Bardic Knowledge without Bard Levels?

[Particle_Man]

What are the various ways to get bardic knowledge without taking levels in Bard?

[Xiander]

The Cloistered cleric (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric) variant is the most obvious.

[gbprime]

A lot of the Faerun prestige classes come equipped with some sort of Lore skill. That setting loves it.

Outside Forgotten Realms, the strongest option is Cloistered Cleric (as mentioned) and perhaps PrC'ing into Loremaster.

[Particle_Man]

Hmmm. . . . any fighting types? I was trying to stat up a Tarquin like Warlord with massive trope knowledge.

[Psyren]

From Lists of Stuff:


Bardic Knowledge
Bard 1
Troubadour of Stars 1, ECL 9, Book of Exalted Deeds
Loredelver 1, ecl 8, Races of Destiny
Rogue 3, Rilkan racial substitution level, Magic of Incarnum
Harper Mage ?, Magic of Faerun
Harper Priest ?, Magic of Faerun


stacks with bard levels
Moonstar Agent, ecl 6, City of Splendors: Waterdeep (FR) - stacks with anything that functions like bardic knowledge
Sublime Chord, ecl 11, Complete Arcane
Fochlucan Lyrist, ecl 11, Complete Adventurer
Ollam, ecl 8, Complete Adventurer
Troubadour of Stars 1, ECL 9, Book of Exalted Deeds
Loredelver 1, ecl 8, Races of Destiny
Ardent Dilettante 1, ecl 6, Planar Handbook
Merchant Prince 1, ecl 6, Power of Faerun


functionally the same as "bardic knowledge", but called something else
Loremaster 2, ecl 9
Ollam 1, ecl 8, Complete Adventurer
Cloistered Cleric, variant class, Unearthed Arcana
Ardent Dilettante 1, ecl 6, Planar Handbook
Tainted Scholar 3, ecl 8, Heroes of Horror
Dragon Descendant 2, ecl 7, Dragon Magic, "Ancentral Lore", see text
Primal Scholar 1, ecl 8, Eberron: Secrets of Xen'drik, "Xed'Drik Lore"
Psion 1 (Seer), Mind's Eye expanded class (link), "psionic knowledge"
Merchant Prince 1, ecl 6, Power of Faerun, "mercantile knowledge"
Court Herald 1, ecl 8, Power of Faerun, "Lore"
Paragnostic Apostle, ecl 3?, Complete Champion, "Lore"
Celestial Mystic 5, ecl?, Book of Exalted Deeds, see text
Prophet of Erathaol 1, ecl 8, Book of Exalted Deeds, see text
Beast Heart Adept 2, ecl 7, Dungeonscape, "Monster Lore", see text

I see a couple of martial-y classes in there you could look at.

[grarrrg]

If Pathfinder material is allowed, just about every second class/PrC has Bardic Knowledge or an equivalent.
Seriously. Between Archetypes and PrC's there are MANY ways to get it.

[Particle_Man]

:elan: Aw, man! None of those look like my dad!

So no martial bardic knowledge options then? Ah well.

[Telonius]

If he has enough casting levels, Legend Lore is a 6th-level Sorcerer/Wizard spell.

(Hey, Tarquin could be an Eldritch Knight. It'd be just like him to wait for a dramatic moment to reveal his arcane powers!)