Heward’s Hall
An obscure patron of bards and other music makers, the mortal Heward studied the ancient songs of the elves, and legends say, eventually brought music to humanity.
He created instruments that are commonplace today and composed some of the oldest songs and airs known to the race, as well as crafting a unique pipe organ known for its mystical properties. His furthering of music led bards to honor Heward’s name, eventually giving rise to a number of cathedrals, concert halls, and playhouses dedicated to the first bard, each taking the name “Heward’s hall.” Some of these sites are incredibly inspirational to songsmiths and musicians of all walks, instilling within them the ability to push their own talents to extreme heights. The specific locale described below is just one example of such
a legendary performance venue.
Lore: Characters with ranks in Knowledge (religion) can research a Heward’s hall to learn more about it. When a character succeeds on a skill check, the following lore
is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 15: Heward is the patron of bards and human musicians. This result reveals the commonly known stories bout him.
DC 20: Numerous concert halls and theaters are known as Heward’s halls, in honor of the first bard. Some such places are very inspirational to artists.
DC 25: Owners, managers, or religious groups controlling a legendary Heward’s hall often restrict access to only the most accomplished or promising artists.
Description: Behind the stage of the Saltmarsh Playhouse’s main auditorium is an organist’s nook, a famed Heward’s hall. The high-ceilinged room allows an ccompanist
to play the impressive, two-story pipe organ without its size and grandeur detracting from performances on stage. The walls of the room and many of the towering brass pipes of the organ are engraved with well-known songs that are said to have been composed by Heward or that are dedicated to the first bard. Directly over the dual keyboards of the organ sits a stone bust of Heward himself, a foppish-looking rake with a jaunty smile and tousled hair. Despite all efforts, the Saltmarsh Heward’s
hall is constantly plagued by small rodents, and the organ itself requires frequent retuning. Aydi Zarastian, guildmaster of the playhouse, created this Heward’s hall as a matter of tradition, holding that all the finest theaters and performance halls should host such a shrine. As a connoisseur of the arts, she grants access only
to those with formal training and true musical talent.
Prerequisite: To gain the special ability conferred by a Heward’s hall, a character must possess at least 10 ranks in a Perform skill and must succeed on a DC 30 Perform check made as part of a public performance in the hall. The performer can’t take 10 on this check. The owner of the Heward’s hall, however, might place additional conditions or limits on access.
Though most performers prefer to use the Saltmarsh hall’s great pipe organ (requiring Perform [keyboard instruments]), other types of performances are permitted.
Location Activation: At the conclusion of a successful performance in a Heward’s hall, the location immediately confers its benefit on the performer.
Recharge: Only one character per night can gain the benefit of a Heward’s hall.
Special Ability (Ex): A character who successfully completes a performance in a Heward’s hall gains Skill Focus (Perform) as a bonus feat, using the same Perform
subcategory as that of the performance. If the performer already has Skill Focus (Perform) in that subcategory, he can instead select any bardic music feat for which he meets the prerequisite.
The performer also gains a +2 competence bonus on Craft checks to create new artistic compositions related to Perform skills. This bonus applies to all forms of performance, from acting to instrumental play.
Variation: This version of a Heward’s hall enhances the Perform skill, but the idea of an inspirational site yielding greater works can easily be adapted to any number of other skills. For example, the nonmagical forge in which a famous weapon or legendary artifact was created might inspire future generations to create great works in metal over its fires, granting Skill Focus (Craft) or even an item creation feat.
Duration: The bonus feat granted by a Heward’s hall is permanent. The competence bonus on Craft checks fades after 1 year.
Ability Value: 5,000 gp.