Bard (Revised)

By Dean Chambers

 

STARTING AS A BARD

Any player may start the game as a Bard rather than one of the Warriors in the Warhammer Quest box.  All of the rules for creating a new Warrior apply unless stated elsewhere in this Warrior pack.
The Profile of the Bard is as follows:

Wounds

1D6+6

Move

4

Weapons Skill      

3

Ballistic Skill

5+

Strength

3

Toughness

3

Initiative

4

Attacks

1

Pinning Roll

5+

The Bard is treated as an Elf for purposes of treasure, locations and events, unless otherwise stated in this pack, even though he is human.  This represents the close relationship that Bards have with Wood Elves in their duties and life.

EQUIPMENT

The Bard begins with a musical instrument, which allows the Bard several bonuses.  This instrument enables the Bard to assist the other Warriors of the party against the terrifying Minotaur.  If the Bard succeeds in his fear roll against the Minotaur, he may play his instrument and sing to grant greater courage to the rest of the group.  If a full turn is spent in song, the Warriors may reroll their fear roll.  The Bard may continue to do this as long as he desires, allowing other Warriors to try again, taking a turn each time.

WEAPONS

Bards begin play with the Blade of Orion, a weapon been blessed by the Forest Deity Orion.  Every Bard earns this weapon during a Right of Passage ritual given by the Druids from which their trade is learned.  It is formed entirely from wood but is stronger and sharper that even the most expensive forged steel in Brettonia.  The curious thing about these blades is that the wood still lives and will sprout deciduous branches over time.  The leaves that grow on the branches will even change color and fall as the seasons change.  The age of any particular blade can be roughly estimated by the amount of foliage present.

In Combat, the Bard rolls 2D6 and discards the lowest score before his Strength is added.  If the Dice come up double ones, the blade's branches have gotten tangled with the Bard or his other equipment and he must spend next the next turn dislodging the rest of this turn dislodging it.  For the rest of the turn, the Bard is +2 for the Monsters to hit.

ARMOR

The Bard also begins with a suit of elven leather armor, which grants +1 toughness.  This armor is very light and comfortable, with special designs and coloring as befits a performer such as the Bard.

SPECIAL RULES

The Bard rarely uses any weapon other than his Blade of Orion. Any other weapons he uses are at -1 to hit.  The exception to this is any weapons (including bows) that are Elven in origin.  The Bard my use any magic items that the Elf may use.  In addition, he may also use all Wizard magic items after he reaches Champion Level.  He may not wear any armor greater than Chainmail unless it is Elven in manufacture.
A Bard, by his very nature, is confident and self-centered; he wouldn't be a Bard if he weren't.  In addition, a Bard travels extensively and see many strange and mystical things.  The druids who train them, cast illusions showing them the beasts and daemons that inhabit the world they live in.  For this reason, Bards add one to their Battle Level when performing a check against the fear a Minotaur generates.

ADVANCED RULES

In the advanced game, you can keep your Bard from game to game, building up his character as he progresses from adventure to adventure.  This section of the rulebook gives you all the rules for taking your Bard right up to battle-level 10, including special rules for visiting Settlements, training, and more.

The Bard at battle-level 1 as a Novice - you will find his Battle Level Table later in this pack.  All the rules for Warhammer Quest still apply in the advanced game, unless specifically stated otherwise.

EQUIPMENT

Every Bard favors a different instrument and it is usually chosen during his training.  In the advanced game, this Instrument gives the Bard +2 to Dice rolls in the Ale House and Also allows him to reroll any One Settlement Event per stay. 

WEAPON

The Blade of Orion are very special weapons, and due to their sharpness, they will tend to do more damage than ordinary weapons.  As the Bard gains dice damage, he rolls one additional die and takes the highest of the rolls.  For example, the Bard Hero rolls 2D6 base damage when he hits a target, and an additional die for the Blade of Orion, a total of 3D6, and takes the highest two dice. 

If this weapon is destroyed or lost, the Bard may find a replacement by visiting the Druid Elders, below.  Bards may use any weapon, but will tend to use the Blade of Orion due to its unique properties.  The Blade of Orion is treated as a magical weapon for purposes of hitting certain creatures and some spells.  It is not metal, as can be seen in the description above, so certain rusting and electrical effects will not affect it.

ARMOR

The Bard may wear any armor up to chainmail, heavier armor is too encumbering and clumsy for the needs of a Bard.  The elven armor may be replaced at the Elven Quarter in any settlement for standard price.

