BLADESINGER PrC

[Nightgaun7]

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.

[Primal Fury]

I always liked the idea behind the class, but it wasn't executed very well. I find myself wanting to make a Beguiler/Bladesinger, though I don't know how effective it would be.

For Resonant Blade I like the idea of having access to multiple enhancements, one for each song you sing in the midst of combat.

For Symphony of Spell and Steel, I would prefer granting Spell Penetration/Greater Spell Penetration, since that's more like using your arcane blade to flay your opponents' resistance to your spells.

What other ideas did you have?

EDIT: Also, I find the requirement of Weapon Finesse a little odd, considering it might become useless if your Intelligence is higher than your Dexterity. That might just be a personal thing though, as I'd want any feat I take for my character to be useful.

[Nightgaun7]

Here are the spells the 3.0 Bladesinger had access to:


1st-Level Spells
Expeditious Retreat
Mage Armor
Magic Weapon
Shield
True Strike

2nd-Level Spells
Blur
Bull’s Strength
Cat’s Grace
Mirror Image
Protection from Arrows

3rd-Level Spells
Displacement
Greater Magic Weapon
Haste
Keen Edge

4th-Level Spells
Dimension Door
Fire Shield
Improved Invisibility
Stoneskin


Various buffs, movement spells, and utility spells.

I've gone through and made a long list of possible spells to add to the list the Bladesinger list. It obviously doesn't have to have them, since the Wizard/Sorc list is great, but I like the idea of giving them some thematic spells from elsewhere. Pretty much everything I found was from the Bard list though. I'm not necessarily going to include every single one, but I listed all the ones I thought might be appropriate.

My goal here is to give the Bladesinger plenty of sound-based spells to use as fodder for Song of Power. I'm in a campaign where a Wizard seems likely to have trouble pimping his spellbook, and Song of Power is a great feature that's useless if you don't have enough spells to take advantage of it. Nothing in here seems too earthshaking.

I'd like to find a couple of nice little non-wizard mobility enhancers.

Cantrips: Well, ok, it's more like Cantrip, singular.
Songbird

1st Level: Just one here too
Focusing Chant

2nd Level: Now we're going places!
Battle Hymn - minor help for allies
Caterwaul - debuff
Crescendo - self-buff
Faerinaal's Hymn - debuff, I really like this one for captuirng the Bladesinger putting out defensive spells on the fly
Fortissimo - buff
Grace - buff
Nightmare Lullaby - Debuff. I was generally trying to avoid ones that took longer that a standard action, but this one fits pretty well in my opinion.
Painful Echoes - debuff, minor damage. Sets up synergy with later spells, which I like.
Resounding Voice - utility, I guess. Fits with the theme.
Song of Festering Death - damage per round. Might be cool to use this to slap on someone and then attack another target while dinging them. It's only 2d6 per turn.
Sonic Weapon - buff
Sound Burst - minor damage, debuff

3rd Level
Allegro - party buff/utility
Deafening Blast - debuff and Painful Echoes synergy
Dirge of Discord - debuff
Dissonant Chord - Moderate AoE damage
Haunting Tune - debuff
Sonic Shield - buff, BFC
Stunning Screech - debuff
Warcry - debuff
Wounding Whispers - minor damage

4th Level
Battlecry - party buff
Cacophonic Shield - buff/utility
Fire Dance - quite a nice little spell, gives you fire resistance, shines light, and can either put out a ray of heat or a little heal at the end.
Freedom of Movement - An essential spell for a class like this. The Swiftblade does get you this eventually, but like I said I want this to be able to stand on its own.
Fugue - Use perform to do a few different things.
Resonating Bolt - damage. Debating this, but I don't think it's bad to have at least a couple of spells you can spit out after a full attack if there's no enemy near, and this is pretty tame.
Sirine's Grace - buff
War Cry - buff/potential debuff

5th Level
Cacophonic Burst - AoE Damage. 15d6 that you can put down with Song of Power if you maxed out Bladesinger. But I figure you deserve a little reward for mixing it up as a gish at this level when you could have make a incantatrix/Iot7V or Planar Shepherd instead.
Scyllan Scream - debuff
Song of Discord - BFC
Wail of Doom - minor damage, debuff

6th Level
Dirge - debuff
Great Shout - utility/damage
Resonating Agony - builds off Painful Echoes and Deafening Blast. I love the idea of putting those two out for free and then taking an action to cap them with this.
Snowsong - party buff/debuff

[Nightgaun7]

I always liked the idea behind the class, but it wasn't executed very well. I find myself wanting to make a Beguiler/Bladesinger, though I don't know how effective it would be.

