Skalds are much like bards, but with the mystical connection to nature that druids have. They remain the jack-of-all-trades like a regular bard, but they combine this with their link to nature to provide a few different abilities. Often, skalds serve as bard, as warriors, as councilors, spokesmen for tribal people, as village leaders, or as keepers of the stories of their ancestors. The skald has a more martial mindset than a regular bard, which is a direct result of his culture. Skalds are at home in the wilderness, and often find cities stifling. Similar to bards, they find themselves gathering stories, fables, and other bits of information.
Characteristics: Skalds are influenced by the area they come from when choosing feats. They are aware that nature can be a brutal, uncaring place to live, and protect themselves accordingly. Their skills allow a skald to serve a variety of different roles, as they see fit to develop.
Role: The strengths of the skald class are in dealing with other people and filling many diverse roles that a party may need. Their spells and skaldic verse help them fill this role. They may be best suited as a bolstering effect to a martial minded adventuring party.
Game Rule Information
Skalds have the following game statistics.
Abilities: As divine casters, Wisdom and Charisma are important to Skalds. Dexterity is important to a skald, which wears little if any armor. Many times the culture a skald comes from places a high value on strength.
Hit Die: d4+2
lvl BAB F R W Class Abilities
1 +0 +2 +1 +1 Armored Casting, Bardic Knowledge, Skaldic Verse, Valor +2, Words of Rejuvenation, Countersong
2 +1 +3 +1 +1 +1 nature spellcasting level
3 +2 +3 +2 +2 Inspire Competence, Advanced Learning
4 +3 +4 +2 +2 +1 nature spellcasting level
5 +3 +4 +2 +2 +1 nature spellcasting level
6 +4 +5 +3 +3 Valor +3, Inspire Fury, Advanced Learning
7 +5 +5 +3 +3 +1 nature spellcasting level
8 +6 +6 +4 +4 +1 nature spellcasting level
9 +6 +6 +4 +4 Inspire Greatness, Advanced Learning
10 +7 +7 +5 +5 +1 nature spellcasting level
11 +8 +7 +5 +5 +1 nature spellcasting level
12 +9 +8 +6 +6 Valor +4, Words of Purification, Advanced Learning
13 +9 +8 +6 +6 +1 nature spellcasting level
14 +10 +9 +6 +6 +1 nature spellcasting level
15 +11 +9 +7 +7 Inspire Heroics, Advanced Learning
16 +12 +10 +7 +7 +1 nature spellcasting level
17 +12 +10 +7 +7 +1 nature spellcasting level
18 +13 +11 +8 +8 Valor +5, Inspire Primal Frenzy, Advanced Learning
19 +14 +11 +8 +8 +1 nature spellcasting level
20 +15 +12 +9 +9 +1 nature spellcasting level
Class Skills: The skald’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are appraise (int), balance (dex), bluff (cha), climb (str), concentration (con), craft (int), diplomacy (cha), disguise (cha), escape artist (dex), gather information (cha), hide (dex), jump (str), knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, geography and cultures, local, nature, religion and cosmology), listen (wis), move silently (dex), perform (cha), spellcraft (int), survival (wis), swim (str), tumble (dex), and use magic device (cha). See Player’s Handbook Chapter 4: Skills for skill descriptions.
Skill Points per Level: 6 + Int modifier
Class Features
All the following are class features of the skald.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Skalds have proficiency with Basic Weapons Group and two other Weapon groups of their choice. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.
Skaldic Verse: Once per day per skald level, a skald can use his songs or poetics to produce magical effects on those around him (usually including himself, if desired). While these abilities fall under the category of hymns and the descriptions discuss singing or playing instruments, they can all be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance. Each ability requires both a minimum skald level and a minimum number of ranks in the perform skill to qualify; if a skald does not have the required number of ranks in at least one perform skill, he does not gain the hymn ability until he acquires the needed ranks.
Starting a skaldic verse effect is a standard action. Some skaldic verses abilities require concentration, which means the skald must take a standard action each round to maintain the ability. Even while using a skaldic verse that doesn’t require concentration, a skald cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), spell trigger (such as wands), or command word. Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf skald has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use a skaldic verse. If he fails, the attempt still counts against his daily limit.
Countersong: Same as in Player’s Handbook.
Valor: A skald with 3 or more ranks in a perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the skald perform his skaldic verse. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the skald perform and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls. At 6th level, and every six skald levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+3 at 6th, +4 at 12th, and +5 at 18th). Valor is a sonic, mind-affecting ability.
Words of Rejuvenation: The skald can call upon the rejuvenation powers of nature to aid his comrades. A skald with 3 ranks in perform can use Words of Rejuvenation. Any one fatigued creature within 20 ft. of the skald who hears him speak for 5 rounds, has the fatigued effect removed from him. Any one exhausted creature within 20 ft. of the skald that hears him speak for 5 rounds changes from exhausted to fatigued. A character may only benefit from this song once per hour. This is a sonic mind-affecting ability. This uses up one daily use of the skald’s skaldic verse ability.
Inspire of Fury: The skald can call upon the spirit of badgers and wolverines to imbue his allies with rage. At level 6, a skald with 9 ranks in perform can use Inspire Fury. Any willing creature within 20 ft. that hears the bard speak for 1 full round, can enter a rage-like state, similar to a barbarian rage. While in this state, the character gains +2 to strength, +1 temporary hit point per hit die, +1 to fort and will saves, +2 to constitution checks, and (if wearing light or medium armor, or no armor) a +10 ft. enhancement bonus to movement. Creatures in this rage cannot cast spells or use any spell trigger or spell completion magic items. This rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to the creature’s (new) constitution modifier. Affected creatures are fatigued after this song ends. The bard may affect up to a number of creatures equal to half his class level. This uses up one use of his skaldic verse ability.
