Musician (Bard Archetype)
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Diamond Spheres: Harmony & Discord
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The font of creativity is a near-endlessly broad well to be drawn upon, and so it stands to reason that there are many different ways a bard can show their prowess. A musician is such a variation, as they focus on the more mundane form of performances and how they can be augmented with magic.

This requires champion bard (Champions of the Spheres © 2017, Drop Dead Studios LLC.).

Blended Expertise

Whenever a musician would gain a combat or magic talent from his class levels, he may instead choose to gain a skill talent. The musician uses his casting ability modifier as his operative ability modifier.

This alters blended training.

Spellbound Performance (Su)

The musician can spend 1 spell point whenever they use a Performance sphere ability to make it spellbound for 1 minute (or until the Performance sphere ability ends, whichever comes first), applying a single (spellbound) effect to the performance. If a (spellbound) effect requires a saving throw, it uses his Performance save DC. At 1st level, the musician gains the following options they have when making an ability spellbound.

A sphere ability can only benefit from a single (spellbound) effect at one time (unless otherwise specified).

Empowered (spellbound)

An empowered performance treats its effective Perform ranks as being 2 higher for determining its effects, plus an additional 1 for every 5 bard levels he possesses.

Impassioned (spellbound)

At 4th level, an impassioned performance causes all enemies that start their turn within the ability’s area to suffer 1d6 sonic damage, +1d6 per 5 bard levels he possesses (Fortitude negates).

An impassioned lyric affects the target of the lyric, and when it is expended, causes the target to suffer 2d6 sonic damage + 2d6 per 5 bard levels he possesses (Fortitude halves).

Restorative (spellbound)

At 4th level, a restorative ability grants any affected creature(s) fast healing equal to the musician's casting ability modifier (minimum 1, maximum 1/2 bard level) for as long as they benefit from the performance.

A restorative act causes ally's that contribute to the act to double their granted fast healing for the duration.

A restorative lyric can be expended to heal 1d10 + 1d10 hit points per 4 bard levels he possesses.

Musician’s Muse

The musician has a thoroughly developed style of performance that acts as an anchor for his creative exploits, At 1st level, the musician chooses this creative style, known as his muse. Once selected, this choice cannot be changed.

The musician gains the Performance sphere as a bonus skill talent, although must choose one of the packages associated with his chosen muse. At 4th level, and for every 4 levels thereafter, he gains an additional ability from his muse.

Crescendo (Su): At 20th level, the musician can spend 1 use of skill leverage and 3 spell points as a standard action to cease the effects of a single Performance sphere ability that originated from him (as long as he is within the ability’s range or area), creating a crescendo unique to the musician’s muse. Once a crescendo has been used, it cannot be used again for 1 minute.

This replaces bardic performance.

Musician’s Muses

Intensity

Associated Package: Any

Passionate Heart

At 1st level, the musician can use their Charisma score in place of their Constitution score for determining their death threshold.

Additionally, the musician gains the benefits of the Diehard feat for as long as they have an active act, dance or instrumental, or for 1 round after using (or after an ally expends) a lyric, and beginning or maintaining such abilities (if required) is not considered a strenuous action.

Impassioned Focus

At 4th level, whenever the musician creates an impassioned performance, its damage increases to d8s (including the damage dealt when expending an impassioned lyric). Additionally, whenever the musician uses a Performance sphere ability, he can attempt an Intimidate skill use as part of the action spent to use the ability–if the ability is impassioned, the musician adds his casting ability modifier (minimum 1) as a circumstance bonus to the attempt.

Percussive Motivation

At 8th level, the musician gains a +2 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls made against creatures that are within the area of his act, dance radius, or affected by his instrumental or lyric, increasing by 1 for every 4 bard levels beyond 8th he possesses. If the musician successfully delivers a critical hit against such a creature, he gains temporary hit points equal to his bard level + his operative modifier that last for 1 minute.

Amped (spellbound)

At 12th level, an amped act, dance, instrumental or lyric allows the affected creature(s) to change all rolled 1s and 2s to the maximum weapon damage roll result (for example, rolling a 1 and a 4 on a greatsword attack would change the 1 to a 6, for a total of 10); this does not benefit additional damage dice such as Vital Strike.

Such creatures also gain a +4 bonus to critical confirmation rolls and become immune to fear effects.

Exhilarating (spellbound)

At 16th level, an exhilarating act, dance, instrumental or lyric grants the affected creature(s) an additional attack at their highest base attack bonus while making a full attack (although this does not stack with haste and similar effects), as well as a +6 morale bonus to their Strength and Constitution scores.

Hardcore Soul

At 20th level, the musician becomes immune to harmful emotion effects, as well as the exhausted, fatigued, sickened, staggered, or nauseated conditions.

Additionally, whenever the musician begins a spellbound performance, he can spend 1 additional spell point to suffuse his body with the power of his performance for the duration of the spellbound benefit, treating his level as his base attack bonus and gaining DR 5/– (which stacks with similar sources).

Crescendo: The musician finishes with a barrage of agonizing noise. All opponents within 60 feet that can hear the musician immediately suffer 10 points of sonic damage per bard level he possesses, and becomes permanently deafened; a successful Fortitude save halves this sonic damage and has the deafened condition instead last for 1 hour.

Harmony

Associated Package: Instrumental or Lyric

Rouser of Spirits

At 1st level, the musician can attempt to find a loophole (new skill use) as an immediate action as part of creating (or maintaining) an instrumental or lyric, although he must choose an effect that is affecting one of the affected creature’s of the sphere ability, and can use his package’s associated skill instead of Linguistics (or other skills if relevant) when making the attempt.

If the instrumental or lyric is spellbound, the musician gains a +4 bonus to the attempt to find a loophole.

