Would a "Bardificer" be possible?

[Peacock King]

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/photos/prodimg12/product_image_full_127514.jpg

So I had this idea...for a steampunk themed Bard, probably a Gnome that uses technology and music together...like an organ grinder or a back mounted mini-harpsichord (and yeah the idea of the "metal bard" hasn't escaped me). Obviously the Artificer is INT based and the Bard is CHA so there would be a clash there and also obviously, bardic music has to have sound based component and can't be imbued into items like other arcane spells but the aesthetics behind the build sync up; both are buffer types and adding the Bardic spellcasting to the ability to built weapons and armor, and you got yourself the most useful support character in any team.

Granted I could just as easily take a number of crafting feats or just take a few levels of Bard and finish out the rest with Artificer but I was curious if there were any other options out there. Also is there any precedent for using technology to augment bardic casting? Like musical devices imbued with metamagic feats? I'd think an electric violin hooked into a Victrola style horn would increase the volume and range of effects...

Also I said earlier that Bardic music couldn't be imbued into magic items but what if the item itself had a music or sound element like a music box or something?

[unseenmage]

Obviously the Artificer is INT based and the Bard is CHA so there would be a clash

Nah, the Artificer is only Int based if you want to use Infusions. Which a Bardificer would not.
The Bardificer would instead use Cha based Use Magic Device checks to wreck face with Metamagiced Wands and wonky musical Custom Magic items.

[Platymus Pus]

Trying to make a one man band?
Think you have to have proper str values for that?
I mean that thing looks pretty heavy

[PangolinPie]

I approve of this idea...sounds bad ass

[Peacock King]

Trying to make a one man band?
Think you have to have proper str values for that?
I mean that thing looks pretty heavy

Well not that SPECIFICALLY but was just using it as a visual aid to drive the point across about a steampunk musician...

[Waker]

Sadly there aren't any PrC options that mesh the two, or even allow an Artificer to be a bit more Bard-ish without dipping. Personally if I were going to mix the two, I would take 5 or 6 levels of Artificer and then go Bard/PrC the rest of the way. Melodic Casting is an absolute must for a build like that. Words of Creation might be useful to a character when crafting magic items, as per pg 32 of BoED.

[unseenmage]

Sadly there aren't any PrC options that mesh the two, or even allow an Artificer to be a bit more Bard-ish without dipping. Personally if I were going to mix the two, I would take 5 or 6 levels of Artificer and then go Bard/PrC the rest of the way. Melodic Casting is an absolute must for a build like that. Words of Creation might be useful to a character when crafting magic items, as per pg 32 of BoED.

Just a note on Melodic Casting, Artificer Infusions are not considered spells.
That's not to say Melodic Casting wouldn't be useful, it would be very useful still, you'd just have to remember that your Infusions don't work with it.

[Waker]

Just a note on Melodic Casting, Artificer Infusions are not considered spells.
That's not to say Melodic Casting wouldn't be useful, it would be very useful still, you'd just have to remember that your Infusions don't work with it.

Of course not, although unless you use Action Points you probably wouldn't be using Infusions during battle anyways since they take so long to cast. The feat is there to let you blast enemies with wands while singing about how you are shooting them with wands.

[Malroth]

Would Artificer into Prestige Bard help this?

[Maginomicon]

(Regular) Bards advance in PrCs as arcane spellcasters.
Divine Bards advance in PrCs as divine spellcasters.
(Regular) Artificers advance in PrCs either as "infusion-imbuing" or "spellcasting".
Psionic Artificers advance in PrCs as "infusion-imbuing" or "manifesting".

Personally, I'd say...
Step 1. Take Psionic Artificer.
Step 2. Take Bard (or Divine Bard).
Step 3. Take Cerebremancer (for regular bard) or Psychic Theurge (for divine bard).
Step 4. ????
Step 5. PROFIT!!!

[Feint's End]

(Regular) Bards advance in PrCs as arcane spellcasters.
Divine Bards advance in PrCs as divine spellcasters.
(Regular) Artificers advance in PrCs either as "infusion-imbuing" or "spellcasting".
Psionic Artificers advance in PrCs as "infusion-imbuing" or "manifesting".

Personally, I'd say...
Step 1. Take Psionic Artificer.
Step 2. Take Bard (or Divine Bard).
Step 3. Take Cerebremancer (for regular bard) or Psychic Theurge (for divine bard).
Step 4. ????
Step 5. PROFIT!!!

Not really a good idea ... now you lack most of the crafting tricks of an artificer and most of the music from bards. Of course you can cast but that's not what OP wanted in that build.

I probably would make a point about talking to my dm an homebrewing a prc which advances both to a certain degree. Give it a 8/10 progression for magic and infusions, let it advance bardic music and give some of the usual crafting tricks of the Artificer along the way.

