Skald is a class kit in 
Baldur's Gate:
Enhanced Edition (2012)
This icon indicates content from the Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition campaign.
Baldur's Gate:
Siege of Dragonspear (2016)
This icon indicates content from the Siege of Dragonspear campaign of the Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition.
Baldur's Gate II
Classic & Enhanced
This icon indicates content from all games of the 2nd Baldur's Gate instalment – all editions and expansions. This may include The Black Pits II..
Introduction[]
Skald is a Bard kit that fights with great skill and valor and whose songs are inspiring sagas of battle and valor. Skalds devote their lives to those pursuits. Consequently they receive a one-point bonus to THAC0 and damage at character creation and gain access to a special, powerful Bard song.
Since Skalds treasure honor and valor before anything else, they tend to neglect pickpocketing, which is deemed dishonorable. Thus, this skill will always be underdeveloped in comparison to unkitted bards. Skalds however have no other disadvantages when compared to other bards.
Bards are generally neutral characters, tending toward the chaotic—they come and go when they want, and are usually not bound by obligations, countries or organisations. There aren't many bards who are either good- or evil-aligned.
Only humans and half-elves can become bards.
Bards may not dual class.
Character abilities table[]
| Character Ability Score | Minimum Score |
|---|---|
| Strength | 3 |
| Dexterity | 12 |
| Constitution | 3 |
| Intelligence | 13 |
| Wisdom | 3 |
| Charisma | 15 |
During character creation, rolls below the minimum value for the class will be increased to that value. This table uses the values for Humans, other Races have modified ability scores.
Special abilities of the Skald[]
Skald Song[]
The signature ability of the bard is their battle song. Skalds have a special version of that song which gives party members massive combat bonuses:
1st level: Grants allies[1] a -2 bonus to THAC0, +2 bonus to damage rolls, and a -2 bonus to AC
15th level: Grants allies a -4 bonus to THAC0, +4 bonus to damage rolls, -4 bonus to AC and immunity to fear
20th level: Grants allies a -4 bonus to THAC0, +4 bonus to damage rolls, -4 bonus to AC, immunity to fear, stun, and confusion
All Bard songs work within a limited range, roughly 5 to 6 meters, and the singer’s view must not be blocked by doors, corners. In EE version 2.0+, Bard song of the same type no longer stacks, and all songs break invisibility.
Skalds can still select the Enhanced Bard Song HLA. It will replace their Skald song, though it provides only some relatively minor improvements over the level 20 version, and comes into play fairly late in game - the Skald must be at least level 24 (
Baldur's Gate II:
Throne of Bhaal (2001)
This icon indicates content from the original Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal campaign.
Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition – Throne of Bhaal (2013)
This icon indicates content from the Throne of Bhaal campaign of the Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition. only).
Gameplay
- The song effects take 1 to 6 sec to kick in, so do they when they go away, if you're feeling lucky, you may distract the bard to do something else, switch back to singing while still maintain the song benefits
Pick pockets[]
Skalds are quite ineffective at pick-pocketing. Human skalds start with 10 points in this skill (half-elves: 12) and receive a quarter the normal points (i.e. 1.25) per level. The skill caps at the score of 28 at level 16, plus a quarter of the normal dexterity modifier.
Lore[]
Bards have the highest Lore rating of any class, allowing them to identify many of the magical items they or their party discover. They receive 10 Lore points per level.
Wizard spellbook[]
Bards begin to advance in wizard spells slots when they reach level 2, up to the 6th spell level.
In order for bards to cast a spell, first they need to successfully scribe a mage spell scroll into their spell book (scroll lost in process regardless of success or failure), in which they must prepare the spell by putting it into an empty spell slot, then they have to rest to get the spell ready. Spellcasting is also affected by armor, wearing an armor of any kind (other than the rare Elven Chain Mail) renders it impossible.
Bards are known for their quick levelling, which gives them a slight advantage over mages when using spells that indefinitely scale with the caster's level – like Skull Trap, Dispel Magic, Remove Magic, Flame Arrow, Lower Resistance, Pierce Magic, etc. As the level difference between mages and bards always favors the latter, bards surprisingly get the upper hand when casting those spells and keep their advantage all the way up to reaching the level cap, as mages cannot progress past lvl 31, while bards can get to lvl 40.
The advantage fades when using spells with effect that is capped at a certain level, like Fireball - the bard will be the first to get the maximal possible effect at lvl 10, but lose all advantage once the mage reaches the same level.
