TEXT: 1
  Bards of Porphyra
  Perry Fehr
  
  2
  Bards of Porphyra
  The walls of Greencastle are calling to me,
  Though fallen they are and broken.
  Many a young man has tarried there,
  who knows what great evil awoken?
  Wind and fire, stone and rain,
  So dark the walls of Greencastle...
  ”The Lay of Greencastle” for lute and drum;
  composer unknown, circa 98 AC
  Divine Arbitress, who came at the Call,
  Gerana, Your name is sacred. 
  Your Kingdoms are here, under Your will,
  humanoids and angels shall follow.
  Feed us now what we need to live,
  Judge us not harshly for the laws we break.
  When the trial comes, we will submit,
  for You and Your servants will defeat the wicked.
  All power comes from You and and Your ser-
  vants, now and forever.
  GERANA, GERANA
  Though swords and arrows and blasts of magic are the 
  stuff of legends and the content of wars that change 
  history, who writes those legends, and recites them 
  for centuries to come?  Who remembers the history 
  and makes sure that generations to come remember it?   
  Since the first wolf howled at the moon and two-leggers 
  made their first grunts of remembrance, music-makers, 
  speech-rememberers, and hollow-tree thumpers have 
  aided sentient life in their attempts at immortality of 
  thought.  The tradition of bards, with their magical and 
  sonic powers, puts this possibility of immortality into a 
  real, powerful light.  A hero cannot be unsung, if a bard 
  is there to sing him to victory.  A faith thrives on its 
  choir, be it droning plainsong or the blasts of a mizmar 
  calling the observant to ritual.
     The Patchwork Planet of Porphyra is a world of op-
  posing factions of Elementalist and Deism; it is ap-
  propriate that a large segment of the bardic tradition be 
  focused on the ecclesiastical, in the aiding and support-
  ing of the myriad faiths that crisscross the cosmos.  En-
  tertainers have their place, but the primitive or complex 
  motions of magic and sound have many purposes other 
  than to relax the soul, stemming from the deep heart 
  of all sentient life, the sound and fury of magic, music 
  and movement, the words of power like the Word that 
  changed a world.
     Bards are far more than feather-hatted strummers in a 
  tavern...
  Bard Archetypes
  Archetypes are a quick and easy way to specialize char-
  acters of a given class, adding fun and flavorful abilities 
  to an already established character type.  These bard ar-
  chetypes are among those that are found on the Patch-
  work Planet of Porphyra, many of who are associated 
  with ecclesiastical orders, religions and faiths that are in 
  conflict on that world.  Characters may take more than 
  one archetype as long as they meet the requirements, 
  that is, they cannot replace a class feature twice.
  Cantor
  Most prevalent among the semi-barbaric, monotheistic 
  B’nai people of the desert foothills, cantors are reli-
  giously-based bards whose primary function is to lead 
  the faithful in singing praises to their particular deity.  
  In northern lands, cantors are resplendent in their choir 
  robes, with a staff held high in the great cathedrals, in 
  halls of learning, or leading troops into battle.  Adven-
  turing cantors are often tasked by their churches to 
  aid with some quest, which many find fitting to regale 
  afterwards in song and music.
  Taboos: Strict church rules forbid cantors the follow-
  ing:
  •	
  Being chaotic in alignment
  •	
  Taking the Extra Channel or Extra Bardic Perfor-
  mance feats, even if multiclassed. Other channeling 
  feats are permitted.
  •	
  Take the Weapon Focus feat with any weapon other 
  than the quarterstaff.
  Breaking a taboo causes the loss of all bardic abilities 
  until the cantor retrains the disallowed feat or changes 
  alignment to a chaotic one, and receives an atonement 
  spell and atones in action for the deed that was done.
  Staff of Office: The cantor uses a staff as his badge of 
  office, holding it aloft to signal the faithful to follow his 
  lead.  He gains the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, but only 
  when fighting with a quarterstaff.  Cantors are only 
  proficient with simple weapons, and see taboos above.  
  This replaces weapon proficiencies.
  Chant of Channeling (Su): At 4th level, a cantor can 
  convert rounds of bardic performance into channeling, 
  
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  which functions as a clerics does, at the cantor’s bard 
  level -3.  This consumes four rounds of bardic perfor-
  mance each time it is done.  Thus, a 6th level cantor can 
  channel energy for 2d6 points of healing or harming, at 
  a cost of 4 rounds of bardic performance per channel.
  Supervising Teacher (Ex): At 10th level, a cantor can 
  use the Aid Another action to aid in the performance of 
  any skill or in combat, giving a +4 bonus to the target so 
  aided.  This increases to +5 at 14th level and +6 at 18th 
  level. This replaces jack-of-all-trades.