BARDS IN SETTLEMENTS

The Bard may visit any standard Settlement Special location, including the Wizards Guild.  After finding the Elven Quarter, or Dwarf Guild, roll a D6.  On a roll of 4-6, the Bard is allowed entry.  On a roll of  1-3, the Bard is denied entry in this Settlement.  When visiting the Gambling House the Bard rolls 1D6+1, treating a roll of a natural 1 and the result of 1.  This represents the Bard's gambling and dramatic skills.

The Bard may also visit the Wood Elf Camp as per the Wardancer Booklet.  Treat the Bard as an Elf (Non-Wardancer) for purposes of finding the Wood Elf Camp.

He may also visit the Sacred Grove as per the Druid.  These Tables are included here.

THE SACRED GROVE

Unlike normal locations, the Sacred Grove is found on a roll of 8 or lower on the dice, reflecting the difficulty of finding it in more populated areas.  This chance is increased by the Bard's Battle-Level.  For example, the Bard goes to a City, and looks for a Sacred Grove.  He rolls the usual 3D6, and must attempt to roll 8+BL or lower to find the grove.

Once the Grove is found, it can be visited like a location, but there is no cost for the Bard to stay there, other than incidental expenses.  Events are rolled there each day like in any settlement, and there are locations that can be visited. a special location of ritual and natural significance.  There is a colony of druids, and typically elves as well, the Bard may roll to find an elf quarter here as well.  In addition, if the players have access to an Elven Wardancer pack, a wood elf camp is nearby on an 8- roll as well. Only elves, Bards or the Druid are allowed into the Sacred Grove.

There are some special locations in the Grove, including the Circle of Stones, The Elders, and the Druid Herbalist.  Each of these are present on a roll of 10-, based on the settlement nearby (village, town, or city).  Should the Bard find these, he may visit them, and elves can visit some of these as well.

THE CIRCLE OF STONES

Worshipping neither gods nor daemons, the Druids revere nature and the planet its self.  Thus, the circle of stones acts as their temple, a place for the Bard to meditate, learn, and commune with nature.  The Bard may leave a sacrifice at the circle, consisting of a piece of treasure or D6x50 gold, and meditate for a day.  Within the circle, the Bard may receive special knowledge or benefits from his time of contemplation, rolling on the table below:

2d6 Result
2 The Bards' time is fruitless, no result other than a feeling of peace and contentment 
3 The Bard spends a day of meditation at the circle, and comes away at peace, +1 fear rolls for the next adventure (does not affect terror rolls)
4 The life force of all the earth flows through the Bard, he may ignore any one blow that would otherwise kill him next adventure.
5 The Sun shines on the Bard, and once in the next adventure he can call on its warmth and life for 1D6+1 wounds healed
6 The strength of an lion fills the Bard, once in the next adventure he can have a turn of +1D6 Strength 
7 The soft light of the moon fills the Bard's heart, for the next adventure, he has 6+ magic resistance (or 1 easier roll if he already has the Aspect of Earth.
8 The Bard's Blade of Orion gains spidery runes, and ignores 1 point of armor for the duration of one combat next adventure.
9 The Bard's garments are imbued with the strength of the stones, for the next adventure, the robes act as armor for +1 toughness.
10 The Bard learns much of the ways of animals, for the next adventure, the Bard deals +1 wound on a roll of 5 or 6 to hit.
11 The Bard is granted health and life, gaining D3 wounds Permanently
12 The Bard aligns the stones, and is able to make another roll for free, adding or subtracting up to his Battle-Level from the result.

The Bard may also spend a day at the stones studying the stars for the same price, attempting to make a prediction about the coming adventure.  He rolls a D6 and adds his battle level, consulting the table below:

Roll

Result

2-3

No Result, cloudy skies

3-5

The Bard learns nothing in the stars, but is at peace with nature and himself. 

6-7

The stars tell him of ambushing creatures, for the next adventure, the Bard cancels the ambush by warning the Warriors on a 6+ (this is in addition to any other ambush- related effects).

8-11

The Bard learns of fabulous treasure, and gains 10% more gold value for creatures slain in the next adventure. 

12-16

The Bard is warned of terrible dangers and their nature, all creatures are -1 to hit the Bard unless the POW die roll is 5 or better, for the next adventure.

