T.G. Oskar
2010-01-11, 07:14 PM
<Ladies and Gentlemen, Children of all ages!
Outsiders and Eldritch Abominations too!
I attempted to write this in Quenya, but I realized
Most of the forum-posters won't even get it
So please assume, fair Elf readers, that this introduction
Is done in your native language, and pardon
The lack of proper rhyme. I suck at poetry, so there.>
While working on the next class retooling (which I have announced in Bhu's Samurai Redux post that it will also be a Samurai), I decided to work again on another Prestige Class. This time, instead of the general and usual wide-open requirements that I usually do, I chose to make a very, very, very specific racial Prestige Class. We all know about the Ruathar, a Prestige Class that grants non-Elves treatment as if they were Elves. Now, that's cool and stuff, but...is the Ruathar the only actually worthwhile Elven-exclusive Prestige Class? Arcane Archer, for all means, sucks unless you know exactly how to dip it. And...well, each time an Elf gets some love, people seem to...ignore it. Champion of Corellon Larethian is certified to produce seizures in some former CO people. Seeker of the Misty Isle exists, but...what are the chances someone has actually tried it? Also, did you know there's a PrC called Wildrunner? Chances are, probably you don't. Heck, in between elf-exclusive classes and drow-exclusive classes, the drow win by a slight margin (with the clear exceptions of the Yathrinsee, which is by all means an aberration along the lines of True Necromancer)
Oh, yeah. The Eternal Blade: quite probably the Elven Redeemer. Darn, that PrC is awesome. But...if you have a group that doesn't like ToB, you're pretty much screwed in enjoying this gem of a PrC. So not only there's bad PrCs for elves, there's also a bias for the few that may be actually good. Plus, they're a bit of a far cry from the basic Elven warrior archetype.
However, from all of the classic elven PrCs, the one that quite probably reflects the original Elven archetype of a lightly armored magic-using warrior is the Bladesinger. Let's say that the Bladesinger is the original gish, on the days where the Elves were actually considered a class and not a race. The progression of the Elven warrior-mage screeched to a halt at the moment it entered 3rd Edition.
So we have a class that can fight well...on a system that slowly gives less importance to melee combat. The other side, the spellcasting side, was awfully dented. And the prerequisites were...let's just say not very enjoyable. So, with the advancements in homebrewing, and with a slight practice at Prestige Classes, I now attempt to strike a compromise between the original feel of the Elven warrior-mage and the real requisites that a character needs to survive.
I will be quite frank. The balance point for Prestige Classes is still a bit off for me, but I expect this is a good balance point. Recall that this isn't meant to be for all races and all builds; this is a PrC that works for a very specific build, much like the Mystic Theurge, but in this occasion, the build is far more specific. As in, racial specific.
So, without further ado, I introduce to you people the retooled, refurbished, and perhaps overupgraded...
BLADESINGER
http://www.raymondswanland.com/Images/Illustration%20Gallery/Bladesinger.jpg
Bladesinger, by Raymond Swanland. Originally used as cover art for the Forgotten Realms novel Bladesinger. Copyrighted to Wizards of the Coast, 2005
"Don't be fooled by the looks. Lida inorum saenes." - Besor Nair, elven bladesinger.
Requirements
To qualify to become a bladesinger, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Race: Any elf or half-elf
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 9 ranks, Perform (sing or dance) 4 ranks, Spellcraft 9 ranks, Tumble 4 ranks
Feats: Combat Casting, Weapon Finesse
Spells: Able to cast 1st-level arcane spells.
As you can see, the requirements are steep but rather fair. A regular spellcaster, without levels in fighter or any martial class, could very well enter at 10th level without trouble, and it would get pretty much full spellcasting if it desires. Someone that wishes to sacrifice some levels may enter no earlier than 7th level, in which the skill prerequisites are acquired. Of course, it's pointless unless you're an Elf or at least a Half-Elf. This should be expected, of course.
The feats were something I had to strike a compromise. Indeed, as it stands and as it will be soon seen, Combat Casting will be not entirely pointless, but Dodge and Mobility ask for too much. Four feats, in which only one is moderately decent, seems too much. So, I went with a much more reasonable choice, and that is Weapon Finesse: the expectation is that you won't go with a high Strength, and that at least at 3rd or 4th level, you may get some boosts for Strength. However, considering you already need a good Dexterity, Constitution AND your base casting score, adding Strength would be a tad unfair, Bite of X notwithstanding. Weapon Finesse and Bladesong Style help on that, of course. So, to keep the concept of someone who prepares for casting spells in battle, Combat Casting isn't exactly a bad idea.
And no, not thinking of changing it to Skill Focus (Concentration). I know it's several times better. But Combat Casting is OK for what the Bladesinger gets.
UPDATE: BAB is a tad steeper now, but skill prerequisites are much lower now. This means a character must now dip on a martial class, but the net result is being capable of somewhat earlier entry.