  Holy Fool
  Clericism in The Middle Kingdoms, and elsewhere in 
  churches with strong orthodoxy cannot, and often do 
  not choose to suppress more humble forms of religious 
  veneration and participation. Music is often a staid, rig-
  idly regulated phenomenon that allows for no expression 
  of the self.
     To be a “fool for the gods” is to demonstrate the 
  foolishness of materialism, orthodoxy, and pettiness that 
  mars the complete contemplation of the divine.  They 
  amuse and shock, educate and humiliate, and enter 
  a somehow purer state of mind than those with high 
  minds and eyes on social standing.  Any Perform skill 
  is appropriate for a holy fool, though they tend slightly 
  more to the oral traditions.
  Class Skills: Holy fools gain the class skill Knowledge 
  (religion).  They do not start with any other Knowledge 
  class skills.
  Spells: A holy fool may select a cleric spell of equal level 
  to add to each level of his spells known and cast as if 
  it were a bard spell. He can change that single selected 
  cleric spell each day. This replaces bardic knowledge.
  Innocence (Ex): A holy fool of 3rd level or higher is fo-
  cused on the absurdity of worldly life, and is less affected 
  by the temptations of the world.  They gain a bonus to 
  their Will saves equal to ½ their level -2 (minimum 1).  
  This replaces inspire competence.
  Wise Madness: At 5th level, a holy fool gains access to 
  the powers of a single domain or subdomain of a deity 
  that he declares as his patron, using his character level -4 
  as his cleric level.  This replaces lore master.
  Stunning Performance (Su): A holy fool of 12th level 
  can use his performance to create an effect equivalent to 
  a symbol of stunning, once per day. This requires 7 con-
  secutive rounds of bardic performance, though it does 
  not require a material component.  This replaces sooth-
  ing performance.
  Gagaku
  Among the Loung people of the northern and western 
  Dry Peninsula, the legend of the “Six-string Bow” is one 
  that has endured the move of The Calling; the young 
  goddess of music, Mamoto was protected by six young 
  suitors, archers of great skill and dedication.  When 
  invading oni came to slay her, each went to the front to 
  lead the defense, and each came back, mortally stricken.  
  She mourned them but briefly, then melded the six 
  bows with her magic and, with a note of purest beauty, 
  she fired an arrow that slew the oni chieftain, and put 
  her life into the newly forged instrument, her sacrifice 
  triggered a century-long decline until Paletius’s bringing 
  the Land to Porphyra.  An arrow courtier, or gagaku, is 
  mandated to be present at the court of rulers minor and 
  major, a bodyguard and entertainer, a protector and rear 
  guard pledged to the life of the masters, or pledged to 
  grow strong by adventuring, and thus serve the king-
  dom.
  Class Skills: Gagaku must take at least one rank in Per-
  form (string) to gain any archetype class features.  
  Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Gagaku are profi-
  cient with the yamamotogoto (see below), but are not 
  proficient with shields.  They are otherwise proficient 
  with weapons and armor as standard bards.
  Weapon of Beauty (Ex): Each gagaku gains for free, the 
  signature instrument and weapon of the gagaku is the 
  yamamotogoto, a two-handed, zither-like instrument 
  said to have been made by an ancient goddess from 
  welding together the six bows of her lost suitors.  An ar-
  row courtier can use the instrument, the yamamotogoto, 
  as a composite shortbow, even when they are starting or 
  maintaining a bardic performance. The gagaku’s yama-
  motogoto acts a masterwork composite shortbow at 2nd 
  level; as a +1 Strength rating composite shortbow at 6th 
  level, +2 Strength rating at 10th level, a +1 magical +2 
  Strength rating composite shortbow at 14th level, and 
  a +2 magical, +2 Strength rating composite shortbow 
  at 18th level.  These effects are only in the hands of a 
  gagaku; the yamamotogoto is useless as a weapon in any 
  non-bard hands. Magical enhancements can be placed 
  on the instrument at any time.  A gagaku does not gain 
  
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  versatile performance at any level.
  Yamamotogoto
  Proficiency: Exotic Weapon Proficiency
  Cost: 150 gp
  Damage (S/M): 1d4/1d6
  Critical: x3
  Range: 70 ft.
  Weight: 5 lbs.
  Type: Piercing
  Weapon Group: Bows
  Special: Bards are considered proficient with the yama-
  mogoto. They may use the weapon during a Perform 
  (string instrument) performance. 
  Dodging Dance (Ex): At 6th level, a gagaku gains a +1 
  dodge bonus against ranged attacks.  This increases to +2 
  at 12th level, and +3 at 18th level.  This replaces sug-
  gestion and mass suggestion, and increases the rounds 
  of continuous performance to activate soothing perfor-
  mance to 6 rounds.
