Divine Bard (D&D Bard variant)

Unofficial rules compendium

UA 50 - Suitable servant of gods of love/music/confusion. Heavily modified.

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

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

Alignment

If a divine bard has a patron, his alignment must be within one step of his patron's alignment. A divine bard without a patron cannot be lawful, just like a regular bard.

Class Features

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

Armor and Weapon proficiency

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

A divine bard who chooses the War domain receives the Weapon Focus feat related to his deity’s weapon as a bonus feat. He also receives the appropriate Martial Weapon Proficiency feat as a bonus feat, if the weapon falls into that category.

Class Skills

The divine bard’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (Int), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) ×4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Bardic Knowledge

The divine bard does not have bardic knowledge.

Bardic Music

A divine bard cannot use bardic music 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 divine bard can affect listeners of any alignment.

Spellcasting

A divine bard 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; a divine bard can't cast spells of an alignment that doesn't match his. Neutral divine bards can't cast any spells associated with an alignment (but gain a benefit on their bardic music). A divine bard must choose and prepare his spells in advance (see below).

To prepare or cast a spell, a divine bard must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a divine bard's spell is 10 + the spell level + the divine bard's Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a divine bard can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Bard. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score. A divine bard does not gain any special domain spell slots and prepares domain spells in his normal spell slots.

Divine bards meditate or pray for their spells. Each divine bard must choose a time at which he must spend 1 hour each day in quiet contemplation or supplication to regain his daily allotment of spells. Time spent resting has no effect on whether a divine bard can prepare spells. A divine bard may prepare and cast any spell on the bard spell list, provided that he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation. Unlike a cleric, a divine bard cannot substitute for cure spells.

Add the following spells to the divine bard’s class spell list: 0 — create water, cure minor wounds; 1st — detect evil/good/law, faith healing, protection from chaos/evil/good/law; 2nd — consecrate, desecrate, gentle repose; 3rd - hand of the faithful, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law, prayer; 4th — recitation, remove disease, speak with dead, sending; 5th — divination, panacea, restoration; 6th — commune, hallow, unhallow, raise dead.

Deity, Domains, and Domain Spells

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

If a divine bard 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 divine bard access to a domain spell at each spell level he can cast, from 1st on up, as well as a granted power. The divine bard gets the granted powers of both the domains selected.

Ex-Divine Bards

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