A morose and mopey jorb that, nevertheless, wields incredible power when deployed properly.
Strategic and tactical, the Dark Bard can easily change the course of battle with a single tune, but at what cost?
Hit Dice: d20
Skill points: 10+Cha Modifier
Requirements: Completed "Kill You" mission, completed "Dark Sacrifice" mission, completed "Fuck Yo Couch" mission, +20 Base Attack Bonus, Improved Critical, Heightened Awareness, ability to play a Dark Bard instrument, have killed at least one part of yourself as a Dark Sacrifice.
Exception: 1000 Favor Points to any God and completing two of the missions.
Note: all Dark Bard abilities stack with magic-user levels towards Spellcasting once they have earned Fata Morgana.
Wicked - each level grants the Dark Bard one Wicked Point. These points not only determine the strength of their abilities but can be used to replenish HP and EP, at 100 points per Wicked Point sacrificed. This can be done as a free action. All Wicked Points regenerate to completion every Monday.
Black Hole Sun - Enables the Bard to transform their music into an actual sonic attack. The Bard can choose to designate their singing as an attack for a action, doing damage equal to: (ECL)d8 + Thundering Damage. Attacks are made at the usual base attack bonus, plus whatever other bonuses the Bard can apply to the action.
Dark Art - choose one spell of any type of your current Dark Bard level. This spell is now a Spell Like Ability, allowing you to cast it up to 1/4 of your Dark Bard level per day (starting from 1 at level 1).
Wicked Style - the ability to begin learning and excelling at the four Styles (Dark Blues, Acid Jazz, Soul Rock, and Heavy Metal). Wicked Style is the basis of all four Styles, and is a mindless playing of music that results in the harmonic expression of the Dark Bard’s suffering. All those who hear the basic melody suffer a -5 hp and -5 ep per action, inside and outside of combat.
Dark Blues - music so bleak, so depressing, so absolutely dark that it drives people to spontaneously drown themselves slowly, women and children to riot and rampage, and men to abject suicide. All targets in hearing range suffer -1 per Wicked Point to their Will saves, Initiative and attack roll. Takes a standard action to activate. Only one Song can be played at a time unless otherwise specified.
Acid Jazz - confounds and confuses, forcing listeners to experience sensations they've never even contemplated the existence of. Can either tingle and titillate the eardrum or discombobulate and destroy the very liquids of the cranium. All targets in hearing range suffer -1 per Wicked Point to their Int, Wis, concentration checks, and also is considered flat-footed so long as they can hear this song. Takes a standard action to activate. Only one Song can be played at a time unless otherwise specified.
Soul Rock - allows the Dark Bard to tap into the absolute most primal soul of those who hear this kind of music, sharing with them the Bard's experiences with the woes and misery of life. All targets in hearing range suffer -1 per Wicked Point to their attack roll, defense roll, skill checks, and the ability to use any ability so long as they're listening. Only one Song can be played at a time unless otherwise specified.
Heavy Metal - the absolute ultimate of the Dark Bard's styles, Heavy Metal is the sound of existence, the underlying waves of energy that connects all things. Upon learning Heavy Metal, the Dark Bard will forevermore be unable to EVER go back to their normal lives, but must live as the tool of Heavy Metal itself…the Will of Existence. Note: you must have at least one of each Wicked Style, and you must be at LEAST level 10 to get Heavy Metal. So long as the Dark Bard is playing, their gnosis is raised by 10 x Wicked Points. Cannot go above 1000 gnosis. While in this exalted level of enlightenment, they are unable to affect elan or reality itself, and may or may not receive orders from the will of existence. Still, this allows their abilities, attacks, and magic affect creatures of a higher gnosis than they themselves are currently (before Heavy Metal). Once Heavy Metal is playing, the Dark Bard can play any other Song.
Enslaved - Fusion of any two styles to produce a much stronger sound. Allows the Dark Bard to produce a single sound composed of two types of Wicked Styles, doubling the effects of both.
Pentagramic Malingering - allows the Dark Bard to expend energy points to improve attempts at skill improvement. Adds +5 to your practice dice rolls (or increases synch rolls by 2) at the cost of twice the EP.
Buckethead Bliss - acts as both "Combat Casting" and allows the Dark Bard to incorporate their Wicked Styles into combat. By simply focusing and playing, they can impart certain bonuses/blonuses to various targets and/or party members so long as they, themselves, have those bonuses/blonuses currently active.
Life Sucks - this feat completely drops the Dark Bard's base attack bonus to 0. No matter what other jobs they might have, the character has a Base Attack Bonus of 0. Any who listen to their music now have a BaB of 0.
In Time - this ability improves Life Sucks: only the Dark Bard job suffers the loss of Base Attack Bonus if they so choose.
