Requirements: Standard.

Description: Skalds are honored and respected members of their clans. These great poets memorize the feats of each raid and battle, setting them down in the form of poetry.

Every war party loves to have a Skald in its midst. This assures that their great deeds and mighty skills will be honored in the Skald's next recital, and thereafter immortalized for all time. Members of most bands treat Skalds with utmost respect and courtesy. It is well known that the foolish warrior who maligns a Skald will soon hear his name slandered in innumerable ballads across the land.

Poems are the form in which Skalds honor others and themselves. Poems are also used to relate the oral history of the clan. Significant ballads are passed down from one generation to another via the Skald's talents. In this way, the lesson and deeds of the past are related to those of the present so they can be passes into the future.

Weapon Proficiencies: An initial slot must be spent on either the broad sword, hand axe, battle axe, or spear. At least half of his following slots must be spent on these weapons until they are all selected.

Armor/Equipment: Skalds learn warrior skills more than most bards. Because of this, they can wear any armor up to Bronze Platemail, and they can even use shields.

Special Benefits:

War Chant: By chanting a war song, a Skald can inspire allies during combat. For the chant to have effect, the Skald must begin chanting at least 3 rounds before combat, otherwise his allies are too busy to notice the singing.

This has a range of 10' per level of the Skald. The effects end as soon as the Skald takes his first wound. It lasts a number of rounds equal to the Skald's level.

At 1st level the Skald can choose 1 of the following 6 effects. At 3rd 2 are chosen; 3 at 6th, 4 at 9th, etc. The Skald chooses the effects, and can change them from one battle to the next.

Influence Reactions: If a Skald spends 1d10 rounds singing ballads, he can attempt to improve the reactions of an audience. Everyone must roll a save vs. paralyazation with a -1 for every 3 levels of the Skald. Those who fail have their reactions moved 1 level of the bards choice. Those that pass, their reactions change in the opposite direction.

Battle Chant: They receive a +1 to attack rolls while chanting and a +1 damage bonus with the broadsword, axe, or spear. These are almost always in effect unless the bard is silenced or underwater or otherwise silenced or unable to speak.

Legend Lore: Skalds love legends about war and combat. Legend lore works the same for Skalds as it does for True Bards, except that Skalds can perform Legend Lore only with items having to do with war or combat.

Special Hindrances:

Skalds cannot have the reading and writing proficiency at creation. They can pick it up later, at double the normal cost and at that time gain the Read Languages ability of most bards (beginning at 0%).

Skalds can not use written magical items at 10th level like most bards are able to do.