Bard

Humming as she traces her fingers over an ancient
monument in a long-forgotten ruin, a half-elf in rugged
leathers finds knowledge springing into her mind,
conjured forth by the magic of her song-knowledge
of the people who constructed the monument and the
mythic saga it depicts.
A stern human warrior bangs his sword rhythmically
against his scale mai!, setting the tempo for his war chant
and exhorting his companions to bravery and heroismo
The magic of his song fortifies and emboldens them.
Laughing as she tunes her cittern, a gnome weaves
her subtle magic over the assembled nobles, ensuring
that her companions’ words will be well received.
Whether scholar, skald, ar scoundrel, a bard weaves
magic through words and music to inspire allies,
demoralize foes, manipulate minds, create
illusions, and even heal wounds.
MUSIC AND MAGIC
In the worlds of 0&0, words and music are
not just vibrations of air, but vocalizations with
power ali their own. The bard is a master of song,
speech, and the magic they contain. Bards say
that the multiverse was spoken into existence, that the
words of the gods gave it shape, and that echoes of these
primordial Words of Creation still resound throughout
the cosmos. The music of bards is an attempt to snatch
and harness those echoes, subtly woven into their
spells and powers.
The greatest strength of bards is their sheer
versatility. Many bards prefer to stick to the sidelines
in combat, using their magic to inspire their allies and
hinder their foes fram a distance. But bards are capable
of defending themselves in melee if necessary, using
their magic to bolster their swords and armar. Their
spells lean toward charms and illusions rather than
blatantly destructive spells. They have a wide-ranging
knowledge of many subjects and a natural aptitude
that lets them do almost anything well. Bards become
masters of the talents they set their minds to perfecting,
from musical performance to esoteric knowledge.
LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE
True bards are not common in the world. Not every
minstrel singing in a tavern ar jester cavorting in a royal
court is a bardo Oiscovering the magic hidden in music
requires hard study and some measure of natural talent
that most traubadours and jongleurs lack. lt can be hard
to spot the difference between these performers and true
bards, though. A bard’s life is spent wandering acrass
the land gathering lore, telling stories, and living on the
gratitude of audiences, much like any other entertainer.
But a depth of knowledge, a leveI of musical skill, and a
touch of magic set bards apart fram their fellows.
Only rarely do bards settle in one place for long, and
their natural desire to traveI-to find new tales to tell,
new skills to learn, and new discoveries beyond the
horizon-makes an adventuring career a natural calling.
Every adventure is an opportunity to learn, practice a
variety of skills, enter long-forgotten tombs, discover lost

P~RT I Cl:’\SSES

52
works of magic, decipher old tomes, traveI to strange
places, or encounter exotic creatures. Bards love to
accompany heroes to witness their deeds firsthand. A
bard who can tell an awe-inspiring story from personal
experience earns renown among other bards. Indeed,
after telling so many stories about heroes accomplishing
mighty deeds, many bards take these themes to heart
and assume heroic roles themselves.
CREATING A BARD
Bards thrive on stories, whether those stories are true
or not. Your character’s background and motivations
are not as important as the stories that he or she tells
about them. Perhaps you had a secure and mundane
childhood. There’s no good story to be told about that,
so you might paint yourself as an orphan raised by a hag
in a dismal swamp. ar your childhood might be worthy
of a story. Some bards acquire their magical music
through extraordinary means, including the inspiration
of fey or other supernatural creatures.
Did you serve an apprenticeship, studying under a
mas ter, following the more experienced bard until you
were ready to strike out on your own? ar did you attend
a college where you studied bardic lore and practiced
your musical magic? Perhaps you were a young runaway
or orphan, befriended by a wandering bard who became
your mentor. ar you might have been a spoiled noble
child tutored by a master. Perhaps you stumbled into the
clutches of a hag, making a bargain for a musical gift in
addition to your life and freedom, but at what cost?

PART I I CLASSES

•
QUICK BUILD
You can make a bard quickly by
following these suggestions. First,
Charisma should be your highest
ability score, followed by Dexterity.
Second, choose the entertainer
background. Third, choose the dancing Jights and
vicious mockery cantrips, along with the following
1st-leveI spells: charm person, detect magic, heaJing
word, and thunderwave.
CLASS FEATURES
As a bard, you gain the following class features.
HIT POlNTS
Hit Dice: Id8 per bard levei
Hit Points at 1st LeveI: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher LeveIs: Id8 (or 5) + your
Constitution modifier per bard leveI after 1st
PROFICIENCIES
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows,
longswords, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: Three musical instruments of your choice
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose any three
EQUlPMENT
You start with the following equipment, in addition to
the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a rapier, (b) a longsword, or (c) any simple weapon
(a) a diplomat’s pack or (b) an entertainer’s pack
(a) a lute or (b) any other musical instrument
Leather armor and a dagger
SPELLCASTING
Vou have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of
reality in harmony with your wishes and musico Your
spells are part of your vast repertoire, magic that you
can tune to different situations. See chapter 10 for the
general rules of spellcasting and chapter li for the
bard spelllist.
CANTRIPS
Vou know two cantrips ofyour choice from the bard
spelllist. Vou learn additional bard cantrips of your
choice at higher leveIs, as shown in the Cantrips Known
column of the Bard table.

