Fiddler (TOWW)

This page is a part of the Homebrew setting "The Old Wild World."

Material on this page may not be suitable for traditional 3.5e gameplay.

Fiddler

Making a Fiddler

Abilities: Cha, Int, Dex.

Alignment: Any nonlawful.

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills

Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Calligraphy (Int), Craft (woodworking) (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intuition (Wis), Knowledge (all) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Persuasion (Cha), Sleight of Hand (Dex), and Stealth (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st level: (3 + Int modifier) × 4.

Skill Points at each additional level: 3 + Int modifier.

Table: The Fiddler

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Defense Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Inspiration per day	Inspiring Music Bonus
1st	+0	+1	+0	+2	+2	Repertoire, Traveler's Knowledge, Disorient, Fascinate, Inspiring Music	2	+2
2nd	+1	+1	+0	+3	+3	Traveler traits, Charm, Rejuvinate (1d6)	3	+2
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	+3	Lullaby	5	+2
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	+4	Distract, Nitpick	6	+3
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	+4	Taunt, Journal +2, Inspirational Rest	8	+3
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	+5	Suggestion, Comradery	9	+3
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	+5	Meditative Lullaby, Rejuvinate (2d6)	11	+4
8th	+6/+1	+2	+2	+6	+6	Improvise	12	+4
9th	+6/+1	+2	+3	+6	+6	Invigorate, Journal +4	13	+4
10th	+7/+2	+2	+3	+7	+7	Awaken, Suggestion +1	14	+5
11th	+8/+3	+3	+3	+7	+7	Spirit Songs, Patience, Worldly Weapons	16	+5
12th	+9/+4	+3	+4	+8	+8	Connections, Rejuvinate (3d6)	17	+5
13th	+9/+4	+3	+4	+8	+8	Journal +6	19	+6
14th	+10/+5	+3	+4	+9	+9	Ferocity	20	+6
15th	+11/+6/+1	+3	+5	+9	+9	Rally, Suggestion +2	22	+6
16th	+12/+7/+2	+3	+5	+10	+10	Soulless Tune, Spirit Songs	23	+7
17th	+12/+7/+2	+4	+5	+10	+10	Overconfidence, Rejuvinate (4d6), Journal +8	25	+7
18th	+13/+8/+3	+4	+6	+11	+11	Sway	26	+7
19th	+14/+9/+4	+4	+6	+11	+11	Earthsong	28	+8
20th	+15/+10/+5	+4	+6	+12	+12	Suggestion +3, Sway +1	29	+8

Class Features

Fiddlers have the following class features:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency A fiddler is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the handaxe, saber, cutlass, rapier, and boomerang. Fiddlers are proficient with light armor. A fiddler who is wearing armor that she is not proficient with takes a –4 penalty when performing anything from her repertoire.

Traveler's Knowledge A fiddler may make a special traveler's knowledge check with a bonus equal to her fiddler level + her Intelligence modifier to see whether she knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. (If the fiddler has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history), she gains a +2 bonus on this check.)

A successful traveler's knowledge check will not reveal the powers of an artifact but may give a hint as to its general function. A fiddler may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random.

DC	Type of Knowledge
10	Common, known by at least a substantial minority drinking; common legends of the local population.
20	Uncommon but available, known by only a few people legends.
25	Obscure, known by few, hard to come by.
30	Extremely obscure, known by very few, possibly forgotten by most who once knew it, possibly known only by those who don't understand the significance of the knowledge.

Journal: Starting at 5th level, a fiddler keeps a journal of her travels and gains a bonus to her traveler's knowledge. She can also apply this bonus to any Knowledge checks of a place she has previously been. The bonus starts at +2, and goes up by a further +2 every four fiddler levels thereafter.

Repertoire A fiddler can use her inspiration to perform music or poetry have strong effects on the people who hear them (including herself, if desired). Though these performances' descriptions may mention singing or playing an instrument, anything in a fiddler's repertoire can be performed by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, humming, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in tandem with one of the other methods. As a fiddler levels up she adds more performances to her repertoire. A fiddler must meet the required minimum number of ranks in the Perform skill for each item in her repertoire; if a fiddler does not meet this minimum requirement, she cannot make this performance until she acquires the necessary ranks. A fiddler's inspiration is recovered after a long rest. If a fiddler has run out of inspiration, she cannot perform anything from her repertoire.

Starting a repertoire performance is a standard action. Some performances require concentration, which means the fiddler must take a standard action each round to maintain the ability. A deaf fiddler has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to perform anything from her repertoire.

Disorient (Ph): A fiddler with 3 or more ranks in Perform can use her music to disorient and confuse a creature within 30 feet. Each round of disorient, the fiddler makes a Perform check and the target makes a Will save against it. If the target fails its saving throw, it is confused on its next turn. The fiddler may keep disorient for 10 rounds.

