Bard+of+Mourning

=Mourntouched Bard=

Among the Five Kingdoms of old Galifar, Cyre was always considered the artistic and cultural hub. Painters and sculptors, poets and playwrights...and especially performers and musicians flourished by the thousands. Outside of House Phiarlan, Cyre had a greater number of Bards than any other region of Khorvaire. The Hobgoblins of Darguun have their //duur'kala// (dirgesinger) tradition rooted in thousands of years of depressing history; the Gnomes of Zilargo look to their Bards as storytellers, gossips and information brokers; but in Cyre people were encouraged to become a Bard for the sheer love of performing. Cyre's nobles were constantly searching for new and exciting performers, enticing them to their estates with subsidies, grants and promises of artistic freedom (so long as they remembered who their patron was).

Then came The Mourning. Some 300 Bards -- out of an initial estimate of 20,000 survivors -- fled the dead-gray mist or were out of the country when it happened. Some of these merry performers -- warped by the magicks that destroyed their home, or perhaps merely grief-stricken at the loss of friends, lovers, family and countrymen -- turned their Bardic abilities and magical aptitude to a darker path.

These are the Bards of Mourning, or the "Mourntouched Bards of Lost Cyre," in the words of one ballad.


 * Restrictions:** Must be either Cyran or was in Cyre on the Day of Mourning. Any levels of standard Bard are exchanged for levels of Mourntouched Bard on a 1:1 basis at time of character creation, and the character cannot advance as a standard Bard. All Bardic Prestige classes are available, except where the PrC prerequisites include abilities lost to the Mourntouched Bard (such as //countersong//).


 * Alignment:** A Bard of Mourning must be non-Lawful. Few, if any, Bards of Mourning are Good.
 * Base Save Bonuses:** A Mourntouched Bard is tougher than the normal Bard. She has Good Fortitude and Will Saves, and a Poor Reflex Save.
 * Base Attack Bonus:** As normal Bard.
 * Skills:** Mourntouched Bards lose Appraise and Swim from their list of Class Skills, but gain Survival.


 * Bardic Knowledge:** The Bards of Mourning deal extensively in information about the cataclysm that destroyed their home. They gain a +2 bonus to Bardic Knowledge checks relating to Cyre, the Mournland or The Mourning itself, and may always "take 10" when making such checks.

> She may use this Bardic Music ability a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1); this number can be increased with the Extra Turning feat, but the total may not exceed the total number of Bardic Music uses per day. //Synergy//: If the Mourntouched Bard has five or more ranks in Knowledge (Religion), she gains a +2 competence bonus on turn/rebuke undead checks. .
 * Bardic Music:** The Mourntouched Bard loses //Countersong//. However, starting at 4th Level, she may gains a new bardic Music Ability:
 * **Turn/Rebuke Undead (Su):** A Bard of Mourning of 4th level or higher with 7 or more ranks in a Perform Skill gains the supernatural ability to turn undead (if of good alignment) or rebuke undead (if evil). Neutral Bards must choose one or the other, and may not alter their choice once made. She turns/rebukes undead as a Cleric of three levels lower would, except that she makes a Perform check instead of a Charisma check to determine the highest level of undead affected. To be affected, undead creatures must be able to both see and hear the Mourntouched Bard.
 * Bard Spells:** Mourntouched Bards have a slightly different Spell List from which they may select for their Spells Known:
 * //**Removed**:// //0-Level// -- Light, Daze; //1st-Level// -- Detect Secret Doors, Summon Monster I; //2nd-Level// -- Daze Monster, Summon Swarm, Summon Monster II; //3rd-level// -- Illusory Script, Summon Monster III; //4th-Level// -- Summon Monster IV; //5th-Level// -- Summon Monster V; //6th-Level// -- Summon Monster VI
 * //**Added**:// 0-Level -- Ghoul Light, Detect Undead, Disrupt Undead; 1st-Level -- Hide From Undead, Summon Undead I; 2nd-Level -- Ghoul Glyph, Summon Undead II; //3rd-level// -- Speak With Dead, Summon Undead III; //4th-Level// -- Summon Undead IV; //5th-Level// -- Summon Undead V; //6th-Level// -- Pox


 * Special:** Levels in the Cyran Avenger prestige class stack with Mourntouched Bard levels for purposes of Turn/Rebuke Undead checks and Bardic Knowledge Checks relating to Cyre, the Mournland or The Mourning itself.

Original "Mourning in Khorvaire" material and specific House Rules -- © 2007-2009 Herb Helzer. All Rights Reserved. "Eberron," "Dungeons & Dragons," "d20 system," etc. -- ©1995-2009 Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.