  Safe Shot (Ex): At 8th level, an arrow courtier does not 
  provoke attacks of opportunity when making ranged 
  attacks with the yamamotogoto.  This replaces dirge of 
  doom.
  Howler (Gnoll, Catfolk)
  The more animalistic races (by human and demihumans 
  standards) have differing standards and qualifications for 
  communication, which might seem alien to many other 
  peoples.  Howling at the moon or any number of other 
  extended vocal activities have a sacred place among the 
  cat-like and hyena-like people of Porphyra.  The extent 
  and length to which an individual can vocalize can be 
  very impressive, and qualify one for the position of 
  howler, applicable in different ways to different species.  
  Anpur employ them as lookouts on their high towers, 
  gnolls as factors in a stalking pack.  The catlike qit’ar and 
  the catfolk are more accustomed to unit warfare, and 
  enthusiastically leap into the fray at the howler’s lead.  A 
  howler is virtually mandated to invest in Perform (sing) 
  or Perform (oratory), though other styles may come 
  later.
  Class Skills: The howler replaces the Sleight of Hand 
  class skill with the Survival class skill.  This modifies the 
  normal class skills for bards.
  Persistent Yowl (Ex): A howler’s forte, starting at 1st 
  level, is maintaining a constant yowling, for hours, even, 
  to put prey beings on edge, or help conceal a fleeing 
  pack.  A persistent yowl can be maintained for 30 min-
  utes/level, begun and maintained as a standard action; 
  a howler cannot use most skills while yowling, except 
  Knowledge and physical (Strength and Dexterity) skill 
  checks.  Yowling affects all intelligent creatures within 1 
  mile of the yowler, and they suffer a -1 penalty to skill 
  checks and concentration checks; all spells must then 
  require a concentration check to be cast.  This penalty 
  increases by 1 for every 2 levels, to a maximum of -10 at 
  20th level.  Allies of the howler suffer half the penalty of 
  enemies.  This replaces bardic knowledge.
  Scream and Leap (Ex): At 2nd level, the howler can add 
  ¼ of his Perform (sing) or Perform (oratory) as a bonus 
  to initiative.  This replaces versatile performance at 2nd 
  level.
  Join the Hunt (Ex): At 10th level and again at 16th 
  level, the howler can choose a combat feat for which he 
  qualifies. This replaces jack-of-all-trades.
  Laulaja
  Loosely translated as “singer” in the Aklo-Aquan dialect 
  of the coastal Sikayan nomads, the laulaja dedicates her-
  self to the music that all clansfolk practice, extending the 
  reverence that all have for the magic of music.  They are 
  seen and see themselves as a bulwark against those who 
  would assimilate the free Sikayan barbarians, and force 
  them into mercenarism and living in towns.  The most 
  ancient of legends ascribes the most powerful magic to 
  laulaja, both to create, and to destroy, both beginning 
  and ending time itself.
  Pagan Maaginen (Sp): The laulaja tradition is one that 
  predates, and is suspicious of the New Gods, and has 
  more in common with the power of mages.  A laulaja 
  cannot learn a spell that is in common with the cleric, 
  inquisitor, or paladin spell list, but may add one spell 
  known spell per level that is on the wizard or witch list 
  (that is not on the bard list). They add an additional 
  wizard or witch spell per level to the list of ‘spells known’ 
  at 6th and 18th level.  This replaces suggestion and mass 
  suggestion.
  Yoka Chant (Su): For the kayanoi, the magic of song is 
  much more personal, and when a laulaja’s bardic per-
  formance is used to inspire courage, it affects only the 
  
  5
  laulaja himself, starting at +2 at 1st level.  Subsequent 
  levels increase from there, thus +3 at level 5, +4 at 11th 
  level, and so on.  This replaces inspire courage.
  Nature Sounds (Sp): At 2nd level, A laulaja prides 
  himself on his ability to mimic the sounds of nature, and 
  can use ghost sound at will, as a move action, but only 
  to create sounds of animals, weather, or other natural 
  phenomena.  This replaces well-versed.
  Wizard-Bard (Ex): The music-power of the laulaja can 
  be focused to the will of the singer himself, to demon-
  strate his might before challengers in song-contests, or 
  in battle against threats to the Sikayan Tundra.  At 6th 
  level, and at each four levels thereafter, a laulaja may take 
  a metamagic feat, applicable only to bard spells, instead 
  of taking another versatile performance. This replaces 
  versatile performance at 2nd level, and modifies further 
  adoptions of versatile performance as stated above.
