These materials represent the Incarna i20™ approach based on d20 use.
This class uses the standard starting currency shown in the Steel Realms information for Characters. It follows the Incarna d20 Base Class of the same name except as follows:
Bardic Tradition: Bards (along with Rangers) are the primary World Watchers of the realms, they teach literacy, adjudicate the law, and record knowledge. Bards are a formal group with the realms – not a loose collection. They are trained to a specific purpose and use their gifts to that end. The bardic profession is one of the few that the Half Elves excel at, leveraging their passion into song, dance, and talk into community rallies. Admittance to the bardic colleges is all managed centrally, through the Heroes Hall in Gladnor. The tests, training, and ranking of bards is handled by the Collegia Administrata. This small college is made up of senior members of the others, and are full time positions in maintaining the lore of the realms in combination with various orders, guilds, and groups. Bards are limited by species and roles in Colleges. These are the safest pursuits for the honored position of bard.
Duty to Lore and Community: Knowledge gained can be communicated in a variety of ways. The Colleges have agents allied with many Occult and Divine orders and groups throughout the land. The greater good being the purpose of the Bard, most knowledge is shared (especially news, and proclamations) while knowledge crucial to the security of the lands is passed on in secret, through unknown means.
Bardic Magic and Divine Worship: For the Magical Inspiration tradition, bards formally trained in the Heroes Hall all follow Phelaedea, lady of the wind, and her servant, the spirit of music and song – Meri (most bards venerate this spirit regardless of other affiliations). Many are quiet worshipers of Delleth (patron of seekers) as well.
The character must swear to uphold the spirit and tenets of the Bardic Code.
Technically any race can become a Bard. However, there exists several academies that review, accept, and pre-train individuals for bardic application through Bardic Schools. It is only these particular schools that offer the bardic character trial of Bindings of Book and Word. Half-elves, with a chip on their shoulder and everything to prove, gain a +1 to all checks in the character trials! Generally, only races widely accepted or capable of easily breaking down barriers are accepted into the role of true bard.