Class Skills
The bladesinger’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int) and Tumble (Dex)
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
So yeah, pretty small list of class skills. Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft are pretty much obvious choices, Tumble is a needed skill as well as Concentration; Balance, Jump and Perform are legacy skills (and it aids for something else; you'll see), and Craft and Profession are basic skills. That should make a decent Bladesinger list, considering that they're warriors over anything else.
I'm thinking, though, of Escape Artist. It's not exactly a warrior skill, but they won't get a very potent Grapple skill; even with their bigger BAB, they could use some help. Ideas on whether it may be implemented or not?
Hit Die: d8
Table: The Bladesinger
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|+1|
+0|
+2|
+2|Bladesong style|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
2nd|+2|
+0|
+3|
+3||+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
3rd|+3|
+1|
+3|
+3|Bonus feat|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
4th|+4|
+1|
+4|
+4|Mobile bladesong|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
5th|+5|
+1|
+4|
+4|Song of victory|-
6th|+6|
+2|
+5|
+5|Bonus feat|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
7th|+7|
+2|
+5|
+5|Spellsong|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
8th|+8|
+2|
+6|
+6||+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
9th|+9|
+3|
+6|
+6|Bonus feat|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
10th|+10|
+3|
+7|
+7|Song of celerity|-[/table]
Class Features
All of the following are features of the bladesinger prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bladesingers gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
IF you entered through a dip on a martial class, no worries; you already have more than you need. If you didn't...well, consider that Elves have free proficiencies in Longsword and Rapier, and most of the spellcasters' weapons are light weapons, so you'll have several ways to get to use the class abilities. Now, as for armor...you can either get to use light armor, or go straight to Mage Armor and Shield. So no loss in here either.
Thus, no need to add more proficiencies than you get.
Spells per Day: When a new bladesinger level after the first is gained (except for 5th and 10th), the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in any one arcane spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that he adds the level of bladesinger to the level of whatever other arcane spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day, spells known and caster level accordingly. If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before he became a bladesinger, he must decide to which class he adds each level of bladesinger for the purpose of determining spells per day.
Standard and typical fare. No need to expand on it...wait, I do have to.
You may notice that one of the perks is that the Bladesinger has an 8/10ths spellcasting progression. This is a compromise: giving it full spellcasting progression is arguably too good, and even the Eldritch Knight has 9/10ths spellcasting. However, the granted abilities of the original Bladesinger definitely didn't asked for half spellcasting progression. That is almost sinful.
However, the 5th level and 10th level abilities are pretty powerful, powerful enough to merit removing an entire spellcasting level. Perhaps not 5th, but the 10th level ability most definitely requires it, because of the way it behaves. Normally, there is an unwritten rule for gishes: progression must end on 8th-9th level spells and 16 BAB. To work on that, a gish MUST get at least a 9/10ths spellcasting class. Furthermore, full spellcasters have another unwritten rule that I like: full spellcasting or bust, UNLESS there's an ability that compensates for losing one or two spellcasting levels. And even then, it requires some thought. The way the PrC was retooled was with this on mind. Not everyone will like it, but 8/10ths is far better than half spellcasting on any grounds.
Bladesong Style (Ex): The signature ability of the bladesinger is the ability to combine swordplay and arcane magic into a seamless whole. The bladesinger finds harmony within his arcane prowess and his swordsmanship, much like the harmony he finds within music itself.
At first level, a bladesinger uses his Intelligence (if able to cast prepared spells) or Charisma (if able to cast spells spontaneously) modifier to his damage rolls instead of his Strength modifier. Once this choice is made, it may not be reversed; however, the bladesinger may use his Strength modifier instead of his Intelligence or Charisma modifier if its higher. As well, the bladesinger adds either his Intelligence or Charisma modifier (as chosen) as a dodge bonus to his Armor Class, up to the bladesinger’s class level. Furthermore, a bladesinger may cast his spells while ignoring arcane spell failure while wearing light armor. A bladesinger gains this ability only if he uses a weapon to which the Weapon Finesse feat applies (except for the spiked chain) and nothing in the other hand (except a material component, if applicable). Furthermore, a bladesinger may treat a longsword or scimitar as a light weapon for purposes of applying the Weapon Finesse feat benefit and for applying the benefits of this ability (but not for other abilities, such as using a longsword in the off-hand to reduce two weapon fighting penalties, for example).
A bard that gains levels in bladesinger gains an extra benefit. Levels in bladesinger stack with bard levels for purposes of granting extra uses of bardic music per day.
Yes, this is the signature ability. Basically, you add your Intelligence OR Charisma to your AC and damage. So, given that you want your base casting stat as high as possible, that means a hefty boost on melee damage when you want it. This ability has a disadvantage: it can only be used with light weapons, or rather, weapons to which Weapon Finesse applies. Since the Spiked Chain is a weapon that can be Finessed, but it's a two-handed weapon, it gets shafted; however, the longsword is added because of the Elven tradition of longsword combat. This also applies to the elven blades present on Races of the Wild, in case you haven't noticed.