Proficiency Cantrips Spells -Spell Slots per Spell Level-
Levei Bonus Features Known Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

1st +2 Spellcasting, Bardic Inspiration (d6) 2 4 2
2nd +2 Jaek of Ali Trades, Song of Rest (d6) 2 5 3
3rd +2 Bard College, Expertise 2 6 4 2
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 3 7 4 3
5th +3 Bardic Inspiration (d8), 3 8 4 3 2

Font of Inspiration

6th +3 Countercharm, Bard College feature 3 9 4 3 3
7th +3 3 10 4 3 3 1
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 3 11 4 3 3 2
9th +4 Song of Rest (d8) 3 12 4 3 3 3 1
10th +4 Bardic Inspiration (dl0), Expertise, 4 14 4 3 3 3 2

Magical Secrets

11th +4 4 15 4 3 3 3 2
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 4 15 4 3 3 3 2
13th +5 Song of Rest (d10) 4 16 4 3 3 3 2
14th +5 MagicalSecrets, 4 18 4 3 3 3 2

Bard College feature

15th +5 Bardic Inspiration (d12) 4 19 4 3 3 3 2 1 1
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 4 19 4 3 3 3 2 1 1
17th +6 Song of Rest (d12) 4 20 4 3 3 3 2 1 1
18th +6 MagicalSecrets 4 22 4 3 3 3 3 1 1
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 4 22 4 3 3 3 3 2 1
20th +6 Superior Inspiration 4 22 4 3 3 3 3 2 2

SPELL SLOTS
The Bard table shows how many spell slots you have to
cast your spells of 1st levei and higher. To cast one of
these spells. you must expend a slot of the spell’s levei
ar higher. Vou regain ali expended spell slots when you
finish a long resl.
For example. if you know the 1st-levei spell cure
wounds and have a 1st-levei and a 2nd-levei spell slot
available, you ean cast cure wounds using either slol.
SPELLS KNOWN OF 1ST LEVEL AND H IGHER
Vou know four 1st-levei spells of your choice from the
bard spelllist.
The Spells Known column of the Bard table shows
when you learn more bard spells of your choice. Each of
these spells must be of a levei for which you have spell
slots, as shown on the table. For instance, when you
reach 3rd leveI in this c1ass, you can learn one new spell
of 1st ar 2nd leveI.
Additionally, when you gain a levei in this c1ass, you
can choose one of the bard spells you know and replace
il wilh anolher spell from the bard spelllist, which also
must be of a levei for which you have spell slots.
SPELLCASTING ABILITY
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your bard
spells. Your magic comes from the heart and soul you
pau r into the performance of your music ar oration.
Vou use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your
spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma

modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard
spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC ~ 8 + your proficiency bonus +
your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier ~ your proficiency bonus +
your Charisma modifier

RITUAL CASTING
Vou can cast any bard spell you know as a ritual if that
spell has the ritual tag.
SPELLCASTING Focus
Vou can use a musical instrument (found in chapter 5)
as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.
BARDIC INSPIRATION
Vou can inspire others through stirring words or musico
To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose
one creature other than yourselfwithin 60 feet ofyou
who can hear YOU. That creature gains one Bardic
lnspiration die, a d6.
Once within the next 10 minutes, lhe crealure can roll
the die and add the number rolled to one ability check,
attack roll, ar saving throw it makes. The creature can
wait until after it rolls lhe d20 before deciding to use the
Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide hefore the DM
says whether the roll succeeds ar fails. Once the Bardic
Inspiration die is rolled. it is losl. A creature can have
only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.

PARl I I Cl-\SSES
53

5+

Vou can use this feature a number of times equal
to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). Vou
regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach
certain leveis in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th
levei, a dlO at 10th levei, and a d12 at 15th leveI.
jACK OF ALL TRADES
Starting at 2nd levei, you can add half your proficiency
bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that
doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus.
SONG OF REST
Beginning at 2nd levei, you can use soothing music or
oration to help revitalize your wounded allies during
a short rest. If you or any friendly creatures who can
hear your performance regain hit points atthe end Df
the short rest, each of those creatures regains an extra
Id6 hit points.
The extra hit points increase when you reach certain
leveis in this class: to ld8 at9th levei, to Idl0 at 13th
levei, and to Idl2 at 17th leveI.
BARD COLLEGE
At 3rd levei, you delve into the advanced techniques Df
a bard college Dfyour choice: the College of Lore or the
College of Valor, both detailed atthe end of the class
description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd levei
and again at 6th and 14th leveI.
EXPERTISE
At 3rd leveI, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your
proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you
make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
At 10th leveI, you can choose another two skill
proficiencies to gain this benefit.
ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT
When you reach 4th levei, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th,
and 19th levei, you can increase one ability score Dfyour
choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores Df
your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability
score above 20 using this feature.
FONT OF INSPIRATION
Beginning when you reach 5th leveI, you regain ali of
your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you
finish a short or long rest.
COUNTERCHARM
At 6th levei, you gain the ability to use musica!notes or
words of power to disrupt mind-influencing effects. As
ao actioo, you can slaft a perfonnance that lasts until
the end of your nextturn. During that time, you and any
friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage
on saving throws against being frightened or charmed.
A creature must be able to hear you to gain this benefit.
The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or
silellced or if you voluntarily end it (no action required).

