Skald Class Features/Abilities
Bardic knowledge
A Skald adds half his class level (minimum 1) to all Knowledge and Lore skill checks.
Inspired Rage
At 1st level, affected allies gain a +1 bonus to melee attack and damage rolls and a +1 bonus on Will saving throws, but also take a -1 penalty to AC. While under the effects of inspired rage, allies other than the skald cannot use any ability that requires patience or concentration. At 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the song's bonuses on Will saves increase by 1; the penalty to AC doesn't change. At 8th and 16th levels, the song's bonuses to Strength and Constitution increase by 2. (Unlike the barbarian's rage ability, those affected are not fatigued after the song ends.)
Skald Talent
As a skald gains experience, he learns a number of talents that aid him and confound his foes. At 2nd level, a skald gains a rogue talent, as the rogue class feature of the same name. At 7th level and every 5 levels thereafter, the skald gains an additional rogue talent. A skald cannot select a rogue talent that modifies the sneak attack ability.
Rage Powers
At 3rd level and every 3 levels thereafter, a skald learns a rage power that affects the skald and any allies under the influence of his inspired rage. If a rage power requires another rage power (such as disruptive, which requires superstition), the skald cannot grant that rage power to allies unless he can also grant that power's prerequisite. He may add multiple rage powers to an inspired rage at the same time using this ability (such as granting superstition and disruptive simultaneously). If a rage power can only be used a certain number of times per day or per rage (such as renewed vigor), each ally affected by the inspired rage song is subject to that limit (with once per rage abilities limited to once per inspired rage). If the skald has rage powers from another source, he can use those rage powers during an inspired rage. If the skald has the ability to rage from another source, he can use his skald rage powers during that rage as well.
Spell Kenning
At 5th level, a skald is learned in the magic of other spellcasters, and can use his own magic to duplicate those classes’ spells. Once per day, a skald can cast any spell on the bard, cleric, or sorcerer/wizard spell list as if it were one of his skald spells known, expending a skald spell slot of the same spell level to cast the desired spell. Casting a spell with spell kenning always has a minimum casting time of 1 full round, regardless of the casting time of the spell.
At 11th level, a skald can use this ability twice per day. At 17th level, he can use this ability three times per day.
Damage Reduction
At 9th level, a skald gains damage reduction. Subtract 1 from the damage the skald takes each time he is dealt damage from a weapon or a natural attack. At 14th and 19th levels, this damage reduction increases by 1. Damage Reduction can reduce damage to 0, but not below 0. Additionally, the skald grants this DR to all allies affected by his inspired rage.
Uncanny dodge
At 4th level, a skald gains the ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does he lose his Dex bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if he is immobilized. A skald with this ability can still lose his Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against him.
If a skald already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.
Improved Uncanny Dodge
At 8th level and higher, a skald can no longer be flanked. This defense denies enemies the ability to sneak attack the skald by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more levels in a class that grants sneak attack than the target has skald levels.
If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level required to flank the character.
Song of Strength (Su)
At 6th level, a skald can use raging song to inspire his allies to superhuman feats of strength. Once each round while the skald uses this performance, allies within 30 feet who can hear the skald may add 1/2 the skald’s level to a Strength check or Strength-based skill check.
Lore Master
At 7th level, the skald becomes a master of many different types of lore, and can choose to take 10 on any Knowledge skill check that he has ranks in.
Dirge of Doom
At 10th level, a skald can create a sense of growing dread in his enemies, causing them to become shaken. This only affects enemies that are within 30 feet and able to hear the skald’s performance. The effect persists for as long as the enemy is within 30 feet and the skald continues his performance. This cannot cause a creature to become frightened or panicked, even if the targets are already shaken from another effect. This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect, and relies on audible components.
Song of the Fallen
At 8th level and higher, a skald can no longer be flanked. This defense denies enemies the ability to sneak attack the skald by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more levels in a class that grants sneak attack than the target has skald levels.
If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level required to flank the character.
Master Skald
At 20th level, a skald’s inspired rage no longer gives allies a penalty to AC, nor limits what skills or abilities they can use. Additionally, they act as if under haste effect.
Courtly Presence
At 1st level, a battle scion’s bearing radiates command and presence, allowing her to tower over her opponents in social situations. The battle scion adds 1/2 her character level to Intimidate checks, and she starts any verbal duel with an extra edge that she can use for the presence tactic so long as she is not at a significant or extreme disadvantage in the duel. However, her bardic knowledge ability applies to only Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility).
Battle Prowess
Whenever a battle scion would gain a rage power from the skald’s rage power ability (at 3rd level and every 3 skald levels thereafter), she can instead choose to gain a combat feat or teamwork feat for which she meets the prerequisites.
Like rage powers she selects in this way, the battle scion can grant this feat to allies under the effect of inspired rage, as long as those allies also meet the prerequisites, but she must expend 2 rounds of raging song for each round in which she grants a combat feat or teamwork feat.
If the battle scion gains multiple feats from battle prowess, allies can use these feats to meet the prerequisites for other feats while they’re affected by battle prowess (for example, a battle scion with Power Attack and Cleave from battle prowess could grant both, allowing allies with a +1 base attack bonus and a Strength score of 13 to gain both, since they can use Power Attack to qualify for Cleave).
