XIIR's Prison
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Barbarian: Path of the Skald
The Path of the Skald is followed by warriors who blend primal rage with the harmonious magic of ancient songs and chants. These barbarians are not only fierce combatants but also bearers of history and culture, their battle cries laced with echoes of forgotten melodies. Their magic is not learned through books or tutors but flows instinctively, awakened through their connection to ancestral spirits and the rhythm of the world.
Skalds are storytellers of the battlefield, weaving sagas with each strike of their weapon. Their songs embolden allies, intimidate enemies, and invoke ancient powers that turn the tide of battle. By embracing this path, a barbarian becomes a living symphony of strength and sorcery, striking chords of both chaos and inspiration.
A small tribal trinket that can be worn and used as a spell focus
Starting at 3rd level, the songs of your ancestors grant you spellcasting ability. These spells flow from your connection to the Bardic tradition, a reflection of your innate charisma and the primal magic imbued in your voice.
Cantrips
You learn two Bard cantrips at 3rd level and gain a third at 10th level. These cantrips, often seen as simple musical motifs, bolster your combat versatility.
Spell Slots
The Path of the Skald spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
Spells Known
At 3rd level, you know three 1st-level Bard spells of your choice. These represent the hymns of power passed down to you. As you gain levels, your repertoire expands, allowing you to learn higher-level spells and replace older ones as needed.
Spellcasting Ability
- Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
- Spell Attack Modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Hymn of Tenacity (3rd Level)
Your rage becomes a conduit for a mystical hymn that bolsters your combat abilities. While raging and not silenced, you gain the following benefits:
- Increased Reach: Your melee reach extends by +5 feet, allowing you to strike foes from unexpected distances.
- Charisma as Weapon Modifier: You can channel your Charisma into your attacks, replacing Strength or Dexterity as the modifier for attack and damage rolls.
This hymn is a primal chant that echoes across the battlefield, inspiring fear in your enemies and determination in your allies.
Battle Hymn (6th Level)
Your magical songs become unshakable, allowing you to cast spells even in the throes of rage. While raging and not silenced, you gain the following benefits:
- Spellcasting While Raging: You can cast spells despite being in a rage, bridging your martial and magical abilities.
- Increased Reach: Your melee reach while maintaining Hymn of Tenacity increases to +10 feet, making your attacks more unpredictable.
This enhancement represents the growing harmony between your rage and the magic in your soul.
War Hymn (10th Level)
Your magic has grown to inspire not just yourself but those around you. When you enter a rage, you can weave a war hymn that grants temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + half your Barbarian level (rounded down) to a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier. These allies are imbued with your unyielding spirit.
Additionally:
- Increased Reach: Your melee reach increases to +15 feet.
This ability makes you the heart of the battlefield, a symbol of unity and defiance.
Focused Hymn (14th Level)
At 14th level, you master your Hymn of Tenacity, achieving an unbreakable focus that melds spell and rage seamlessly. While maintaining the hymn, you gain the following benefits:
- Concentration While Raging: You can maintain concentration on spells as though you were not raging.
- Increased Reach: Your melee reach increases to +20 feet, allowing you to dominate the battlefield with your presence.
- Charisma as Force Damage: Your melee attacks now deal force damage equal to your Charisma modifier, representing the overwhelming might of your hymn.
This feature signifies your full ascension as a Skald, a warrior-bard who melds the fury of battle with the power of song.
Caldrin Thornshade CR: 10
STR
14 +2
DEX
18 +4
CON
20 +5
INT
16 +3
WIS
16 +3
CHA
20 +5
Deception +9, Insight +7, Perception +7, Persuasion +9, Stealth +8
Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 17
Master of Illusions. Caldrin can cast Silent Image and Minor Illusion at will. Additionally, whenever he casts an illusion spell, he can make the effect last indefinitely unless it is dispelled or he chooses to end it.
Shapechanger. Caldrin can use his action to polymorph into an unassuming humanoid form or back into his true fey form. In humanoid form, he appears as a handsome, silver-haired traveler with piercing eyes and an easy smile. In his fey form, his coat gleams like polished moonlight, his silver horns twisting elegantly, and his movements become unnervingly fluid. His statistics remain the same in either form.
