Nightgaun7
2013-03-14, 06:08 AM
I've always been a sucker for vicious dancing elves, mostly by way of the Wood Elf Wardancers in Warhammer Fantasy and the Wailing Banshees from Warhammer 40K. Inspired by them, a backup character I was working on and the current Iron Chef competition, I've decided to fiddle with the Bladesinger. The Complete Warrior version is widely regarded as being garbage, and the versions from Races of Faerun and Tome and Blood are generally considered a bit funny as well. So I've decided to take a crack at it.
This is very much a work-in-progress. I'm still new to homebrewing.
Goals for this PrC:
Better entry - I'm thinking to make entry possible at level 6, as many PrCs are.
Power level - Aiming for something close to Swiftblade or Abjurant Champion.
Flavor - the actual fluff is fairly well set, but I think the mechanics could use a bit of work. I particularly want to - rather than making each element strong individually - emphasize the harmonious blend of bladework, arcane knowledge, and music.
Content - No dead levels! I absolutely hate classes with these.
Interaction - I would particularly like this to complement the Swiftblade; the two taken in tandem would make for a great, flavor-filled gish for an elf!
BLADESINGER
http://micahblackburn.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/wardancer2.jpg
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Race: Elf or Half-elf
BAB: +2
Skills: Concentration 8 ranks, Perform (Sing) 8 ranks, Perform (Dance) 5 ranks, Tumble 5 ranks.
Feats: Combat Casting, Dodge, Weapon Finesse
Spells: Able to cast arcane spells of 3rd level.
BAB is a bit knotty; every iteration of this class has a BAB requirement of at least 5. I've changed it for a wizard or sorcerer to be able to enter by level 6, but it's a big change. Given the other restrictions, I'm thinking about eliminating the BAB requirement entirely, but I'm waffling a bit.
I'm also very unsure about the feats. Bladesinger used to require Combat Casting, Dodge, Combat Expertise, Still Spell, and Weapon Focus (longsword). I'm getting rid of Still Spell entirely; singing and dancing don't seem to accommodate it at all. That leaves 4. An Elf Wizard will have 3 feats by level 5, one of which will be their Wizard bonus feat. Taking the Combat Wizard ACF could help you squeak in, but I would prefer to make this as self-contained as possible. I also really loathe feat taxes, but I could perhaps abide by one or two. Suggestions here would be appreciated.
I've changed the skills and the level of casting required to emphasize the mastery of spellcraft and performance needed to enter.
Tome and Blood requires longsword proficiency. I'm thinking about including it, and/or rapier, as it will make a half-elf have to jump through a little extra hoop. While mean, this seems appropriate. It will also make it an attractive class for Bards, which is a secondary but nice bonus. After all, Bard seems like another class uniquely suited for the mantle of Bladesinger, even if the iconic Bladesingers have all been more mystically powerful.
Class Skills
Balance, Concentration, Escape Artist, Jump, Listen, Knowledge (All, taken separately), Perform (Song, Dance), Ride, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Tumble, Use Magic Device.
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int
The base classes already have a small but good skill list. I'm thinking about adding Escape Artist (solely for handling grapplers), and I've upped the number of skill points a little, but that's it.
EDIT: Based on further feedback, I've expanded the skill list a bit.
Hit Dice: d8
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells per Day
1st|+1|+0|+2|+2|Sword Dance| +1 level in existing arcane class
2nd|+2|+0|+3|+3|Song of Power| +1 level in existing arcane class
3rd|+3|+1|+3|+3|Virtuoso Edge| +1 level in existing arcane class
4th|+4|+1|+4|+4|See below| +1 level in existing arcane class
5th|+5|+1|+4|+4|| -----
6th|+6|+2|+5|+5|See below| +1 level in existing arcane class
7th|+7|+2|+5|+5|See below| +1 level in existing arcane class
8th|+8|+2|+6|+6|See below| +1 level in existing arcane class
9th|+9|+3|+6|+6|See below| +1 level in existing arcane class
10th|+10|+3|+7|+7|Song of Fury| -----
[/table]
Weapon & Armor Proficiencies: Bladesingers gain proficiency with the Elven Lightblade, Thinblade, Longblade, and Courtblade if they did not already have it. They gain proficiency with light armor. A Bladesinger does not suffer the normal spell failure chance from wearing light armor. Bladesingers do not gain any shield proficiency.
I added the Elven weapon proficiencies because it's just dumb for them not to be proficient with their racial weapons. I don't care if they were added later! I also folded the effect of Greater Spellsong in here. Hope that's not a problem.
