" have their magic affected. It also provides a list of new [[multiclassing]] options for demi-bards, and rules for humans dual-classing into or out of the bard class.
* Dwarf: [[Fighter]]/Chanter or [[Fighter]]/Skald
* Elf: [[Mage]]/Minstrel, [[Thief]]/Gypsy
* Gnome: [[Illusionist]]/Professor, [[Thief]]/Professor, [[Thief]]/Jongleur
* Half-Elf: [[Fighter]]/True Bard, [[Fighter]]/Blade, [[Fighter]]/Gallant, [[Fighter]]/Skald, [[Ranger]]/True Bard, [[Ranger]]/Meistersinger, [[Mage]]/Loremaster, [[Mage]]/Riddlemaster, [[Cleric]]/True Bard, [[Druid]]/Meistersinger, [[Thief]]/True Bard, [[Thief]]/Gypsy, [[Thief]]/Jongleur, [[Thief]]/Thespian
* Halfling: [[Thief]]/Jongleur

Chapter 4 compiles all of the non-weapon proficiencies  in easy-to-read tables, so a player can more easily pick them, and adds a number of new bardic NWPs, such as acting, chanting, crafting instruments, crowd working, and so forth.

Chapter 5 examples the bard's common abilities - picking pockets, detecting noise, climbing walls, reading languages and using written magical items - in greater detail.

Chapter 6 examines the bard's relationship with magic, such as using bardic perfomance types in lieu of spell verbal components. It also includes some new bard-developed spells; Alter Instrument, Sound Bubble, Silence 15' Radius, Improved Magic Mouth, Instant Audience, Wall of Sound, and Conjure Cabinet, as well as new bardic magical items and some older magic items that bards tend to favor.

The 7th chapter looks at music in more detail, covering its place in history, listing myriad musical instruments, and providing a glossary of sound.

Chapter 8 is all about role-playing bards better, as well as examining new rules for applying the Reputation, Fame and Infamy mechanics to bardic PCs, and how to run bardic performances.

Chapter 9 is "Comrades", examining bardic colleges, patrons and followers.

An appendix provides a translation of the original bard, that weird [[Fighter]]/[[Thief]]/[[Druid]], to the AD&D 2e mechanics.