So, you get the following: you add your Dexterity to hit (which means both AC and attack bonus), and your base casting stat to damage (and also to AC). So, you can be expected to have a pretty high AC bonus (up to +10, unless you go overboard with Epic Bladesinger...) even without armor. Armor is just the icing on the cake, if you desire. Or...Greater Mage Armor.
Also, the AC bonus is a dodge bonus. Yeah, the one that you can stack no matter what. So enjoy.
Now, you may have noticed that last bit right at the end. Bards get a special benefit by entering this prestige class. This is because the character will become a bladesinger, which undoubtedly screams bard. Bard has the easiest way to comply the requirements without trouble, and it has the chance to get somewhere else really fast. You know, that PrC called Sublime Chord? Yeah...
Oh, one last thing. Scimitar is also added. Just for you ol' 3.0 people that were angry that the Scimitar wasn't a light weapon anymore...
Bonus Feat: At 3rd level and every three levels afterwards, a bladesinger gains a bonus feat. The bladesinger may choose from the list of fighter bonus feats, reserve feats, or from the following list:
Bladesinger Bonus Feat List: Arcane Defense, Arcane Mastery, Arcane Preparation, Eschew Materials, Extra Slot, Extra Spell, Greater Spell Focus, Greater Spell Penetration, Ranged Spell Specialization, Spell Focus, Spell Penetration, Touch Spell Specialization.
A bladesinger must comply with the feat’s prerequisites, as usual.
First and foremost: you may have noticed the bonus feat list may be quite similar. If you guessed that it's similar to the bonus feat list from my Retooled Warmage, have a cookie.
The original version of the Bladesinger, located on the Forgotten Realms campaign setting book, gave the character the ability to acquire bonus feats, but from an insanely limited list. This list is much larger, since it allows you to get three Fighter bonus feats, or three reserve feats, or reasonable feats from a small list, or a combination of the three at any proportion imaginable. In theory, you get two bonus feats for having to invest on Combat Casting.
Since the Bladesinger doesn't get many abilities, bonus feats are a good way to fill up stuff.
Mobile Bladesong (Ex): At 4th level, a bladesinger learns to unleash a spell while dashing through the battlefield, taking no time to stop. As a full round action, a bladesinger may move up to twice his speed (as if using the double move action) and cast any spell that has a casting time no higher than a standard action. If the spell is a burst centered on the caster, the spell is executed after the movement ceases (not during the movement). He may use this ability only if he is currently receiving the benefits of the bladesong style.
Lemme explain this one. This ability was developed thanks to a brainstorming process with some pals around (you know who you are, peeps).
You know about Mobile Spellcasting (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Mobile_Spellcasting)? It's a pretty nifty feat from Complete Adventurer that allows you to move and cast a spell with a hefty Concentration check. It's the rough equivalent to Spring Attack (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#springAttack) or Shot on the Run (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#shotOnTheRun), except you don't get to invest on Dodge AND Mobility for it. So it's very nice.
Except...well, have you seen that Concentration check? I know, some of you people can do it, but spending a precious feat for it? Well, despair no more. It's not the feat itself, of course, since it behaves as the precursor feats (Spring Attack, Shot on the Run), but it requires no Concentration check. Unless, of course, you want to cast defensively, in which Combat Casting (GASP!!!) suddenly comes to play.
The importance of this ability is to make the Bladesinger mobile. The concept of Dodge and Mobility gave this impression, but unfortunately they failed. A Bladesinger had to remain still to cast their spells, or move and strike, but not both. And having to suggest "moving and striking" with Dodge and Mobility simply doesn't help. Now, you can cast a spell from one side of the battlefield and dash all the way to the other side, or viceversa, effectively extending your casting range (and moving out of harm's way). Of course, there's some limitations: bursts and emanations have very specific rules, and going "30 ft., boom, 30 ft." doesn't seem too practical. So, bursts and emanations work only when you actually stop. So be mindful of that one, you hear?
Song of Victory (Ex): At 5th level, a bladesinger completely submerges within the bladesong style, reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Although the moment of clarity is limited, it is significative.
By expending a prepared spell or spell slot as a swift action, the bladesinger enters a state of near martial supremacy for a number of rounds equal to twice the expended spell level. 0-level spells count as 1/2 level for purposes of determining the expended spell level (thus, they grant one round of this ability) and may be expended along a spell of higher level. The bladesinger treats his caster level as if it were his base attack bonus for the duration of the ability (up to the bladesinger's character level or a maximum BAB of 20, whichever is lower) for all purposes, including extra attacks and for the use of feats such as Power Attack. A bladesinger may only use this ability if he receives the benefits of the bladesong style class ability.
If the bladesinger has daily uses of bardic music, he may expend an amount of daily uses (up to his Charisma modifier) instead of spell levels for the purpose of determining the number of rounds.
Yup. You read that right. It's the thing that most people hate.
Effective BAB increase.