THE ELDERS

Here are the wise men of the Druids, the Sacred Grove's scholars and leaders.  They teach and assist the Bard in his studies, learning the ways of nature and the world and correcting the influence of the outside world.  The Druid Elders are able to replace the Blade of Orion, which takes a week of continuous meditation and contemplation at the Stone Circle in which the Bard is unable to partake in any other activity.  The Blade is only available on a roll of 8+ on a D6+BL of the Bard.

THE DRUID HERBALIST

Within the Sacred Grove, the Bard may visit the herbalist, an alchemist and gardener of expert skill and taste.  This herbalist is often an elf, and he sells potions and herbal extracts for a dear price that the Bard might use in his travels.  The Stock number given is, unlike normally, the amount that the Bard must roll on 2D6, regardless of the nearby settlement size.

HERBAL PRODUCT      

AMOUNT

STOCK

COST

EFFECTS

Elixir of Energy

1-2

7

75

+1 attack D3 turns

Elixir of Healing

1-6

5

40

Heal 1D6+2 wounds

Elixir of Life

1-2

8

100

Raise Dead

Elixir of Protection

1-3

6

50

+2 Toughness D6 turns

Elixir of Strength

1-3

5

50

+1 STR for D6 turns

Elixir of Swiftness

1-2

5

50

+1D6 move for 1 turn

Elixir of The Wind

1-2

7

50

fly for 1 turn

Elixir of Unvenom

1-3

6

40

Negate, reverse poisons

Extract of Mulith

1-3

8

75

Heal 1 wound/turn until 1 POW

Extract of Pasamar

1-3

6

60

-1 to be hit by undead

Extract of Thalotic

1-2

7

80

Magic Resistance 6+ until 1 POW

Healing Herbs

1-6

5

150

makes 1D3 healing potions

Mistletoe

1-3

6

300

Regain BL in D6 mana

Syrup of Athelan

1-3

7

75

destroys door/porticullus/grate, etc

Syrup of Casannix

1-3

8

200

does D3 for D6 turns,  no mods if hits target (roll range or higher)

Sacred Grove Events

While in the Sacred Grove, the Bard rolls events on this table rather than on the Settlement Events table.

2D6 ROLL EVENT

Chaos creatures attack the Sacred Grove, trying to destroy it and warp nature in the area.

2

Roll 1D6 and add the Bard's Initiative to this number. 
On a 4, the Chaos destroyed the Grove, and the Bard barely escaped with D6 wounds to the settlement. 
On a 5-6, the Grove is damaged so badly it cannot serve the Bard, he must spend D6 days rebuilding with no benefits. 
On a 7-9, the Chaos was destroyed with minimal damage, a day is spent celebrating, In which the Bard cannot do anything for a day except party. 
On a 10+, the Bard was pivotal in the defense of the Grove, and singlehandedly demolished many of the monsters, including the boss. The Grove is so grateful, they give the Bard a treasure card! 

3-4

The stars are in alignment, a special festival is held.
Roll on this table for what the effect of this fete is:
1 The Bard spends D6 days partying and gets nothing done.
2-3 The Festival of the Moon, the Bard gains +2 effective Battle Levels for determining Power for the next adventure (adjust the roll by 2 more points) 
4-5 Festival of the Sun, all herbalist purchases are 10% cheaper 6Festival of the Forest, The Bard can ignore any one event rolled.
6 A famine has struck the land, the Grove is asked for help by local farmers. The Bard is selected to assist them, and his work takes D6 days. The farmers are so grateful that they give him D6x20 gold and offer a nice girl for a wife. 

6-8

A Wild Hunt passes through, filled with bizarrely tattooed, fierce Wardancers. 
The hunt is an omen, on a 1-3 the Bard loses 1 luck the next adventure, on a 4-6, he gains +1 luck next adventure. 

9-10

A rival Bard accuses you of consorting with Chaos from your travels, and takes you in front of the Elders. 
You state your case, roll a D6 and add Willpower and Intuition to the result. 
If the result is 9 or more, the Elders are assured of your purity, the rival is disgraced, but on an 8 or less, you must spend D6 days in purification and must kill 3D6 chaos creatures. Until these creatures are dead, all purchases and costs in the Sacred Grove are doubled. 

11-12

Uneventful day, the Bard enjoys the scenery.