Class Features
This is where I need input from you guys - I have a lot of ideas, but they're unrefined.
A brief aside: as I was looking through the various versions of this class, I saw that there was a 4th edition version. The 4th edition, among other things, can use wands and a couple of other similar items in the off hand. I love this! It's perfect in terms of flavor, even if you won't always use it. I'm not sure how to implement it in 3.5, though.
Song of Power [Ex]: A bladesinger may, when wielding a sword in one hand (and nothing in the other), and using the full attack action, cast one arcane spell (of a level up to ½ his Bladesinger class levels and with a casting time of 1 action or less) each round as a free action. A 2nd level Bladesinger may cast 1st level spells, a 3rd-4th level Bladesinger may cast 2nd level spells, and so on. A bladesinger can take 10 when making a Concentration check to cast defensively while using Song of Power.
Renamed from Song of Celerity. This is a tricky one, as there're a few different versions. With the Tome of Blood and Races of Faerun ones, their casting is limited by small list of low-level spells the Bladesinger gets. The Complete Warrior version is significantly weaker and doesn't even work correctly for spontaneous casters, but has more versatility because the spell list is not limited. I've considered a daily limit based on INT bonus, or including a Perform (Dance) check, but I figured I'd wait for feedback. I've also folded in Lesser Spellsong, to both encourage one to use full attacks and to allow enemies the occasional chance to interrupt you.
EDIT: I moved this to an earlier level, the logic being that when you're a 11th level wizard or thereabouts, a free 1st-level spell when you spend a whole turn whacking people isn't going to be very exciting. Now, getting the ability earlier, the 1st level spells are still worth bothering with, and the power of this class feature scales better with level.
Song of Fury [Ex]
When a Bladesinger decides to attack, he pours his whole soul into the offensive.
Once per day you may, as a swift action, begin a Song of Fury. This is comprised of two parts: an AoE effect and a personal effect. Your Song of Fury lasts for a number of turns equal to your Dexterity modifier.
The AoE effect is a burst of magically-amplified sound that radiates out from the Bladesinger with a radius of 30 feet. On the turn in which you begin your Song of Fury, all enemies within this radius are dazed and must make a Reflex save or be rendered prone. They also take the Bladesinger's character level worth of d6 Sonic damage, with a Fort save for half. On each subsequent turn of the Song of Fury, another pulse of sonic energy radiates out from the Bladesinger, dealing 2d6 less damage each turn. For example, a level 15 Bladesinger who has been in a Song of Fury for 4 turns would roll 9d6 to determine the damage from that turn's pulse.
In addition, in any turn in which the Bladesinger attacks while using Song of Fury, he may make an additional attack at his highest base attack bonus. This stacks with effects like Haste and works for any attack, such as a Spring Attack or Ride-By Attack. Any critical hit while in a Song of Fury is automatically confirmed and has its multiplier increased by 1; a 19-20/x2 weapon would become a 19-20/x3 weapon, for example. This effect stacks with other sources that increase the multiplier.
When the Song of Fury ends, the Bladesinger becomes fatigued for the rest of the encounter.
This is the new version, that I'm a lot happier with. I've already gotten a little feedback on it and it seems pretty balanced.
NEW IDEAS: Rough versions of some ideas I've come up with.
Resonant Blade [Su]: The hum of magic within the Bladesinger pours forth into his weapon. When wielding a sword in one hand (and nothing in the other), the sword gains an enhancement.
A Bladesinger of 1st or 2nd level may give his weapon the Screaming Burst or Whirling enhancement as a free action.
A Bladesinger of 3rd or 4th level may give his weapon the Blurstrike enhancement.
A Bladesinger of 5th or 6th level may give his weapon the Speed enhancement.
A Bladesinger of 7th or 8th level may give his weapon the Dancing enhancement.
A Bladesinger of 9th or 10th level may give his weapon two of the listed enhancements. For example, he could give an Elven Longblade the Dancing and Speed enhancements, and then draw another weapon. The longblade would then make 2 attacks at the Bladesinger's base BAB, and then the normal iterative attacks.
A Bladesinger may only use Resonant Blade on one weapon at a time.
Refined this idea a bit. The wording probably still needs work but you get the idea. If I missed a good thematic one, let me know.
Virtuoso Edge [Ex]: When you make an attack with a weapon in one hand, you can use Intelligence instead of Str for your attack and damage roll. I think I pretty much just lifted this from the 4th Ed Bladesinger, but I could be wrong.
