Noble Virtuoso (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition
—Henry V, Act 4, Scene 3, by William Shakespeare

Having the best teachers and a chance to develop from an early age, the noble virtuoso is a skilled dilettante, who insists she is a true talent who just happens to be of noble birth. A noble virtuoso need not be a stage act, many select oratory as their style of performance and are politicians or officers.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype. The noble virtuoso is a bard from high society.

Publisher: Purple Duck Games.

Prestige Class: Noble Scion

Build Class: Bard.

Role: A noble virtuoso is often the face and benefactor of an adventuring team, but in action he often holds back to provide inspiration and support.

Alignment: Any. A noble virtuoso tries to be a carefree artist living for the moment, but his upbringing is part of him and tells him to take responsibility.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The noble virtuoso's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

The noble virtuoso has all the class features of the bard, except as follows:

Affluent (Ex)

At each level, a noble scion gains gold pieces equal to 750 multiplied by her character level as stipend. (She gains 750 gp. at 1st level, an additional 1,500 gp. at 2nd level, and so on.) This is the noble's private spending money, a result of the increase in standing her level advancement brings.

A multiclass character only gets this stipend when increasing in level as a noble scion, not when increasing her level in any other class. The amount received is based on her character level, not class level. So a wizard 3 who takes a level of scheming noble gains 3,000 gp (750 times her new character level of four). Affluent and leadership replaces lore master.

Noble Paragon (Ex)

In order to impress commoners and peers alike, the noble scion is brought up to be a paragon of her culture. At 1st level, the noble scion selects a culture she has been brought up in and three class skills. If a particular skill already a class skill, the scion instead gains a +1 trait bonus on that skill.

Prestigious Influence (Ex)

At 2nd level, a noble scion can use her influence to receive special treatment, favors, and other services. She effectively has a pool of virtual gold pieces equal 25 gp per class level to spend on services and non-material goods. This represents the wealth of her house, but also connections; naturally the theatre will offer their best tickets for free to honor their great sponsor and beneficiary who just happens to be the noble characters uncle. This pool replenishes at the beginning of every week. Unspent resources are lost and do not accumulate. Services and nonmaterial goods available to a noble scion include:

• Pay for lodgings, stabling, taxes, and tolls.
• Pay off bandits or pay ransom.
• Pay for social gifts and bribes.
• Improve her lifestyle quality.
• Hire entertainers, messengers, mounts, servants, transport, workers, and so on.
• Obtain invitations to exclusive events, or entry into privileged locations.
• Gather information, spread rumors, or start a whispering campaign.
• Purchase spellcasting services.
• Employ an expert hireling to make a skill check with a check bonus of +10 plus half her class level at a cost of 50 gp.

The noble can spend some of these funds on her companions, but spending more than half your allowance on your friends could be seen as overly egalitarian. A noble scion cannot permanently gain goods or wealth from this ability. Boons attainable from this ability are generally only available in settlements of 500 people or more. The exact benefits available in a location are subject to GM discretion.

When in the home territory of her noble house, the scion has access to luxurious lodging at the manors or town houses of her family, and can use such facilities to throw parties, lodge her companions in comfort, or otherwise use the properties of her family to advantage. When traveling, she can expect at least modest accommodation with other nobles, and a noble visitor is often the occasion of parties and other entertainment. The backside is of course that the scion is expected to attend all these social functions, which can hinder her other activities.This replaces the versatile performance from level 2.

Fame And Fortune (Ex)

At third level a noble scion gains a bonus equal to 1/3 her class level on Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility) checks. This ability also reduces the DCs of Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility) checks others make to gather information about the noble scion by the same amount. This replaces bardic knowledge.

Servitor (Ex)

At 4th level, a noble scion gains a faithful NPC servitor of the same level as a cohort granted by the Leadership feat (minimum 1st level). This servitor is of the expert NPC class and comes equipped with gear appropriate for a non-heroic NPC of the servitor's level. The servitor does not fight for the noble scion as would a cohort or follower, but instead can set up camp, act as a valet or maid, and otherwise provide food and comforts. The servitor can also run various errands while the noble scion is adventuring, such as delivering messages or maintaining the scion's interests. This replaces versatile performance from level 6.

Leadership (Ex)

At 7th level, the noble scion gains Leadership as a bonus feat. The cohort and followers come with equipment appropriate for their level. Pay and upkeep is provided by the noble scion's house. Followers serve their noble leader, but their ultimate loyalty is to the land and holdings; they may report unusual activities to others in the house and refuse orders that they perceive to be dangerous to the clan as a whole. Affluent and leadership replaces lore master.

Greater Leadership (Ex)

At 13th level, a noble scion can have a cohort up to one level lower than herself and the level of all her followers increases by one. At 19th level, she can recruit a cohort of the same level she is and the level of her followers increases by two. This also improves the noble scion's servitor. This replaces versatile performance from level 14 and 18.

Peerless Patrician (Ex)

At 20th level a noble scion can roll twice on any Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (nobility), or Sense Motive check and take the better roll. Once per day, instead of rolling one of these skill checks, she can assume the roll resulted in a natural 20. This replaces deadly performance.

Table: Noble Virtuoso

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
						1	2	3	4	5	6
1st	+0	+0	+2	+2	Affluent, noble paragon, bardic performance, cantrips, countersong, distraction, fascinate, inspire courage +1	1	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+3	Prestigious influence, well-versed	2	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+3	Fame and fortune +1, inspire competence +2	3	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Servitor	3	1	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Inspire courage +2	4	2	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+2	+5	+5	Fame and fortune +2, suggestion	4	3	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+2	+5	+5	Inspire competence +3, Leadership	4	3	1	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+6	Dirge of doom	4	4	2	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+6	Fame and fortune +3, inspire greatness	5	4	3	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+7	Jack-of-all-trades	5	4	3	1	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+7	Inspire competence +4, inspire courage +3	5	4	4	2	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Soothing performance	5	5	4	3	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Greater leadership	5	5	4	3	1	—
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+9	Frightening tune	5	5	4	4	2	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+9	Fame and fortune +5, inspire competence +5, inspire heroics	5	5	5	4	3	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Jack-of-all-trades (class skills)	5	5	5	4	3	1
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Inspire courage +4	5	5	5	4	4	2
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+11	Fame and fortune +6, mass suggestion	5	5	5	5	4	3
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+11	Inspire competence +6, jack-of-all-trades (take 10), greater leadership	5	5	5	5	5	4
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+12	Peerless patrician	5	5	5	5	5	5

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