Fascinate: A fiddler with 3 or more ranks in Perform can use her music to cause one or more creatures to become focused on her. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the fiddler, and able to pay attention to her. The fiddler must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working.

To perform this, a fiddler makes a Perform check. Her check result is the DC for each affected target’s Charisma check to avoid the effect. If a target’s check succeeds, the fiddler cannot attempt to fascinate that target again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the target forgoes any move actions, and takes a –4 penalty on Perception checks, for as long as the fiddler continues to play and concentrate (up to a maximum of 1 round per fiddler level). Any potential threat requires the fiddler to make another Perform check and allows the target a new saving throw against a DC equal to the new Perform check result.

Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a or aiming a weapon at the target, automatically ends the effect.

Inspiring Music (Ex): A fiddler with 3 or more ranks in Perform can use music to inspire a target other than herself. To be affected, a target must be able to hear the fiddler play. During the next 5 minutes, the target may add a +2 bonus to any one roll they make. At 4th level and every 3 fiddler levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+3 at 4th, +4 at 7th, +5 at 10th, and so on).

Rejuvinate (Ph): A fiddler of 2nd level or higher with 4 or more ranks in Perform can perform soothing songs or music to revitalize injured allies. Any friendly creatures who can hear the fiddler (including herself) recover nonlethal damage. A target who is is resting, either a short or long rest, recovers lethal damage. The recovered damage starts at 1d6 and increases by 1d6 every 5 fiddler levels thereafter.

Lullaby (Ph): A fiddler of 3rd level or higher with 6 or more ranks in Perform can play a calming rhythm to make a target tired. The target must be able to hear the fiddler. The fiddler makes a Perform check. Her check result is the DC for the target's Constitution check to avoid the effect. If the target passes the check, they gain a +10 bonus to future checks against the fiddler's lullaby for the next 24 hours. If the target fails, they become fatigued. A fiddler may attempt to lullaby the same target multiple times.

A target that is already fatigued gains a +5 bonus against the fiddler's lullaby. If they fail their check, they become exhausted. An exhausted target gains a further +5 bonus. An exhausted target who fails their check falls asleep. Any action or hazard that would normally wake a creature up causes the target to awaken.

Medidative Lullaby: At 7th level, a fiddler can use her lullaby to aid an ally in their concentration. An ally must be within 30 feet and be able to hear the fiddler. The ally gains a +4 bonus on any Attune checks made while the fiddler is playing.

Distract: A fiddler of 4th level or higher with 7 or more ranks in Perform can use music and performance to create a distraction. Each target to be distracted must be within 90 feet and able to see and hear the fiddler. A target that faces an immediate threat, such as an attacker actively approaching them, cannot be distracted.

The fiddler makes a Perform check. Her check result is the DC for the target's Constitution check to avoid the effect. If the target passes the check, the fiddler cannot attempt to distract them again for an hour. If the target fails, they lose focus of what they were doing before. A distracted target cannot take any actions that do not relate to the fiddler. A target remains distracted as long as the fiddler continues to play and concentrate (up to a maximum of 1 round per fiddler level).

Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a or aiming a weapon at the target, automatically ends the effect.

Suggestion (Ph): A fiddler of level 6th or higher with 9 or more ranks in Perform can make a suggestion to a target that she has already fascinated (see above). Using this ability does not break the fiddler’s concentration on the Fascinate performance, nor does it allow a second saving throw against be fascinated.

A target's actions can be influenced by suggesting a course of activity (just a sentence or two). The fiddler makes a Charisma check. Her check result is the DC for each affected target’s Will saving throw to avoid the effect. A fiddler gains a +1 bonus to the DC at 10th level, and every 5 fiddler levels thereafter. The suggestion must be worded in a reasonable manner. Asking the target to do something obviously harmful automatically negates this effect, and breaks the target's fascination with the fiddler. A very reasonable suggestion adds a –2 penalty to the target's save.

A fiddler can instead specify conditions that will trigger a special activity. If the activity is not completed or the conditions are not met before 1 hour since the fiddler made the suggestion, the activity is not performed.

Making a suggestion does not use a fiddler's inspiration.

Invigorate (Ph): A fiddler of 9th level or higher with 12 or more ranks in Perform

Awaken (Ph): A fiddler of 10th level or higher with 13 or more ranks in Perform

A bard of 12th level or higher with 15 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use music or poetics to create an effect equivalent to the break enchantment spell (caster level equals the character’s bard level). Using this ability requires 1 minute of uninterrupted concentration and music, and it functions on a single target within 30 feet. A bard can’t use song of freedom on himself.

Ferocity (Ex): A fiddler of 14th level or higher with 17 or more ranks in Perform

Soulless tune (Su): A fiddler of 16th level or higher with 12 or more ranks in Perform

Sway (Ph): A fiddler of 18th level or higher with 21 or more ranks in Perform

This ability functions like suggestion, above, except that a bard of 18th level or higher with 21 or more ranks in a Perform skill can make the suggestion simultaneously to any number of creatures that he has already fascinated (see above). mass suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language-dependent ability.

