G: Untrained Melody I
Updated Fri, Feb 13, 2009 by Shayalyn
Spells of
the Skald I
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Guide to Level 1 Bard Spells
By DarkgolemBard spells at low levels have different values in a bard's career. At low levels, certain spells are definitely better to have.. however, at high levels, completely different first level spells are valuable. It's important to consider changing first level spells at some point in a bards career, in order to get the most bang for ones buck out of them. Especially considering these are the largest number of spells a bard will have.
Like sorcerer's, it's best to get "dual use" out of spells, if efficient. While not efficient, a dual use spell is cure light wounds. Cure light wounds functions in two ways, A: it can heal your friends and B: it is a direct damage spells against undead. Sure, you wouldn't want to use it to damage undead, that's a atrocious waste of spell points, considering how inefficient it is, but on the other hand, it CAN be used for that. Bard's don't have a lot of options with undead, having the choice is important. The trick is finding efficient uses of dual use spells, and that isn't easy.
Once you have a more powerful spell that functions in a similar way (such as charm monster rather than charm person), consider switching out a lower level spell for something else, giving a bard the widest variety of abilities within all his or her spells. Dual function spells increase this variety more.
| Cause Fear Cooldown: 2.5 seconds Casting Time: medium School: necromancy Components: somatic, verbal Duration: 20 seconds or 6 seconds Range: medium Save: will to be shaken instead of afraid. Target: foe, directional, breakable Rating: 1 Notes: “An enemy becomes frightened. A successful Will save causes the target to become shaken instead. Creatures with 6 or more HD are immune to this effect.” This spell causes your opponent to run away from you, and will not resist if attacked. While of some use in disrupting your opponents, hypnotism and charm person last longer or affect more opponents. If the opponent should make its save, it will be shaken instead, for 6 seconds. |
| Charm Person Cooldown: 2.5 seconds Casting Time: medium School: enchantment Components: somatic, verbal Duration: special (save every 3d6 + 12 seconds) Range: long Save: will to avoid Target: foe Rating: 3 Notes: “Charms an enemy humanoid, which will fight as a trusted friend and ally. Charmed humanoids get an additional save every 3d6+12 seconds. A successful Will save negates this effect. Humanoids include kobolds, goblinoids, player races except for warforged, troglodytes, and more.” This spell causes your opponent to fight for you in combat. It has the very annoying drawback of preventing completion of events that require you to kill your charmed foe, such as doors that won't open until all your opponents are killed, etc. Your foe receives a save when you first cast charm, and every 15 - 30 seconds afterward until he fails. Until then, your enemy will fight for you. This spell will only affect humanoids. |
| Cure Light Wounds Cooldown: 2.5 seconds Casting Time: fast School: abjuration Components: verbal, somatic Range: medium Save: will for ½ against undead Target: friend, self, undead foe Rating: 3 Notes: “Positive energy is channeled to heal light wounds of your target or damage undead for 1d8 hit points +1 per caster level (max +5).” This is a nice spell, but becomes too weak to reasonably use at later levels (past about level 5). |
| Detect Secret Doors Cooldown: 2.5 seconds Casting Time: short School: divination Components: somatic, verbal Duration: 1 minute/level Range: medium Target: self Rating: 3 Notes: “Reveals secret and hidden doors.” An unremarkable but occasionally useful spell. Once a bard reaches higher levels, it's not a bad thing to have this spell, there are few first level spells a bard must have. |
 Expeditious
RetreatCooldown: 2.5 seconds Casting Time: short School: transmutation Components: verbal, somatic Duration: 1 minute/level Range: short Target: self Rating: 2 Notes: “Increases base run speed by 25%.” This is nice, but a bard really should have haste to use for this benefit instead. |
| Feather Fall Cooldown: 2.5 seconds Casting Time: short School: transmutation Components: verbal Duration: 6 seconds/level Area: 15' diameter Range: short Target: self, friend, positional Rating: 2 Notes: “Causes an ally to fall slowly, although faster than feathers typically do.” This might be taken at low levels, but around level 7 one gains access to feather fall items, and a bard should switch this out. By about 10th level, pretty much anyone will have a feather fall item. |
