Bard - Revision history

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 ===Encyclopedia entry===
 {{encyclopedia|
-The bard is a wanderer, one that plays music at taverns to
+The bard is a wanderer, one that plays music at taverns to earn money, win friends and influence people. His wanderings gave him some basic knowledge on several different abilities and some knowledge on ancient legends, myths, magic, and legendary items.
 }}

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 According to English fantasy author and [[wikipedia:Games Workshop|Games Workshop]] founder [[wikipedia:Ian Livingstone|Sir Ian Livingstone]], the title of 'bard' was initially considered to be "a term of great respect among the Welsh, but one of contempt among the Scots (who considered them itinerant troublemakers)": with the decline (but not disappearance) of a living bardic tradition in the modern period and the term's frequent use in Romanticism, it has since come to refer to a generic minstrel or author (especially a famous one, e.g. [[wikipedia:William Shakespeare|William Shakespeare]] and Rabindranath Tagore). The term is also applied to certain storytellers, as well as musicians, poets and similar figures.
-The notion of the bard as a minstrel with qualities of a priest, magician or seer entered the fantasy genre from its Romanticist usage in the 1960s to 1980s, with examples including the 1981 ''Bard'' by [[wikipedia:Keith Taylor (author)|Keith John Taylor]], the 1984 ''Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish'' by [[wikipedia:Morgan Llywelyn|Morgan Llywelyn]], and television adaptations of ''[[Wikipedia:The Witcher|The Witcher]]'' series of books by Andrzej Sapkowski. This naturally includes the bard character class of fantasy roleplaying games such as ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' and ''Pathfinder'', which draws a combination of traits from historical Celtic bards, the Norse ''skald'', and the southern European minstrel as well as other kinds of musical singers&mdash;these bards are centered on the idea of accessing magic through artistic expression, which is primarily (but by no means exclusively) musical. The bard of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' first appeared in Volume 2, Number 1. of [[wikipedia:TSR, Inc.|TSR's]] ''The Strategic Review'' newsletter.
+The notion of the bard as a minstrel with qualities of a priest, magician or seer entered the fantasy genre from its Romanticist usage in the 1960s to 1980s, with examples including the 1981 ''Bard'' by [[wikipedia:Keith Taylor (author)|Keith John Taylor]], the 1984 ''Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish'' by [[wikipedia:Morgan Llywelyn|Morgan Llywelyn]], and television adaptations of ''[[Wikipedia:The Witcher|The Witcher]]'' series of books by Andrzej Sapkowski. This naturally includes the bard character class of fantasy roleplaying games such as ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' and ''[[Pathfinder]]'', which draws a combination of traits from historical Celtic bards, the Norse ''skald'', and the southern European minstrel as well as other kinds of musical singers&mdash;these bards are centered on the idea of accessing magic through artistic expression, which is primarily (but by no means exclusively) musical. The bard of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' first appeared in Volume 2, Number 1. of [[wikipedia:TSR, Inc.|TSR's]] ''The Strategic Review'' newsletter.
 In the first edition of ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'', they were a special class that was unavailable for initial character creation: a character could become a bard only after meeting specific and difficult requirements, achieving levels in multiple character classes, becoming a bard only later. The bard became a more standard character class from the 2nd Edition on, though the prototypical "prestige class" elements of the original implementation were preserved in the 3rd Edition's Fochlucan Lyrist prestige class.

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 ==Features==
-One of the distinctive features of the Bard patch is the option of "casting" [[enchantment spell]]s as songs performed on a [[musical instrument]], with various perks and drawbacks compared to the regular versions&mdash;the patch grants this '[[musicalize spell]]' [[skill]] to several roles, and the Bard role is both designed to rely on this ability and able to utilize it in more unique ways. This feature is also carried over into ''[[NetHack]]'' [[variant]]s that include this patch.
+One of the distinctive features of the Bard patch is the option of "casting" [[enchantment spell]]s as songs performed on a [[musical instrument]], with various perks and drawbacks compared to the regular versions&mdash;the patch grants this '[[musicalize spell]]' [[skill]] to several roles, and the Bard role is designed to both rely on this ability and utilize it in more unique ways. This feature is also carried over into ''[[NetHack]]'' [[variant]]s that include this patch.
 ===New monsters===