Once and Future Scion
At 20th level, a battle scion becomes extremely difficult to kill. Whenever she is slain, as long as her body isn’t destroyed, she enters a deathlike sleep for 3 days, after which she returns to life as per raise dead, except that it can restore her even if she was slain by a death effect. Spells that would restore her to life function as if she were dead during this time, allowing her to recover sooner.
Insightful Contemplation
At 1st level, affected allies gain a +2 morale bonus to Intelligence and Charisma and a +1 morale bonus on Will saving throws, but they also take a –1 penalty to AC. While under the effects of insightful contemplation, allies other than the court poet can’t use any Strength-based skills or make any physical effort that requires a Constitution check. At 4th level and every 4 skald levels thereafter, the song’s bonus on Will saves increases by 1; the penalty to AC doesn’t change. At 8th and 16th levels, the song’s bonuses to Intelligence and Charisma increase by 2. (Unlike the barbarian’s rage ability, those affected are not fatigued after the song ends.)
Handling the Crowd
At 2nd level, a court poet gains a +1 bonus to AC and on Perform checks when adjacent to two or more creatures. In addition, her movement is not impeded by crowds and she gains a bonus equal to 1/2 her skald level on Diplomacy checks to influence crowds.
Song of Inspiration
At 6th level, a court poet can use raging song to inspire her allies to greater mental clarity. Once each round while the court poet uses this performance, allies within 60 feet who can hear her can add 1/2 the court poet’s skald level to a single Wisdom check or Wisdom-based skill check.
Fiendish Maw
At 3rd level, whenever a demon dancer inspires rage, all who accept his rage gain a bite attack dealing 1d6 points of damage (for Medium allies; 1d4 points of damage if Small). This damage increases to 1d8 (1d6 if Small) at 7th level, to 2d6 (1d8 if Small) at 12th level, and to 3d6 (2d6 if Small) at 17th level.
These increases effectively treat the affected creatures as though their sizes had increased by one size category, and so don’t stack with any similar damage increases (such as the increase from the strong jaw spell) other than those due to an actual increase in size. If used as part of a full attack action, the bite attack is made at the creature’s full base attack bonus –5.
Fiendish Totem
While raging, the demonic dancer sprouts dozens of wicked barbs from her body. ANyone striking the barbarian with a melee weapon, an unarmed strike, or a natural weapon takes 1d6 points of piercing damage.
Arcane Bond - Object
At 1st level, a herald of the horn forms a powerful bond with a horn (musical instrument). This functions like an arcane bloodline sorcerer’s arcane bond with an object. Like a weapon, wand, or staff, the horn must be held in one hand when the herald of the horn casts skald spells.
Rousing Retort
At 5th level, a herald of the horn can use raging song to free allies from enchantment effects and fear. When beginning a raging song, he can expend 4 rounds of that ability to grant all allies within 60 feet a new saving throw against an ongoing enchantment or fear effect. The allies gain a +2 bonus on this new saving throw.
This ability replaces the first daily use of spell kenning gained at 5th level.
Horn Call
At 7th level, a herald’s horn enhances his sonic spells. If a skald spell with the sonic descriptor is cast using the horn, its DC increases by 1. These DCs increase by an additional 1 at 13th and 19th levels.
Crumbling Blast
At 11th level, a herald of the horn can use his horn to create a devastating shock wave of energy. Once per day, he can sound a note on the horn that functions like a horn of blasting (DC = 10 + 1/2 the herald of the horn’s level + his Charisma bonus). At 17th level, the herald of the horn can use this ability twice per day and it functions like a greater horn of blasting. Unlike an actual horn of blasting, this ability does not carry the risk of destroying the horn.
This ability replaces the second and third daily uses of spell kenning gained at 11th and 17th levels.
Wilderness Magic
At 5th level and again at 11th level and 17th level, the hunt caller adds two spells of any level she can cast from the druid spell list to her class spell list and list of skald spells known.
Inspire Scent
At 6th level, the hunt caller gains the scent rage power. Her song of the senses and inspired rage raging songs both grant affected allies this rage power.
Scent
The Hunt Caller gains the scent ability while raging and can use this ability to locate unseen foes. The barbarian can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell as if had blindsense.
Battle Song - First Verse
As a standard action, battle singer can spend 1 round of skald performance to damage all enemies in a 15 feet cone, dealing 1d6 sonic damage per 2 levels of skald (Fortitude save halves). If an enemy fails its saving throw, it is also staggered for 1 round.
Battle Song - Second Verse
As a standard action, battle singer can spend 2 rounds of skald performance to damage all enemies in 50 feet radius around skald, dealing 1d6 sonic damage per 2 levels of Skald (Fortitude save halves). If an enemy fails its saving throw, it is also stunned for 1 round, and then staggered for 1 round. If Second Verse is cast withing 2 rounds of First Verse, it costs only 1 round of skald performance and is empowered.
Battle Song - Final Verse
As a standard action, battle singer can spend 2 round of skald performance to damage one enemy, dealing 1 d8 sonic damage per level of skald (Fortitude save halves). If an enemy fails its saving throw, it is also stunned for 1 round, and staggered for 1d4+1 rounds. If the saving throw was successful, the target is staggered for 1 round. If Final Verse is cast withing 2 rounds of First Verse, it costs 1 round of skald performance less, is empowered and the DC increases by 2. If Final Verse is cast withing 2 rounds of Second Verse, it costs 1 round of skald performance less, is maximized and the DC increases by 2.
