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Bard Skill

Class Skill: Bard (1-5)

Description:

The Bard Skill and the three three other special ability groups add a significant amount of customizibility to the Bard class. Each skill level features roughly ten abilities that the bard can learn (one per level), with the bard free to pick and choose which ones to learn. These are outlined below and on the other skill level pages.

Unlike in most systems, the success of the bard's skills are neither automatic nor based on the roll of the dice (unless otherwise noted) but on the player's ability to actually recall or otherwise perform the actions outlined in the skill (e.g. he must be able to recite The Bravery of the Doomed from memory to use the skill).

Skills*

• Compose an Epic Tale: Once the Bard takes this skill, he begins recording all of the things that happen along the journey of he and his companions. Once a day, the bard may relate all or a part of this tale to any NPCs willing to hear it. On a successful retelling (The Bard's Language + 1d7 + the story length value (see table below) versus the NPCs' Sarcasm + 1d7) the entire party gains a +2 to Confidence and Markitability for the rest of the day.

Note that SLV can be modified based on the part of the story related, at the GMs descretion.

• Observation (Level 1): The Bard, always paying attention to the world about him, learns a thing or two about other classes, including their skills. Assuming the bard has witnessed an ability being successfully used, he can attempt to use this skill to replicate the feat, assuming he meets all prerequisites aside from level. The base modifier for a successful execution is -(2+10/n) where n is the number of times the bard has seen the skill attempted (since even a failure can teach him something). Additionally, a penalty of -n/3 is exacted for every level higher than the bard the original was at the time he last witnessed this skill used. If the bard was of the higher level, no penalty or bonus is taken. The bard may only use this skill as many times a day as he has INT points.

• The Bravery of the Doomed: The Bard, quite simply, sings The Bravery of the Doomed, inspiring his allies. +2 to everyone's Stamina for 2d7 turns.

• Lesson from Lore: The bard calls upon the body of lore he has learned up until the point this skill is used and attempts to find a situation parallelling the one the group is currently in. If he is successful, he may use this knowledge in whatever manner he sees fit.

• Pretty Sketch: The bard, an eternal artist, draws up a quick sketch of a character (PC or not). If the sketch is deemed good enough by either the GM or the player in question, then the character whose sketch the bard did will gain +2 Confidence and (if an NPC) will go up an attitude tier with respect to the bard.

• Sweet Talk: The bard attempts to convince an NPC to do as the bard asks. Success is determined by rolling 1d7 + Language + the bard's level versus the NPC's level + the NPC's Sarcasm + Intelligence/the NPC's current attitude tier toward the bard.

Example: A level 6 bard, confronts a level 10 bouncer at a nightclub who threw out one of the bard's allies earlier in the evening. The Bouncer has an Intelligence of 1 and a sarcasm of 15 (4 on the 2d5 plus 10 on the 2d7 plus 1 INT and 2 WIT) and is, of course, unfriendly toward the bard. The bard has 13 Language (4 WIT + 9 on the 1d11) and rolls a 2 on the 1d7. Thus the bard has a 21 (13+6+2) for the check, versus the Bouncer's 18 (((15+1)/2)+10). The bard wins the exchange and talks the bouncer into letting him into the club.

• Ballad of Confusion: The bard attempts to confuse an opponent (in or out of battle) by relating a complex and maddening tale (such as reciting part of the cyclical unidirectional shifted eight point social hierarchy diagram). Both the target must make a simple sanity check, but the bard may add his Language/3 to his roll. If the target fails the check, it spends the next 3d5 turns curled up in the fetal position muttering to itself.

• Interpretive Dance: The bard attempts to relate information through dance. If the other players can successfully determine what the hell the bard was trying to say, then no characters outside the party may learn the information at that time.

• Drinking Song: Just a simple drinking song to raise spirits. Restores 5 SEP and boosts confidence by 1 for 4d3 turns or the next hour.

• Freestyle: The bard composes a song on the spot in an effort to weaken the resolve of the target. The song is judged on a 6-point scale by the GM based on the Bard's Enunciation, Flow, and DPL (Disses per Line). These scores are then averaged. If this average is higher than the target's Confidence, the bard damages the target's Self-Esteem by 3d3.

• Mastery of accents The bard is able to effortlessly paste on any accent they choose. This allows the bard to pass him/her self off as any nationallity or faction (ability does not effect visual cues). This talent also allows for a +D7 bonus to seduction rolls and a +DΦ to intimidation rolls.