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 myths, magic, and legendary items.
 }}
 ==Origin==
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 The most common races of bard in ''Dungeons & Dragons'' are humans and elves, as well as half-elves to a lesser extent, and gnomes and tieflings are also quite capable as bards. Most bards acquire their skills as a result of training under previous bards, drawing upon ancient traditions of lore and arcane magic. They hold a strong distaste for blatant violence, at least when it could be avoided, and have reputations for being joyful and inspiring&mdash;this is largely true regardless of their individual morals, as evil bards also avoid overt violence and tend towards the manipulative and cunning, twisting the hearts of others through either magic or sheer charisma.
 {{variant-343}}
 [[Category:Patches]]
 [[Category:Bard patch]]

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 In Celtic cultures, a bard is a person that acts as an oral repository and a professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist. Bards were employed by patrons (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities. The English term "bard" is a loanword from the Celtic languages, descended from the Old Celtic 'bardo' ("poet-singer") with roots in both the Latin ''bardus'' (sing.) and ancient Greek ''bárdoi'' (plur.)&mdash;the concept of a bard has existed in a multitude of different forms across cultures, such as the mythical Thracian figure of [[wikipedia:Orpheus|Orpheus]].
-According to English fantasy author and [[wikipedia:Games Workshop|Games Workshop]] founder [[wikipedia:Ian Livingstone|Sir Ian Livingstone]], The title of 'bard' was initially considered to be "a term of great respect among the Welsh, but one of contempt among the Scots (who considered them itinerant troublemakers)": with the decline (but not disappearance) of a living bardic tradition in the modern period and the term's frequent use in Romanticism, it has since come to refer to a generic minstrel or author (especially a famous one, e.g. [[wikipedia:William Shakespeare|William Shakespeare]] and Rabindranath Tagore). The term is also applied to certain storytellers, as well as musicians, poets and similar figures.
+According to English fantasy author and [[wikipedia:Games Workshop|Games Workshop]] founder [[wikipedia:Ian Livingstone|Sir Ian Livingstone]], the title of 'bard' was initially considered to be "a term of great respect among the Welsh, but one of contempt among the Scots (who considered them itinerant troublemakers)": with the decline (but not disappearance) of a living bardic tradition in the modern period and the term's frequent use in Romanticism, it has since come to refer to a generic minstrel or author (especially a famous one, e.g. [[wikipedia:William Shakespeare|William Shakespeare]] and Rabindranath Tagore). The term is also applied to certain storytellers, as well as musicians, poets and similar figures.
-The notion of the bard as a minstrel with qualities of a priest, magician or seer entered the fantasy genre from its Romanticist usage in the 1960s to 1980s, with examples including the 1981 ''Bard'' by [[wikipedia:Keith Taylor (author)|Keith John Taylor]], the 1984 ''Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish'' by [[wikipedia:Morgan Llywelyn|Morgan Llywelyn]], and television adaptations of ''[[Wikipedia:The Witcher|The Witcher]]'' series of books by Andrzej Sapkowski. This naturally includes the bard character class of fantasy roleplaying games such as ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' and ''Pathfinder'', which draws a combination of traits from historical Celtic bards, the Norse ''skald'', and the southern European minstrel as well as other kinds of musical singers&mdash;bards in role-playing games are centered on the idea of accessing magic through some form of artistic expression which is primarily (but by no means exclusively) musical. The bard of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' first appeared in Volume 2, Number 1. of [[wikipedia:TSR, Inc.|TSR's]] ''The Strategic Review'' newsletter.
+The notion of the bard as a minstrel with qualities of a priest, magician or seer entered the fantasy genre from its Romanticist usage in the 1960s to 1980s, with examples including the 1981 ''Bard'' by [[wikipedia:Keith Taylor (author)|Keith John Taylor]], the 1984 ''Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish'' by [[wikipedia:Morgan Llywelyn|Morgan Llywelyn]], and television adaptations of ''[[Wikipedia:The Witcher|The Witcher]]'' series of books by Andrzej Sapkowski. This naturally includes the bard character class of fantasy roleplaying games such as ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' and ''Pathfinder'', which draws a combination of traits from historical Celtic bards, the Norse ''skald'', and the southern European minstrel as well as other kinds of musical singers&mdash;these bards are centered on the idea of accessing magic through artistic expression, which is primarily (but by no means exclusively) musical. The bard of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' first appeared in Volume 2, Number 1. of [[wikipedia:TSR, Inc.|TSR's]] ''The Strategic Review'' newsletter.
 In the first edition of ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'', they were a special class that was unavailable for initial character creation: a character could become a bard only after meeting specific and difficult requirements, achieving levels in multiple character classes, becoming a bard only later. The bard became a more standard character class from the 2nd Edition on, though the prototypical "prestige class" elements of the original implementation were preserved in the 3rd Edition's Fochlucan Lyrist prestige class.
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 In ''Dungeons & Dragons'', bards are versatile arcane spellcasters capable in combat, art, and magic alike, using their artistic talents to induce magical effects that either bolster their allies or hinder their enemies, typically through charms and illusions. In addition to their magical skills, bards are artistically talented and extraordinarily well-learned, possessing knowledge in a wide range of fields and capable of learning from practically any trade. They are prone to wanderlust, traveling from one place to another in search of either new lore to learn or to spread what stories they already know, and it is commonplace for a bard to prefer the freedom of mobility and living by one's whims.
-The most common races of bard in ''Dungeons & Dragons'' are humans and elves, as well as half-elves to a lesser extent, and gnomes and tieflings are also quite capable as bards. Most bards acquire their skills as a result of training under previous bards, drawing upon ancient traditions of lore and arcane magic. They hold a strong distaste for blatant violence, at least when it could be avoided, and have reputations for being joyful and inspiring&mdash;this is largely true regardless of individual morals, as evil bards tend towards the manipulative and cunning, twisting the hearts of others through either magic or sheer charisma.
+The most common races of bard in ''Dungeons & Dragons'' are humans and elves, as well as half-elves to a lesser extent, and gnomes and tieflings are also quite capable as bards. Most bards acquire their skills as a result of training under previous bards, drawing upon ancient traditions of lore and arcane magic. They hold a strong distaste for blatant violence, at least when it could be avoided, and have reputations for being joyful and inspiring&mdash;this is largely true regardless of their individual morals, as evil bards also avoid overt violence and tend towards the manipulative and cunning, twisting the hearts of others through either magic or sheer charisma.
 ==Bards in variants==