So, if you're a gish, and you get to 16 BAB, you're golden. But what if you don't? What if you get so little BAB, you don't get to the magical number to get as many attacks as possible? Well, fear not. This ability allows you to effectively and selectively gain full BAB with minimal effort, of course following the tenets of the bladesong style. It's an on/off switch, so you can turn it on now, use it as you wish, and then turn it off. Of course, given that this is a pretty strong move, it's not a swift action but a standard action. Depending on how you make the argument, I might change to swift, but standard seems reasonable thus far. It's pretty conservative for what you get (full BAB, something that only Clerics get with their spells; or martial characters whom, well...reaching Fighter 20 is a statement to behold...)
Again, bards get a boost: they can sacrifice their bardic music for extra rounds of full BAB, if necessary.
In case you've noticed: this pretty much replaces Song of Fury. It was nice, but you already have various ways to get extra attacks. This is far more practical.
UPDATE: Let's give it a more gishy feeling, alright? It's no longer uses per day, but uses per spell slot expended. Even cantrips are useful for this, since you can spend one and gain the benefit for one round. And yes, since it's potent but expending a cantrip and losing the benefit would be impractical, it's a swift action now.
Spellsong (Ex): At 7th level, a bladesinger may channel any spell he can cast into a melee weapon as a swift action. The spell affects the next target the bladesinger successfully attacks with his weapon, even if the target is normally an area or a ray. Saving throws and spell resistance still apply. A bladesinger can only channel a spell only if he is receiving the benefits of the bladesong style.
If the bladesinger is under the effect of song of victory, the spell remains in the weapon until after the beginning of his next round.
UPDATE: Alright, so the original spellsong ability was basically a souped-up Practiced Spellcaster in disguise. People would still get it, and apparently there was no reason to have this ability.
I pitched the idea of adding a Channel Spell ability, since it has effectively become a "requirement" for a gish. Casting spells through melee weapons has slowly seeped into the minds of people. So...why not take an ability such as spellsong, which caused a bit of controversy, and change it to a channel spell ability?
Thus, we now have more reasons to call a bladesinger a proper gish. If you use song of victory, things become even better.
Song of Celerity (Ex): A bladesinger achieves the maximum degree of skill in the bladesong style, accelerating his movements and words to unleash spells at uncanny speeds, and still be capable of unleashing another spell or striking with martial prowess.
By expending a prepared spell or spell slot as a swift action, a bladesinger of 10th level or higher may quicken a single spell, as if he had used the Quicken Spell feat but without any adjustments to the spell’s casting time. The quickened spell may not be of a spell level higher than twice the expended spell level. 0-level spells count as 1/2 level for purposes of determining the expended spell level (thus, they allow to quicken 1st level spells) and may be expended along a spell of higher level. He may use this ability only if he is receiving the benefits of the bladesong style.
If the bladesinger has daily uses of bardic music, he may expend an amount of daily uses of bardic music equal to the level of the spell to be quickened in order to use this ability.
Remember when I said that the 10th level ability merited the removal of a spellcasting level? Pretty much nothing replaces the ability to get new spells and new spells known: nothing.
But consider the following: Quicken Spell is one of the best metamagic feats around, simply because it breaks action economy. Instead of one spell, you get two spells. Instead of one action, you can get potentially more. And it has a pretty hefty price to pay.
So...is it reasonable to eliminate two spellcasting levels to grant the Bladesinger (a very limited entry PrC already) the ability to cast one spell quickened without penalties per encounter? Yes, you read that right. Per encounter. It is quite debatable just how beneficial this can be, but I'm sure of one thing: those who entered through Sorcerer or spontaneous spellcasting will be happy. WAY too happy: I mean, even they can use it! And Sorcerers get loads of benefits from wasting expending their spell slots with reckless abandon.
But the ones that will enjoy this more are Bards. Yeah, bards. Since you get extra uses of Bardic Music per day, and you can expend three daily uses to Quicken any spell you can cast (far cheaper than Metamagic Song, I can tell you), Bards can cast spells almost all day. What if they don't get 9th level spells?
If you don't get this well, imagine entering while getting the Sublime Chord spellcasting ability. Yes, it's that good.
UPDATE: Bards got shafted a bit, others got less shafted. Song of Celerity now consumes either spell slots or bardic music daily uses (at least one lesser than Metamagic Song) to quicken a spell (well, swift-action a spell...which is exactly what Quicken Spell is meant to do, so...) This makes this ability useful when needed, but also less of a hassle. Also, you can make those cantrips useful again, not to mention that you can spend them along a spell of higher level for odd-level spells. So, as an example: a cantrip + a 3rd level spell quickens a 7th level spell.
So, as usual, please state your comments: whether if the Bladesinger now lives to its potential or it has failed to reach the task. Or whether I'm so bad I shouldn't make another homebrew ever again: I can live with that. Or...well, praise as well; I'll try to be humble. Also, feedback and ideas are welcome: Bladesinger was pretty hard to finish, since it's a pretty focused gish-type PrC but it got several boosts.
Also...does someone know Quenya? Or the Elven language? I could use some more phrases in Elven to pique this up, you know what I mean?