Symphony of Spell and Steel [Ex]: When a 10th-level bladesinger successfully makes a melee attack with a longsword or rapier in one hand (and nothing in the other) against an enemy with spell resistance, the spell resistance of the enemy struck is lowered by 1 for the duration of the encounter. Hits stack up to Bladesinger level for a max of -10 Spell Resistance as a 10th level Bladesinger.
I made the version above to cut down on paperwork. The old version went "the value of that spell resistance is reduced by 2 for 1 round. Multiple attacks stack within a turn, but do not stack with attacks made in the following turn. The penalty to spell resistance lasts until the end of the Bladesinger's next turn."
Song of Grace
A Bladesinger is a cunning warrior, shifting position and evading attack as easily as he sings.
You can take 10 on any balance, climb, jump, or tumble check made in combat while wielding a longsword or rapier in one hand and nothing in the other. In addition, you may make a free 5-foot step as an immediate action once per round, regardless of whether or not you have already moved. This may result in you being able to take two 5 foot steps in a turn.
I think this will really bring out the mobile, shifting feel of the Bladesinger. I'm undecided on the first part. I was thinking about either changing it to a flat bonus, or giving them the ability to go through rough terrain without difficulty. But I hope that with this a Bladesinger can pull off a few cool stunts, and the penalty for having a sword in hand ought to even things out a little...
Eldritch Aria
Bladesingers rely on their mystic might as much as their strength of arm, and use the power of their song to ensure it does not desert them.
Dispel checks made against spells the Bladesinger has cast that affect him or his allies and have a duration longer than one round take a -4 penalty.
Battle Hymn - this is going in just because of the name.
A few other names that might generate some ideas:
Eversong
Amplified Song
Grand Finale
Maestro's Stroke
Staccato Rhythm
Rising Tempo
Cantata
ISSUES
The original versions of the Bladesinger have their own spell list, and I think giving them some spells to add to their list would be a cool little way to reflect this. I'm looking through the Bard list right now, but, as always, suggestions welcome. I'm not personally well acquainted with too many of the spells out there.
Can't use the elven courtblade, which is just begging to be used for this class in the same way that you can make a good power-attacking Dervish. I'd be willing to alter things a bit to get a sweet, sweet wardancing elf holding on to the end of a sword and twirling away
Bonus feats - Rather than 3 bonus feats, I'm currently thinking to have 2. However, if I come up with enough flavorful class features, I am open to ditching them entirely.
This is very much a work-in-progress. I'm still new to homebrewing.
Goals for this PrC:
Better entry - I'm thinking to make entry possible at level 6, as many PrCs are.
Power level - Aiming for something close to Swiftblade or Abjurant Champion.
Flavor - the actual fluff is fairly well set, but I think the mechanics could use a bit of work. I particularly want to - rather than making each element strong individually - emphasize the harmonious blend of bladework, arcane knowledge, and music.
Content - No dead levels! I absolutely hate classes with these.
Interaction - I would particularly like this to complement the Swiftblade; the two taken in tandem would make for a great, flavor-filled gish for an elf!
BLADESINGER
http://micahblackburn.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/wardancer2.jpg
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Race: Elf or Half-elf
BAB: +2
Skills: Concentration 8 ranks, Perform (Sing) 8 ranks, Perform (Dance) 5 ranks, Tumble 5 ranks.
Feats: Combat Casting, Dodge, Weapon Finesse
Spells: Able to cast arcane spells of 3rd level.
BAB is a bit knotty; every iteration of this class has a BAB requirement of at least 5. I've changed it for a wizard or sorcerer to be able to enter by level 6, but it's a big change. Given the other restrictions, I'm thinking about eliminating the BAB requirement entirely, but I'm waffling a bit.
I'm also very unsure about the feats. Bladesinger used to require Combat Casting, Dodge, Combat Expertise, Still Spell, and Weapon Focus (longsword). I'm getting rid of Still Spell entirely; singing and dancing don't seem to accommodate it at all. That leaves 4. An Elf Wizard will have 3 feats by level 5, one of which will be their Wizard bonus feat. Taking the Combat Wizard ACF could help you squeak in, but I would prefer to make this as self-contained as possible. I also really loathe feat taxes, but I could perhaps abide by one or two. Suggestions here would be appreciated.
I've changed the skills and the level of casting required to emphasize the mastery of spellcraft and performance needed to enter.