Gameplay[]
Skalds , like all other bards, have a supporting role in the party. As long as they keep singing, they will buff the party considerably without having to worry about spell duration. The Skald song can be viewed as a more powerful replacement for Bless and Chant which decreases the number of active party members by 1 (as the Skald cannot perform combat actions/cast spells while singing, although with the right timing you can get a spell or ranged attack out in the same round before resuming singing).
It is highly advisable to protect the Skald before combat with spells like Stoneskin, Protection From Normal Missiles and Shield (against those pesky Magic Missiles) and keep a spell of Vocalize prepared, as silenced Skalds are near useless.
High-level class abilities[]
Bards have almost the same high-level class abilities as thieves, but instead of Assassination, they have enhanced bards song and magic flute, despite no skill points into Set Traps the traps HLAs available to the Bard will never fail or accidentally trigger on the Bard.
- Alchemy
- Avoid Death
- Enhanced Bard Song
- Evasion
- Greater Evasion, requires evasion already selected
- Magic Flute
- Scribe Scrolls, use any item is a requirement
- Set Spike Trap
- Set Exploding Trap
- Set Time Trap
- Use Any Item
Mod content[]
This section is about unofficial content that is only available via fan-made mods.
Installation of the Rogue Rebalancing mod makes a number of gameplay revisions and changes to all Rogues, including their kits. It is a comprehensive modification to nearly all aspects of the Rogues (Bards and Thieves) abilities and strives to bring them closer to their Pen and Paper AD&D counterparts. New and revised abilities are included, as well as new equipment and rogue specific items. Separate user installed components are available to customize selection of content and changes. Go to the link for further information.
Bard kit revisions
This component will modify all Bard kits so that they match their PnP counterparts more closely, as described in the 2E AD&D "Complete Bard's Handbook" supplement. The kits now get additional benefits but also receive new disadvantages. The default Bard song has also been altered (it was largely defunct in the unmodded game) and is now based on the PnP version of this ability. Furthermore, the hearing range of all battlesongs has been standardized and now extends slightly above the in-game visual range of the performing Bard.
Skald kit revisions
Skald
Skalds now have a +1 penalty to the casting speed of all spells as an additional disadvantage. Their battlesong has been slightly revised as well. The updated kit description reads as follows:
SKALD: This Nordic bard is also a warrior of great strength, skill and virtue. His songs are inspiring sagas of battle and valor, and the Skald devotes his life to those pursuits. Skalds are honored and respected as great warrior-poets who memorize the feats of each raid and battle, setting them down in the form of poetry. Spells are nearly unknown in the Skald's society and they are viewed with suspicion in any event. Using magic is slightly more difficult for a Skald and requires additional time and effort.
Advantages: - Gains Skald's Song at first level. This ability further improves at 9th and 18th level - Gains a +1 bonus to hit and damage with all weapons at first level
Disadvantages: - Pick pockets ability one-quarter normal - Suffers a 1 point penalty to spellcasting speed
Skald's Song: By chanting a war song, a Skald can inspire allies as they go forward into combat. Chanting can elevate spirits, remove concerns about danger, keep men's minds focused on combat and fill friendly forces with a sense of being larger than life. The effects of the song further improve as the Skald gains more levels:
1st: gives allies +2 to hit, +2 to damage, -2 to AC and immunity to Fear 9th: gives allies +3 to hit, +3 to damage, -3 to AC, immunity to Fear and Confusion 18th: gives allies +4 to hit, +4 to damage, -4 to AC, immunity to Fear, Stun and Confusion.
Bard High Level Ability revisions
This component will remove all Traps and other Thief-specific HLAs from the Bard High Level Ability table and replace them with new abilities which are more fitting for the Bard class. These new HLAs are: Mass Charm, Sound Burst, Enthralling Melody, Lingering Song, Resonating Weapon and Sound Barrier. Furthermore, the Magic Flute and Alchemy HLAs will be revised and each Bard kit will get a unique version of the Enhanced Battlesong HLA.
Enhanced Skald Song (Skald only)
This mighty battle chant grants the Skald and his allies +5 to hit, +5 to damage, -5 to AC, +10% resistance to physical damage, immunity to Fear, Stun and Confusion. The Skald himself receives a 10 point bonus to his armor class while singing the song.