Outsiders and Eldritch Abominations too!
I attempted to write this in Quenya, but I realized
Most of the forum-posters won't even get it
So please assume, fair Elf readers, that this introduction
Is done in your native language, and pardon
The lack of proper rhyme. I suck at poetry, so there.>
While working on the next class retooling (which I have announced in Bhu's Samurai Redux post that it will also be a Samurai), I decided to work again on another Prestige Class. This time, instead of the general and usual wide-open requirements that I usually do, I chose to make a very, very, very specific racial Prestige Class. We all know about the Ruathar, a Prestige Class that grants non-Elves treatment as if they were Elves. Now, that's cool and stuff, but...is the Ruathar the only actually worthwhile Elven-exclusive Prestige Class? Arcane Archer, for all means, sucks unless you know exactly how to dip it. And...well, each time an Elf gets some love, people seem to...ignore it. Champion of Corellon Larethian is certified to produce seizures in some former CO people. Seeker of the Misty Isle exists, but...what are the chances someone has actually tried it? Also, did you know there's a PrC called Wildrunner? Chances are, probably you don't. Heck, in between elf-exclusive classes and drow-exclusive classes, the drow win by a slight margin (with the clear exceptions of the Yathrinsee, which is by all means an aberration along the lines of True Necromancer)
Oh, yeah. The Eternal Blade: quite probably the Elven Redeemer. Darn, that PrC is awesome. But...if you have a group that doesn't like ToB, you're pretty much screwed in enjoying this gem of a PrC. So not only there's bad PrCs for elves, there's also a bias for the few that may be actually good. Plus, they're a bit of a far cry from the basic Elven warrior archetype.
However, from all of the classic elven PrCs, the one that quite probably reflects the original Elven archetype of a lightly armored magic-using warrior is the Bladesinger. Let's say that the Bladesinger is the original gish, on the days where the Elves were actually considered a class and not a race. The progression of the Elven warrior-mage screeched to a halt at the moment it entered 3rd Edition.
So we have a class that can fight well...on a system that slowly gives less importance to melee combat. The other side, the spellcasting side, was awfully dented. And the prerequisites were...let's just say not very enjoyable. So, with the advancements in homebrewing, and with a slight practice at Prestige Classes, I now attempt to strike a compromise between the original feel of the Elven warrior-mage and the real requisites that a character needs to survive.
I will be quite frank. The balance point for Prestige Classes is still a bit off for me, but I expect this is a good balance point. Recall that this isn't meant to be for all races and all builds; this is a PrC that works for a very specific build, much like the Mystic Theurge, but in this occasion, the build is far more specific. As in, racial specific.
So, without further ado, I introduce to you people the retooled, refurbished, and perhaps overupgraded...
BLADESINGER
http://www.raymondswanland.com/Images/Illustration%20Gallery/Bladesinger.jpg
Bladesinger, by Raymond Swanland. Originally used as cover art for the Forgotten Realms novel Bladesinger. Copyrighted to Wizards of the Coast, 2005
"Don't be fooled by the looks. Lida inorum saenes." - Besor Nair, elven bladesinger.
Requirements
To qualify to become a bladesinger, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Race: Any elf or half-elf
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 9 ranks, Perform (sing or dance) 4 ranks, Spellcraft 9 ranks, Tumble 4 ranks
Feats: Combat Casting, Weapon Finesse
Spells: Able to cast 1st-level arcane spells.
As you can see, the requirements are steep but rather fair. A regular spellcaster, without levels in fighter or any martial class, could very well enter at 10th level without trouble, and it would get pretty much full spellcasting if it desires. Someone that wishes to sacrifice some levels may enter no earlier than 7th level, in which the skill prerequisites are acquired. Of course, it's pointless unless you're an Elf or at least a Half-Elf. This should be expected, of course.
The feats were something I had to strike a compromise. Indeed, as it stands and as it will be soon seen, Combat Casting will be not entirely pointless, but Dodge and Mobility ask for too much. Four feats, in which only one is moderately decent, seems too much. So, I went with a much more reasonable choice, and that is Weapon Finesse: the expectation is that you won't go with a high Strength, and that at least at 3rd or 4th level, you may get some boosts for Strength. However, considering you already need a good Dexterity, Constitution AND your base casting score, adding Strength would be a tad unfair, Bite of X notwithstanding. Weapon Finesse and Bladesong Style help on that, of course. So, to keep the concept of someone who prepares for casting spells in battle, Combat Casting isn't exactly a bad idea.
And no, not thinking of changing it to Skill Focus (Concentration). I know it's several times better. But Combat Casting is OK for what the Bladesinger gets.
UPDATE: BAB is a tad steeper now, but skill prerequisites are much lower now. This means a character must now dip on a martial class, but the net result is being capable of somewhat earlier entry.