  Magic-Singer (Ex): At 14th level, a laulaja enters into 
  the company of the legendary wizard-bards of old, ma-
  nipulating magic as he sees fit.  Once per day, (and twice 
  per day at 20th level), a laulaja can subtract 1 from the 
  added level requirement for using a metamagic feat on a 
  spell and can use that spell as a standard action.
  Muzzein
  Among the devout zendiqi of the vast southern deserts, 
  interaction with a muzzein is almost a daily occurrence; 
  they form the conduit between the often aloof leadership 
  and the people, and direct the often complicated rituals 
  that placate the erstwhile Elemental Lords.  Even among 
  similar cultures on other worlds, the muzzein is the 
  ‘bard-sexton’ of temples and minarets, calling the faithful 
  to worship, and assisting leaders, warlords, mahdeen and 
  mahlana, and even tribal wizards in the desert’s heart.  
  Their most common performances involve singing, ora-
  tory, or playing woodwinds, and their call is as evocative 
  as their religious dedication.  Interestingly, the role of 
  muzzein is often offered to blind men of appropriate 
  skill, to provide privacy to their employees and give work 
  to those that might otherwise beg.
  Class Skills: A muzzein loses Bluff, Disguise, Sleight of 
  Hand and Stealth as class skills. Instead they gain Ride 
  and Survival as additional class skills. 
  Keeper of Privacy (Su): At 1st level, a muzzein can use 
  his bardic performance to acquire an ability similar to 
  blindsense 30 ft.; for this type of performance alone, a 
  muzzein can start his bardic performance as a free action, 
  and can possess blindsense for 2 rounds for every round 
  of bardic performance expended.  This replaces inspire 
  courage.
  Call to Worship (Su): At 2nd level, as a bardic perfor-
  mance, the muzzein can enhance the powers of allied 
  spellcasters.  While the muzzein is using call to worship, 
  he must choose either divine or arcane magic, and must 
  also choose which enhancement the chosen allies receive, 
  from the list of the following:
  •	
  Add +1 to the DC of saves vs. their spells; this in-
  creases by 1 at levels 6, 10, 14, 18.
  •	
  Add 1 to the total damage of their spells; this in-
  creases by 1 at levels 6, 10, 14 and 18.
  •	
  Add 1 round to the duration of their spell; this in-
  creases by 1 at levels 6, 10, 14 and 18.  
  This replaces all instances of versatile performance and 
  well versed.
  Keeper of all Customs (Ex): At 10th level, a muzzein 
  can use two different bardic performances at the same 
  time, using 2 rounds of bardic performance per round. 
  He may use 3 different bardic performances, using 3 
  rounds of bardic performance per round, at 16th level. 
  This replaces jack of all trades.
  Move the Crowds (Sp): At 12th level, the muzzein can 
  use mass suggestion, instead of at 18th level.  This replaces 
  soothing performance.
  Bardic Masterpieces
  On Porphyra, masterpieces tend to have regional origin, 
  as each land and Landed territory has musical traditions 
  of its own.
  Drum-hop of the Sand and Snow 
  (Percussion, Dance)
  From the tundra of the north to the sands of the south, the 
  song is the same, the steps still raise that which is underfoot 
  to swirl and conceal, dancing in the patterns of the universe.
  Prerequisite: Perform (dance) 4 ranks or Perform (per-
  cussion) 4 ranks
  Cost: Feat or 2nd level bard spell known
  Effect: This ancient nature rhythm animates particles 
  to follow the beat made by drum or foot, isolating the 
  magic maker with the dust and ice of the ages.  By us-
  ing 2 rounds of bardic performance, the bard creates an 
  
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  obscuring mist effect with snow or sand (large amounts 
  or dust or leaves would do as well) that, unlike the spell, 
  follows the caster, as long as he spends 2 rounds of 
  bardic performance per round of masterpiece.
  Use: 2 bardic performance rounds per round
  Action: 1 standard action
  Music of the Spheres (String)
  The haunting, sonorous melodies of your instrument evoke 
  timeless vistas and the infinite reaches of time and space.
  Prerequisite: Perform (strings) 6 ranks
  Cost: Feat or 5th level bard spell known
  Effect: Zeric Hahn was a famous Hesterian bard re-
  ported to have discovered the means to travel between 
  dimensions and even time itself. His music pierces the 
  mundane veil of conventional space to create passages 
  to the planes of existence. By using 5 rounds of perfor-
  mance the bard can create dimension door usable only for 
  himself. If the bard uses 10 rounds of performance he 
  can open a gate for use in planar travel. For either effect 
  there is a 10% chance the spell transports the bard to a 
  place other than the one he specifies. This error is not 
  revealed until the bard has arrived at the destination.
  Use: 5 rounds or 10 rounds.
  Action: 5 minutes.
