A Tome Bard

[Orion]

Bard
"

Playing a Bard:

Alignment: Bards have an extremely

Races: Developing bard's complex set of talents requires a thoroughly cosmopolitan education, and so bards tend to come from people who are, well, cosmopolitan.

Starting Gold: as Rogue
Starting Age: as Wizard
Hit Die: D6
Class Skills: A Bard's Class Skills are: all of them
Skills/Level: 4+
Saves: Reflex, Will
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Bards are proficient with light armor, bucklers, simple weapons, rapiers, whips, and shortbows




Class Features



1 Entrance, Performer's Knack, Hearer of Tales, Performer (One component)
2 Inspire Courage +1d6, Inspire Caution +2, Knower of Lore
3 Look at Me!, Man Behind the Curtain,
4 Beguile, Force of Personality, Spinner of Tales,Song of the Mentor
5 Inspire Courage+2d6, Inspire Caution (maneuvers),
6 Retort, Inspire Daring, Songs of the Hunter
7 Rattling Strikes/Harrying Shots,
8 Inspire Courage +3d6, Inspire Caution (saves), Subliminal Messages
9 Song of the Sustainer,
10 Song of the Preserver
11 Inspire Courage (2 targets)/Caution (+4), Virtuosity
12 Song of the Defender
13 Performer (either)
14 Inspire Courage +4d6//Inspire Caution (SR)
15
16 Information Wants to be Free
17 Inspire Courage (3 targets)/Caution+6, Virtuosity
18
19
20 Inspire Courage +5d6/Caution (DR)

Spells Per Day
A Bard has 3 Cantrips per day
For all other spell levels, available spell slots are:
X 0
X+1 1
X+2 2
Where X is the level they become available

Spells Known
A beginning bard has 3+CHA cantrips known. At each level, a Bard learns 3 spells of any level he can cast. A Bard gets access to first-level spells at level 3, and a new level of spells every 2 levels thereafter.

Spells: A Bard Casts Arcane Spells without preparation, ignoring spell failure from light armor and bucklers. He may automatically apply the Quicken Spell feat to any spell with a standard action casting time.

Spell List: Any Wizard Enchantment, Illusion, Transmutation, or Divination

Entrance (Ex): A Bard seeks to entrance with his dramatic entrance. Once per dy per target, he may cast an offensive spell without using a spell slot. If he uses Entrance on an area spell, it only affects the targets which are eligible to be entranced.

Performer (Ex): At first level, a bard chooses either still spell or silent spells, and applies it to all his spells,

Hearer of Tales: (ex) A first-level Bard can understand all forms of written or spoken communication.

Performers' Knack: A Bard applies his theatrical training to utilitarian ends. At the indicated levels, he chooses one fo the following skills and can roll a Perform check in place of it: (Balance, Hide, Tumble, Disguise, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Bluff, Jump)

Knower of Lore: (Ex) A second-level Bard can Identify at will

Inspire Courage: (Su) When the Bard makes a melee attack, one (or more) allies gain bonus Morale damage on their next hit before the Bard’s next action. Yes, on a full attack you can inspire your whole team. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Inspire Caution: (Su) When the Bard makes a ranged attack, all allies within sight or earshot gain the listed bonus to AC against the target. At higher levels they also gain the bonus against combat maneuvers, on saves, DR/- and SR X+Character Level. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Look at me! (Ex): When you make a melee attack, all allies can roll an immediate hide check to hide from that enemy. If they don’t have concealment or cover, they must seek it on their next action.

Man Behind the Curtain: (Ex) Whenever an ally would give you cover, you get improved cover

Song of the Mentor (Ex) A third-level Bard may use his Perform skill to Aid Another on any task, using the Complete Adventurer Aid Another progression.

Force of Personality: (Su) You can add your charisma bonus instead of your strength bonus to damage.

Beguile: When a 4th-level casts a spell on a target he could sneak attack, it doesn’t consume a spell slot.