Tome and Blood requires longsword proficiency. I'm thinking about including it, and/or rapier, as it will make a half-elf have to jump through a little extra hoop. While mean, this seems appropriate. It will also make it an attractive class for Bards, which is a secondary but nice bonus. After all, Bard seems like another class uniquely suited for the mantle of Bladesinger, even if the iconic Bladesingers have all been more mystically powerful.
Class Skills
Balance, Concentration, Escape Artist, Jump, Listen, Knowledge (All, taken separately), Perform (Song, Dance), Ride, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Tumble, Use Magic Device.
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int
The base classes already have a small but good skill list. I'm thinking about adding Escape Artist (solely for handling grapplers), and I've upped the number of skill points a little, but that's it.
EDIT: Based on further feedback, I've expanded the skill list a bit.
Hit Dice: d8
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells per Day
1st|+1|+0|+2|+2|Sword Dance| +1 level in existing arcane class
2nd|+2|+0|+3|+3|Song of Power| +1 level in existing arcane class
3rd|+3|+1|+3|+3|Virtuoso Edge| +1 level in existing arcane class
4th|+4|+1|+4|+4|See below| +1 level in existing arcane class
5th|+5|+1|+4|+4|| -----
6th|+6|+2|+5|+5|See below| +1 level in existing arcane class
7th|+7|+2|+5|+5|See below| +1 level in existing arcane class
8th|+8|+2|+6|+6|See below| +1 level in existing arcane class
9th|+9|+3|+6|+6|See below| +1 level in existing arcane class
10th|+10|+3|+7|+7|Song of Fury| -----
[/table]
Weapon & Armor Proficiencies: Bladesingers gain proficiency with the Elven Lightblade, Thinblade, Longblade, and Courtblade if they did not already have it. They gain proficiency with light armor. A Bladesinger does not suffer the normal spell failure chance from wearing light armor. Bladesingers do not gain any shield proficiency.
I added the Elven weapon proficiencies because it's just dumb for them not to be proficient with their racial weapons. I don't care if they were added later! I also folded the effect of Greater Spellsong in here. Hope that's not a problem.
Class Features
This is where I need input from you guys - I have a lot of ideas, but they're unrefined.
A brief aside: as I was looking through the various versions of this class, I saw that there was a 4th edition version. The 4th edition, among other things, can use wands and a couple of other similar items in the off hand. I love this! It's perfect in terms of flavor, even if you won't always use it. I'm not sure how to implement it in 3.5, though.
Song of Power [Ex]: A bladesinger may, when wielding a sword in one hand (and nothing in the other), and using the full attack action, cast one arcane spell (of a level up to ½ his Bladesinger class levels and with a casting time of 1 action or less) each round as a free action. A 2nd level Bladesinger may cast 1st level spells, a 3rd-4th level Bladesinger may cast 2nd level spells, and so on. A bladesinger can take 10 when making a Concentration check to cast defensively while using Song of Power.
Renamed from Song of Celerity. This is a tricky one, as there're a few different versions. With the Tome of Blood and Races of Faerun ones, their casting is limited by small list of low-level spells the Bladesinger gets. The Complete Warrior version is significantly weaker and doesn't even work correctly for spontaneous casters, but has more versatility because the spell list is not limited. I've considered a daily limit based on INT bonus, or including a Perform (Dance) check, but I figured I'd wait for feedback. I've also folded in Lesser Spellsong, to both encourage one to use full attacks and to allow enemies the occasional chance to interrupt you.
EDIT: I moved this to an earlier level, the logic being that when you're a 11th level wizard or thereabouts, a free 1st-level spell when you spend a whole turn whacking people isn't going to be very exciting. Now, getting the ability earlier, the 1st level spells are still worth bothering with, and the power of this class feature scales better with level.
Song of Fury [Ex]
When a Bladesinger decides to attack, he pours his whole soul into the offensive.
Once per day you may, as a swift action, begin a Song of Fury. This is comprised of two parts: an AoE effect and a personal effect. Your Song of Fury lasts for a number of turns equal to your Dexterity modifier.
The AoE effect is a burst of magically-amplified sound that radiates out from the Bladesinger with a radius of 30 feet. On the turn in which you begin your Song of Fury, all enemies within this radius are dazed and must make a Reflex save or be rendered prone. They also take the Bladesinger's character level worth of d6 Sonic damage, with a Fort save for half. On each subsequent turn of the Song of Fury, another pulse of sonic energy radiates out from the Bladesinger, dealing 2d6 less damage each turn. For example, a level 15 Bladesinger who has been in a Song of Fury for 4 turns would roll 9d6 to determine the damage from that turn's pulse.