  Nyartho Dirge (Sing)
  The song of the ancient priest-king of the Tuthons destroys 
  creatures that refuse to die.
  Prerequisite: Perform (sing) 1 rank
  Cost: Feat or 1st level bard spell known
  Effect: The nyartho dirge is a keening wail that severs 
  the connection between an undead creature and the 
  necromantic energy keeping it animated. For each round 
  the dirge is maintained with a round of bardic perfor-
  mance, the song inflicts 1d6 points of damage on all 
  corporeal undead within 30 feet of the performer.
  Use: 1 round of bardic performance
  Action: 1 standard action to start performance, free ac-
  tion thereafter.
  Plainsong of Goregius (Oratory, Sing)
  This unaccompanied choral chant is of ancient Codionic 
  origin, and allows those who follow his Holiness to contem-
  plate it and join together as one.
  Prerequisite: Perform (sing) 3 ranks, or Perform (ora-
  tory) 3 ranks
  Cost: Feat or 2rd level bard spell known
  Effect: The performing bard is under a sanctuary effect 
  while the masterpiece is being performed, and if it is 
  negated, the performance ends.  For each round that the 
  plainsong is maintained with a round of bardic perfor-
  mance, all allies within 30 feet of the performer are all 
  assumed to hold a particular teamwork feat, chosen by 
  the performer.  Recipients must possess any require-
  ments of the teamwork feat.
  Use: 1 bardic performance round per round
  Action: 1 standard action to start performance, free ac-
  tion thereafter
  Prelude to the Word (Wind)
  “And so it was that the rune-reapers and rune-speakers, 
  upon the Place of Arrival, did prepare to pronounce The 
  Word; and the horns of the heralds did then sound forth…”
  Prerequisite: Perform (wind) 5 ranks
  Cost: Feat or 3rd level bard spell known
  Effect: The performing bard blows a blast on his instru-
  ment that is a pale reminiscence of the Heralds of the 
  Word, on the Day of the Calling; one wordspell cast in 
  the next round, by the bard or an ally, is cast at caster 
  level +1. This could also apply to language and symbol-
  oriented spells like symbol and glyph spells, or spells 
  associated with the Rune domain and its subdomains, or 
  to the caster level of the domain powers of that group, 
  itself.
  Use: 3 bardic performance rounds
  Action: 1 full-round action
  Psalm of the Tahilim (Oratory)
  From the B’nai oral tradition: “A man is praised that lis-
  tened not to the counsels of the wicked, but his desire is the 
  will of the One/Not so the wicked, who shall fall away as 
  chaff in the wind.”
  Prerequisite: Perform (Oratory) 7 ranks
  Cost: Feat or 4th level bard spell known
  Effect: Lines of memorized text from the tradition of 
  the monotheist desert barbarians, the B’nai, outlining 
  the profit of the faithful versus the punishment of the 
  wicked.  This creates a spell effect identical to a prayer 
  spell, except that after every two rounds, another sav-
  ing throw is made; those that fail either keep the same 
  bonus or increase their penalty by one, those that make 
  their saving throw either increase their bonus or keep the 
  same penalty.
  Use: 2 bardic performance rounds per round
  Action: full-round action each round
  
  7
  The Topaz King (Act)
  You tell the story of the mysterious Topaz King, the strange, 
  legendary first ruler of Tuthon who mysteriously vanished in 
  the ancient days before the Elemental Lords’ rise to power.
  Prerequisite: Perform (act) 16 ranks
  Cost: Feat or 6th level bard spell known
  Effect: This play tells the story of the horrible Topaz 
  King, the strange primordial ruler of ancient Tuthon 
  whose appearance heralds madness and death. The play 
  seems innocuous but the combination of words forms 
  a complex summoning ritual that conjures the Topaz 
  King to your plane. You designate a target of the spell. 
  As long as the target is on your plane it comes under the 
  effect of weird as well as any creature with 30 feet of it. 
  The Topaz King expects payment for services and delving 
  into such mysterious is always inherently dangerous. If 
  the target of this spell resists the Topaz King you receive 
  a visit from the otherworldly ruler and must save against 
  a weird spell (DC -2 of original spell) or die.
  Use: 6 rounds of bardic performance
  Action: 5 minutes
  Bard Spells
  The spells below are part of the ecclesiastical bardic 
  tradition, intended to work closely with clerical orders 
  and churches of all kinds.  At the GM’s discretion, they 
  could be available to clerics, especially those of a musical 
  or artistic domain.
