You call forth protective spirits to ward off ranged attacks. Until your rage ends, anyone making a ranged attack against you must succeed at a DC 5 flat check or the attack misses with no effect.
You transform into your animal. You gain the effects of the 3rd-level animal form spell except you use your own statistics, temporary Hit Points, and unarmed attacks instead of those granted by animal form. You also retain the constant abilities of your gear. If your animal is a frog, your tongue’s reach increases to 15 feet. Dismissing the transformation gains the rage trait.
You draw upon magic from esoteric knowledge. You can cast occult spells using the Cast a Spell activity, and you can supply material, somatic, and verbal components when casting spells. Because you're a bard, you can usually play an instrument for spells requiring somatic or material components, as long as it takes at least one of your hands to do so. If you use an instrument, you don't need a spell component pouch or another hand free. You can usually also play an instrument for spells requiring verbal components, instead of speaking.
Each day, you can cast up to two 1st-level spells. You must know spells to cast them, and you learn them via the spell repertoire class feature. The number of spells you can cast each day is called your spell slots.
As you increase in level as a bard, your number of spells per day increases in level as a bard, your number of spells per day increases, as does the highest level of spells you can cast as shown in the Spells per day table.
Some of your spells require you to attempt a spell attack roll to see how effective they are, or have your enemies roll against your spell DC (typically by attempting a saving throw). Since your key ability is Charisma modifier.
Heightening Spells
When you get spell slots of 2nd level and higher, you can fill those slots with stronger versions of lower-level spells. This increases the spell's level to match the spell slot. You must have a spell in your spell repertoire at the level you want to cast in order to heighten it to that level. Many spells have specific improvements when they are heightened to certain levels. The signature spells class feature lets you heighten certain spells freely.
Cantrips
Some of your spells are cantrips. A cantrip is a special type of spell that doesn't use spell slots. You can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. A cantrip is automatically heightened to half your level rounded up, which equals the highest level of spell you can cast as a bard. For example, as a 1st level bard, your cantrips are 1st-level spells, and as a 5th-level bard, your cantrips are 3rd-level spells.
The collection of spells you can cast is called your spell repertoire. At 1st level, you learn two 1st-level occult spells of your choice and five occult cantrips of your choice. You choose these from the common spells from the occult list or from other occult spells to which you have access. You can cast any spell in your spell repertoire by using a spell slot of an appropriate spell level.
You add to this spell repertoire as you increase in level. Each time you get a spell slot you add a spell to your spell repertoire of the same level. At 2nd level you select another 1st-level spell; at 3rd level, you select two 2nd-level spells, and so on. When you add spells, you might add a higher-level version of a spell you already have, so you can cast a heightened version of that spell.
Though you gain them at the same rate, your spell slots and the spells in your spell repertoire are separate, if a feat or other ability adds a spell to your spell repertoire, it wouldn't give you another spell slot, and vice versa.
Swapping Spell in Your Repertoire
As you gain new spells in your repertoire, you might want to replace some of the spells you previously learned. Each time you gain a level and learn new spells, you can swap out one of your old spells for a different spell of the same level. This spell can be a cantrip. You can also swap out spells by retraining during downtime.
You can Infuse your performances with magic to create unique effects called compositions. Compositions are a special type of spell that often require you to use the Performance skill when casting them. Composition spells are a type of focus spell. It costs 1 Focus Point to cast a focus spell, and you start with a focus pool of 1 Focus Point. You refill your focus pool during your daily preparations, and you can regain 1 Focus Point by spending 10 minutes using the Refocus activity to perform, write a new composition, or otherwise engage your muse.
Focus spells are Automatically heightened to half your level rounded up, much like cantrips. Focus spells don't require spell slots, and you can't cast them using spell slots. Taking feats can give you more focus spells and increase the size of your focus pool, though your focus pool can never hold more than 3 Focus Points. The full rules for focus spells.
You learn the "Counter Performance" composition spell, protecting against auditory and visual effects.
Composition Cantrips
Composition cantrips are special composition spells that don't cost Focus Points, so you can use them as often as you like. Composition cantrips are in addition to the cantrips you choose from the occult list. Generally, only feats can give you more composition cantrips. Unlike other cantrips, you can't swap out composition cantrips gained from bard feats at a later level, unless you swap out the specific feat via retraining.
You learn the "Inspire Courage" composition cantrip, which boosts your allies' attacks, damage, and defense against fear.
As a bard, you select one must at 1st level. This muse leads you to great things, and might be a physical creature, a deity philosophy, or a captivating mystery.
Enigma
Your muse is a mystery, driving you to uncover the hidden secrets of the multiverse. if your muse is a creature, it might be a dragon or otherworldly being; if a deity, it might be Irori or Nethys. You gain the Bardic Lore feat and add "True Strike" to your spell repertoire.
Maestro
Your muse is a virtuoso, inspiring you to great heights. If it's a creature, it might be a performance-loving creature such as a Choral Angel or Iillend azata; if a deity, it might be Shelyn. As a bard with a maestro muse, you are an inspiration to your allies confident of your musical and oratorical abilities. You gain the Lingering Composition feat and add "Soothe" to your spell repertoire.
Polymath
Your muse is a jack of all trades, flitting between skills and pursuits. If it's a creature, it might be an ecelctic creature like a few; if a deity, it might be Desna or Calistra. As a bard with a polymath muse, you are interested in a wide array of topics but rarely dedicated to any one, and you rarely make up your mind, and you rarely make up your mind--you want to try everything. You gain the Versatile Performance feat and add "Unseen Servant" to your spell repertoire.