PDA

View Full Version : 3.5 Bard Variant: Ragesong Lyricist (or Bardbarian)



Strudel110
2010-08-03, 09:54 PM
Bardbarian: Bard Variant
Background: Bardbarians are savage bards with with a heavier focus on combat. Bardbarians pass as normal bards until they begin a ragesong, once they begin a ragesong they fly into a frenzied fury making them deadly in combat.
Races: any
Role: Support caster/Melee combatant.
Alignment: Always Chaotic.
Hit Die: d10.
Table 1: The Bardbarian
Base
{table=head]Level | Attack Bonus | FortSave | RefSave | WillSave |Special
1st|+0|+0|+2|+2|Bardic Music, Fascinate, Inspire Courage +1, Ragesong 1/day
2nd|+1|+0|+3|+3| Enraged Melody
3rd|+2|+1|+3|+3| Uncanny Dodge, Inspire Fear
4th|+3|+1|+4|+4| Ragesong 2/day
5th|+3|+1|+4|+4|
6th|+4|+2|+5|+5| Improved Uncanny Dodge
7th|+5|+2|+5|+5| Damage Reduction 1/-
8th|+6/+1|+2|+6|+6| Ragesong 3/day, Inspire Courage +2
9th|+6/+1|+3|+6|+6|
10th|+7/+2|+3|+7|+7| Damage Reduction 2/-
11th|+8/+3|+3|+7|+7|
12th|+9/+4|+4|+8|+8| Ragesong 4/day, Greater Rage
13th|+9/+4|+4|+8|+8| Damage Reduction 3/-
14th|+10/+5|+4|+9|+9| Inspire Courage +3
15th|+11/+6/+1|+5|+9|+9|
16th|+12/+7/+2|+5|+10|+10| Ragesong 5/day, Damage Reduction 4/-
17th|+12/+7/+2|+5|+10|+10| Tireless Rage
18th|+13/+8/+3|+6|+11|+11|
19th|+14/+9/+4|+6|+11|+11| Damage Reduction 5/-
20th|+15/+10/+5|+6|+12|+12| Ragesong 6/day, Inspire Courag +4[/table]

Table 2: Spells Per Day
{table=head]Level | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
1|2|-|-|-|-|-|-
2|3|0|-|-|-|-|-
3|3|1|-|-|-|-|-
4|3|2|0|-|-|-|-
5|3|3|1|-|-|-|-
6|3|3|2|-|-|-|-
7|3|3|2|0|-|-|-
8|3|3|3|2|1|-|-
9|3|3|3|2|-|-|-
10|3|3|3|2|0|-|-
11|3|3|3|3|1|-|-
12|3|3|3|3|2|-|-
13|3|3|3|3|2|0|-
14|4|3|3|3|2|-|-
15|4|4|3|3|3|2|-
16|4|4|4|3|3|2|0
17|4|4|4|4|3|3|1
18|4|4|4|4|4|3|2
19|4|4|4|4|4|4|3
20|4|4|4|4|4|4|4[/table]

Table 3: Spells Known
{table=head]Level | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
1|4|-|-|-|-|-|-
2|5|2|-|-|-|-|-
3|6|3|-|-|-|-|-
4|6|3|2|-|-|-|-
5|6|4|3|-|-|-|-
6|6|4|3|-|-|-|-
7|6|4|4|2|-|-|-
8|6|4|4|3|-|-|-
9|6|4|4|3|-|-|-
10|6|4|4|4|2|-|-
11|6|4|4|4|3|-|-
12|6|4|4|4|3|-|-
13|6|4|4|4|3|2|-
14|6|4|4|4|4|3|-
15|6|4|4|4|4|3|-
16|6|5|4|4|4|4|2
17|6|5|5|4|4|4|3
18|6|5|5|5|4|4|3
19|6|5|5|5|5|4|4
20|6|5|5|5|5|5|4[/table

Class Features:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
A bardbarian is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, and shields (except tower shields). A bardbarian can cast bard spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a bardbarian wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (most do). A multiclass bardbarian still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Spells
A bard casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the bard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. Every bard spell has a verbal component (singing, reciting, or music). To learn or cast a spell, a bard must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a bard’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the bard’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a bardbarian can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Bardbarian. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score. When Table: The Bardbarian indicates that the bard gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Charisma score for that spell level.

