wild bard

[leegi0n]

Please forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is the big benefit of being a SAVAGE BARD? Are you a barbarian trapped in a bard's class? How does it work?

[Wyntonian]

Bard Variant: Savage Bard

Base Save Bonuses
A savage bard has good Fortitude and Will saves, but has poor Reflex saves.

Class Skills
A savage bard loses Decipher Script and Speak Language as class skills. He adds Survival to his list of class skills.


This. All that changes. Aside from the fluff text, I'm not sure where you're getting the "barbarian trapped in a bard's class" idea. You're a bard with slightly different saves and class features.

EDIT: Derp, forgot that you change some spells. Mostly changing Summon Monster to SNA, some other little things.

[leegi0n]

I don't know either. Thanks for clarifying.

[Urpriest]

To expand, it often is suggested as an entry for Urpriest, since it gets the right saving throw bonuses for it while also getting all required class skills.

Thematically, it's supposed to represent a Skald, or similar bard with a barbarian tribe archetype.

[Talya]

There are very few reasons not to use this option if it's available. Even switching from Reflex to Fortitude save is a huge bonus.

[laeZ1]

What book is the savage bard from?

[eggs]

It's an unearthed arcana variant. Also in the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#bardVariantSavageBard) .

[nedz]

UA p50 or ......
Ed: Ninja'd, savagely

[Gwendol]

To expand, it often is suggested as an entry for Urpriest, since it gets the right saving throw bonuses for it while also getting all required class skills.

Thematically, it's supposed to represent a Skald, or similar bard with a barbarian tribe archetype.

I thought that belonged to the Warrior Skald PrC? The savage bard seems more like a bard growing up in the countryside.

[umbergod]

don't forget they're baseline illiterate like barbarians as well :P

[Eldest]

I thought that belonged to the Warrior Skald PrC? The savage bard seems more like a bard growing up in the countryside.

Egads! Wotc duplicated an idea! :smalltongue:

[Baroncognito]

what exactly is the big benefit of being a SAVAGE BARD?

Looking awesome. Just ask Paul Kidby.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg827/scaled.php?server=827&filename=20120822000451.jpg&res=landing

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Look over what spells you trade out, and compare it to the spells you gain. A few noteworthy cases:

Summon Nature's Ally is generally better than Summon Monster, plus the extra stuff you can add onto it (Ring of the Beast, Greenbound Summoning) makes it actually worth casting for a Bard. Don't for get about summoning Unicorns to heal, neutralize poison, and project a Magic Circle that ignores SR.

You get Bull's Strength, plus some amazing spells to put onto a custom Runestaff (MIC) in case you need them. I'd put Endure Elements on a Runestaff at 1/day just to cast it every day and have one less thing to worry about.

Don't forget that it doesn't remove any spells from non-core sources, which means there's probably another spell from another book still on your list that does the same thing as any given spell you've lost. Basically, the spell list changes are nothing but an upgrade. Definitely a strong selling point.


There are maybe three total save-or-die/loseforever Reflex save effects in all of 3.5, and they're almost never used by anything but PCs specifically designed to get access to them. Fort and Will saves are the important saves in this edition because failing one often means being taken out of the fight for one or more rounds or even outright dying, while Reflex saves can help you avoid some damage but as long as you're still able to act in combat and heal the HP afterward they don't really matter at all. Switching your good saves to the two important ones is another upgrade, and another strong selling point.


You lose Decipher Script and Speak Language, and gain Survival on your class skill list. Survival is one of those skills that makes a character self-sufficient, whereas the other two almost never even see use. You can throw two of your abundant skill points into learning to read, an insignificant cost. Both an upgrade and a selling point.


Finally, wild characters are just cooler than sophisticated characters.

[leegi0n]

To expand, it often is suggested as an entry for Urpriest, since it gets the right saving throw bonuses for it while also getting all required class skills.


What, exactly is an UrPriest, how do they work, and what book can they be found in?

[LordBlades]

What, exactly is an UrPriest, how do they work, and what book can they be found in?

It's a 10 level prestige class in Complete Divine. The class' main shtick is having it's own accelerated progression of cleric spells up to 9th levels. You can easily get 9th level spells a few levels before a full caster.

[leegi0n]

What do you all think about a setup like this:

Savage Bard-8/Ur-Priest-2/Sublime Chord-2/Mystic Theurge-8

[Urpriest]

What do you all think about a setup like this:

Savage Bard-8/Ur-Priest-2/Sublime Chord-2/Mystic Theurge-8

That's the bare-bones Ur-Chord. Note that you aren't gaining the Cleric spells any earlier than you would normally. It's solid, but not optimal. Unfortunately, going farther involves dubious rules interpretations:

The Ur-Hierophant:
Bamboo Spirit Folk Savage Bard 5/Ur-Priest 2/Mystic Theurge 3/Sublime Chord 1/Arcane Hierophant 9

Requires the Bamboo Spirit Folk (Oriental Adventures) Trackless Step to count as "Trackless step class feature" for qualification for Arcane Hierophant.

The Ur-Lyrist:
Savage Bard 5/Ur-Priest 2/Mystic Theurge 3/Sublime Chord 1/Fochluchan Lyrist 9

Requires some way to learn Druidic without being a Druid, and requires either a Ring of Evasion or the soulmeld Impulse Boots to qualify as "evasion ability" for Fochluchan Lyrist.

Of course, you don't need to Theurge at all: Savage Bard 5/Ur-Priest 10/whatever 5 is still a worthwhile build.

[leegi0n]

What about:

Monk-2/DuskBlade-3/Ur-Priest-2/Sacred Fist-8/something-5

[Urpriest]

What about:

Monk-2/DuskBlade-3/Ur-Priest-2/Sacred Fist-8/something-5

The well-loved Sacrilegious Fist. Needs Apprentice:Criminal or the like to get Bluff in time. I prefer Hierophant for by "something", for the CL increase and special abilities.

[leegi0n]

The well-loved Sacrilegious Fist. Needs Apprentice:Criminal or the like to get Bluff in time.

This "Apprentice:Criminal"....where is that found?

[laeZ1]

You get Bull's Strength, plus some amazing spells to put onto a custom Runestaff (MIC) in case you need them. I'd put Endure Elements on a Runestaff at 1/day just to cast it every day and have one less thing to worry about.
What's a Runestaff, and (more importantly) what book does MIC stand for?


There are maybe three total save-or-die/loseforever Reflex save effects in all of 3.5.
I can't think of any off the top of my head (expect earthquake in some situations) could you give some examples?

[Urpriest]

This "Apprentice:Criminal"....where is that found?

Player's Handbook II, in the section on Apprenticeship.

[LordBlades]

What's a Runestaff, and (more importantly) what book does MIC stand for?

Magic Item Compendium, and runestaves are staves that instead of having charges allow you to cast any of the spells they hold by sacrificing one of your spell slots of equal or higher level.



I can't think of any off the top of my head (expect earthquake in some situations) could you give some examples?

Enveloping Cocoon (Druid, SpC) comes to mind.

[Talya]

Enveloping Cocoon (Druid, SpC) comes to mind.

Also, Otiluke's Crushing Sphere (Lost Empires of Faerun).