Class Skills
The bladesinger’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int) and Tumble (Dex)
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
So yeah, pretty small list of class skills. Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft are pretty much obvious choices, Tumble is a needed skill as well as Concentration; Balance, Jump and Perform are legacy skills (and it aids for something else; you'll see), and Craft and Profession are basic skills. That should make a decent Bladesinger list, considering that they're warriors over anything else.
I'm thinking, though, of Escape Artist. It's not exactly a warrior skill, but they won't get a very potent Grapple skill; even with their bigger BAB, they could use some help. Ideas on whether it may be implemented or not?
Hit Die: d8
Table: The Bladesinger
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|+1|
+0|
+2|
+2|Bladesong style|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
2nd|+2|
+0|
+3|
+3||+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
3rd|+3|
+1|
+3|
+3|Bonus feat|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
4th|+4|
+1|
+4|
+4|Mobile bladesong|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
5th|+5|
+1|
+4|
+4|Song of victory|-
6th|+6|
+2|
+5|
+5|Bonus feat|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
7th|+7|
+2|
+5|
+5|Spellsong|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
8th|+8|
+2|
+6|
+6||+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
9th|+9|
+3|
+6|
+6|Bonus feat|+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
10th|+10|
+3|
+7|
+7|Song of celerity|-[/table]
Class Features
All of the following are features of the bladesinger prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bladesingers gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
IF you entered through a dip on a martial class, no worries; you already have more than you need. If you didn't...well, consider that Elves have free proficiencies in Longsword and Rapier, and most of the spellcasters' weapons are light weapons, so you'll have several ways to get to use the class abilities. Now, as for armor...you can either get to use light armor, or go straight to Mage Armor and Shield. So no loss in here either.
Thus, no need to add more proficiencies than you get.
Spells per Day: When a new bladesinger level after the first is gained (except for 5th and 10th), the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in any one arcane spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that he adds the level of bladesinger to the level of whatever other arcane spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day, spells known and caster level accordingly. If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before he became a bladesinger, he must decide to which class he adds each level of bladesinger for the purpose of determining spells per day.
Standard and typical fare. No need to expand on it...wait, I do have to.
You may notice that one of the perks is that the Bladesinger has an 8/10ths spellcasting progression. This is a compromise: giving it full spellcasting progression is arguably too good, and even the Eldritch Knight has 9/10ths spellcasting. However, the granted abilities of the original Bladesinger definitely didn't asked for half spellcasting progression. That is almost sinful.
However, the 5th level and 10th level abilities are pretty powerful, powerful enough to merit removing an entire spellcasting level. Perhaps not 5th, but the 10th level ability most definitely requires it, because of the way it behaves. Normally, there is an unwritten rule for gishes: progression must end on 8th-9th level spells and 16 BAB. To work on that, a gish MUST get at least a 9/10ths spellcasting class. Furthermore, full spellcasters have another unwritten rule that I like: full spellcasting or bust, UNLESS there's an ability that compensates for losing one or two spellcasting levels. And even then, it requires some thought. The way the PrC was retooled was with this on mind. Not everyone will like it, but 8/10ths is far better than half spellcasting on any grounds.
Bladesong Style (Ex): The signature ability of the bladesinger is the ability to combine swordplay and arcane magic into a seamless whole. The bladesinger finds harmony within his arcane prowess and his swordsmanship, much like the harmony he finds within music itself.
At first level, a bladesinger uses his Intelligence (if able to cast prepared spells) or Charisma (if able to cast spells spontaneously) modifier to his damage rolls instead of his Strength modifier. Once this choice is made, it may not be reversed; however, the bladesinger may use his Strength modifier instead of his Intelligence or Charisma modifier if its higher. As well, the bladesinger adds either his Intelligence or Charisma modifier (as chosen) as a dodge bonus to his Armor Class, up to the bladesinger’s class level. Furthermore, a bladesinger may cast his spells while ignoring arcane spell failure while wearing light armor. A bladesinger gains this ability only if he uses a weapon to which the Weapon Finesse feat applies (except for the spiked chain) and nothing in the other hand (except a material component, if applicable). Furthermore, a bladesinger may treat a longsword or scimitar as a light weapon for purposes of applying the Weapon Finesse feat benefit and for applying the benefits of this ability (but not for other abilities, such as using a longsword in the off-hand to reduce two weapon fighting penalties, for example).
A bard that gains levels in bladesinger gains an extra benefit. Levels in bladesinger stack with bard levels for purposes of granting extra uses of bardic music per day.
Yes, this is the signature ability. Basically, you add your Intelligence OR Charisma to your AC and damage. So, given that you want your base casting stat as high as possible, that means a hefty boost on melee damage when you want it. This ability has a disadvantage: it can only be used with light weapons, or rather, weapons to which Weapon Finesse applies. Since the Spiked Chain is a weapon that can be Finessed, but it's a two-handed weapon, it gets shafted; however, the longsword is added because of the Elven tradition of longsword combat. This also applies to the elven blades present on Races of the Wild, in case you haven't noticed.
