Skald
Skalds are poets, historians, and keepers of lore who use their gifts for oration and song to inspire allies. They balance a violent spirit with the veneer of civilization, recording events such as heroic battles and the deeds of great leaders, enhancing these stories in the retelling to earn bloodier victories in combat. A skald's poetry is nuanced and often has multiple overlapping meanings, and they apply similar talents in the magic that they use. Skalds keep alive the memory of great heroes of the past, and thereby inspire a new generation of heroes. Skalds gather in mead halls or around great bonfires to sing the deeds of the mighty, both past and present. They travel the land to witness great events firsthand so as to ensure that the memory of those events does not pass from the world. With their songs and tales, they inspire others to reach the same heights of accomplishment as the heroes of yore. In essence they are sort of a Hybrid of a Life Cleric and Valor Bard.
Class Features
Hit Dice : 1d8 per Skald Level
Combat Proficiency : Light Armor, Simple Weapons
Tool Proficiency : Herbalist Tools, Choose 2 Musical Instruments
Saving Throw Proficiency : Wisdom, Charisma
Skill Proficiency : Performance, Choose 2 from : History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, Persuasion, and Religion
[ +- ] Starting Equipment
Leather Armor
Light Crossbow w/20 bolts --or-- Simple Weapon
Dagger
Priest's Pack --or-- Explorer's Pack
Holy Symbol
Musical Instrument of choice
Herbalist Tools
[ +- ] 1st-Level : Spell Casting
The character has divinely learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality with the harmony of their music. Their spells are part of their vast repertoire of abilities that they can tune to different situations.
Cantrips
The character knows two Cantrips of their choice from the Skald spell list. They learn an additional Skald cantrip of their choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Bard table.
Spell Slots
The Bard table shows how many Spell Slots the Skald has to cast their Skald spells, they must expend a spell slot of the spell's level or higher. They regain their highest expended Spell Slot after completing a Short Rest and all their Spell Slots after completing a Long Rest.
Spells Known at 1st-Level and Higher
The character knows a number of spells equal to their Wisdom Modifier + Skald Level. Each of these spells known must be of a level for which the Skald has a Spell Slot, as shown in the Bard Table. As the Skald gains levels in this class, they can choose one of the Skald spells they already know and replace it with another spell from the Skald spell list, which also must be of a level for which they have a Spell Slot.
Spell Casting Ability
Charisma is the Skald's Spell Casting Ability (SCA) for their spells. Their magic comes from the heart and soul they pour into their performance of their music or chanting. They use their Charisma whenever a spell refers to their SCA. In addition, they use their Charisma Modifier when setting their Save DC for Skald spells they cast and when making an Attack roll with one.
..... Save DC = 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Charisma Modifier
..... Spell Attack Modifier = Proficiency Bonus + Charisma Modifier
Ritual Casting
The character can cast any Skald spell they know as a Ritual if that spell has the Ritual tag.
Spell Casting Focus
The Skald can use a Musical Instrument or their Holy Symbol as a Spell Casting Focus for their Skald spells.
Domain Spells
The character gains certain spells automatically upon obtaining the level necessary to cast them. These spells once gained are always considered known and do not count against the number of spells that they can know.
.... Domain Spells
......... 1st-Level : Comprehend Languages, Cure Wounds
......... 2nd-Level : Lesser Restoration, Spiritual Weapon
......... 3rd-Level : Revivify, Tongues
......... 4th-Level : Death Ward, Secret Chest
......... 5th-Level : Mass Cure Wounds, Scrying
[ +- ] Skald Spell List
Cantrips
..... Blade Ward
..... Guidance
..... Light
..... Mending
..... Message
..... Ray of Frost
..... Resistance
..... Spare the Dying
..... Thaumaturgy
..... True Strike
..... Vicious Mockery
1st-Level
..... Bless
..... Command
..... Comprehend Languages
..... Create/Destroy Water
..... Cure Wounds
..... Detect Magic
..... Detect Evil/Good
..... Dissonant Whisper
..... Guiding Bolt
..... Healing Word
..... Heroism
..... Protection from Evil/Good
..... Purify Food/Drink
..... Shield of Faith
..... Thunder Wave
2nd-Level
..... Aid
..... Augury
..... Calm Emotions
..... Cloud of Daggers
..... Continual Flame
..... Enhance Ability
..... Enthrall
..... Gentle Repose
..... Heat Metal
..... Hold Person
..... Lesser Restoration
..... Locate Animals/Plants
..... Locate Object
..... Prayer of Healing
..... Protection from Poison
..... See Invisibility
..... Silence
..... Spirtual Weapon
..... Suggestion
..... Zone of Truth
3rd-Level
..... Beacon of Hope
..... Bestow Curse
..... Clairvoyance
..... Create Food/Water
..... Fear
..... Daylight
..... Dispel Magic
..... Magic Circle
..... Mass Healing Word
..... Nondetection
..... Protection from Energy
..... Remove Curse
..... Revivify
..... Sending
..... Spirit Guardians
..... Stinking Cloud
..... Tiny Hut
..... Tongues
4th-Level
5th-Level
6th-Level
7th-Level
8th-Level
9th-Level
[ +- ] 1st-Level : Bardic Inspiration
The character can inspire others through stirring words or music. To do so, they use a Bonus Action on their turn to choose one creature, other than themselves, within 60 feet of them who can hear them. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration Die (BID)(d6).
Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll that die and add the number rolled to one Ability check, Attack roll, or Saving Throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 but before deciding to use the BID, but must decide to use the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the BID is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one BID at any given time.
The character can use this Feature a number of times equal to their Charisma Modifier (a minimum of once). The character regains one expended use when they finish a Short Rest. The BID changes when the character reaches certain levels in this class. The BID becomes a d8 at 5th-Level, a d10 at 10th-Level, and a d12 at 15th-Level.
[ +- ] 2nd-Level : Gifted Healer
At 2nd level, the character's healing spells are more effective. Whenever they use a spell of 1st level or higher to restore hit points to a creature, including themselves, the creature regains additional hit points equal to their Wisdom Modifier + the Spell's Level
[ +- ] 2nd-Level : Chant of Healing
At 2nd level, the character can use a Musical Chant to help revitalize their wounded allies. The character uses a Bardic Inspiration and starts Chanting, which can be interrupted, and at the beginning of their Next Turn every ally that was within 60 feet during the entire previous Turn and could hear the Chant regains 1d6 + Charisma Modifier in hit points. The hit point die used to regain hit points increases when the character reaches certain levels in this Class: to 1d8 at 9th-Level, to 1d10 at 13th level, and to 1d12 at 17th level.
[ +- ] 3rd-Level : Bardic College of Valor
At 3rd-Level the character gains the following bonus proficiencies : Medium Armor, Shields, and Martial Weapons.
Also they learn to inspire others in battle. Any creature that has a BID from the character may use roll that die and add the number to a weapon's damage roll they just made. Alternatively, when an attack roll is made against the creature and hits, they may use their Reaction to roll the BID and add the number rolled to their AC against that attack.
[ +- ] 3rd-Level : Expertise
At 3rd level, the character choose two of their Proficiencies that they have with either skills or tools. Their proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check they make that uses either of those chosen Proficiencies. At 10th level, they can choose a different two Proficiencies they have to gain this benefit
[ +- ] 4th-Level : Ability Score Improvement or Feat
At 4th level the character can increase one Ability Score of their choice by 2, or they can increase two Ability Scores of their choice by 1. An Ability Score cannot be increased above 20 using this feature. Conversely instead of gaining the Ability Score Improvement they may opt to take a Feat instead. This happens again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level.
[ +- ] 5th-Level : Font of Inspiration
At 5th level, the character regains all of their expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when they complete a Short Rest.
[ +- ] 6th-Level : Bardic College Feature
Combat Inspiration : At 6th level, the character can attack twice, instead of just once, whenever they take the Attack Action on their turn.
[ +- ] 6th-Level : Blessed Healer
At 6th level, any healing spells the character casts on others will heal them as well. When they cast a spell of 1st level or higher that restores hit points to another creature, other than themselves, they regain hit points equal to Wisdom Modifier + the Spell's Level
[ +- ] 10th-Level : Divine Strike
At 10th level, the character gains the ability to infuse their weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of their turns as a Bonus Action when they hit a creature with a weapon attack, they can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 Radiant (aka Necromantic-Positive) damage to that target. When they reach 14th level this damage increases to 2d8.
[ +- ] 14th-Level : Bardic College Feature
Battle Magic : At 14th level, the character has mastered the art of weaving spell casting with weapon use into a single harmonious act. When they use their Action to Cast a Skald spell, they can make, as a Bonus Action, one weapon attack.
[ +- ] 18th-Level : Battle Skald
At 18th level, the character gains resistance to Bash, Pierce, and Slash damage from non-magical weapons.
[ +- ] 20th-Level : Superior Inspiration
At 20th level, when the character rolls initiative and have no uses of Bardic Inspiration left, they regain one use.