Bard Class Guide — Shadows of Doubt | AntMag

Q: What armor can a Bard wear in Shadows of Doubt?

The Bard in Shadows of Doubt is a versatile caster and support class with unique songs, capable of casting arcane spells and wielding various weapons, but restricted in armor and spell progression.

Q: How does Bard Song affect allies in Shadows of Doubt?

The Bard in Shadows of Doubt is a versatile caster and support class with unique songs, capable of casting arcane spells and wielding various weapons, but restricted in armor and spell progression.

Q: What are the Jester's debuffs in Shadows of Doubt?

The Bard in Shadows of Doubt is a versatile caster and support class with unique songs, capable of casting arcane spells and wielding various weapons, but restricted in armor and spell progression.

Q: How does the Skald's song buff allies in Shadows of Doubt?

The Bard in Shadows of Doubt is a versatile caster and support class with unique songs, capable of casting arcane spells and wielding various weapons, but restricted in armor and spell progression.

Q: When do Bards start casting spells in Shadows of Doubt?

The Bard in Shadows of Doubt is a versatile caster and support class with unique songs, capable of casting arcane spells and wielding various weapons, but restricted in armor and spell progression.

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Class Features:

May not wear armour heavier than chain mail; armour other than Elven Chain Mail disables spellcasting.
May only equip bucklers.
May become proficient in any weapon.
May take a single proficiency point in any fighting style.
Thief ability: Pick Pockets.
10 Lore per level.
May cast arcane spells.
May use the Bard Song ability.
6 HP per level for the first ten levels, 2 HP per level thereafter.

Bard Song: Renders party members immune to fear and removes any fear effects. It also applies a +1 Luck bonus, increasing to +2 at level 15 and +3 at level 20.

Playstyle: Bards are more battle-ready than Thieves but not suited for the front-line. They can become fairly durable by casting Stoneskin on themselves.

Spellcasting: Although Bards cast fewer magic spells than Mages (and no spells higher than 6th-level), their caster level is typically higher than any other caster, making Dispel / Remove Magic cast by a Bard very powerful. Bards gain the ability to cast magic at level 2.

Lore Skill: The high Lore skill is a decent quality-of-life boost and saves your party from having to memorise Identify.

Subclasses:

Blade: May place three points in two-weapon style. May use Offensive Spin (+2 THAC0, +2 damage, +1 attack for four rounds) and Defensive Spin (up to +10 AC but rooted to the spot for four rounds) once each per day, gaining 1 additional use for every four levels. Pick Pocket skill halved, Lore skill halved. The spin abilities do not make up for worse THAC0, damage, weapon proficiency, or spell selection compared to a Bard. Offensive Spin cannot be used with Haste.
Jester: Swaps the Bard's standard repertoire for songs which inflict a variety of debuffs on enemies within 30'. At level 1, enemies must save vs. spell at +2 or become confused. At level 15, enemies must also save vs. spell or be slowed. At level 20, enemies must also save vs. spell at +2 or be knocked unconscious. The Jester's song bypasses magic resistance but does not affect undead and allows a bonus to saving throws, making enemies more likely to ignore effects as the game progresses. If a Jester takes the Enhanced Bard Song HLA, they lose access to their special song and become identical to the vanilla Bard.
Skald: Swaps the Bard's standard repertoire for heroic warrior tales that inspire allies. Grants +1 THAC0 / +1 damage and one quarter of the normal Pick Pockets skill. The Skald's song has the following effects on allies within 30': At level 1: +2 AC, +2 THAC0, +2 damage. At level 15: +4 AC, +4 THAC0, +4 damage; immune to fear. At level 20: +4 AC, +4 THAC0, +4 damage; immune to fear, stun and confusion. The Skald becomes significantly worse once Enhanced Bard Song is available, as the only differentiator is the THAC0 and damage boost, making a Blade a better choice at that point.

Bard Spell Progression:

Level 2: 1 (1st level spell)
Level 3: 2 (1st level spells)
Level 4: 2 (1st), 1 (2nd)
Level 5: 3 (1st), 1 (2nd)
Level 6: 3 (1st), 2 (2nd)
Level 7: 3 (1st), 2 (2nd), 1 (3rd)
Level 8: 3 (1st), 3 (2nd), 1 (3rd)
Level 9: 3 (1st), 3 (2nd), 2 (3rd)
Level 10: 3 (1st), 3 (2nd), 2 (3rd), 1 (4th)
Level 11: 3 (1st), 3 (2nd), 3 (3rd), 1 (4th)
Level 12: 3 (1st), 3 (2nd), 3 (3rd), 2 (4th)
Level 13: 3 (1st), 3 (2nd), 3 (3rd), 2 (4th), 1 (5th)
Level 14: 3 (1st), 3 (2nd), 3 (3rd), 3 (4th), 1 (5th)
Level 15: 3 (1st), 3 (2nd), 3 (3rd), 3 (4th), 2 (5th)
Level 16: 4 (1st), 3 (2nd), 3 (3rd), 3 (4th), 2 (5th), 1 (6th)
Level 17: 4 (1st), 4 (2nd), 3 (3rd), 3 (4th), 2 (5th), 1 (6th)
Level 18: 4 (1st), 4 (2nd), 4 (3rd), 3 (4th), 3 (5th), 2 (6th)
Level 19: 4 (1st), 4 (2nd), 4 (3rd), 4 (4th), 3 (5th), 2 (6th)
Level 20: 4 (1st), 4 (2nd), 4 (3rd), 4 (4th), 4 (5th), 3 (6th)
Level 21: 5 (1st), 4 (2nd), 4 (3rd), 4 (4th), 4 (5th), 3 (6th)
Level 22: 5 (1st), 5 (2nd), 4 (3rd), 4 (4th), 4 (5th), 3 (6th)
Level 23: 5 (1st), 5 (2nd), 5 (3rd), 4 (4th), 4 (5th), 3 (6th)
Level 24-27: 5 (1st), 5 (2nd), 5 (3rd), 5 (4th), 4 (5th), 3 (6th)
Level 28-29: 5 (1st), 5 (2nd), 5 (3rd), 5 (4th), 5 (5th), 3 (6th)
Level 30-37: 5 (1st), 5 (2nd), 5 (3rd), 5 (4th), 5 (5th), 4 (6th)
Level 38+: 5 (1st), 5 (2nd), 5 (3rd), 5 (4th), 5 (5th), 5 (6th)

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