Editing Kit (section)

===[[Bard]]===
Bard kits go a lot deeper into the class mechanics than most others in the game. This book isn't content with a mild special ability and some roleplaying notes - even many of the bard's core abilities end up altered and overhauled, and as a consequence each kit is almost a class in their own right. They all get the thieving skills and spellcasting, and most of them learn to use written magical items at 10th level (like thieves but with only 15% chance to backfire), but beyond that anything goes.

Some of the demihumans can pick a bard kit, even if they can't normally have the class itself. Dwarves and halflings learn to resist spells instead of casting them themselves.

* True Bard - [[Ultramarines|The vanilla flavor]], noted as the jack-of-all trades who can do a bit of everything but isn't too good at anything, not just in the context of the base classes but also next to all the specialized bard gits. Gets all the usual skills: can sing and play an instrument - with ''two'' extra instruments for each additional point, rather than just one - knows how to read and a thing or two about local history, and as special abilities gets to influence reactions for better or worse, rally allies to hit better or save better, counter enemy spellcasting, and of course the ever-useful legend lore.

* Blade - One of those fancy carnival swordsmen, or movie swashbucklers, that look real intimidating with their spinning and flynning but aren't actually all that good in practice: they need proficiencies in bladed weapons, as well as charisma 15 and intelligence and dexterity 13 or more. You know the guy [[Approved_movies#Adventure|Indiana Jones]] guns down? That was a blade. But most orcs don't carry guns, and tend to get pretty spooked by this black-garbed warrior with his shining sword and knife: fear is the mind-killer, lowering their morale and inspiring fellow party members to hit more accurately. They know blind-fighting and juggling, and reduce called shot penalties for better trick throws, and are able to extend the blind-fighting proficiency up to thirty feet away. They can spin their weapons threateningly around themselves to improve their AC and forcing any attacking enemy to save or be hit; or they can suddenly strike out to scare an enemy away from them. On the flip-side, blades never get to learn to use written magical items, and also take a small penalty to their read languages skill: pass them with that nerd shit.

* Charlatan - "A fool and his money are soon parted", as goeth the saying, and this is the guy doing the parting. Can't be Lawful, and needs to carry a dagger or a sword around because almost everyone does, and the Charlatan truly is ''everyone''. He gets acting and disguise proficiencies to play the role, and also gambling and gaming, and can wear any armor or weapon so long as it's needed for the current identity (can't be a paladin without the shining armor!). He can pretend to use any proficiency he needs - healing for the cleric's role, for instance - and if he rolls an intelligence check with -10, he can actually pull it off for real. At the opposite end, he can recognize a fellow faker, and might even be able to detect alignment on a good charisma roll. He can charm individuals or small crowds (up to equal to their level), and make small swindles with a single pick pocket roll: a successful result will drop the final price of an item - anything up to level times 10 in gold - to the percentile they got, which can be a real saver sometimes. Gnomes can be charlatans, because of course they can, up to 6th level.

* Gallant - If you meet a particularly sappy and lovelorn paladin or cavalier, playing lute under a noble girl's balcony or participating in tournaments for their favour, it might actually be one of these chumps. They walk the earth looking for love and romance and fair maidens to rescue or aid, causes that preclude their being evil-aligned. They come proficient in dancing and etiquette, ancient languages, and poetry, and may wear any armor - but they prioritize looks over utility, so a shiny new chain mail gets picked over banged-up plate. The higher magical bonus the better: +4 padded armor (who'd enchant padded armor anyway?) is better than +3 full plate, but nothing ever tops elven chain mail. Their zest for life affords them an extra +1 hit point per level, an advantage (yes, as in 5e) to saving throws in life-or-death situations, and an extra 1d4 rounds to fight even beyond death so long as they're defending love and innocence or someone pretty - and even when they do die, they get to recite some tragic poetry before they pass on. They get +2 to attack, damage, AC, ''or'' saving throws, so long as they follow their own code, basically chivalry. They can adjust encounter reactions to more favourable direction just by existing... so long as it's not a mixed party, in which case those of the same sex as gallant tend to end up fuming with jealousy. Finally, they can win hearts with their poetry: the charm applies so long as they're fair and not cruel. However, they don't get to build strongholds because they wander around too much - but they do eventually get a squire to follow them around, so there's that.

* [[Gypsy|Gypsy-bard]] - Pretty much what it says on the tin, with all the [[/pol/|implications]] that you might imagine and of which you can read to more detail elsewhere. Let's just stick with the mechanics. They get dancing, direction sense, gypsy language, and some musical instruments as bonus proficiencies, but can't wear some of the bulkier armor and need daggers and knives as their weapons, either khopesh or scimitar if they ever pick any swords at all, and a good chunk of other weaponry is forbidden. They also get all animal-associated proficiencies and riding, with a number of related spells as they gain in levels. A group of gypsies can cast any enchantment spells to willing (though likely ignorant) participants, and they get to cast the augury spell by using a divination artifact (such as crystal balls, or even the dreaded [[Deck of Many Things]]) as focus. Finally, if the campaign uses the [[Psionics]] rules, all gypsies get a wild talent. The downside is, they have a penalty climbing anything other than trees. Elves can be gypsies up to 9th level.

* Herald - Linguist, orator, and a spy: pass the news to the illiterate smallfolk, or protect the king from assassins and uncover embarrassing secrets. They all know etiquette, heraldry, local history, and how to read and write. They can pick up rumours roughly twice as well as any other character, and have a better idea at what rumours are true and what aren't. They'll also quickly pick up on all the important and influential folks of wherever they go, after which they'll recall any name and where to get good food and whatever else they need to know. They can figure out how to communicate with almost anyone, with a successful language check (or two), and persuade a crowd into an angry mob or the opposite. Any demihuman can be a herald, up to 6th level.

