Special Benefits:
War Chant: By chanting a war song, a Skald can inspire allies as they go forward into combat. For the chant to have an effect, the Skald must begin chanting at least three rounds before combat begins, otherwise his allies are too caught up in the events about them to benefit from this ability. Such chanting has an effective range of ten feet per level of the Skald. The effects end as soon as the Skald receives his first wound. If the Skald does not enter the fray (and avoids being wounded), the effects end in a number of rounds equal to the Skalds level. At 1st level, the Skald can choose only one of the following six effects per battle; at 3rd level two effects are chosen, three at 6th, four at 9th, etc. The Skald player chooses the effects, and can change them from one battle to the next.
Chanting can elevate spirits, remove concerns about danger, keep men's minds focused on combat, and fill friendly forces with a sense of being larger than life. Translated into game terms, this results in the following six possible effects for the members of the Skalds party:
- Bonus hit points equal to the Skald's Hit Dice.
- A morale bonus of 1 for every six levels of the Skald (rounded up).
- A +1 bonus to all attack rolls.
- A +1 bonus to all damage rolls.
- A +1 bonus to all saving throws.
- A -1 bonus to everyone's Armor Class.
Influence Reactions: If a Skald spends 1d10 rounds singing ballads, he can attempt to improve the reactions of an audience. Everyone able to clearly hear and understand the Skald must roll a saving throw vs. paralyzation with a -1 penalty per three levels of the Skald. Those who fail have their reactions to the Skald improved by one level. Those who succeed do not find the Skalds ballad to be particularly moving;. Those who succeed on a natural 20 find the song to be offensive and their reactions worsen one level.
Battle Chant: Skalds are a bit more combative than most bards. This provides them with certain combat advantages. The Skald fights with a +1 attack roll bonus any time he is singing or chanting during combat, even a soft chant under his breath. In addition, the Skald gains a +1 damage bonus when using a broadsword, axe (any type), or spear while he is chanting, provided that he has proficiency with the weapon. These bonuses almost always apply, unless the bard is silenced, underwater, etc.
Legend Lore: Skalds love legends about war and combat. Legend lore works the same for Skalds as it does for True Bards, except that Skalds can perform legend lore only upon magical items having to do with war or combat (e.g., weapons, armor, strength potions, etc.).
Special Hindrances: The Skald's society does not have a written language. Because of this, Skalds cannot take the reading/writing proficiency when created. Furthermore, they do not get the read languages ability at 3rd level if they stay in their home society. However, both of these limits are lifted once the Skald comes into contact with a culture that reads and writes. He can then pick up the reading/writing proficiency at twice the normal cost and gains the read languages ability at a 0% base (i.e., he must put points into the skill or he has a zero chance for success). Skalds do not gain the use any written magical item ability at 10th level.
Spells are also nearly unknown in the Skalds society, and they are viewed with suspicion in any event. Thus, Skalds cannot learn any spells until they encounter a spellcasting culture. Once contact has been made, the Skald can begin casting spells when he gains his next level. At this time he is considered a 2nd-level spellcaster (providing he is at least 3rd level by this time). His spellcasting level increases by 1 every time he gains a level thereafter.
If your campaign does not have a Viking culture, but a player still wishes to play a Skald, assume that the character left his distant homeland and has journeyed to the existing campaign setting. This character can take reading/writing proficiency when he gains his next level, provided he has the proficiency slots available. He gains the ability to cast spells as outlined above. Notes: The Vikings Campaign Sourcebook is a good resource to be used in conjunction with Skald bards.
