Spell Components, Bard

Musical Components

Most bards are almost magically skilled at some form of musical expression. If you are seeking a way to more closely incorporate this talent with a bard's magical abilities, you may want to consider the option of using music as the verbal component to spells. Then, instead of speaking arcane words to invoke a spell, the bard sings a song, recites poetry, or plays a tune. Of course, as with all optional rules, you must first obtain your Dungeon Master's approval. If this option is taken, a bard can perform some form of music in place of a spell's verbal component. However, once this option is agreed upon for your bard, he can no longer speak words to cast spells requiring verbal components. He must always resort to music. Only one of the three musical mediums (singing, poetry, or instrumental) works for any particular bard (until 10th level). Demi-bards have different options available to them. The musical options for bards and demi-bards are given in Table 18.

Table 18: VERBAL COMPONENT SUBSTITUTES

Kit Musical Substitute True Singing or Instrumental* Blade Poetry Charlatan Singing Gallant Poetry Gypsy Instrumental Herald Instrumental Jester Poetry, Singing, or Instrumental* Jongleur Poetry Loremaster Instrumental Meistersinger Instrumental Riddlemaster Poetry Skald Singing Thespian Singing

Demi-Bards Chanter Chanting Minstrel Special** Professor Whistling or Instrumental* Whistler Whistling

* The bard must select only one of these options. This choice is binding and cannot be altered at a later time. ** Minstrels are a special case. Refer to their kit description.

• If the spell has a verbal or somatic component, the bard must sing. If the spell has a material or somatic component, they must play on a musical instrument. • They sing their spells, substituting instrument for material component and somatic component, song for verbal and somatic component. This does not save them money, for they must make repairs on their instruments at the rate of 1/100th per spell level, with the instrument having to be worth 10 gp for 1st, 40 gp for 2nd, 90 gp for 3rd, 160 gp for 4th, and 250 gp for 5th level spells. Thus, a 100 gp musical instrument could be used to cast 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level spells, but would not work to cast 4th or higher level spells. An instrument can at best be quintupled in cost, with an increasing difficulty to make. It takes a number of days equal to the gp value to create the instrument. • Bards spell singing is subject to all the limitations of the spells and spell casting for druids. • They do not have to use a musical instrument, but the bonus abilities with magical musical instruments only applies if they have proficiency in that instrument.