A few in life choose to mark the great moments in history in a powerful song. Images of bravery, strength, honor and valor all accentuated by the beautiful and vivid portrayal laced amongst the powerful melody recounted by the songstress. And yet, for some this is not enough. For she who has heard the alluring and hypnotizing call of Althena’s Song, it becomes difficult not to be entranced. The songstress who wishes to further explore the powerful and magical potential of this song, often focus their studies and training so that they may become dramaturges. With a keen mind and a powerful voice, she guides her party, enhancing their innate capabilities, while keeping their minds free from even the most powerful enchantments. Despite the female-focused name, the archetype is not female only. The male version is known as Songster.
The songstress is an archetype of the bard class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The songstress mainly focuses on STR/DEX for martial combat and CHA for their class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Fascinate. 2nd – Versatile Performance. 3rd – Inspire Competence. 9th – Inspire Greatness. 14th – Frightening Tune. 18th – Funeral Ballad.
Bardic Performance
A songstress gains the following bardic performances. The songstress must use Perform (sing) with these performances.
Limning Verse (Su)
At 1st level, the songstress can sing a song that causes fiends to glow with an aura of silvery light. Creatures with an evil alignment and outsiders within 10 feet of the songstress that are affected, a pale glow surrounds and outlines the subjects. Outlined subjects shed light as candles. Creatures outlined by this glow take a -20 penalty on all Stealth checks. Outlined creatures do not benefit from the concealment normally provided by darkness (though a 2nd-level or higher magical darkness effect functions normally), blur, displacement, vanish, or similar effects. The light is too dim to have any special effect on undead or dark-dwelling creatures vulnerable to light. The glow can be blue, green, or violet, according to the songstress’s choice at the time of singing. The glow does not cause any harm to the objects or creatures thus outlined. At 4th level and every four bard levels thereafter, the range of this ability increases by 10 feet, to a maximum of 60 feet at 20th level.
This ability replaces fascinate.
Dedicated Performance (Ex)
At 2nd level, a songstress must choose Perform (sing) as her versatile performance skill. At 6th level, the songstress gains a bonus on Perform (sing) checks made as part of a versatile performance equal to the number of additional Perform skills in which she has the maximum number of ranks possible at her level. This bonus increases by 1 per maximized Perform skill at 10th level and every four levels thereafter, to a maximum of a +4 bonus per fully ranked Perform skill other than Perform (sing) at 18th level.
This ability alters versatile performance.
Devilbane Refrain (Su)
At 3rd level, the songstress learns how to mimic aspects of Althena’s Song with her performance, enhancing her allies’ ability to combat devils and similar fiends. To be affected, a creature must be able to hear the songstress’s singing and be within 30 feet of her. Natural and manufactured weapons wielded by affected allies are treated as though they were silver for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction. At 14th level, allies’ natural and manufactured weapons also gain the benefit of the Holy weapon special ability that affects outsiders as well.
This ability replaces inspire competence and frightening tune.
Shattering Crescendo (Sp)
At 9th level, the songstress learns to sing at frequencies capable of shattering magical effects. As a full-round action, a songstress can use 2 rounds of bardic performance to attempt to dispel a single evil spell or enchantment spell cast by an evil creature. This functions as per dispel, using the bard’s level as her caster level. At 18th level, this ability can be used on effects that can be removed by the spell basuna.
This ability replaces inspire greatness and funeral ballad.