Restorative Focus

At 4th level, if the fast healing granted by the musician’s restorative performance would exceed a creature’s maximum hit point total, any excess healing persists for 1 minute as temporary hit points, up to a maximum number of temporary hit points equal to 1/2 his bard level + his operative modifier (minimum 1). Additionally, the fast healing granted by the musician’s restorative performance is doubled if the affected creature is below half their maximum hit points (this is not doubled again if the performance is an act).

Pleasant Ambience

At 8th level, whenever the musician uses the entertain skill use to relax his audience, creatures that hear the performance that begin a full night’s rest within the next hour are treated as if they had received both a full day of complete rest and long-term care (as long as the rest is completed), allowing them to heal 4 hit points per character level and 4 ability score damage.

Additionally, the musician can take 10 on any skill check that he has unlocked leverage with even when threatened or distracted.

Vivacious (spellbound)

At 12th level, for as long as a creature benefits from a vivacious instrumental or lyric, any healing that they receive increases by 50%, in addition to gaining a +10-foot morale bonus to all speeds. Additionally, if such a creature uses an ability that heals a creature of damage or removes a condition, the action used to do so does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Whenever a vivacious lyric is expended, the next source of healing they receive within the next round is maximized.

If a vivacious instrumental has at least two (instrumental) talents applied to it, the musician can also apply the restorative (spellbound) option to the instrumental (spending an additional spell point as normal).

Allaying (spellbound)

At 16th level, when an allaying instrumental or lyric is used or maintained, he attempts a magic skill check against the magic skill defense of up to two ongoing harmful magical effects that is affecting the affected creature(s)–the musician can target specific effects if he has identified it, otherwise it targets the effect with the highest caster level. On a success, the effect is suppressed for 1 round, and any consecutive attempts to suppress the same effect this way automatically succeed.

An allaying lyric can be expended as an immediate action whenever an effect is suppressed this way to instead dispel it.

Voice of Harmony

At 20th level, the musician becomes immune to mind-affecting effects and cannot have any ability score reduced below 1.

Crescendo: The musician ends his performance with a melody that quiets even the most tempestuous mind and heals the most grievous of wounds. All allies within 60 feet that can hear the musician are immediately healed 10 hit points per bard level he possesses, remove any ability damage or ability drain they are suffering from, and have any of the following conditions removed from them: blinded, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened, diseased, exhausted, fatigued, nauseated, sickened, and stunned.

Grandeur

Associated Package: Act or Dance

Broad Appeal

At 1st level, the radius of the musician’s act and dance abilities are increased by 15 feet.

The musician can increase the action cost to begin an act by one step to reduce the action cost required to complete the first scene of the act by one step (full-round > standard > move > swift > free).

The musician can begin a dance as a standard action to apply an additional (dance) talent to it that he possesses–the musician can still move as part of beginning a dance this way.

Practical Effects

At 4th level, whenever the musician creates an impassioned performance, he can have it instead deal acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage; if he does, its damage die increases to d8s.

Trendy Performer

At 8th level, whenever the musician uses the gather crowd skill use, he always gathers the maximum number of creatures (usually increasing it to 3 x his check result). Additionally, the musician can spend an additional spell point when making a spellbound performance to apply two (spellbound) effects to it instead of one.

If the musician has the Crowd Pleaser Vocation talent, it only takes a swift action to direct a crowd.

Glamorous (spellbound)

At 12th level, a glamorous act or dance always has something happening within it. At the start of each round that this effect remains active, the musician chooses one of the following effects:

  • Obscured Transition: The ability's area becomes obscured with fog (as per the Nature sphere geomancing ability) and silenced (as per the Suppression Illusion sphere talent). Any allies within the fog know the exact location of each other. As part of the action to contribute to the act or join the dance, an ally can attempt a Stealth check even while observed, although they must end their turn with concealment or in cover to remain hidden. Allies within the area can spend a standard action to swap places with another ally within the area (as long as both are willing); this is reduced to a swift action if one of the allies is a dancer or has contributed to one of the act's scenes. This is a teleportation effect.
  • Scene Change: The ability’s area is draped in an ever-shifting illusion (as a figment illusion from the Illusion sphere) that incorporates all five senses. Enemies treat the ability’s area as though it were difficult terrain, and the illusion itself can change under certain circumstances (as per the Programmed Illusion Illusion sphere talent), which, if met while an enemy attempts to interact with it, forces the enemy to roll the Will saving throw to disbelieve the illusion twice, taking the lowest result.
  • Spotlight: The ability's area becomes illuminated in bright light, imposing a -20 penalty to Stealth checks to all creatures within this light, as well as making such creatures lose the benefits of invisibility for as long as they remain within the area. Additionally, any attacks made against an enemy within the ability’s area gain a +4 circumstance bonus.

Heroic (spellbound)

At 16th level, a heroic act or dance grants allies that contribute to the act or join the dance a +4 morale bonus to AC and to all saving throws for as long as the act or dance lasts.

Exalted Reputation

At 20th level, the musician gains the All The World’s A Stage Performance sphere exceptional talent as a bonus talent, and can spend 2 additional spell points when making a spellbound performance to apply three (spellbound) effects to it instead of one.

Crescendo: The musician finishes the performance with a flourish, bathing a 120-foot radius (centered on him) in resplendent, awe-inspiring radiance, increasing the light level of the area by one step. All hostile creatures within the area that can see or hear the musician must succeed at a Will saving throw or become dazed, prone and helpless for 1 minute–affected creatures receive a new saving throw against this effect each round at the start of their turn, although it is a full-round action (which does not provoke attacks of opportunity) to do so. A creature that succeeds their saving throw is still staggered for the remaining duration.

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