Words of Purification: The skald can call upon nature’s cleansing power to neutralize poisons. At level 12, a skald with 15 ranks in perform can use Words of Purification as a full-round action. Any poisoned creature within 20 ft. of the skald is affected as if by a neutralize poison spell. The skald’s perform check must beat the DC of the poison for this ability to work. This uses up one daily use of the skald’s skaldic verse ability.
Inspire Primal Frenzy: At level 18, a skald with 21 ranks in perform can use Inspire Primal Frenzy. Any willing creature within 20 ft. of the skald who hears him speak for 1 full round can enter a state of primal frenzy. While in this primal frenzy, the creatures affected gain +6 bonus to strength and dexterity, +3 temporary hit points per hit die, +6 bonus to constitution checks, a +2 bonus to fort and will saves, and (if wearing light armor, medium armor or no armor) a +10 enhancement bonus to movement. Affected creatures may not cast spells, cannot use any skill that requires intelligence or charisma, cannot use any skill that requires the character to concentrate, and cannot activate any spell trigger or spell completion magic items. They ruthlessly attack any enemies they perceive, showing no quarter or mercy. Affected creatures are fatigued after this song ends. This Primal Frenzy lasts a number of rounds equal to the creature’s (improved) constitution modifier. This uses up one daily use of the skald’s skaldic verse ability. If the skald begins a new Words of Primal Frenzy before the old one ends, the duration is renewed for those creatures still under effect of the previous primal frenzy.
Spells: At every level except 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th and 18th, a skald advances as a nature caster.
Skalds have a class specific spell list that only they may access. A character must meet the minimum number of skald levels to gain access to these skald-only spells. All skald spells are nature spells, even if they normally appear on a different spell list. Use the following chart to determine the minimums necessary:
1st level skald spells: 2 levels of skald.
2nd level skald spells: 5 levels of skald.
3rd level skald spells: 8 levels of skald.
4th level skald spells: 11 levels of skald.
5th level skald spells: 14 levels of skald.
6th level skald spells: 17 levels of skald.
Caster Level: At every level except 1st and 6th, a skald’s effective caster level increases by 1, even though he doesn’t advance in spellcasting according to tables S-1 through S-3. This increase in effective caster level only affects the variables of his spells that are dependent upon caster level, such as range, number of targets affected, damage, area of effect, etc. It also increases opposed rolls that rely on caster level, such as rolls made to overcome spell resistance and caster level checks (dispel magic for example). This effective caster level increase does not grant him more spells known, more spells prepared, nor more spells per day.
Skald Spell List: As a nature caster, a skald may choose any spell from the nature spell list at the appropriate level. He may also choose spells from the following list.
0-level: dancing lights, daze, ghost sound, lullaby, mage hand, message, open/close, summon instrument
1st level: alarm, animate rope, charm person, disguise self, expeditious retreat, feather fall, grease, hypnotism, identify, confusion (lesser), magic mouth, nystul's magic aura, obscure object, remove fear, silent image, sleep, tasha's hideous laughter, undetectable alignment, unseen servant, ventriloquism
2nd level: alter self, blindness/deafness, blur, darkness, daze monster, detect thoughts, eagle's splendor, enthrall, fox's cunning, glitterdust, heroism, hold person, hypnotic pattern, invisibility, locate object, minor image, mirror image, misdirection, pyrotechnics, rage, scare, shatter, silence, sound burst, suggestion, tongues, whispering wind
3rd level: blink, charm monster, clairaudience/clairvoyance, confusion, crushing despair, deep slumber, dispel magic, displacement, fear, gaseous form, geas (lesser), glibness, good hope, haste, illusory script, invisibility sphere, leomund's tiny hut, major image, phantom steed, remove curse, scrying, sculpt sound, secret page, see invisibility, slow
4th level: break enchantment, detect scrying, dimension door, dominate person, hallucinatory terrain, hold monster, insect plague, invisibility (greater), legend lore, leomund's secure shelter, locate creature, modify memory, rainbow pattern, shadow conjuration, shout, zone of silence
5th level: dispel magic (greater), dream, false vision, heroism (greater), mind fog, mirage arcana, mislead, nightmare, persistent image, seeming, shadow evocation, shadow walk, song of discord, suggestion (mass)
6th level: analyze dweomer, animate objects, charm monster (mass), creeping doom, eagle's splendor (mass), eyebite, fox's cunning (mass), geas/quest, heroes' feast, otto's irresistible dance, permanent image, project image, scrying (greater), shout (greater), sympathetic vibration, veil
Extra Source Material: The above spell list doesn’t include any spells from other source materials than what I own. This list should automatically include any bard spells that are released with new accessory books.
Armored Casting: Skalds gain Armored Casting as a bonus feat at 2nd level.
Bardic Knowledge: Same as in Player’s Handbook.
Advanced Learning: At level 3, and every three levels after (6, 9, 12, etc.), a skald can add a new spell to his spells known, representing the result of personal study and experimentation. The spell may be any spell that contains a morale bonus or any [mind-affecting] spell. This is in addition to any spells he knows from gaining a spellcasting level.