PART I I CLASSES

MAGICAL SECRETS
By 10th leveI, you have plundered magical knowledge
from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose two spells
from any class, including this one. A spell you choose
must be Dfa levei you can cast, as shown on the Bard
table, or a cantrip.
The chosen spells count as bard spells for you and are
included in the number in the Spells Known column Df
the Bard table.
Vou learn two additional spells from any class at 14th
leveI and again at 18th leveI.
SUPERIOR INSPIRATION
At 20th levei, when you roll initiative and have no uses
DfBardic Inspiration left, you regain one use.
BARD COLLEGES
The way Dfa bard is gregarious. Bards seek each
other out to swap songs and stories, boast of their
accomplishments, and share their knowledge. Bards
form loose associations, which they call colleges, to
facilitate their gatherings and preserve their traditions.
COLLEGE OF LORE
Bards Dfthe College of Lore know something about
most things, collecting bits Dfknowledge from sources
as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales.
Whether singing folk ballads in taverns or elaborate
compositions in royal courts, these bards use their gifts
to hold audiences spellbound. When the applause dies
down, the audience members might find themselves
questioning everything they held to be true, from their
faith in the priesthood of the localtemple to their
loyalty to the king.
The loyalty Dfthese bards Iies in the pursuit Dfbeauty
and truth, not in fealty to a monarch or following the
tenets of a deity. A noble who keeps such a bard as a
herald or advisor knows that the bard would rather be
honest than politic.
The college’s members gather in libraries and
sometimes in actual colleges, complete with classrooms
and dormitories, to share their lore with one another.
They also meet at festivaIs or affairs of state, where they

can expose corruption, unravellies, and poke fun at self-
important figures of authority.

BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you join the College of Lore at 3rd levei, you gain
proficiency with three skills of your choice.
CUTTING WORDS
AIso at 3rd levei, you learn how to use your witto
distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and
competence of others. When a creatare that you can
see within 60 feet of you makes an atlack roll, an ability
check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to
expend one Dfyour uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling
a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number
rolled from the creature’s roll. Vou can choose to use
this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before
the DM determines whether the atlack roll or ability

check succeeds or fails, or befure the creature deals its
damage. The creature is imlllune if it can’t hear you or if
it’s imlllune tu being charmed.
ADDITIONAL MAGICAL SECRETS
At 6th leveI, yuu learn twu spells of yuur chuice from any
class. A spell yuu choose must be of a levei you call cast,
as shown on the Bard table, or a cantrip. The chosen
spells CUUlltas bard spells for yuu but don’t count
against the number of bard spells you know.
PEERLESS SKILL
Starting at 14th leveI, when you IlIake an ability check.
you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration. RolI a
Bardic lllspiration die and add the numbcr rolled to
your ability check. You call choose to do so after rou roll
the die for the ability check, but before the DM tells rou
whether yuu succeed ur fai!’
COLLEGE OF VALOR
Bards of the Cullege uf Valor are daring skalds whosc
tales keep alive the Illemury uf the great heroes of the
past, and thereby inspire a new generatioll of heroes.
These bards gather in mead halls or around great
bonfires to sing the deeds of the mighty, both past
and present. They traveI the land to witness great
events firsthand and tu ensure that the melllory of
those events doesn’t pass frolO the world. With their

songs, they inspire others to reach the same heights of
accomplishment as the heroes of old.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you join the College of Valor at 3rd levei, you
gain proficiency with medium armor, shields, and
martial weapuns.
COMBAT INSPIRATION
AIso at 3rd leveI, rou learn to inspire others in battle.
A crcature that has a Bardic lnspiratiun die from you
can roll that die and add the nUlllber rolled to a weapon
damage roll it jusl nlade. Altematively. when an attack
roll is made against the ercature, it can use its reaetion
to roll the Bardie Inspiration die and add the numbcr
rolled to its AC against that attaek. after seeing the roll
but before knowing whelher it hits or misses.
EXTRA ATTACK
Starting at 6th leveI, you can attack twice, instead of
onee, whcnever rou take the Atlaek aetion on your tum.
BATTLE MAGIC
At 14th level, you have rnastered the art of weaving
spellcasting and weapon use into a single harmonious
act. When yuu use your action to cast a bard spell, you
can ll1ake Qne weapon attack as a bonus actiol1.