#sthenos

 We’re back again with another bardic muse, and this one is something of another classic trope of the bard class.

While certainly bards are known for their music, they are also known for being skillful dilettantes, the very picture of a jack of all trades.

With that focus in mind, it’s not surprising that some such bards call upon a muse that is similarly varied in their skills and abilities. Some might be fey creatures whose mercurial whims have lead them to amassing a wide array of skills, while others might be deities of travel or learning. Indeed, some of these bards might be less the classic wandering polymath and more the scholarly sort, leading to them calling upon great scholars of the past or the very concept of academia.

Whether they are well-traveled or well-read, there is no denying that bards of the polymath have an interest in many different things without fully dedicating themselves to any one subject. To them, their occult magic is curiosity, just another trick they’ve picked up, similar to older bardic flavor across the history of tabletop gaming.

Regardless, allies will find that these vagabonds always seem to have a decent answer, if not the best answer, to any situation that the party might find themselves in.

 At their most basic level, polymaths learn the art of using their performative skills to do basic things associated with traditional social skills. Additionally, they learn to conjure up an invisible force to assist them.

They also have a selection of feats exclusive to this muse, which includes Esoteric Polymath, allowing them to learn additional spells on the side by transcribing them in a book at cost. They can choose one spell each day to add to their arsenal or to empower as if it were a signature spell. Meanwhile, Versatile Signature allows them to shift what spells are considered signature for them, allowing them to be more flexible and powerful with a spell that is more useful for that day. Eclectic Skill allows them to use their broad experiences to perform untrained acts at greater and greater levels of competency. With Unusual Composition, they can improvise a performance to get the same results of a composition spell while doing something difference, such as using an instrument instead of their voice, or pantomime. Finally, some of the most powerful polymath bards learn how to make all of their spells signature spells!

Of course, there are other feats which may prove useful to polymaths, such as Well-Versed, Cantrip Expansion, Multifarious Muse, as well as any feats that grant a new composition spell.

This muse makes for a bard that has a versatile selection of spells and skills. If having a trick for every situation appeals to you, go for it, picking from the wide variety of options available to the class.

 In the previous edition, certain archetypes for the bard and select other classes really did feel like separate disciplines united under the bard mantle thanks to their varied skills, and perhaps with the polymath, you can start to see inklings of the same.

  Many half-elves turn to a life on the road as a way to get away from the demands of their dualistic heritage. As such, they tend to collect a variety of skills, including magic. However, life on the road can be dangerous, such is the case when an elven mother hires the party to investigate why her daughter as stopped writing.

 A lone camel-rider is seen by the party from afar. Their guide warns them it is an ill omen, but upon closer inspection the rider seems to be perfectly normal. He claims to be a wandering trader who uses his magic to keep safe, but something seems off about him.