Bard Spells Known: Is this a typo? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Bard Spells Known: Is this a typo? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Phaseroth
02-01-06, 05:38 PM We discovered last night that our party's bard thought he had to prepare spells. Simple misreading of the rules on his part, and he hasn't done enough casting for anyone else to have noticed what he had been doing. No harm done.

However, once we pointed out that bards are spontaneous casters with a list of Spells Known, we found some confusion in the PHB.

PHB page 28: Table 3–5: Bard Spells Known has a footnote that reads, "1 Provided the bard has a high enough Charisma score to have a bonus spell of this level."

Since when does a high ability score grant a bonus to "Spells Known"? I thought this only applied to Spells Per Day. The above footnote does not appear with the Sorcerer Spells Known table (PHB pg. 54, Table 3–17), nor on the Favored Soul Spells Known table (Complete Divine pg. 8, Table 1–2).

The bard's descriptive text makes no mention of bonus Spells Known for a high Cha score. The official errata does not address this either.

Thoughts?
RaspK FOG
02-01-06, 05:53 PM This is in line with the simple entry bards and other "semi"casters face, that of 0 spells per day for some levels... If you check on spells per day available to the bard, for instance, you'll see that he has 0 spells per day for some levels according to his class level; on that level, he may only cast a spell of that level if he has high enough a Charisma score to gain any number of bonus spell slots for that level. If he isn't able to do so, however, he may not learn any spells that level and have to wait until the next one.
Elendur
02-01-06, 06:43 PM The other 2 classes that have 0 spells per day for certain levels are paladin and ranger, who know all of their spells. So the Bard is (sadly) unique in this respect.
RaspK FOG
02-01-06, 07:11 PM Fact is, he also the only of the two to even have a Spells Known table, so there you have it...
Phaseroth
02-01-06, 07:18 PM So what you're all saying is, how could he "know" a spell if he isn't able to cast the spell (0/day)?

I suppose that makes sense :)

Thanks!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Phaseroth 02-01-06, 05:38 PM	We discovered last night that our party's bard thought he had to prepare spells. Simple misreading of the rules on his part, and he hasn't done enough casting for anyone else to have noticed what he had been doing. No harm done. However, once we pointed out that bards are spontaneous casters with a list of Spells Known, we found some confusion in the PHB. PHB page 28: Table 3–5: Bard Spells Known has a footnote that reads, "1 Provided the bard has a high enough Charisma score to have a bonus spell of this level." Since when does a high ability score grant a bonus to "Spells Known"? I thought this only applied to Spells Per Day. The above footnote does not appear with the Sorcerer Spells Known table (PHB pg. 54, Table 3–17), nor on the Favored Soul Spells Known table (Complete Divine pg. 8, Table 1–2). The bard's descriptive text makes no mention of bonus Spells Known for a high Cha score. The official errata does not address this either. Thoughts?
RaspK FOG 02-01-06, 05:53 PM	This is in line with the simple entry bards and other "semi"casters face, that of 0 spells per day for some levels... If you check on spells per day available to the bard, for instance, you'll see that he has 0 spells per day for some levels according to his class level; on that level, he may only cast a spell of that level if he has high enough a Charisma score to gain any number of bonus spell slots for that level. If he isn't able to do so, however, he may not learn any spells that level and have to wait until the next one.
Elendur 02-01-06, 06:43 PM	The other 2 classes that have 0 spells per day for certain levels are paladin and ranger, who know all of their spells. So the Bard is (sadly) unique in this respect.
RaspK FOG 02-01-06, 07:11 PM	Fact is, he also the only of the two to even have a Spells Known table, so there you have it...
Phaseroth 02-01-06, 07:18 PM	So what you're all saying is, how could he "know" a spell if he isn't able to cast the spell (0/day)? I suppose that makes sense :) Thanks!