A guitarist is a bard who focuses mainly on a singular instrument, a guitar. He focuses the power of sound through his guitar to create sonic vibrations to hurt and hinder his foes.
The guitarist is an archetype of the bard class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The guitarist mainly focuses on DEX for martial combat and CHA for their class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Songs, MP Pool, Musical Power. 2nd – Song Talent. 4th – Song Talent. 6th – Song Talent. 7th – Skilled Performer. 8th – Song Talent, Dirge of Doom. 10th – Song Talent. 12th – Advanced Song Talent. 13th – Can’t Stop My Performance. 14th – Advanced Song Talent. 16th – Advanced Song Talent. 16th – Unstoppable Performance. 18th – Advanced Song Talent. 20th – Advanced Song Talent.
Guitar
A guitarist begins play with a masterwork guitar as part of his starting equipment. A guitarist must have a guitar to utilize his sonic boom ability. He may magically enhance his guitar to provide an enhancement bonus to hit and damage on ranged touch and area effect attacks or increase the DC saving throws.
Precise Booms
A guitarist is considered to have the Precise Shot feat while using his guitar for sonic boom attacks.
This ability replaces musical power.
Sonic Boom (Su)
A guitarist can use his guitar to produce an ear splitting boom of sonic energy. A sonic boom is a ray with a range of 60 feet. It is a ranged touch attack that affects a single target. A sonic boom deals 1d6 points of non-elemental damage at 1st level and increases in power as the guitarist rises in level. The guitarist adds his Charisma modifier to his sonic boom damage. A guitarist can apply one boom shape enhancement and one sonic essence enhancement to the same sonic boom. The target must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half of the bard’s level + his Charisma modifier) or become shaken for 1 round per bard level. The damage increases by 1d6 at 4th level and every three levels thereafter (3d6 at 7th, 4d6 at 10th, 5d6 at 13th, 6d6 at 16th, and finally 7d6 at 19th). A sonic boom counts as a weapon-like ability for the purpose of applying feats. A sonic boom deals half damage to objects and can’t be used with Vital Strike feats.
This ability replaces songs and MP pool.
Sonic Boom Enhancement (Su)
At 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, a guitarist learns to enhance his sonic boom ability. Unless otherwise noted, a guitarist cannot select an individual sonic boom enhancement more than once. Some sonic boom enhancements can only be chosen if the guitarist has met certain prerequisites first. Some sonic boom enhancements that are marked with an asterisk (*) modify the range, target(s), or area of a guitarist’s sonic boom. These are called boom shape enhancements. Boom shape enhancements do not stack, only one can be applied to an individual boom. Some sonic boom enhancements that are marked with two asterisks (**) modify the damage or other effects of the guitarist’s sonic boom. These are called sonic essence enhancements. Sonic essence enhancements do not stack, only one can be applied to an individual boom until 6th level and replaces the shaken effect. A guitarist can apply one boom shape enhancement and one sonic essence to an individual boom. The DC of any saving throw called for by a sonic boom enhancement is equal to 10 + half of the bard’s level + his Charisma modifier.
Bewitching Boom** (Su): This sonic essence enhancement allows the guitarist to change his sonic boom into a bewitching boom. Any creature struck by a bewitching boom must succeed on a Will save or be confused for 1 round per bard level. This is a mind influencing effect. Prerequisite: A guitarist must be at least 12th level before selecting this enhancement.
Binding Boom** (Su): This sonic essence enhancement allows the guitarist to change his sonic boom into a binding boom. Any creature struck by a binding boom must succeed on a Will save or be stunned for 1 round. This is a mind-affecting effect. Prerequisite: A guitarist must be at least 8th level before selecting this enhancement.
Bleeding Boom** (Su): This sonic essence enhancement allows the guitarist to change his sonic boom into a bleeding boom. This boom causes living opponents to bleed. This attack causes the target to take 1 additional point of damage each round for each die of the guitarist’s sonic boom (e.g., 4d6 equals 4 points of bleed).
Blinding Boom** (Su): This sonic essence enhancement allows the guitarist to change his sonic boom into a blinding boom. Any living creature struck by a blinding boom must succeed on a Fortitude save or be blinded for 1 round per bard level.
Deteriorating Boom** (Su): This sonic essence enhancement allows the guitarist to change his sonic boom into a deteriorating boom. Any creature struck by a deteriorating boom must succeed on a Fortitude save or have its damage reduction lowered by 5 for 1 minute. If the target has more than one type of damage reduction, this effect applies to all of them. Multiple uses of this essence don’t stack; instead, the new duration replaces the old one. Prerequisite: A guitarist must be at least 8th level before selecting this enhancement.
Frightful Boom** (Su): This sonic essence enhancement allows the guitarist to change his sonic boom into a frightful boom. Any creature struck by a frightful boom must succeed on a Will save or become frighten for 1 round per bard level. A frightened creature struck by a frightful boom is not affected by the frighten aspect of the boom but takes damage normally. Creatures with immunity to mind-affecting spells and abilities or fear effects cannot be frightened by a frightful boom. Prerequisite: A guitarist must be at least 8th level before selecting this enhancement.