Earthsong (Su): A fiddler of 19th level or higher with 22 or more ranks in Perform

Traveler Traits Living on the road and off the hospitality of others, a fiddler learns various traits that make it easier for her to get what she wants from people. Using a traveler trait is an immediate action. Using traveler traits uses the fiddler's inspiration.

Charm: Having mastered the art of appealing to a crowd, starting at 2nd level, a fiddler can exercise her charm outside of a performance. The fiddler gains a +4 on a Persuasion check or places a –4 penalty on a target's Will saving throw.

Nitpick: At 4th level or higher, a fiddler has learned how to point out just the right facts to pit people against each other. The fiddler makes an opposed Charisma check for each target. Each additional target over 2 adds a –2 penalty to the fiddler's Charisma check. If a target passes the check, the fiddler cannot attempt to nitpick them again for 24 hours. If the target fails, they become irritated with the other target(s) and will not trust them or work with them for the next number of hours equal to the fiddler's Charisma modifier.

An irritated target is more likely to accept a suggestion that is detrimental to someone they are irritated with, equivalent to a very reasonable suggestion.

Taunt: At 5th level or higher, if an attack misses a fiddler, she can taunt her attacker. The attacker must make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 fiddler’s level + fiddler’s Cha modifier) or be successfully taunted. A taunted target gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls against the fiddler, but a –4 penalty on all defense rolls. The taunt lasts for one full round.

Comradery: At 6th level or higher, a fiddler is able to use her personality and charisma to bring disagreeing people together. The fiddler makes a Charisma check with a +4 bonus (DC 10 + 1/2 target’s level + target’s Cha modifier). Each additional target over 2 adds a –2 penalty to the fiddler's Charisma check. If the fiddler passes on 1 or less checks, nothing happens. If she passes on more than one, each target who's check she passed becomes more likely to work with each other, and is more likely to accept a suggestion that involves one of the other targets, equivalent to a very reasonable suggestion.

Improvise: At 8th level or higher, a fiddler becomes adept at thinking on the spot and recovering from mistakes. The fiddler can gain a +2 bonus to either an initiative or defense roll, or a +4 bonus to a Bluff check.

Patience: At 11th level or higher, a fiddler can take a standard action to steady and calm herself. The fiddler gains a +4 bonus on her next attack roll.

Connections: At 12th level or higher, a fiddler has established important connections across the world. This functions very similarly to traveler's knowledge, but the fiddler instead makes a Persuasion check with a special bonus of 1/2 her fiddler level + her Charisma modifier to determine if she knows someone where she is.

DC	Type of Connection
10	Common, a local shop or saloon owner.
20	Official, a lawman or large business employee.
25	Notoriety, a high ranking official or company manager.
30	Elite, a company executive or political leader.

Rally:

Overconfidence:

Spirit Songs At 11th level, and every 5 fiddler levels thereafter, a fiddler may add one of the following special songs to her repertoire.

Worldly Weapons At 11th level, a fiddler has experienced so much and learned a great deal about the world. She may become proficient with any 3 weapons of her choice that she is not already proficient with.

Ex-Fiddlers

A bard who becomes lawful in alignment cannot progress in levels as a fiddler, though they retains all their fiddler abilities.

Epic Fiddler

Table: The Epic Fiddler

Hit Die: d6

Level	Special
21st
22nd
23rd	Bonus Feat
24th
25th
26th	Inspire Courage +5, Bonus Feat
27th
28th
29th	Bonus Feat
30th
6 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Spells: The bard’s caster level is equal to his or her class level. The bard’s number of spells per day does not increase after 20th level. The bard does not learn additional spells unless he or she selects the Spell Knowledge feat.

Bardic Music: The bard gains no new bardic music effects from his or her Perform ranks. However, he or she may select epic feats that grant new bardic music effects

Inspire Courage (Su): The epic bard’s bonus when this ability is used increases by +1 every six levels higher than 20th.

Bardic Knowledge: Add the bard’s class level + Intelligence modifier to all bardic knowledge checks, as normal.

Bonus Feats: The epic bard gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic bard bonus feats) every three levels after 20th.

Epic Fiddler Bonus Feat List: Augmented Alchemy, Deafening Song, Epic Inspiration, Epic Leadership, Epic Reputation, Epic Skill Focus, Group Inspiration, Hindering Song, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Inspire Excellence, Lasting Inspiration, Master Staff, Master Wand, Music of the Gods, Permanent Emanation, Polyglot, Ranged Inspiration, Rapid Inspiration, Reactive Countersong, Spell Knowledge, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Tenacious Magic.

© Copyright 2023−2024 Voyde Studios. All Rights Reserved.

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Campaign Settings → The Old Wild World → Classes