For Resonant Blade I like the idea of having access to multiple enhancements, one for each song you sing in the midst of combat.

For Symphony of Spell and Steel, I would prefer granting Spell Penetration/Greater Spell Penetration, since that's more like using your arcane blade to flay your opponents' resistance to your spells.

What other ideas did you have?

EDIT: Also, I find the requirement of Weapon Finesse a little odd, considering it might become useless if your Intelligence is higher than your Dexterity. That might just be a personal thing though, as I'd want any feat I take for my character to be useful.

Thanks for the feedback.

I really like the general idea of Resonant Blade as well, but that might just be because of the pun on Revenant Blade...

I wasn't quite sure what to do with Symphony of Spell & Steel because I haven't really played a caster before. What amount of Spell Penetration would you give per hit? Maybe each successful attack in a turn gives you +2 spell penetration, capped at 10?

Good point with Weapon Finesse. As I said, I'm not quite decided on the feats, but I think the fact that it actively works against a class feature is a bit of a pain. I'll scrap it for something else.

[Primal Fury]

I wasn't quite sure what to do with Symphony of Spell & Steel because I haven't really played a caster before. What amount of Spell Penetration would you give per hit? Maybe each successful attack in a turn gives you +2 spell penetration, capped at 10?
That's something I'm not sure about. I've never heard of stacking spell penetration in the middle of combat before, so I wouldn't know how to implement it. Maybe the cap can be determined by level?


Good point with Weapon Finesse. As I said, I'm not quite decided on the feats, but I think the fact that it actively works against a class feature is a bit of a pain. I'll scrap it for something else.
What about Combat Expertise? It fits mechanically and thematically, and remains useful throughout all levels.

[Nightgaun7]

That's something I'm not sure about. I've never heard of stacking spell penetration in the middle of combat before, so I wouldn't know how to implement it. Maybe the cap can be determined by level?


What about Combat Expertise? It fits mechanically and thematically, and remains useful throughout all levels.

It doesn't have to be Spell Penetration, that was just one idea. I'm not totally clear on how it would work either, but I'll fiddle around with it a bit more later.

The base classes all require Combat Expertise, but I got rid of it. I might replace Dodge with it or something, but I'm really still mulling over the feats and trying to see how everything would fit together. I absolutely loathe feat taxes, but when all of the base classes have it, and when it will be gotten anyways to go into Swiftblade, it's a little more palatable. Barely. It's like having a cardboard pizza and then sprinkling some garlic on top.

[Primal Fury]

For Song of Fury... Would it be unbalanced to throw in a spell for each successful attack, progressively getting stronger the more attacks you land?

[Nightgaun7]

One free low-level spell per turn isn't much, but spitting out, say, 4 level 5 spells, seems a bit excessive. Heck, just doing the paperwork would be a mild pain in the behind.

[Nightgaun7]

I moved Song of Power to 2nd level, so you can play around with what I think most people would consider the signature ability of the class a bit earlier, and for the sake of better scaling.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Maybe instead of granting the weapon proficiencies, give them Racial Weapon Proficiency (of CW)? That'd grant them proficiency in anything that has Elven/Elf in the name.

[Nightgaun7]

Where in Complete Warrior is that? I don't see it just yet.

[Draz74]

It's actually called Improved Weapon Familiarity.

[Nightgaun7]

I refined the Resonant Blade ability a little.


It's actually called Improved Weapon Familiarity.

Thanks, found it.

[Primal Fury]

One free low-level spell per turn isn't much, but spitting out, say, 4 level 5 spells, seems a bit excessive. Heck, just doing the paperwork would be a mild pain in the behind.
Then maybe expending spell levels for bonus damage? The first attack lets you drop a 1st level spell slot for 1d(whatever) bonus damage, the next attack gives you 2d(whatever) for a 2nd level spell slot, and so on.

