Griot (Bard/Skald Class Template)
Source: Akashic Tales: Spider's Stories
Through their training a griot could in some ways be thought of as the culture of their people given human form. Through their vast knowledge and command of the performing arts, history seems to almost come alive through them. By their wisdom the might of rulers is magnified. As long as a Griot exists, the heritage of their people will never fade.
Converting Your Character
Griot is a class template suitable for use with the bard and skald classes. When converting a character to a griot, the character loses or changes the following class features:
- Bard: A bard loses weapon and armor proficiency, spells, cantrips, bardic knowledge, countersong, wellversed, inspire competence, lore master.
- Skald: A skald loses weapon and armor proficiency, spells, cantrips, bardic knowledge, scribe scroll, wellversed, song of marching, spell kenning,.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A griot is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the lance, longbow, longsword, scimitar, shortsword, and shortbow. Griots are also proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields).
Veilweaving
A griot learns to shape the magical power known as akasha into powerful veils, which are drawn from the radiantCo7S:AT veil list. They know and can shape any veil from this list. The DC for a saving throw against a veil’s abilities is 10 + the number of points of essence invested in the veil + the griot’s Charisma modifier. They can only shape a certain number of veils per day (see griot veils and essence table). Veils are constructs of pure magic and are suppressed while in the area of an antimagic field or similar phenomena.
At 1st level the griot also gains access to their own personal pool of essence, which can be invested into veils and other receptacles to increase their power. The pool of available essence is listed in the griot’s veils and essence table; the griot’s character level determines the maximum quantity of essence they can invest in any single veil. As a swift action, they can reallocate their essence investments into their veils every round. A griot must have a good night’s rest and must meditate for one hour to prepare her veils for the day.
Table: Griot Veils and Essence| Level | Veils | Essence |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | 1 |
| 2nd | 1 | 2 |
| 3rd | 2 | 3 |
| 4th | 2 | 4 |
| 5th | 2 | 5 |
| 6th | 3 | 6 |
| 7th | 3 | 7 |
| 8th | 3 | 8 |
| 9th | 4 | 9 |
| 10th | 4 | 10 |
| 11th | 4 | 11 |
| 12th | 5 | 12 |
| 13th | 5 | 13 |
| 14th | 5 | 14 |
| 15th | 6 | 15 |
| 16th | 6 | 16 |
| 17th | 6 | 17 |
| 18th | 7 | 18 |
| 19th | 7 | 19 |
| 20th | 7 | 20 |
Inheritor of Spider’s Wisdom
You can shape all veils from the Spider’s Stories veil set as if they were on your class list. You must still possess the appropriate chakra binds to bind these veils.
Griot’s Lore(Ex)
You are a living repository of your people's knowledge. History, culture, magical lore, and even genealogy can be counted among your vast knowledge. A griot adds half of their class level (minimum 1) to all Knowledge skill checks. This ability can be invested with essence. For each point of essence invested in this ability, a griot gains an additional +2 insight bonus to a Knowledge skill of their choice. Each time essence is invested this bonus can be applied to the same or a different Knowledge skill. Additionally, the griot can take a point of essence burn to make any knowledge check untrained.
Genealogist (Su)
Essence can also be bound into this ability. If at least 1 point of essence is bound in this ability you can read the relationships of creatures as if you were constantly under the effect of Detect RelationsQaC, using your class level as your caster level, except that you gain the information instantly, but only as if you had concentrated for 1 round. For each additional point of essence bound in this ability, up to a maximum total of three, you gain additional information as if you had concentrated for 1 additional round. The saving throw DC for the effect is equal to your veilweaving DC.
Storyteller’s Music
A griot gains the following bardic performance or raging song options:
Anthem of Lineage(Su)
At 1st level a griot can perform a song so moving that it awakens the memories of historical glories within the blood of their allies including themself. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the griot’s performance. The ally gains the benefits of a single racial feat they qualify for, of their choice, for as long as they continue to hear the griot’s performance. Anthem of lineage relies on audible components.
Ballad of Tales Made Manifest(Su)
A 3rd level griot can use their performance to weave tales in the heart and minds of their allies, and in some cases onto their flesh as well. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the griot’s performance. As long as they continue to hear the griot’s performance, as a swift action once during this performance allies can unshape a single veil they have shaped, and then immediately shape a new veil. They can bind this newly shaped veil if they are capable of doing so as part of this process. When this performance ends the shaped veil unshapes and the previously shaped veil is reshaped in its place and is bound if it was originally bound. Ballad of tales made manifest can be invested with essence. If an ally uses the benefits of this performance to shape a veil that shares a set with a veil currently shaped by the griot, that ally retains the benefits of this performance for a number of rounds after the griot ceases performing equal to the number of essence invested in this performance. A griot does not benefit from this effect of their own performance of ballad of tales made manifest. Ballad of tales made manifest relies on audible components.
Royal Symbiosis (Su)
Some traditions say that a griot must have a king, and that a king must have a griot. This is only somewhat true. Starting at 2nd level while a creature that the griot owes fealty to(a king, village chief, guild master, ect), or an ally that has levels in one of the following classes (FisherkingTF, RajahDPR, HighlordPAH, VizierAM), is under the effects of the griot's bardic performance or raging song, the griot gains a point of temporary essence for each such creature up to their veilweaving modifier. If those creatures have an essence pool, they add 1 point of temporary essence to their essence pool while under the effects of the griot’s bardic performance or raging song.
Additionally, a griot that prepares their veils for the day in the presence of an ally that can shape Voice veils can choose to shape a single Voice veil that is available to that ally as if they possessed the voice slot. This still counts towards the griot’s total number of shaped veils. At 13th level, the griot gains the ability to bind veils shaped in this way.
Chakra Binds
At 3rd level and every three levels thereafter, the griot gains the ability to bind veils directly to their chakra, unlocking potent new abilities. The griot gains the ability to bind slots in the following order: Hands, Head, Headband, Neck, Belt, and Body.
Improved Essence Capacity
The griot is particularly talented at investing essence. At 5th, 11th, and 17th level the maximum essence capacity of all their essence receptacles increases by 1.