  Benediction
  School transmutation (good); Level bard 2
  Casting Time 1 standard action
  Components V, S
  Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft. / 2 levels)
  Target 1 positive energy channeling being
  Duration 1 round
  Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance 
  no
  By means of a brief song and a gesture of prayer, the 
  bard causes the target (which can be themselves, if they 
  are capable of channeling) to use the next highest level of 
  channeling available to them, thus increasing their dice 
  used to channel to heal living things and harm undead 
  from 1d6 to 2d6, for example.  The spell only affects the 
  target’s next attempt to channel, which must in the same 
  or subsequent round.
  Benediction, Mass
  School transmutation (good); Level bard 6
  Target 1 positive energy channeling being per level
  This spell has the same effect as benediction, except as 
  noted above.  
  Beseech
  School divination; Level bard 1
  Casting Time 1 standard action
  Components V, S, DF (holy symbol of specific deity)
  Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft. / 2 levels)
  Target 1 channeling being
  Duration 1 round
  Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance 
  yes
  This spell asks for a little divine intervention to restore 
  one use of channel energy to a channeling being in range 
  of the spell (or the bard himself, if a channeler). The ma-
  terial component is the holy symbol of the deity of the 
  recipient channeler. Though the first casting of beseech 
  automatically succeeds, the gods do not like being both-
  ered, and there is a cumulative 15% change per repeated 
  casting for the same channel-user that the spell will fail.
  Condemnation
  School transmutation (evil); Level bard 2
  Casting Time 1 standard action
  Components V, S
  Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target 1 negative energy channeling being
  Duration 1 round
  Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance 
  no
  This spell is identical to benediction, except that it affects 
  negative energy channelers, and its casting is considered 
  an evil act.
  Condemnation, Mass
  School transmutation (evil); Level bard 6
  Target 1 negative energy channeling being per level
  This spell is identical to condemnation, except as noted 
  above. 
  
  8
  Bardic Magic Items
  The items below are meant to augment the nine bardic 
  categories, though they give a small benefit to those 
  without bardic ability.  Many are in use by working 
  bards in their chosen entertainment professions.
  Air Sitar
  Aura faint illusion; CL 3rd
  Slot none; Price 6,000 gp; Weight 10 lbs.
  Description
  If it were visible, the air sitar would look like a large, 
  finely made lute; it is, however, permanently invisible.  
  When used, it grants the wielder a +3 bonus to Perform 
  (strings) and can be summoned from an extra-dimen-
  sional space at-will by the owner; it stays there only by 
  conscious will, and disappears if the owner is asleep, 
  unconscious, or dead.  As such, it cannot be harmed, 
  stolen or affected by any effect other than magics that 
  dispel magic or invisibility. The user can expend a bardic 
  performance round to create an effect like the ventrilo-
  quism spell, which can also sound like the music that the 
  air sitar makes.
  Construction 
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, ventriloquism, 
  invisibility; Cost 3,000 gp
  Emotive Rainstick
  Aura faint enchantment; CL 4th
  Slot none; Price 6,000 gp; Weight 4 lbs.
  Description
  This 3 ft. long hollow stick imitates the sound of rain, 
  and acts as a rattle; it magically grants its user +3 to Per-
  form (percussion) and a +2 on saves vs. fear.  By expend-
  ing 2 rounds of bardic experience, the owner can use 
  either calm emotions or rage, once each, per day.
  Construction 
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, calm emotions, 
  rage; Cost 3,000 gp
  Firefoot Slippers
  Aura faint abjuration/transmutation; CL 3rd
  Slot feet; Price 6,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
  Description
  These light, crimson slippers grant the wearer a +3 bonus 
  to Perform (dance) and fire resistance 5. The wearer also 
  can, by expending 2 bardic performance rounds, use 
  levitate or glide in any given round.
  Construction 
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, glide, levitate, resist 
  energy; Cost 3,000 gp
  Mask of Comedy
  Aura faint enchantment; CL 3rd
  Slot head; Price 4,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
  Description
  This stylized, classic mask bears an expression of joy.  
  When worn, it grants a +3 bonus to Perform (comedy) 
  and +1 to Will saves.  Once per day, the wearer can use 
  hideous laughter by expending a bardic performance 
  round.
  Construction 
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, hideous laughter, 
  Iron Will; Cost 2,000 gp
  Mask of Tragedy
  Aura moderate enchantment; CL 7th
  Slot head; Price 5,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
  Description
  This stylized, classic mask bears an expression of woe.  
  When worn, it grants a +3 bonus to Perform (act) and 
  can alter the wearer’s appearance as with a disguise self 
  spell.  Once per day, the wearer may cast overwhelming 
  grief by expending 3 bardic performance rounds.
  Construction 
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, disguise self, over-
  whelming grief; Cost 2,500 gp
  Air Sitar
  
  9
  Nagasan Pungi
  Aura faint enchantment; CL 3rd
  Slot none; Price 4,000 gp; Weight 2 lbs.
