Bard Spell and Song Lists and Special Rules

= Bard Realm = Bard Discipline spell lists are special in how and when a character can learn them. Bards have one list of spells (Bard’s Banters) that is like any other spell list. You learn them the same as other spell lists. Unique to the Bard Realm is the Bard’s Songs. You can learn any song from the list in any order, but you need to learn levels of the Musician Skill in order to perform the song and produce its magical effects.

Who can learn a Bard Spell list
·        A Bard must chose the Bard Discipline as his primary 1st spell Discipline; he can then chose any discipline from either the Mage or Cleric realm as his secondary Discipline; the 3rd and 4th discipline must be from the same realm as the 2nd discipline.

·        All other classes can only learn Bard Discipline at the cost for “Other Discipline” on the spell skills acquisition chart.

Bard Spell Points - Countenance
Bard songs and spells use spell points based on the stat Countenance. This is different from any other spell caster. The Bard can use Countenance spell points for casting spells for his 2nd, 3rd and 4th discipline, which will be all from the same realm. But, when a Bard learns spells from the other realms using the Other Discipline skill, he must use spell points calculated from the stat for that spell realm.

It should be noted that the Spell Point skill is purchased specific to a spell point type: Mage (INT), Cleric (WIS), Engineer (ING) or Bard (COU). Thus, if a character wants to get extra spell points for a different realm he must purchase the Spell Point skill for that realm.

Bard Spell lists are Different
The Bard Songs Spell list takes a different form from any other spell list. All songs require 1 Skill Acquisition Point to learn. The level of a song performance is dependent on the caster’s level of musician skill.

The Bard’s Banter spell lists is like any other spell list in how it is learned and used.

Instruments of the Bard
Bards can learn any instrument to improve their songs. Some instruments improve songs more than others. If a song is sung, hummed or whistled it gains different bonuses than if accompanied with a wind, string or percussion instrument. Different types of instruments have different effects on a song and those are described in the song description. Two Bards can play the same song at the same time and increase its effectiveness. Following is a list of instrument categories:

Instruments and their Descriptions
·        Flute, Baroque Flute - Similar to our modern flutes. This type of Musical instruments played by flute-minstrels of the Middle Ages

·        Trumpet, Baroque Trumpet - Long instrument made of metal, often in four parts - often associated with fanfares and pageants

·        Pipe - The pipe was an extremely basic instrument usually having only three melody holes

·        Shawm - The shawm was a reed instrument with vent holes

·        Recorder - The recorder was also an extremely basic instrument with melody holes

·        Flageolet - A small fipple flute with four finger holes and two thumb holes.

·        Bagpipe - The Bagpipe was an ancient instrument, used by the poorest people and was made using a goat or sheep skin and a reed pipe

·        Crumhorn - The crumhorn (Curved Horn) was introduced in the 1400's as a double reed musical instrument

·        Gemshorn - The gemshorn was made of horn of an ox, chamois or similar

·        Cornett - The cornett was an early woodwind instrument taking the form of a long tube with woodwind-style fingerholes

·        Lizard - The lizard was a descriptive term for an s-shaped horn

·        Ocarina - An egg-shaped woodwind instrument with a mouthpiece and finger holes

·        Sackbut - A medieval musical instrument resembling a trombone

·        Hautboy - A slender double-reed woodwind instrument with a conical bore and a double-reed mouthpiece

·        English Horn - Despite its name it is not a horn - this instrument is more similar to an oboe

·        Cor Anglais - Another name commonly used for the Cor Anglais is the English Horn

·        Horns - Originally made of a horn (ox or a ram)

·        Bombard - The Bombard can be described as a large shawm

·        Oboe - evolved from the Shawm into the hautboy and then the oboe

·        Trombone- a long tube whose length can be varied by a U-shaped slide

·        Tuba - an ancient trumpet, the lowest brass woodwind instrument

·        Meyer Flute - it could have up to 12 keys and was built with head joints of either metal-lined ivory or wood

·        Drum - Drums were made initially from a hollow tree trunk, clay or metal and covered by skins of water animals - also called tambours

·        Cymbals - Thin round concave metal plates

·        Triangle - The triangle was a musical instrument introduced during the 14th century

·        Tambourine - This musical instrument was traditionally used by a woman

·        The Tabor - a small drum used as an accompaniment to a pipe or fife, both being played by the same person.

·        Timbrel - This musical instrument was also referred to as a tambourine and dates back to antiquity

·        Bells - the use of Bells also dates back to antiquity

·        Harp - The harp was a favorite instrument of the troubadours and minstrels and was about 30 inches in length

·        Lute - A plucked string instrument having a pear-shaped body, a usually bent neck, and a fretted fingerboard

·        Fiddle - There were a variety of Medieval Fiddles which were played with a bow or plucked and usually held under the chin or in the crook of the arm. Easily portable and one of the most popular street musical instruments

·         Rebec - The rebec was an instrument with a round pear-shaped body much like an early violin

·        Psaltery - The Psaltery was a Medieval musical instrument which was a cross between a harp and a lyre

·        Chittarone - a lute which could reach 6 feet tall

·        Cittern - Similar to a modern guitar

·        Dulcimer - The Dulcimer was played by striking the strings with small hammers

·        Gittern - Similar to a modern guitar

·        The Viol - Viols were played with a bow and held on the lap or between the legs

·        The Vielle - Popular string instrument with troubadours and jongleurs

·        Mandolin and Mandore - A small and beautifully shaped string instrument resembling the lute

·        Clavichord - an early stringed instrument like a piano but with more delicate sound

·        Harpsichord - a harp-shaped instrument of music set horizontally on legs, like the grand piano

·        Spinet - The Spinet can be described as a keyed instrument of music resembling a harpsichord, but smaller

·        Others as identified during game play.

Back to Spell Realm and Discipline page