THE PATH OF THE TRICKSTER
A bard pursuing this path relies on wits and cunning, and seeks to outwit or confound enemies (and occasionally allies!). Generally, this path creates bards of selfish or anarchic disposition, taking delight in the misfortune of others and seeking superiority over the dull-witted.

Runecasting
Prerequisite: Skald
Maximum Ranks: 2
Experience Point Cost: 200
Runecasting is the act of seeking inspiration from drawing a rune and interpreting its meaning. While some sorcerers might use runes to seek out a divination, the bard draws runes as an act of theater. Judgement is pronounced as if from the gods themselves. Runecasting reduces the Difficulty of Persuasion tests against the superstitious by one step and increases the mental damage of all Threaten Actions by +1ยง.
Targets with Willpower 11+ or an Insight, Sorcery, or Thievery Focus 3+ are immune to these effects, unless you have Runecasting 2, at which point even they are convinced by your trickery.

Believe My Words
Prerequisite: Runecasting
Experience Point Cost: 400
When attempting a Persuade or Command test to make another person believe a falsehood or other trick of yours, you can re-roll all d20s that fail to result in a success. Any d20 resulting in a Complication can still be re-rolled, but the Complication results in the gamemaster gaining 2 Doom. The results of any re-roll must be accepted, even if resulting in another Complication. Such is the danger of falsehood and deception.