[Nightgaun7]

Put a possible version of Symphony of Spell & Steel up

[Nightgaun7]

Then maybe expending spell levels for bonus damage? The first attack lets you drop a 1st level spell slot for 1d(whatever) bonus damage, the next attack gives you 2d(whatever) for a 2nd level spell slot, and so on.

It's not a bad idea, but for some reason I've always moderately disliked this mechanic.

Also, I would see Arcane Strike as being an ideal Bladesinger feat for people who do want to go that route, and I don't want to step on its toes.

[Primal Fury]

Oh. Then why not make Arcane Strike a prerequisite for entering the class? You could even improve the feat as you gain levels in the class.

Or maybe a bonus feat gained by the class, since you said you'd want this class to be available to 6th level characters.

[Nightgaun7]

A couple of bits of fluff on Bladesingers

"The bladesong is a primarily defensive style of combat, with devastating strikes considered less important than a superior guard position. From this superior defensive posture, magical attacks and spells may be used without fear of successful counter-attack, when performed by a Tel'Quessir fully proficient in the style."

and

"Their movements seem misleadingly slow and elegant, deflecting opponents' blades while lazily drifting back to score hits themselves. The technique requires, above all, misdirection and subtlety. The bladesingers do not believe in smashing blows or strong and crushing offense, but rather in guiding their opponents to anticipate a different attack entirely, thus overbalancing the foe and making him seem clumsy."

It also appears that despite the original classes being designed around one-handed longsword/rapier use, in fluff Bladesingers have a number of different styles with different weapons, which makes me feel less guilty about wanting to give them Courtblades.

[Nightgaun7]

I was thinking about some sort of ability that would help them resist counterspells and dispells - anyone have a suggestion on what I should do for this? I would consider some sort of Perform (Song) check but I'm not sure to what extent that would be abusable by people pumping their skill check to a ludicrous level.

[Nightgaun7]

Minor fixes to the skill list and a cap placed on Resonant Blade

[Nightgaun7]

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.

I'm sure there's a better way to word this, but the idea is to impede Bladesingers falling victim to dispels. Without their spells they are weak and squishy.

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...

[Nightgaun7]

New idea for Song of Fury

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.

[Primal Fury]

I like your Song of Grace, and the idea behind your Song of Fury, but why does it get progressively weaker the longer it's active? Why not progressively stronger?

Also, what do you think about having Arcane Strike as a requirement or bonus feat for this class? It seems like a perfect fit.

[Nightgaun7]

Song of Fury gets weaker as it goes on because an echo fades away rather than increasing in volume, and I wanted it to feel like there was this mind-crushing blast of sound that echoed for more damage.

I thought about it, but a Bladesinger can already spit out spells while swinging his sword - I'd rather have Arcane Strike be an option for those Bladesingers that want to be even more gish-y at the cost of burning through their spells very quickly.

[Primal Fury]

Song of Fury gets weaker as it goes on because an echo fades away rather than increasing in volume, and I wanted it to feel like there was this mind-crushing blast of sound that echoed for more damage.
Aaaah. We're thinking about two different things then. I'm envisioning it as a crescendo, a song that becomes so loud that it breaks bones and ruptures flesh. Your way is good too though. :smallsmile:


I thought about it, but a Bladesinger can already spit out spells while swinging his sword - I'd rather have Arcane Strike be an option for those Bladesingers that want to be even more gish-y at the cost of burning through their spells very quickly.
Fair enough.

[Nightgaun7]

I was thinking about both ways for Song of Fury, tbh, but I figured that if you needed to use it you'd be in need of a helping hand ASAP and might not have time for the damage to build. I have however got something similar in the works as a potential class feature.

[Nightgaun7]

Working on another class feature, Battle Hymn. As I said, I love the name - Battle Hymn of the Republic is a great song. But I don't want to make the Bard useless.

Right now I'm thinking about something based on the number of ranks in Perform (Sing), probably all allies within 30-60 feet, have to be able to hear you.

What I'm not totally solid on is just what bonus the Bladesinger can bestow on his friends without getting rid of the need for a bard or various other similar buffers.