[vampire2948]

See if your DM will allow this :

Meloditheurge - By Demented One (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85279)

[T.G. Oskar]

You might want to consider going Bardic Sage instead of regular Bard. The duration of the songs is reduced (3 rounds instead of 5 for songs such as Inspire Courage), you lose the good Reflex save and your alignment is fixed into NG/NE/TN, but you get a +2 to bardic knowledge, extra spells known (for divination spells, something an Artificer lacks) and you split your ability to cast into Intelligence and Charisma. Intelligence will be slightly more important than Charisma in this case, as you'd drop most of the spells that require a DC and focus mostly on buffing. You also get a whole bunch of added spells.

Aside from that (just to add a bit more synergy, and have two fonts of lore with bardic knowledge and artificer knowledge), there's little synergy between a bard and an artificer. You'd need some assistance to make the two a bit more cooperative. Note, also, that the Artificer doesn't incline towards steampunk and more towards "magic artisan". For a steampunk-flavored version, you'd have to be a tinker gnome from Krynn or part of the Iron Kingdoms universe (3rd-party supplements, just in case).

A gnome bard, however, could be interesting. If you can make a contraption that aids in battle and holds your instruments (a mix of powered armor and one-man band), you could apply your infusions into it and use your instrument to sing. This works well with Tinkers or Zil gnomes, with the latter getting the Bind Elemental feat and dropping a bit of the steampunk feel for a proper Eberron feel.

[Peacock King]

Great suggestions everyone. Still curious about whether you can make metamagic items that are merely foci for spell casting, like a staff that has maximize spell imbued into it that allows you to apply it to any spell as long as you use the staff when casting.

[unseenmage]

Great suggestions everyone. Still curious about whether you can make metamagic items that are merely foci for spell casting, like a staff that has maximize spell imbued into it that allows you to apply it to any spell as long as you use the staff when casting.

Yes but it would be a Custom Magic Item priced like the Metamagic Rods (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Metamagic_Rod) and subject to DM approval.

[PangolinPie]

Also it goes without saying that the feat chain of Apprentice (Craftsman), Extraordinary Artisan and Legendary Artisan will cut down the cost of anything you build substantially.

On a related note, when I read bard craftsman, the first thing that came to my mind was some old world infomercial pitch man like Billy Mays or Ron Popeil designing amazing gadgets and using his Bardic charisma to make a fortune off them. Get yourself a cohort to play off of and you can really make a killing.

"If you act now, I will let this go for...wait for it...3,000 GOLD!"
"What?! Are you crazy?! You're practically giving it away!"

Or if you decided to go a more evil alignment/world domination route...

http://images.tribe.net/tribe/upload/photo/1db/f4b/1dbf4bdc-78b5-4e7c-945d-a07ed13b75fahttp://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2szgi0mdg1qihpkxo1_500.jpg

Conquering the world through charisma, music...and of course a construct army :smalltongue:

[nedz]

Gnome is cool, but is Warforged an option in this game ?

They make pretty good Artificers and you could have your organ hard wired in as a component. No need to sleep so stay up all night Practising you music/Keeping watch/Crafting as appropriate.

[Peacock King]

Gnome is cool, but is Warforged an option in this game ?

They make pretty good Artificers and you could have your organ hard wired in as a component. No need to sleep so stay up all night Practising you music/Keeping watch/Crafting as appropriate.

Huh...hadn't considered that. I always have been rather fascinated by them. I'll have to ask if its feasible to play a warforged. Why in my head do I hear his voice auto tuned? LOL

[Waker]

Huh...hadn't considered that. I always have been rather fascinated by them. I'll have to ask if its feasible to play a warforged. Why in my head do I hear his voice auto tuned? LOL

When I think of a Warforged Bard, this is what I think of
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y47/Omnikar/Soundwaveboxart_zpseca18f73.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/Omnikar/media/Soundwaveboxart_zpseca18f73.jpg.html)
Especially if you decide to do something silly. Like say use Alter Self to turn yourself into an Animated Object [Instrument of choice].

[Grayson01]

THAT IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!



When I think of a Warforged Bard, this is what I think of
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y47/Omnikar/Soundwaveboxart_zpseca18f73.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/Omnikar/media/Soundwaveboxart_zpseca18f73.jpg.html)
Especially if you decide to do something silly. Like say use Alter Self to turn yourself into an Animated Object [Instrument of choice].

[Just to Browse]

I can totally see it.

Personally I'd make him a full artificer, to capitalize on all benefits (and allow for sandbagging) with maybe a level in wizard for spell purposes, and then custom-make a custom staff (big instrument) and a bunch of wands (small instrument) that he uses as buff spells. You can load him up with mobility items and then he'll run around casting buff and protection spells while your allies do all the smashing.

[nedz]

Especially if you decide to do something silly. Like say use Alter Self to turn yourself into an Animated Object [Instrument of choice].

You could transform yourself into a Chariot or a Wagon. A pogo stick might be funnier though.