So, you get the following: you add your Dexterity to hit (which means both AC and attack bonus), and your base casting stat to damage (and also to AC). So, you can be expected to have a pretty high AC bonus (up to +10, unless you go overboard with Epic Bladesinger...) even without armor. Armor is just the icing on the cake, if you desire. Or...Greater Mage Armor.
Also, the AC bonus is a dodge bonus. Yeah, the one that you can stack no matter what. So enjoy.
Now, you may have noticed that last bit right at the end. Bards get a special benefit by entering this prestige class. This is because the character will become a bladesinger, which undoubtedly screams bard. Bard has the easiest way to comply the requirements without trouble, and it has the chance to get somewhere else really fast. You know, that PrC called Sublime Chord? Yeah...
Oh, one last thing. Scimitar is also added. Just for you ol' 3.0 people that were angry that the Scimitar wasn't a light weapon anymore...
Bonus Feat: At 3rd level and every three levels afterwards, a bladesinger gains a bonus feat. The bladesinger may choose from the list of fighter bonus feats, reserve feats, or from the following list:
Bladesinger Bonus Feat List: Arcane Defense, Arcane Mastery, Arcane Preparation, Eschew Materials, Extra Slot, Extra Spell, Greater Spell Focus, Greater Spell Penetration, Ranged Spell Specialization, Spell Focus, Spell Penetration, Touch Spell Specialization.
A bladesinger must comply with the feat’s prerequisites, as usual.
First and foremost: you may have noticed the bonus feat list may be quite similar. If you guessed that it's similar to the bonus feat list from my Retooled Warmage, have a cookie.
The original version of the Bladesinger, located on the Forgotten Realms campaign setting book, gave the character the ability to acquire bonus feats, but from an insanely limited list. This list is much larger, since it allows you to get three Fighter bonus feats, or three reserve feats, or reasonable feats from a small list, or a combination of the three at any proportion imaginable. In theory, you get two bonus feats for having to invest on Combat Casting.
Since the Bladesinger doesn't get many abilities, bonus feats are a good way to fill up stuff.
Mobile Bladesong (Ex): At 4th level, a bladesinger learns to unleash a spell while dashing through the battlefield, taking no time to stop. As a full round action, a bladesinger may move up to twice his speed (as if using the double move action) and cast any spell that has a casting time no higher than a standard action. If the spell is a burst centered on the caster, the spell is executed after the movement ceases (not during the movement). He may use this ability only if he is currently receiving the benefits of the bladesong style.
Lemme explain this one. This ability was developed thanks to a brainstorming process with some pals around (you know who you are, peeps).
You know about Mobile Spellcasting (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Mobile_Spellcasting)? It's a pretty nifty feat from Complete Adventurer that allows you to move and cast a spell with a hefty Concentration check. It's the rough equivalent to Spring Attack (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#springAttack) or Shot on the Run (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#shotOnTheRun), except you don't get to invest on Dodge AND Mobility for it. So it's very nice.
Except...well, have you seen that Concentration check? I know, some of you people can do it, but spending a precious feat for it? Well, despair no more. It's not the feat itself, of course, since it behaves as the precursor feats (Spring Attack, Shot on the Run), but it requires no Concentration check. Unless, of course, you want to cast defensively, in which Combat Casting (GASP!!!) suddenly comes to play.
The importance of this ability is to make the Bladesinger mobile. The concept of Dodge and Mobility gave this impression, but unfortunately they failed. A Bladesinger had to remain still to cast their spells, or move and strike, but not both. And having to suggest "moving and striking" with Dodge and Mobility simply doesn't help. Now, you can cast a spell from one side of the battlefield and dash all the way to the other side, or viceversa, effectively extending your casting range (and moving out of harm's way). Of course, there's some limitations: bursts and emanations have very specific rules, and going "30 ft., boom, 30 ft." doesn't seem too practical. So, bursts and emanations work only when you actually stop. So be mindful of that one, you hear?
Song of Victory (Ex): At 5th level, a bladesinger completely submerges within the bladesong style, reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Although the moment of clarity is limited, it is significative.
By expending a prepared spell or spell slot as a swift action, the bladesinger enters a state of near martial supremacy for a number of rounds equal to twice the expended spell level. 0-level spells count as 1/2 level for purposes of determining the expended spell level (thus, they grant one round of this ability) and may be expended along a spell of higher level. The bladesinger treats his caster level as if it were his base attack bonus for the duration of the ability (up to the bladesinger's character level or a maximum BAB of 20, whichever is lower) for all purposes, including extra attacks and for the use of feats such as Power Attack. A bladesinger may only use this ability if he receives the benefits of the bladesong style class ability.
If the bladesinger has daily uses of bardic music, he may expend an amount of daily uses (up to his Charisma modifier) instead of spell levels for the purpose of determining the number of rounds.
Yup. You read that right. It's the thing that most people hate.
Effective BAB increase.