In addition, in any turn in which the Bladesinger attacks while using Song of Fury, he may make an additional attack at his highest base attack bonus. This stacks with effects like Haste and works for any attack, such as a Spring Attack or Ride-By Attack. Any critical hit while in a Song of Fury is automatically confirmed and has its multiplier increased by 1; a 19-20/x2 weapon would become a 19-20/x3 weapon, for example. This effect stacks with other sources that increase the multiplier.
When the Song of Fury ends, the Bladesinger becomes fatigued for the rest of the encounter.
This is the new version, that I'm a lot happier with. I've already gotten a little feedback on it and it seems pretty balanced.
NEW IDEAS: Rough versions of some ideas I've come up with.
Resonant Blade [Su]: The hum of magic within the Bladesinger pours forth into his weapon. When wielding a sword in one hand (and nothing in the other), the sword gains an enhancement.
A Bladesinger of 1st or 2nd level may give his weapon the Screaming Burst or Whirling enhancement as a free action.
A Bladesinger of 3rd or 4th level may give his weapon the Blurstrike enhancement.
A Bladesinger of 5th or 6th level may give his weapon the Speed enhancement.
A Bladesinger of 7th or 8th level may give his weapon the Dancing enhancement.
A Bladesinger of 9th or 10th level may give his weapon two of the listed enhancements. For example, he could give an Elven Longblade the Dancing and Speed enhancements, and then draw another weapon. The longblade would then make 2 attacks at the Bladesinger's base BAB, and then the normal iterative attacks.
A Bladesinger may only use Resonant Blade on one weapon at a time.
Refined this idea a bit. The wording probably still needs work but you get the idea. If I missed a good thematic one, let me know.
Virtuoso Edge [Ex]: When you make an attack with a weapon in one hand, you can use Intelligence instead of Str for your attack and damage roll. I think I pretty much just lifted this from the 4th Ed Bladesinger, but I could be wrong.
Symphony of Spell and Steel [Ex]: When a 10th-level bladesinger successfully makes a melee attack with a longsword or rapier in one hand (and nothing in the other) against an enemy with spell resistance, the spell resistance of the enemy struck is lowered by 1 for the duration of the encounter. Hits stack up to Bladesinger level for a max of -10 Spell Resistance as a 10th level Bladesinger.
I made the version above to cut down on paperwork. The old version went "the value of that spell resistance is reduced by 2 for 1 round. Multiple attacks stack within a turn, but do not stack with attacks made in the following turn. The penalty to spell resistance lasts until the end of the Bladesinger's next turn."
Song of Grace
A Bladesinger is a cunning warrior, shifting position and evading attack as easily as he sings.
You can take 10 on any balance, climb, jump, or tumble check made in combat while wielding a longsword or rapier in one hand and nothing in the other. In addition, you may make a free 5-foot step as an immediate action once per round, regardless of whether or not you have already moved. This may result in you being able to take two 5 foot steps in a turn.
I think this will really bring out the mobile, shifting feel of the Bladesinger. I'm undecided on the first part. I was thinking about either changing it to a flat bonus, or giving them the ability to go through rough terrain without difficulty. But I hope that with this a Bladesinger can pull off a few cool stunts, and the penalty for having a sword in hand ought to even things out a little...
Eldritch Aria
Bladesingers rely on their mystic might as much as their strength of arm, and use the power of their song to ensure it does not desert them.
Dispel checks made against spells the Bladesinger has cast that affect him or his allies and have a duration longer than one round take a -4 penalty.
Battle Hymn - this is going in just because of the name.
A few other names that might generate some ideas:
Eversong
Amplified Song
Grand Finale
Maestro's Stroke
Staccato Rhythm
Rising Tempo
Cantata
ISSUES
The original versions of the Bladesinger have their own spell list, and I think giving them some spells to add to their list would be a cool little way to reflect this. I'm looking through the Bard list right now, but, as always, suggestions welcome. I'm not personally well acquainted with too many of the spells out there.
Can't use the elven courtblade, which is just begging to be used for this class in the same way that you can make a good power-attacking Dervish. I'd be willing to alter things a bit to get a sweet, sweet wardancing elf holding on to the end of a sword and twirling away
Bonus feats - Rather than 3 bonus feats, I'm currently thinking to have 2. However, if I come up with enough flavorful class features, I am open to ditching them entirely.