The bardbarian’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A bardbarian begins play knowing four 0-level spells of your choice. At most new bardbarian levels, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: The Bardbarian. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a bardbarian knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table: The Bardbarian are fixed.)

Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third bardbarian level after that (8th, 11th, and so on), a bardbarian can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the bardbarian "loses" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level bard spell the bardbarian can cast. A bardbarian may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.

As noted above, a bardbarian need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level.

Bardic Music
Once per day per bard level, a bardbarian can use his song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around him (usually including himself, if desired). While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music and the descriptions discuss singing or playing instruments, they can all be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance. Each ability requires both a minimum bard level and a minimum number of ranks in the Perform skill to qualify; if a bardbarian does not have the required number of ranks in at least one Perform skill, he does not gain the bardic music ability until he acquires the needed ranks.

Starting a bardic music effect is a standard action. Some bardic music abilities require concentration, which means the bard must take a standard action each round to maintain the ability. Even while using bardic music that doesn’t require concentration, a bard cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), spell trigger (such as wands), or command word. Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf bardbarian has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use bardic music. If he fails, the attempt still counts against his daily limit.

Fascinate (Sp)
A bardbarian with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bardbarian, and able to pay attention to him. The bardbarian must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every three levels a bard attains beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with a single use of this ability.

To use the ability, a bardbarian makes a Perform check. His check result is the DC for each affected creature’s Will save against the effect. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and listens to the song, taking no other actions, for as long as the bard continues to play and concentrate (up to a maximum of 1 round per bard level). While fascinated, a target takes a -4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat requires the bard to make another Perform check and allows the creature a new saving throw against a DC equal to the new Perform check result.

Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability.

Inspire Courage (Su)
A bardbarian with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the bard sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and +4 at 20th). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.

Inspire Fear (Su)
A bardbarian of 3rd level or higher with 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to intimidate foes. The foes must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the bard. The bard must also be able to see the foes.

The foes become Frightened for 1d4 rounds as if they were affected by the Cause Fear spell. If the subject succeeds on a Will save, it is shaken instead. Creatures with 6 or more Hit Dice are only shaken never frightened.

Ragesong (Ex)
A bardbarian can fly into a rage a certain number of times per day. In a rage, a bardbarian temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution, and a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but he takes a -2 penalty to Armor Class. The increase in Constitution increases the bardbarian’s hit points by 2 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the rage when his Constitution score drops back to normal. (These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are.) While raging, a bardbarian cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate, and Ride), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. He can use any feat he has except Combat Expertise, item creation feats, and metamagic feats. A fit of rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s (newly improved) Constitution modifier. A bardbarian may prematurely end his rage. At the end of the rage, the bardbarian loses the rage modifiers and restrictions and becomes fatigued (-2 penalty to Strength, -2 penalty to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for the duration of the current encounter (unless he is a 17th-level bardbarian, at which point this limitation no longer applies).

A bardbarian can fly into a rage only once per encounter. At 1st level he can use his rage ability once per day. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, he can use it one additional time per day (to a maximum of six times per day at 20th level). Entering a rage takes no time itself, but a bardbarian can do it only during his action, not in response to someone else’s action.

Enraged Melody (EX)
At 2nd level, a Bardbarian is able to cast spells and use bardic music while raging.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
At 3rd level, a bardbarian retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a bardbarian already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
At 6th level and higher, a bardbarian can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the bardbarian by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has bardbarian levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.

Damage Reduction (Ex)
At 7th level, a bardbarian gains Damage Reduction. Subtract 1 from the damage the bardbarian takes each time he is dealt damage from a weapon or a natural attack. At 10th level, and every three bardbarian levels thereafter (13th, 16th, and 19th level), this damage reduction rises by 1 point. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0.

Greater Rage (Ex)
At 12th level, a barbarian’s bonuses to Strength and Constitution during his rage each increase to +6, and his morale bonus on Will saves increases to +3. The penalty to AC remains at -2.

Tireless Rage (Ex)
At 17th level and higher, a barbarian no longer becomes fatigued at the end of his rage.

This class is really just for me, because I'm making a story with a bardbarian, but I figured someone might like the idea and make a better one. This one is mostly a mishmash of a bard and a barbarian, so balance is certainly questionable.