So, if you're a gish, and you get to 16 BAB, you're golden. But what if you don't? What if you get so little BAB, you don't get to the magical number to get as many attacks as possible? Well, fear not. This ability allows you to effectively and selectively gain full BAB with minimal effort, of course following the tenets of the bladesong style. It's an on/off switch, so you can turn it on now, use it as you wish, and then turn it off. Of course, given that this is a pretty strong move, it's not a swift action but a standard action. Depending on how you make the argument, I might change to swift, but standard seems reasonable thus far. It's pretty conservative for what you get (full BAB, something that only Clerics get with their spells; or martial characters whom, well...reaching Fighter 20 is a statement to behold...)
Again, bards get a boost: they can sacrifice their bardic music for extra rounds of full BAB, if necessary.
In case you've noticed: this pretty much replaces Song of Fury. It was nice, but you already have various ways to get extra attacks. This is far more practical.
UPDATE: Let's give it a more gishy feeling, alright? It's no longer uses per day, but uses per spell slot expended. Even cantrips are useful for this, since you can spend one and gain the benefit for one round. And yes, since it's potent but expending a cantrip and losing the benefit would be impractical, it's a swift action now.
Spellsong (Ex): At 7th level, a bladesinger may channel any spell he can cast into a melee weapon as a swift action. The spell affects the next target the bladesinger successfully attacks with his weapon, even if the target is normally an area or a ray. Saving throws and spell resistance still apply. A bladesinger can only channel a spell only if he is receiving the benefits of the bladesong style.
If the bladesinger is under the effect of song of victory, the spell remains in the weapon until after the beginning of his next round.
UPDATE: Alright, so the original spellsong ability was basically a souped-up Practiced Spellcaster in disguise. People would still get it, and apparently there was no reason to have this ability.
I pitched the idea of adding a Channel Spell ability, since it has effectively become a "requirement" for a gish. Casting spells through melee weapons has slowly seeped into the minds of people. So...why not take an ability such as spellsong, which caused a bit of controversy, and change it to a channel spell ability?
Thus, we now have more reasons to call a bladesinger a proper gish. If you use song of victory, things become even better.
Song of Celerity (Ex): A bladesinger achieves the maximum degree of skill in the bladesong style, accelerating his movements and words to unleash spells at uncanny speeds, and still be capable of unleashing another spell or striking with martial prowess.
By expending a prepared spell or spell slot as a swift action, a bladesinger of 10th level or higher may quicken a single spell, as if he had used the Quicken Spell feat but without any adjustments to the spell’s casting time. The quickened spell may not be of a spell level higher than twice the expended spell level. 0-level spells count as 1/2 level for purposes of determining the expended spell level (thus, they allow to quicken 1st level spells) and may be expended along a spell of higher level. He may use this ability only if he is receiving the benefits of the bladesong style.
If the bladesinger has daily uses of bardic music, he may expend an amount of daily uses of bardic music equal to the level of the spell to be quickened in order to use this ability.
Remember when I said that the 10th level ability merited the removal of a spellcasting level? Pretty much nothing replaces the ability to get new spells and new spells known: nothing.
But consider the following: Quicken Spell is one of the best metamagic feats around, simply because it breaks action economy. Instead of one spell, you get two spells. Instead of one action, you can get potentially more. And it has a pretty hefty price to pay.
So...is it reasonable to eliminate two spellcasting levels to grant the Bladesinger (a very limited entry PrC already) the ability to cast one spell quickened without penalties per encounter? Yes, you read that right. Per encounter. It is quite debatable just how beneficial this can be, but I'm sure of one thing: those who entered through Sorcerer or spontaneous spellcasting will be happy. WAY too happy: I mean, even they can use it! And Sorcerers get loads of benefits from wasting expending their spell slots with reckless abandon.
But the ones that will enjoy this more are Bards. Yeah, bards. Since you get extra uses of Bardic Music per day, and you can expend three daily uses to Quicken any spell you can cast (far cheaper than Metamagic Song, I can tell you), Bards can cast spells almost all day. What if they don't get 9th level spells?
If you don't get this well, imagine entering while getting the Sublime Chord spellcasting ability. Yes, it's that good.
UPDATE: Bards got shafted a bit, others got less shafted. Song of Celerity now consumes either spell slots or bardic music daily uses (at least one lesser than Metamagic Song) to quicken a spell (well, swift-action a spell...which is exactly what Quicken Spell is meant to do, so...) This makes this ability useful when needed, but also less of a hassle. Also, you can make those cantrips useful again, not to mention that you can spend them along a spell of higher level for odd-level spells. So, as an example: a cantrip + a 3rd level spell quickens a 7th level spell.
So, as usual, please state your comments: whether if the Bladesinger now lives to its potential or it has failed to reach the task. Or whether I'm so bad I shouldn't make another homebrew ever again: I can live with that. Or...well, praise as well; I'll try to be humble. Also, feedback and ideas are welcome: Bladesinger was pretty hard to finish, since it's a pretty focused gish-type PrC but it got several boosts.
Also...does someone know Quenya? Or the Elven language? I could use some more phrases in Elven to pique this up, you know what I mean?