Protégé (Apath)

	Unofficial rules compendium
	Contents 1 Class Features 1.1 Alignment (Ex); 1.2 Weapon and Armor Proficiency (Ex); 1.3 Familiar (Ex); 1.4 Mage Armor (Ex); 1.5 Patron Spells; 1.6 Patron Audience (Sp); 1.7 Commune (Sp); 1.8 Heroes' Feast (Sp); ; 2 Summary of Changed Class Abilities;
	Contents 1 Class Features 1.1 Alignment (Ex); 1.2 Weapon and Armor Proficiency (Ex); 1.3 Familiar (Ex); 1.4 Mage Armor (Ex); 1.5 Patron Spells; 1.6 Patron Audience (Sp); 1.7 Commune (Sp); 1.8 Heroes' Feast (Sp); ; 2 Summary of Changed Class Abilities;

A sponsored bard has gained the favor of a supernatural patron. After having impressed the patron with her performing skill, the sponsored receives gifts of magic and power. Most sponsored bards are much less proficient as adventurers than regular bard, having led a charmed life. Instead they are accompanied in their adventures by a familiar, an agent of their patron.

Class Features

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

Alignment (Ex)

A sponsored bard can be of any alignment.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency (Ex)

A sponsored bard is proficient with all simple weapons. She is not proficient in any armor or with shields.

Familiar (Ex)

At 1st level, a sponsored bard forms a close bond with a familiar, a creature that helps to guide her along her path. Familiars also aid a sponsored bard by granting her skill bonuses, additional spells, and help with some types of magic. This functions like the wizard’s arcane bond class feature.

A sponsored bard's familiar is an agent of the patron, sent to keep the sponsored bard alive and in line. The ultimate loyalty of the familiar is to the patron, and it can be a constant nagging reminder to a sponsored bard that it feels is straying from the patron's ideals. As long as the sponsored bard and patron are well aligned, the familiar is loyal. If the familiar feels the sponsored bard has betrayed the patron, it might turn hostile and betray her in various ways. It has no control over the sponsored bard's powers, but can alert her enemies, share her secrets, and otherwise work to counter her ambitions in various ways. When the sponsored bard advances in level, the patron asks the familiar to report on the activities of the sponsored bard. If the familiar gives a bad report, the sponsored bard might not be allowed to select the new spells she wants upon gaining the new level, or might be denied new spells altogether. If the familiar's reports that the sponsored bard is a traitor, the patron will deny the increase in power and the sponsored bard cannot level up as a sponsored bard until she makes up with the familiar. A possible theme of such a story might be how the sponsored bard subverts the familiar's loyalty, making it give false reports. Another solution is to slay the familiar just before leveling and summoning a a new one that knows nothing of the sponsored bard's actions. A sponsored bard that for some reason does not have a familiar when leveling up comes under the direct scrutiny of the patron, who is in this case all-knowing about the sponsored bard.

If a sponsored bard takes the Improved Familiar feat, the familiar options available are decided by the patron's alignment, not the bard's.

This replaces countersong and distraction.

Mage Armor (Ex)

Add mage armor to the sponsored bard's spell list as a first level bard spell and as a bonus known spell. At 4th level the sponsored bard becomes a master at using force armors, and the armor bonus of mage armor and bracers of armor stack when worn by a sponsored bard.

Patron Spells

At 1st level, when a sponsored bard gains her familiar, she must also select a patron from the same list used by the witch. This patron is a vague and mysterious force, granting the sponsored bard power for reasons that she might not entirely understand. While these forces need not be named, they typically hold influence over one area of magical forces.

At 1st level, and every three levels thereafter until level 19, the, a sponsored bard’s patron adds new spells to a sponsored bard’s list of spells known. At level 19, the sponsored bard learns the seventh-level patron spell as a known spell and gains the ability to cast that spell once per day. This is not a spell slot and cannot be used for other purposes, such as powering metamagic-modified spells. The spells gained depend upon the patron chosen. Each patron is listed by its theme. Its actual name is up to the GM and the sponsored bard to decide.

The actual personality and goals of the patron should be worked out between the GM and player of the sponsored bard, taking into consideration alignment, the type of familiar, and theme of the patron. The patrons primary interest in the bard is in experiencing the bard perform and sponsoring her artistic development, patrons generally treat their favorite's adventuring careers with benign neglect. Patrons are powerful extra-planar entities, often fey but sometimes from the outer or inner planes; genies, devils, angels, and azatas all make good patrons. A bard's alignment need not resemble the patron's, but too great a difference is likely to cause poor relations.

This replaces bardic knowledge and the jack of all trades ability gained at 19th level.

Patron Audience (Sp)

At any time, the sponsored bard can be called back to his patron to entertain. This takes the form of a gate spell that opens and transports the sponsored bard into the patron's presence, then sends her back to her companions when the patron is satisfied. This is basically a random event the GM can spring on the sponsored bard at any time, but it should not be allowed to disrupt the story being told. The most common use of this ability is to explain where the sponsored bard is when the player is away, but it can be used as a plot device by the GM to bring the sponsored bard (and possibly any willing companions) to the sponsor. An audience takes a minimum of ten hours but can takemuch longer on the whim of the patron. The bard and any friends return from the audience fully healed, fed, rested, and with spells prepared.

At level 16, the sponsored bard can request an audience with her patron once per day. This is a gate spell that brings the bard and her companions into the patron's presence, possibly escaping some dire situation. After the audience is completed, the patron will return the group to a familiar safe location, such as their home, a beautiful glade in the forest, and so on.

At level 20, the sponsored bard can return from the audience with her patron to any spot she knows of, as long as that spot is not inside a building or being guarded. This ability can deposit the bard in exotic locations such as the City of Brass or a specific angelic mountain, but not inside any building or secure area there.

Commune (Sp)

At level 10, the sponsored bard can cast commune at will to communicate with her patron. This ability requires using two rounds of bardic performance per question asked. This replaces the jack of all trades ability gained at level 10.

Heroes' Feast (Sp)

At level 16, the sponsored bard can cast heroes' feast once per day. For each round of bardic music the sponsored bard expends entertaining at this feast, the time required to gain the benefit is reduced by 5 minutes, down to a minimum of 10 minutes after 10 rounds of entertainment. This replaces the jack of all trades ability gained at level 16.

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

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

Class Skills
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Bardic Knowledge
Countersong
Distraction
Deadly Performance
Jack of all trades