Silent Image
Minor Illusion
Traits
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Caldrin fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Riddle of the Grove. Any creature that speaks with Caldrin for at least 1 minute must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be cursed for 24 hours. While cursed in this way, the creature has disadvantage on Insight checks and must succeed on a DC 17 Intelligence saving throw whenever it attempts to see through an illusion.
Grove’s Illusions. While within the Twilight Grove, Caldrin can use an action to cast the spell Major Image. This illusion does not require concentration, lasts until he dismisses it, creates another, or leaves the grove.
Actions
Multiattack. Caldrin makes two attacks with Moonlit Hooves or Starfire Dagger.
Multiattack. Caldrin makes two attacks with his Gleaming Horns or casts one spell and makes one attack.
Gleaming Horns. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 17 (3d8 + 4) radiant damage.
Fey Trickery. Ranged Spell Attack: +9 to hit, range 60 ft., one target.
Hit: The target takes 16 (3d6 + 6) psychic damage and must succeed on a DC 17 Intelligence saving throw or believe that an illusion of Caldrin is real, forcing them to attack the illusion on their next turn.
Shifting Riddle (Recharge 5–6). Caldrin poses a reality-warping riddle to creatures within 30 feet. Each creature of his choice must make a DC 18 Intelligence saving throw or suffer a random magical effect (roll 1d4):
- The creature is stunned until the end of its next turn.
- The creature is blinded for 1 minute (repeat save at end of turns).
- The creature perceives all allies as enemies and vice versa for 1 minute (repeat save at end of turns).
- The creature forgets its last action taken and can no longer use that action for 1 minute (repeat save at end of turns).
Bonus Actions
Step Between Lies. As a bonus action, Caldrin bends the light and shadows of the Twilight Grove, creating two illusory pieces of terrain. The first illusion appears centered on himself, while the second manifests within 30 feet. These illusions (a crystal tree, a dense bush, a large rock, or similar natural formations) obscure vision and distort reality, lasting until the start of his next turn.
Caldrin can then choose to teleport to the center of the second illusion or remain in place, keeping his true location uncertain. Until the illusions fade, creatures attempting to perceive him must succeed on a DC 17 Intelligence (Investigation) check or believe he is hidden within one of the illusions.
Legendary Actions
Caldrin can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Caldrin regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. While within 120 feet of The Starfire Mirror, he can access the following abilities:
- Twilight Reflection (1 Action). Caldrin creates an illusory duplicate of himself within 30 feet. The duplicate mimics his actions and disappears if it takes damage. Until the start of his next turn, attacks against him have disadvantage unless the attacker can see through illusions.
- Shifting Lights (1 Action). The grove’s light flickers unpredictably, distorting vision. All creatures of his choice within 20 feet must succeed on a DC 17 Intelligence saving throw or be unable to discern friend from foe until the end of their next turn. Affected creatures are aware of this confusion. If an affected creature chooses to interact with or target another creature, the DM randomly determines which creature they interact with or attack.
- Gaze into the Starfire Mirror (2 Actions). Caldrin channels the power of the mirror, forcing a creature within 30 feet to make a DC 17 Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is overwhelmed by fractured visions of their surroundings, reducing their movement speed to 0 and removing their ability to take reactions until the end of their next turn. After using this ability, Caldrin can immediately move up to half his movement speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Caldrin Thornshade is a silver-coated satyr with gleaming horns and a playful grin that never quite reaches his eyes. Though he exudes an air of whimsy, his every word is chosen with care, designed to mislead, bargain, or entrap. He takes great pleasure in games of wit, favoring riddles and challenges over direct confrontation.
Though Caldrin is not needlessly cruel, he is unrelenting in his duty to protect The Starfire Mirror, the artifact that prevents the Foglight King from perceiving his former court. To him, deception is not merely a tactic—it is an art form, and his mastery of illusions makes it nearly impossible to discern truth from trickery within his domain.
Those who enter the Twilight Grove are fair game for his tests, and while some leave with newfound wisdom, others become permanent fixtures of the grove—lost to illusions that they can no longer distinguish from reality.