Hammer Boom** (Su): This sonic essence enhancement allows the guitarist to change his sonic boom into a hammer boom. A hammer boom deals normal damage to objects, rather than half.
Hindering Boom** (Su): This sonic essence enhancement allows the guitarist to change his sonic boom into a hindering boom. Any living creature struck by a hindering boom must succeed on a Will save or be slowed for 1 round per bard level. Prerequisite: A guitarist must be at least 6th level before selecting this enhancement.
Noxious Boom** (Su): This sonic essence enhancement allows the guitarist to change his sonic boom into a noxious boom. Any creature struck by a noxious boom must make a Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round per bard level. Prerequisite: A guitarist must be at least 8th level before selecting this enhancement.
Penetrating Boom** (Su): This sonic essence enhancement allows the guitarist to change his sonic boom into a penetrating boom. A creature affected by a penetrating boom must succeed on a Will save or have its spell resistance lowered by 5 for 1 round per bard level. Multiple uses of this essence don’t stack; instead, the new duration replaces the old one. Prerequisite: A guitarist must be at least 12th level before selecting this enhancement.
Repelling Boom** (Su): This sonic essence enhancement allows the guitarist to change his sonic boom into a repelling boom. Any Medium or smaller creature struck by a repelling boom must make a Reflex save or be hurled 1d6×5 feet (1d6 squares) directly away from the guitarist and knocked prone by the energy of the attack. If the creature strikes a solid object, it stops prematurely, taking 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet hurled, and it is still knocked prone. Movement from this boom does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Prerequisite: A guitarist must be at least 6th level before selecting this enhancement.
Sickening Boom** (Su): This sonic essence enhancement allows the guitarist to change his sonic boom into a sickening boom. Any living creature struck by a sickening boom must make a Fortitude save or become sickened for 1 round per bard level. A sickened creature struck by a second sickening boom is not affected by the sickening aspect of the boom but still takes damage normally.
Sonic Chain* (Su): This boom shape enhancement allows the guitarist to improve his sonic boom by turning it into an arc of sonic energy that “jumps” from the first target to others. A sonic chain can jump to one secondary target per 5 guitarist levels within 30 feet of the previous one, allowing the guitarist to make additional ranged touch attacks and deal damage to the secondary targets if you hit. The guitarist can’t target the same creature more than once with the sonic chain. If he misses any target in the chain, the sonic chain attack ends there. Each target struck after the first takes half the damage dealt to the first target. The guitarist must make a separate spell penetration check for each target, if applicable. Prerequisite: A guitarist must be at least 12th level before selecting this enhancement.
Sonic Cone* (Su): This boom shape enhancement allows the guitarist to invoke his sonic boom as a 30-foot cone. The sonic cone deals the normal sonic boom damage to all targets within the area. This is not a ray attack, so it requires no ranged touch attack. Any creature in the area of the cone can attempt a Reflex save for half damage. Prerequisite: A guitarist must be at least 8th level before selecting this enhancement.
Sonic Doom* (Su): This boom shape enhancement allows the guitarist to invoke his sonic boom as the dreaded sonic doom. This causes bolts of sonic power to lash out and savage nearby targets. A sonic doom deals sonic boom damage to any number of targets designated by the guitarist and within 20 feet. This is not a ray attack, so it requires no ranged touch attack. Each target can attempt a Reflex save for half damage. Prerequisite: A guitarist must be at least 10th level before selecting this enhancement.
Sonic Line* (Su): This boom shape enhancement allows the guitarist to invoke his sonic boom as a 60-foot line. A sonic line deals the normal sonic boom damage to all targets within the area. This is not a ray attack, so it requires no ranged touch attack. Any creature in the line can attempt a Reflex save for half damage. Prerequisite: A guitarist must be at least 6th level before selecting this enhancement.
Sonic Spear* (Su): This boom shape enhancement extends the guitarist’s sonic boom attacks to great distances. Sonic spear increases the range of a sonic boom attack to 250 feet with no range increment.
Spirit Boom** (Su): This sonic essence enhancement allows the guitarist to change his sonic boom into a spirit boom. The boom deals an extra 1 point of damage per die to undead. The spirit boom also affects incorporeal creatures normally. Prerequisite: A guitarist must be at least 8th level before selecting this enhancement.
These abilities replace song talents and advanced song talents.
Extra Sonic Boom (Su)
At 7th level, as a full-round action, the guitarist is able to produce an additional sonic boom attack at a -5 penalty. At 14th level, he can produce a third sonic boom attack at a -10 penalty. The guitarist cannot use any boom shape enhancements with the additional sonic booms.
This ability replaces skilled performer.
Additional Sonic Essence Enhancements (Su)
At 8th level, the guitarist is able to apply a 2nd sonic essence enhancement to his sonic booms.
At 13th level, the guitarist is able to apply a 3rd sonic essence enhancement to his sonic booms.
This ability replaces dirge of doom and can’t stop my performance.
Strapped On (Ex)
At 16th level, a guitarist cannot be disarmed while wielding his guitar.
This ability replaces unstoppable performance.