| Focusing Chant Cooldown: 2.5 seconds Casting Time: fast School: enchantment Components: verbal Duration: 10 seconds/ level Target: self Rating: 2 Notes: “You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to attack rolls and skill checks.” At low level, a bonus to hit that stacks with other buffs (since it is a circumstance bonus) is a big deal. Unfortunately, this is a self only spell. |
| Grease Cooldown: 2 seconds Casting Time: Short School: conjuration Components: verbal, somatic, material Duration:Area: 15' diameter Range: medium Save: dc 12 reflex to avoid trip, save every 6 seconds Target: Enemy Rating: 2 Notes: “Covers the ground with a layer of slippery grease, forcing targets to make a Reflex save or fall.” This spell can be targeted on a location or a foe. This is a very situational spell, useful for blocking a narrow approach by your enemies, but not as useful for a disorganized or melee-oriented party. The DC 12 save for this spell cannot be changed at this time by any means. A new save is forced every 6 seconds. Regardless of a creature making a save or not, they move at 50% normal rate, except vermin. |
| Hypnotism Cooldown: 2.5 seconds Casting Time: short School: enchantment Components: somatic, verbal Duration: 6 seconds/ level Area: 15' diameter Range: long Save: will to avoid Target: foe (area) Rating: will to avoid Notes: “Gestures and droning incantation fascinate nearby enemies, causing them to stop and stare blankly until damaged. A successful Will save negates this effect.” Arguably, the most useful of the non-damaging spell at first level. Note that it may have a hit dice limit to be found in later levels; this has not been determined yet by the author of this guide. This spell affects at least 12 hit dice of creatures, and can affect giants and giant-kin in addition to humanoids. |
 Otto's
Resistible DanceCooldown: 3 seconds Casting Time: fast School: enchantment Components: verbal Duration: 20 seconds Range: touch Save: will to avoid Target: foe Rating: 3 Notes: “At your touch, enemies feel an undeniable urge to dance and begin doing so, complete with foot shuffling and tapping. The spell makes it impossible for the enemy to do anything other than caper and prance in place. A successful Will save negates this effect.” If you have heighten, this is a great spell at higher levels, and a fair spell at low levels, since it affects anything normally affected by enchantments, not just humanoids. |
| Remove Fear Cooldown: 2.5 seconds Casting Time: medium School: abjuration Components: somatic, verbal Duration: 10 minutes Area: 15' diameter Range: medium Target: friend, self, positional Rating: 3 Notes: “Instills courage in an ally, granting a +4 morale bonus against Fear effects. Counters and dispels Cause Fear.” This is a neat spell, and useful at some of the later levels, a benefit in itself for bard spells. |
| Sleep Cooldown: 2.5 seconds Casting Time: fast School: enchantment Components: somatic, verbal, material Duration: 1 minute/level Area: 5' radius Range: long Save: will to avoid Target: foe, directional Rating: 1 Notes: “Induces a magical slumber to come upon 2d4 Hit Dice of enemies, rendering them helpless until attacked. Ineffective on undead or constructs. A successful Will save negates this effect.” This spell can be targeted upon a spot designated by a cursor, but the fast paced nature of combat makes this a difficult technique. When placed upon a running creature, it will appear at the location the creature was when activated, usually missing. Hypnotism is much more effective for disabling creatures until dealt with in other ways. This spell affects a flat 4 hit dice of creatures upon each use. |
| Summon Monster I Cooldown: 1 minute Casting Time: Long School: enchantment Components: somatic, verbal, material Duration: 1 minute Range: medium Target: positional, self Rating: 2 Notes: “Summons a celestial dog to fight for you for a brief time. Casting this spell locks out casting any other Summon Monster spell for 1 minute.” The celestial dog that this spell summons is useful for taking the brunt of attacks that would be otherwise targeted on you and useful for finding opponents around corners. At later levels it is not as useful but still can find foes that are behind furniture, placed in the way of suspected traps, and so on. |
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Genre: Fantasy
Status: Published
Release Date: February 28, 2006
Fee: Free-to-Play
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