Spell slots progression[]
|
Spell lvl / Bard lvl |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Total # of spell slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | ||||||
| 2 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 3 | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||
| 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||||
| 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |||
| 8
|
3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | |||
| 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | |||
| 10
|
3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | ||
| 11 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 12
|
3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 | ||
| 13 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | |
| 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 13 | |
| 15 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | |
| 16 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 16 |
| 17 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 18 |
| 18 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 20 |
| 19 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 21 |
| 20 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 23 |
| 21 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 24 |
| 22 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 25 |
| 23
|
5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 26 |
| 24-27 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 27 |
| 28-29 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 28 |
| 30-37 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 29 |
| 38-40
|
5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 30 |
Experience and character stats table[]
| Level | Experience required | Hit Dice | Weapon Proficiency | THAC0 | Saving throws D/W/P/B/S | Pick Pockets | No. of HLA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1d6 | +2 | 20 | 13/14/12/16/15 | 10 | |
| 2 | 1,250 | 2d6 | 20 | 13/14/12/16/15 | 11 | ||
| 3 | 2,500 | 3d6 | 19 | 13/14/12/16/15 | 12 | ||
| 4 | 5,000 | 4d6 | +1 | 19 | 13/14/12/16/15 | 13 | |
| 5 | 10,000 | 5d6 | 18 | 12/12/11/15/13 | 15 | ||
| 6 | 20,000 | 6d6 | 18 | 12/12/11/15/13 | 16 | ||
| 7 | 40,000 | 7d6 | 17 | 12/12/11/15/13 | 17 | ||
| 8
|
70,000 | 8d6 | +1 | 17 | 12/12/11/15/13 | 18 | |
| 9 | 110,000 | 9d6 | 16 | 11/10/10/14/11 | 20 | ||
| 10
|
160,000 | 10d6 | 16 | 11/10/10/14/11 | 21 | ||
| 11 | 220,000 | 10d6+2 | 15 | 11/10/10/14/11 | 22 | ||
| 12
|
440,000 | 10d6+4 | +1 | 15 | 11/10/10/14/11 | 23 | |
| 13 | 660,000 | 10d6+6 | 14 | 10/8/9/13/9 | 25 | ||
| 14 | 880,000 | 10d6+8 | 14 | 10/8/9/13/9 | 26 | ||
| 15 | 1,100,000 | 10d6+10 | 13 | 10/8/9/13/9 | 27 | ||
| 16 | 1,320,000 | 10d6+12 | +1 | 13 | 10/8/9/13/9 | 28 | |
| 17 | 1,540,000 | 10d6+14 | 12 | 9/6/8/12/7 | 28 | ||
| 18 | 1,760,000 | 10d6+16 | 12 | 9/6/8/12/7 | 28 | ||
| 19 | 1,980,000 | 10d6+18 | 11 | 9/6/8/12/7 | 28 | ||
| 20 | 2,200,000 | 10d6+20 | +1 | 11 | 9/6/8/12/7 | 28 | |
| 21 | 2,420,000 | 10d6+22 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | ||
| 22 | 2,640,000 | 10d6+24 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | ||
| 23
|
2,860,000 | 10d6+26 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | ||
| 24 | 3,080,000 | 10d6+28 | +1 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 1 |
| 25 | 3,300,000 | 10d6+30 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 2 | |
| 26 | 3,520,000 | 10d6+32 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 3 | |
| 27 | 3,740,000 | 10d6+34 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 4 | |
| 28 | 3,960,000 | 10d6+36 | +1 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 5 |
| 29 | 4,180,000 | 10d6+38 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 6 | |
| 30 | 4,400,000 | 10d6+40 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 7 | |
| 31 | 4,620,000 | 10d6+42 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 8 | |
| 32 | 4,840,000 | 10d6+44 | +1 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 9 |
| 33 | 5,060,000 | 10d6+46 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 10 | |
| 34 | 5,280,000 | 10d6+48 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 11 | |
| 35 | 5,500,000 | 10d6+50 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 12 | |
| 36 | 5,720,000 | 10d6+52 | +1 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 13 |
| 37 | 5,940,000 | 10d6+54 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 14 | |
| 38 | 6,160,000 | 10d6+56 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 15 | |
| 39 | 6,380,000 | 10d6+58 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 16 | |
| 40
|
8,000,000 | 10d6+60 | +1 | 10 | 8/4/7/11/5 | 28 | 17 |
| Total | 12 | 17 |
Skalds also start with a +1 bonus to THAC0 and damage, which is not included in the table and is retained separately from their base THAC0.
Stronghold[]
Bards protagonists may run the Five Flagons Inn stage after they rescue Raelis and Haer'Dalis from the planar prison
- ↑ Including the bard himself, which matters especially for the AC bonus and immunities.