TRAINING

The Bard, like the Druid, also trains at the Sacred Grove, learning from the Elders in his ways of nature.  Training involves rigorous physical activity, time of contemplation, and even gardening and herbalism.  At the end of a week, the Bard has learned more, including spells and/or skills. 

SKILLS TABLE

After every gain in Battle level the Bard learns a new skill or spell.  Roll 3D6 on the following chart to determine what is learned.  Re-Roll all non-spell duplicates.

2

Spell.  

The Bard has learned a new spell. Determine what spell he has learned just as if he were Wizard.

3

Charm.

The Bard rolls a D6 and adds his battle level.  If the score is 8+ the Charm is successful and the Bard then rolls a number of D6 equal to his battle level.  All Monsters on the same board section as the Bard whose wounds are equal to or less than the total rolled are -1 to hit the bard this turn.  Charm may only be used during the Warrior's Phase.

4

Spell.   

The Bard has learned a new spell. Determine what spell he has learned just as if he were Wizard.

5

First Aid.  

The Bard is more adept at administering First Aid to himself and other Warriors.  When using bandages the Bard heals an additional 1D3 Wounds.

6

Spell.   

The Bard has learned a new spell. Determine what spell he has learned just as if he were Wizard.

7

PathFinder.  

The Bard is able to find his way out of any maze, dungeon or deep safely.  

With this skill, the Bard adds 2 to his rolls for Escape from the Dungeons, and subtracts a week from travel time to Settlements (minimum travel time is one week).  In addition, Wrong Map and Lost results in the Hazards table are treated as Uneventful Weeks.   Note:  This skill is not cumulative if there is another Warrior in the Party that has the same skill.

8

Spell.   

The Bard has learned a new spell. Determine what spell he has learned just as if he were Wizard.

9

Trading.  

The Bard can smooth talk even the toughest merchants.  

Roll a D6 for every Item purchased from a Merchant.  On a 6 the Bard haggles the merchant down to half price.  On a 2-5, the Bard pays full price.  On a 1, the Bard pays double the price and cannot buy anything else from that Merchant.

10

Spell.   

The Bard has learned a new spell. Determine what spell he has learned just as if he were Wizard.

11

Aura of Orion.  

This skill reduces Daemonic, and other Chaos Auras effect by one.  This is the only skill that the Bard can get twice or more.  Do not re-roll if the Bard has this skill already.  The Bard simply adds one to this Skill's effect.

12

Spell.  

The Bard has learned a new spell.  Determine what spell he has learned just as if he were a Wizard.

Bards and Spells

Bards cast spells in the same fashion as Wizards.  The difference being that the Bard has no inherent power of his own.  He must rely on the magical power of the world to cast his spells.  The Bard does, however, gain the benefits of some Wizard related magic items that deal with power and power storage.  To determine which spell the Bard learns, roll randomly for those spell equal to or less than the Bard's Battle Level.

Living Expenses

The Bard is fairly adept at earning his own keep with a song.  For each day spent in a settlement that requires living expenses, roll a D6.  On a roll of 5 or 6, the Bard pays nothing as he earns enough playing for the throngs of Townspeople.  On a 2-4, he must pay living expenses as normal.  On a 1, he has offended the Innkeep with his sordid tales and his charged double.

BARD BATTLE-LEVEL TABLE

Battle Level

Gold

Title

MV

WS

BS

Str

Damage Dice

T

Wounds

I

A

Luck

WP

Skills

Pin

1

0

Novice

4

4

5+

3

1

3

1D6+7

4

1

1

4

0

5+

2

2,000

Champion

4

4

5+

3

1

3

2D6+7

4

1

1

4

1

5+

3

4,000

Champion

4

5

5+

3

1

3

2D6+7

5

2

2

4

2

5+

4

8,000

Champion

4

5

5+

3

1

3

3D6+7

5

2

2

4

3

5+

5

12,000

Hero

4

5

4+

4

2

4

3D6+7

6

3

3

5

4

4+

6

18,000

Hero

4

6

4+

4

2

4

4D6+7

6

3

3

5

5

4+

7

24,000

Hero

4

6

4+

4

2

4

4D6+7

6

3

3

5

6

4+

8

32,000

Hero

4

6

4+

4

2

4

5D6+7

7

3

4

5

7

4+

9

45,000

Lord

4

7

3+

5

2

4

5D6+7

8

4

4

6

8

3+

10

50,000

Lord

4

7

3+

5

2

4

6D6+7

9

4

4

6

9

3+