* [[Troll|Jester]] - The comedian at the king's table, to whom no one is beyond a gag and nothing is sacred. To walk this path requires dexterity 14+ and chaotic alignment (in effect chaotic neutral, since bards are already limited to all the neutrals). They get the acting, dancing, juggling, and tumbling proficiencies to go with their trade, but can't wear any of the better armor and can't drop their flashy colorful shit even in battle. They get +1 or +5% to almost anything, to represent their often ridiculous blind luck and how the fuck can they even stay alive? They can get across full sentence meanings by essentially miming them through, and piss off enemies into attacking them and only them even when it would make no tactical sense. Where true bards alter encounter reactions with song, jesters do it with a stage act - and they can even dispel fear by turning it into a joke. Finally, they're immune to insanity-causing attacks and spells, because they're basically already mad to some extent, and anyone reading their mind risks [[Sanity|confusion]]. Gnomes and halflings can become jesters, respectively up to 15th and 8th level.

* Jongleur - The acrobat, tumbler, and of course, juggler. If a band of clowns attacks, go for this guy first. Need at least dexterity 14 to pull all the stunts, and keep the armor light as well, and flashy and colorful for that matter (like jesters but not quite as bad). Come with the juggling, jumping, tightrope walking, and tumbling proficiencies, as you might imagine, and can use them far better than any other class could, with various extra benefits or just improved numbers. They get the beta version of later editions' Uncanny Dodge, and can use it to slip away from pits and traps and slippery stairs as well. Finally, they influence reactions by putting up a good acrobatic show. But like blades, they don't get to learn to use written magical items. Gnomes can be jongleurs up to 9th level, halflings up to 12.

* Loremaster - As the name implies, this is the historian and chronicler. To walk this path requires intelligence and wisdom of 14, in return gaining ancient history, ancient languages, navigation, and reading/writing proficiencies. Armor and weapons are extremely limited for these stuffy professors: you wouldn't play one of them for the fighting skills, anyway. Loremasters get the legend lore that the true bards get, only slightly better (some optional benefits are to them mandatory), can use any magical item with a wisdom check, and learn magic a little earlier. They persuade crowds with tales of old and great historical fables. Lastly, they can use their language skills to decipher runes and pictograms and such things, even to write or speak the basics of it, and have an advantage (again, like in 5e) at read languages skill when used on ancient scripts. Elves can become loremasters up to 12th level.

* Meistersinger - The wilderness musician and animal friend, pied piper -type. Their stage is the wilderness, their audience the beasts, their enemy the poachers. Dang hippies. They get animal lore, musical instrument, singing, and survival proficiencies, and have this weird thing with weapons where they have to pick something for melee, something for ranged, something thrown, then new ones picked up in the same sequence. They get to sing a variety of animal companions to come along, as temporarily charmed companions and permanent followers, and can also ward away evil with song alone. They influence reactions as true bards do, but only at animals. Basically a one-trick pony with that can do its one trick in several different ways. On the flipside, they don't get strongholds and won't gain sentient followers. Elves can be meistersingers for up to 15th level.

* Riddlemaster - You know the riddle chapter in [[The Hobbit]]? That's these guys in a nutshell, all day long. Need 15 or higher intelligence to really put down the idiots, and get the artistic ability (riddles), modern languages, poetry, and reading/writing as bonus proficiencies. They have more leeway in any puzzles and riddles and logical stumpers encountered, allowed to make one mistake without any kind of a penalty, and in case of time limits get twice the amount. They learn spells at +10% chance, and pick up the ability to use written magic items at level 8 instead of 10. They get +1 to their AC and many other rolls, to represent their common sense somehow. Finally, they influence reactions by means of riddle and rhyme, as true bards do with music. Gnomes and halflings can grab this kit, and advance up to 8th and 9th levels respectively.

* Skald - The [[Vikings|viking]]-style warrior-poet, more an orator than a writer. Like a proper northman, they need to pick up a broad sword, some sort of an axe, or a spear - but they also get ancient and local history, poetry, and singing, and can wear any armor up to bronze plate, and carry shields. They get to war chant for a variety of special results, and can pick more as they gain in levels, and get +1 to hit and damage so long as they wield a broadsword or axe or spear and chant something at least under their breaths. They get the legend lore as true bards do, but only in respect to weapons and armor and other battle-related stuff, and they influence reactions with battle ballads. On the other hand, they're not much for written word, and can't begin the game with reading/writing, nor read languages until they leave home, nor do they get to use written magic items at level 10. They have some trouble learning spells, as well. Dwarves can be skalds up to 12th level.

* Thespian - The consummate actor type, putting up the best and most varied performances. Similar to charlatans, but they act to entertain and make-believe rather than to deceive and con. They can wear any kind of armor and wield all weapons, though with some penalties, having learned to use them in roles but not as well in real situations. They know acting (duh), disguise, modern languages, and reading/writing proficiencies at the start. They know how to act as someone they're not and pretend they know a skill they don't, similar to charlatans; take a hit like pro-wrestlers or footballers, pretending to be down when they're really not; or pretend casting powerful spells to demoralize the enemy. They gain +2 to AC and and saving throws, and +1 to attack, so long as they win initiative in a fight - observing the enemy before acting. They influence reactions by pretending, again similar to how charlatans do.