  Description
  These bulbous, magical flutes, made out of a gourd and 
  reeds, were once the tools of the trade for a caste of itin-
  erant, animal-revering musicians in the days before the 
  Elemental Lords’s domination.  A nagasan pungi grants 
  a +3 bonus to Perform (wind) and allows the user to use 
  charm animal for the expense of one round of bardic 
  performance.  The user can also summon a viper (as 
  summon nature’s ally I) for the expense of one round of 
  bardic performance.
  Construction 
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, charm animal, 
  summon nature’s ally; Cost 2,000 gp
  Pavrati’s Scarf
  Aura moderate evocation; CL 7th
  Slot neck; Price 6,000 gp; Weight –
  Description
  Created by a popular bard/opera singer, these 10 ft. long 
  magical scarves are floridly decorated, and the wearer 
  gains +3 to Perform (sing), and adds 3 rounds to the 
  owner’s bardic performance rounds.  Once per day, the 
  owner may expend either 3 bardic performance rounds 
  to use shatter, or 5 rounds to use shout.
  Construction 
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, shatter, shout, 
  Extra Bardic Performance; Cost 3,000 gp
  Synesthetizer
  Aura moderate illusion; CL 7th
  Slot none; Price 8,000 gp; Weight –
  Description
  This odd-looking magical instrument appears as a small 
  keyboard with several strange tubes emerging from both 
  ends; its user gains +3 to Perform (keyboard) checks, 
  and can, once per day, expend 2 rounds of bardic per-
  formance to use eagle’s splendor.  Also, by playing upon 
  the synesthetizer, the user can create a major image that 
  effects any one of the senses besides sight; smelling, 
  tasting, touching and hearing an image created by the 
  user.  This can be done once per bardic performance, as a 
  full-round action.
  Construction 
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, eagle’s splendor, 
  major image; Cost 4,000 gp
  Yeldarb’s Notes for Speaking
  Aura faint conjuration; CL 4th
  Slot none; Price 3,000 gp; Weight –
  Description
  This small booklet is an excerpt from a much larger 
  work, and consultation with it gives the owner a +3 bo-
  nus to Perform (oratory).  Once per day, the owner can 
  use the notes to make any wordspell he casts to be cast at 
  +1 caster level; he can also use soothing word by expend-
  ing 2 rounds of bardic performance.
  Construction 
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, Scribe Scroll, 
  soothing word; creator must be able to cast wordspells; 
  Cost 1,500 gp
  Sample Character
  “Pop a weasel, jump around, bang a drum, and you’ll be 
  found!  Who will find you, who can say, where were you on 
  Calling Day?”
  Stunned Vanamo (CR 11; XP 9,600)
  Male half-elf bard (holy fool of Gerana) 12
  LG Medium humanoid (elf, human)
  Init +3; Senses low-light vision, Perception +20
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 16 
  (+4 armor, +3 Dex, +1 Dodge, +2 deflection)
  hp 69 (12d8+12)
  Fort +6, Ref +11, Will +15
  Immune sleep
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1/mwk deceptive quarterstaff +12/+6 (1d6+2) 
  or +1/mwk deceptive quarterstaff +10/+10/+4 
  (1d6+2/1d6+1)
  Ranged mwk sling +13/+7 (1d4+1)
  Special Attacks aura of menace 8/day, bardic perfor-
  mance 33 rounds/day (move action; countersong, dirge 
  of doom, distraction, fascinate, inspire courage +3, in-
  spire greatness, stunning performance, suggestion), touch 
  of law 6/day
  Bard Spells Known (CL 12th; concentration +16, [c] = 
  clerical spell)
     4th (4/day)—forgetful slumber (W-DC 19), hallucina-
  tory terrain (W-DC 18), lesser planar ally, serenity 
     3rd (5/day)—confusion (W-DC 18), displacement, help-
  ing hand, remove curse, thundering drums (F-DC 17)
     2nd (6/day)—alter self, blindness/deafness (W-DC 16), 
  grace, hold person (W-DC 17), mad hallucination (W-DC 
  
  10
  16), minor image (W-16)
     1st (6/day)—anticipate peril, charm person (W-DC16), 
  cure light wounds, remove fear, shield of faith, touch of 
  gracelessness (F-DC 15), vanish
     0th (at-will)—daze (W-DC15), guidance, mage hand, 
  message, resistance, sift, unwitting ally (W DC-15)
  Domain Law (Archon)
  STATISTICS
  Str 13, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 16, Cha 18
  Base Atk +9; CMB +10; CMD 26
  Feats Dodge, Great Fortitude, Skill Focus (Bluff), Spell 
  Focus (enchantment), Toughness, Two-Weapon Fight-
  ing, Weapon Focus (quarterstaff)
  Skills Bluff +22, Knowledge (religion) +14, Perception 
  +20, Perform (percussion) +21, Perform (sing) +22
  Languages Common, Elven
  SQ versatile performance (sing, percussion)
  Combat Gear  potions of barkskin (2) and cure moderate 
  wounds (2); Gear +1/mwk deceptive quarterstaff, armor of 
  insults, belt of incredible dexterity +4, major cloak of dis-
  placement, pavrati’s scarf , rod of wonder, ring of protection 
  +2, masterwork drum, masterwork sling and 20 bullets, 
  100 sp
  The tradition of the holy fool waxes and wanes in The 
  Middle Kingdoms and associated Lands that have been 
  influenced by Gerana and other Lawful deities.  The 
  half-elf Vanamo, who self-deprecatingly calls himself 
  “Stunned”, is one of the foremost practitioners of that 
  vector of the faith.  A minor court bard in his early days, 
  he had an ecstatic epiphany one day when he saw poor 
  slum-dwellers jeering at a well-fed priest; why should the 
  privileged be proud and the poor have no self-respect, 