[Maquise]

The one thing that stood out at me was the weapon limitations for Song of Fury. I might change it to "one-handed slashing or piercing weapon."

Otherwise, it seems to do what it was meant to.

[Nightgaun7]

Maybe I should change the name of this thread to Fighter Fix. That seems to lure people in like moths to flame.

[Nightgaun7]

Battle Hymn [Ex]:
A Bladesinger's song stirs the hearts and stiffens the sinews of his allies; where others lead a charge, the Bladesinger helps his companions hold fast.

Once per encounter, a Bladesinger may use his Battle Hymn ability. This ability affects all allies within 60 feet who can hear the Bladesinger. Beginning a Battle Hymn takes a swift action, and it lasts 1 round per class level plus 1 - a 9th level Bladesinger would have a Battle Hymn that lasts for 10 turns, for example.

Potential benefits:
Bonus on saving throws
An additional AoO per round
temporary Con bonus
Trying to think of other good ideas

There's currently a bard in my group, and I wanted to include a fun little buff for him in the event that I need a new character before he does. To that end:
Small groups of Bladesingers sometimes come together for a specific purpose. When a group of Bladesingers join battle, their voices join together in a glorious paean that empowers the whole group. When a spell involving song is used by an ally of a Bladesinger while he is using Battle Hymn, the ability has +1 caster level. This ability stacks so, for example, in the unlikely event that 4 Bladesingers are joined and one of them cast the spell Allegro, it would have + 4CL. This ability is not limited to Bladesingers; Bards and other classes focused on song or sound may benefit as well.
In addition, Bladesingers work well with Bards. A Bard accompanied by a Bladesinger may use his Bardic Song as though he had the Lingering Song feat, as the Bladesinger takes up the song.

Not quite sure about this one, don't want to render other classes, like the bard, useless. On the other hand, this is a nice, flavorful ability for such a class.

[ImaginaryDragon]

Lookin good man. Hurry up and post Bladesong Style

[Waker]

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.
Might want to consider lowering the ranks in perform by a bit. As it is, the bard is the only class able to meet all the requirements in a reasonable amount of time. A wizard for instance would need to be level 13 before he could meet the Perform (Sing) requirements. The BAB is somewhat redundant since any character with the requisite skill ranks or spellcasting is going to have that already. Perhaps require proficiency in one of the elvish weapons (rapier, longsword...)


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
Probably shouldn't restrict the types of performance available. Not big, but if they want to play the harp, who are you to stop them?


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.
The bit about no ASF should be listed as a separate ability, like Armored Mage or something. No need to mention the non-proficiency with shields.


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.
Perhaps rewrite it to read more along the lines of "As part of a full attack action a bladesinger may cast one spell of a level up to half of their bladesinger levels (maximum of 5th level spells at 10th level.) The casting time of the spell cannot be longer than a standard action. While using her Song of Power, a Bladesinger cannot attack or wield an item in her off-hand. While casting a spell in such a manner, a bladesinger may take a 10 on her Concentration check to cast defensively.


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.
I understand what you are going with, but the mechanics of it are a bit clunky. You might want to consider breaking this up into two abilities, one that deals sonic damage while the other increases your attacks. Nonetheless you might want to write it out as " deals 1d6 per bladesinger level". You should probably allow a save for the daze and limit the knockdown effect a bit. Perhaps having them make the save once at the beginning or end of the performance.


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.
Perhaps require the weapon be bonded to the bladesinger or make the enhancement limited to a certain amount of time per day. You could also simplify it by stating that they can take any enhancement of their choice with the limit based on level.


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.
Works fine.


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.
"Successive penalties are cumulative." Might want to put an actual time limit to the duration rather than just "end of the encounter".


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.
Might want to clarify if this extra movement provokes an AoO. The taking a 10 power should probably read more like "wearing light armor and not carrying anything in their off hand."


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.
Range limitation on the aura? "Dispel attempts against the bladesinger and her allies receive a -4 penalty on caster checks." might be a better way to write it.

Since you wanted to go with a musically inclined arcanist, you might consider giving the class some Bardic Music (with a small penalty, but stacking with Bard levels) or adding bonus feats (combat or metamagic).