Cantor (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Not all bards are arcanists; some derive their special powers from a divine tradition. In many primitive cultures, the cantor takes the place of the cleric or oracle as the guide of the people's religious beliefs. Some civilized cultures have developed the singing of hymns and chants to true excellence, but cantors are usually subservient to clerics in civilized churches.

A cantor lacks the normal bards interest in folklore; instead of learning rousing songs that play upon the listener's sentiment, the cantor sings the praise of his deity or ideals. This limits the power of their music to those who respect those ideals. In return, the cantor gains domain powers and some additional spells and skills.

Alignment

If a cantor has a patron, his alignment must be within one step of his patron's alignment. Cantors have no other alignment restrictions, and can be lawful if their deity allows it.

Class Features

The cantor has all the standard bard class features, except as noted below.

Armor and Weapon proficiency

A cantor is proficient with all simple weapons and with light armor. As a divine spellcaster, a cantor can cast spells in armor.

Class Skills

The cantor's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (Int), and Spellcraft (Int).

Bardic Performance

A cantor cannot use bardic performance on a creature of an opposing alignment, either for weal or woe. Praising a lawful good deity in song simply does nothing to a chaotic or evil listener. A neutral cantor can affect listeners of any alignment.

Spellcasting

A cantor casts divine spells, which are drawn from the bard spell list. However, his alignment may restrict him from casting certain spells opposed to his moral or ethical beliefs. As a divine spellcaster, the cantor's ability to cast spells in armor is unrestricted.

Add the following spells to the cantor's class spell list:
0 — create water, stabilize;
1st — detect evil/good/law, lesser restoration, protection from chaos/evil/good/law;
2nd — consecrate, desecrate, gentle repose;
3rd magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law, prayer;
4th — remove disease, speak with dead, sending;
5th — divination, restoration;
6th — commune, hallow, unhallow, raise dead.

In addition to this, cantors receive spells from their domains (see below).

A cantor can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to her own or her deity’s (if she has one). Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaotic, evil, good, and lawful descriptors in their spell descriptions.

Deity, Domains, and Domain Spells

A cantor's deity influences his alignment, what magic he can perform, his values, and how others see him. A cantor chooses two domains from among those belonging to his deity. A cantor can select an alignment domain (Chaos, Evil, Good, or Law) only if his alignment matches that domain.

If a cantor is not devoted to a particular deity, he still selects two domains to represent his spiritual inclinations and abilities. The restriction on alignment domains still applies.

Each domain gives the cantor access to a domain spell at each spell level he can cast, from 1st on up, as well as a granted power. Unlike clerics, bards simply add these spells to their list of known spells - there are no special domain slots. The cantor gets the granted powers of both the domains selected. Any granted powers that would normally be Wisdom-based become Charisma-based for the Cantor.

This ability replaces the bardic lore, loremaster, and jack of all trades abilities.

Ex-Cantors

A cantor who grossly violates the code of conduct required by his god loses all spells and class features, except for weapon and armor proficiencies. He cannot thereafter gain levels as a cantor of that god until he atones (see the atonement spell description).

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Armor and Weapon proficiency
• Class Skills
• Bardic Performance
• Spellcasting
• Bardic Knowledge
• Lore Master
• Jack of All Trades