I Can See Clearly - Allows the Dark Bard a modified version of True Sight and Scry combined: upon learning the name of a thing or creature, they can see it no matter where it is or what kind of defense they employ (up to Gnosis 90). This sight traverses dimensions, but only up to two dimensions away. This ability can be used once per day, but is increased to three times per day after the Bard gains "Black Waters Rising."
Clouds on the Horizon - Allows the Dark Bard to control the environment (i.e. - reality itself) up to 50 feet around themselves, changing it to a background/effect of their choosing. This can only be employed during their singing/playing. This ability is effectively an illusion, but one that can become real should they have the capability to do so.
Desperation: At The Mountaintop - a nasty instant ability that kicks in once the Dark Bard reaches 10% of their HP. Upon doing so, the effects of their very next song is boosted x100 and can be activated using a Take 20. Doing this blows out their ability to make music, though, and they cannot utilize ANY music-based abilities until the end of combat, and even then they must have at least an hour’s rest before they can make music again.
Everybody Hurts - allows the Dark Bard, upon taking damage from an attack that takes up at least 50% of their HP total, to establish a one-way Lifelink with one target in line of sight. 50% of all damage done to the Dark Bard from now on (so long as they survive system shock) is given to the target instead. This cannot be stopped, and no saving throws can be given. Stops only when the target dies or the Dark Bard is unable to stay awake/survive system shock/live.
Talk to Ghosts - allows the Dark Bard to summon a spirit guide once per day through the power of song. This spirit guide must be benevolent in nature, unwilling to do harm or cause mischief, and will only stick around long enough to answer questions so long as the song continues. The Dark Bard MUST play the song until the end while the guide listens (without extending the song…unless there is an extended version of it already created), then the guide will disperse. The spirit will always change depending on what genre of music you play…and so will the advice they give.
Ghost Stomping - allows the Dark Bard to move silently no matter how noisy the items they carry. Costs 10 energy points a round, then continuously doubles in cost per round of action after an initial 5 rounds.
Did You Hear That? - allows the Dark Bard to focus their listening to a finite point, up to a dragon's range. They must pass a Concentration DC30 check in order to use this ability.
Hearing Things - allows the Dark Bard to listen to creatures that are not of prime material plane and are normally ignored by such people. Mostly ghosts or extradimensional beings, but this can be useful for other creatures as well. If a Dark Bard wishes to ignore a creature trying to bother THEM though, they must pass a Concentration DC30 check.
Muddy Waters - Enables the Bard to perform their music better. Costs 100 energy points, but allows the Dark Bard to Take 20 on any roll they make next.
Augment: Sacrifice your entire current energy point total in order to take 20 and crit on the next roll, no matter what the number rolled is.
Black Waters Rising - Increases the power of the Dark Bard damn near tenfold. HP is doubled, Energy Points are doubled, and the Bard takes no damage while playing their music. While playing, they cannot be countered by anything with a Gnosis less than themselves, nor can they be interrupted from playing no matter what is done TO them.
Surrender - Allows anyone to scry, psychic mindlock, or spiritually take you over…but they must pass a Will save of 40, else they will suffer blonuses per action they take afterwards. If they fail the WILL Save than they suffer -500 energy points total, -1/3 current hp total, and -10 on all rolls for 1 day. Note that the scry, psychic mindlock, and takeover attempt will succeed after Surrender has been applied.
Sunder Soul - Can be used twice per day, allows the user to interrupt scry attempts, psychic mindlocks/takeovers, and spiritual contamination/takeover with one of their own. Allows the user to play a song that affects only the target if the counter is successful.
Tender - Counters scry attempts, psychic takeovers, and spiritual takeovers as well. Grants the Mindless status. This takes up 1/4 of your current energy points per counter.
Fata Morgana - Allows the Bard to add their Dark Bard levels alongside whatever magic-using levels they use towards spellcasting.
Battle Stations - Enables the Bard to transform their music into a wonderful party-based defense. While playing, the Bard can choose to give up their attack actions for this round to employ a specialized sonic shielding around their comrades (anyone who hears their song within a 50 foot range from where the Bard is singing/playing), giving them an immediate 100 temporary HP bonus, AC+10, and Spell Resistance bonus of 50% so long as the Bard continues to play. This occurs while playing any of the Wicked Styles.
Note: they get this bonus only so long as the Bard continues to play/sing. Upon losing the 100 temporary HP bonus, the Bard can choose to stop then continue upon their immediate next action.
Secret Art: World of Hurt - as a standard action this immediately kills the user, halving their total Dark Bard levels (including loss of all acquired HP, EP, abilities and feats, even those purchased with Style Points). Should the fight continue on for 1d4 rounds, the Dark Bard returns to combat, even if the body was completely destroyed.
HP now equals as much damage has been dealt since the start of combat.
EP now equals as much energy has been spent since the start of combat.
All actions taken by the Dark Bard ignores gnosis.
If the Dark Bard successfully uses this technique, at the end of combat they immediately lose another half of their current Dark Bard levels and are knocked out for an in-game year.