Spinner of Tales: (Ex) A 4th-level bard can speak all Tongues.

Songs of the Hunter (Ex) A Bard may roll a Perform check in place of a Knowledge check to identify monsters.

Retort (ex): If you are attacked while fighting defensively or on total defense, you may cast a spell on yourself or your assailant as an immediate action, without consuming a spell slot.

Inspire Daring: (Su) when you hit with a weapon attack, one ally (or you) gain temporary HP equal to your character level for one round. This ability does not stack with itself.

Rattling Strikes: (Ex) When you hit an enemy with a melee attack, the opponenet gets -2 to saving throws for a round.

Subliminal Messages: (Su) A Bard may send telepathic messages to anyone who can se or hear him.

Harrying Shots: (Ex) When you hit an enemy with a ranged attack, he becomes flanked for one round

Song of the Sustainer: As long as the Bard performs with a move action each round, he and his allies cannot be fatigued, exhausted, sickened, or nauseated.

Song of the Preserver: As long as the Bard performs, using a move action each round, the durations of his spells do not elapse.

Song of the Defender: A Bard may, as a standard action, use perform to Aid Another on his own and all allies will saves for a round.

Song of the Redeemer: A Bard may use Greater Dispel Magic at will, using his ranks in perform in place of his caster level.

Information Wants to Be Free: The Bard permanently benefits from freedom of movement and mind blank.

[CatharzGodfoot]

So, could you remind me why you can't stab someone and then throw the dagger at someone else?

[Orion]

If you mean use iterative attacks to first boost damage, then lock down an enemy, then yes.

[Orion]

I have posted an updated, more flesh-out draft. Any suggestions for high-level abilities would be welcomed.

[Orion]

*Bump*, new abilities

[Orion]

I guess Bards are just supremely uninteresting. Huh. I always loved the archetype, didn't realize others did not.

Or is there some other problem here? Too many abilities? The table *is* getting a tad cluttered...

[JonSetanta]

Well at least for me it's of a matter discussed in the thread over in IMHO.

Bards are just another form of caster with a vague flavor and role.

I'll stick to the opinion that Bardic magic should be song-based casting for other spellgroups and classes, although I do admire the effort and thought you put into this class.

[Maxus]

The problem is figuring out what a Bard is supposed to be doing. I mean...

1) There's the idea that the Bard is supposed to be the jack of all trades. As written in the SRD, he can fill in and help out, as well as give some buffs to his allies. So you could use a Bard to fill in a little bit for another character's role--he could sneak, he gets some halfway useful spells, he can fight a little, and he gets all the knowledge skills, so if you were in a game that actually cared about those, you'd be allright.

2) The problem is the character concept. An evil bard could throwing enchantments around on people and inciting riots and using his charisma to gain devout followers. Except his devout followers will probably kick more ass than he does. You could probably make a scaling Skill Feat that gives you the Bard's trademark class features--inspiring and entrancing people with music.

And, to be honest, being able to affect people with song, poetry, or music would be more impressive if you could work your way up to turning the Fighter into the Hulk or making the ears of your enemies explode.

(On that note...last year a friend made a d20 setting that had fantasy mixed with modern/semi-future technology And Bards got a new PrC

http://www.krisalanonline.com/discipleofmetal.htm )

[Orion]

Well, the idea here is that the bard plays the role of a rogue. He sneaks around, does diplomacy and UMDs up a toolkit.

In combat, he sacrifices the rogue's amazing burst damage for a solid stream of crowd control. He can either close with a sword, cranking the team's damage while still controlling mobs, or hang back using a bow to lock down the enemy's offense while subduing them with magic.

[Orion]

So, now that some abilities form this class have been nominated for inclusion in the PDF, I thought I'd revive the thread, hopefully with the goal of getting the class itself into the PDF. Anyway, made some balacning and clarifying edits.