Bards are the most charismatic people in all the realms. Members of this class are masters of captivation and specialize in a variety of performance types, including singing, playing musical instruments, weaving tales, or telling jokes. Whether performing for an audience or speaking to an individual, bards thrive in social situations. Members of this profession bond and train at schools or guilds, but a current of egotism runs through those of the bardic persuasion. While they may be the most likely class to bring people together, a bard of ill temper can just as easily tear a party apart.
Hope Features
Make a scene: Spend 3 Hope to temporarily Distract a target within Close range, giving them a -2 penalty to their Difficulty.
Class Features
Rally: Once per session, describe how you rally the party and give yourself and each of your allies a Rally Die. At level 1, your Rally Die is a d6. A PC can spend their Rally Die to roll it, adding the result to their action roll, reaction roll, damage roll, or to clear a number of Stress equal to the result. At the end of each session, clear all unspent Rally Dice. At level 5, your Rally Die increases to a d8.
Subclasses
Play the Wordsmith if you want to use clever wordplay and captivate crowds.
Spellcast: Presence
Foundation Features
Rousing Speech: Once per long rest, you can give a heartfelt, inspiring speech. All allies within Far range clear 2 Stress.
Heart of a Poet: After you make an action roll to impress, persuade, or offend someone, you can spend a Hope to add a d4 to the roll.
Specialization Features
Eloquent: Your moving words boost morale. Once per session, when you encourage an ally, you can do one of the following: • Allow them to find a mundane object or tool they need. • Help an Ally without spending Hope. • Give them an additional downtime move during their next rest.
Mastery Features
Epic Poetry: Your Rally Die increases to a d10. Additionally, when you Help an Ally, you can narrate the moment as if you were writing the tale of their heroism in a memoir. When you do, roll a d10 as your advantage die.