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 {{wikipedia|Bard}}
 {{wikipedia|Bard (Dungeons & Dragons)}}
-The Bard is inspired in large part by the bard character class in Dungeons & Dragons, and similar characters. The quest and mythos also draw on Greek mythology, including the myth of Orpheus.
+In Celtic cultures, a bard is a person that acts as an oral repository and a professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist. Bards were employed by patrons (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities. The English term "bard" is a loanword from the Celtic languages, descended from the Old Celtic 'bardo' ("poet-singer") with roots in both the Latin ''bardus'' (sing.) and ancient Greek ''bárdoi'' (plur.)&mdash;the concept of a bard has existed in a multitude of different forms across cultures, such as the mythical Thracian figure of [[wikipedia:Orpheus|Orpheus]].
 ==Bards in variants==

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 ===Gods===
 {{main|Religion}}
-The Bard pantheon is loosely based on [[wikipedia:Thracian religion|Thracian religion]], specifically the deities identified with those of ancient Greece to the south. The mythical figure [[wikipedia:Orpheus|Orpheus]] is a Thracian bard and musician.
+The Bard pantheon is loosely based on [[wikipedia:Thracian religion|Thracian religion]], specifically the deities identified with those of ancient Greece to the south.
 * Lawful:  [[Apollon]]

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 *XL 5: [[Sleep resistance]]
 *XL 10: [[Stealth]]
 ===Skills===

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+|
 * ''Weapons:'' [[knife]], [[short sword]], [[scimitar]], [[flail]], [[polearm]], [[spear]], [[unicorn horn]]
-* ''[[Spellcasting|Spells]]:'' [[Escape spells|escape]]
+* ''Spells:'' [[Escape spells|escape]]
 |-
 | Skilled
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 |}
-Bards start with Basic skill in bare-handed combat and the musicalize spell skill. They use the [[intelligence]] attribute when casting spells, and their special spell is {{+ of|sleep}}.
+Bards start with Basic skill in bare-handed combat and the musicalize spell skill. They use the [[intelligence]] attribute when [[casting]] spells, and their special spell is {{+ of|sleep}}.
 ====Musicalize spell====