  when we are all worms to the eyes of a divine immor-
  tal?  Vanamo’s life was one teetering, death-defying 
  moment after another after that, preaching the truth of 
  Gerana (as he saw it) and haphazardly joining adven-
  turing groups on simple whimsy.  The arc of Gerana’s 
  favor seems to have brought him through it all, and his 
  antics, questions, and demand for piety can no longer 
  be ignored.  Vanamo wanders still, asking his questions 
  and deeming the seekers he finds as worthy or unworthy 
  of his help, advice, and foolish piety in the sight of the 
  Great Arbitress.  Charity is very important to Stunned 
  Vanamo, and he will demand donations to the poor and 
  downtrodden from any enterprise he helps with.
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
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  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of 
  the Coast, Inc. 
  System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wiz-
  ards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte 
  Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary 
  Gygax and Dave Arneson. 
  Advanced Player’s Guide. Copyright 2010, Paizo Pub-
  lishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn.
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Race Guide © 
  2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Dennis Baker, 
  Jesse Benner, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Adam 
  Daigle, Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Hal MacLean, 
  Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Owen K.C. 
  Stephens, Todd Stewart, and Russ Taylor.
  Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo 
  Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on 
  material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Wil-
  liams.
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary © 2009, Paizo 
  Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on 
  material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Wil-
  liams. 
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2 © 2010, Paizo 
  Publishing, LLC; Authors: Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bul-
  mahn, Adam Daigle, Graeme Davis, Crystal Frasier, 
  Joshua J. Frost, Tim Hitchcock, Brandon Hodge, James
  Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Hal MacLean, Martin Mason, 
  Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Patrick Renie, 
  Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Owen K.C. 
  
  12
  Stephens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Greg A. 
  Vaughan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte 
  Cook, and Skip Williams. Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  Bestiary 3 © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: 
  Jesse Benner, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, James 
  Jacobs, Michael Kenway, Rob McCreary, Patrick Renie, 
  Chris Sims, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, and 
  Russ Taylor, based on material by Jonathan Tweet,
  Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Combat. © 
  2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jason Bulmahn, 
  Tim Hitchcock, Colin McComb, Rob McCreary, Jason 
  Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds,
  Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor. 
  Baphomet from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, 
  Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed 
  by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on 
  original material by Gary Gygax. 
  Genie, Marid from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 
  2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distrib-
  uted by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based 
  on original material by Gary Gygax. 
  Grippli from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, 
  Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by 
  Frog God Games; Author: Scott
  Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax.
  Nereid from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, 
  Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed 
  by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on 
  original material by Gary Gygax.
  The Book of Experimental Might. Copyright 2008, 
  Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved.
  Tome of Horrors. Copyright 2002, Necromancer 
  Games, Inc.; Authors: Scott Greene, with Clark Peter-
  son, Erica Balsley, Kevin Baase, Casey Christofferson,
  Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Patrick Lawing-
  er, and Bill Webb; Based on original content from TSR.
  Fehr’s Ethnology Complete, Copyright 2014, Purple 
  Duck Games; Author Perry Fehr.
  Bards of Porphyra, Copytight 2014, Purple Duck 
  Games; Author Perry Fehr.
  Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Inc., and  
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  Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of 
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  the compatibility license. 
  Credits
  Author: Perry Fehr
  Editor: Perry Fehr, Mark Gedak
  Layout: Mark Gedak
  Cover Artist: Ryan Rhodes
  Porphyra Logo: Rick Hershey
  Feedback: Derek Blakely
  Open Game Content: All text on pages 2-11 is 
  open game content.
  Endzeitgeist says...
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