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Maerok
2007-04-17, 11:43 AM
Songsword

There are those who brave the darkest of dungeons and combat the greatest of threats with more than just iron. Songswords, bardic warriors, wield the power of song, sword, and sound to carry out their great deeds, whether in service to a deity, a village in need, or just for kicks. There is a madness in their method, as a songsword wields his instrument as a potent weapon! By channeling the music of his soul, the songsword forms an innate bond with his chosen musical tool and blurs the lines between the battle hymn and battle itself.

http://www.cartonionline.com/gif/CARTOON/hanna_e_barbera/ernesto_sparalesto/Ernesto_sparalesto_kabong.jpg

HD: d8

Skills: Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (history, local, nobility), Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Speak Language, Swim, Tumble, and Use Magic Device.
Skill Points: 4+Int modifier

{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0
|
+0
|
+2
|
+2
|Song in Heart, Sword in Hand; Instrument Bond 1; Bardic Music

2nd|
+1
|
+0
|
+3
|
+3
|Skill Focus (Perform [choose one])

3rd|
+2
|
+1
|
+3
|
+3
|Instrument Bond 2

4th|
+3
|
+1
|
+4
|
+4
|Song in Heart, Sword in Hand

5th|
+3
|
+1
|
+4
|
+4
|Weapon Focus (Chosen Instrument)

6th|
+4
|
+2
|
+5
|
+5
|Midstrike Song

7th|
+5
|
+2
|
+5
|
+5
|Instrument Bond 3

8th|
+6/+1
|
+2
|
+6
|
+6
|Song in Heart, Sword in Hand

9th|
+6/+1
|
+3
|
+6
|
+6
|Weapon Specialization (Chosen Instrument)

10th|
+7/+2
|
+3
|
+7
|
+7
|Opportune Song

11th|
+8/+3
|
+3
|
+7
|
+7
|Instrument Bond 4

12th|
+9/+4
|
+4
|
+8
|
+8
|Song in Heart, Sword in Hand

13th|
+9/+4
|
+4
|
+8
|
+8
|Improved Weapon Focus (Chosen Instrument)

14th|
+10/+5
|
+4
|
+9
|
+9
|Striding Song

15th|
+11/+6/+1
|
+5
|
+9
|
+9
|Instrument Bond 5

16th|
+12/+7/+2
|
+5
|
+10
|
+10
|Song in Heart, Sword in Hand

17th|
+12/+7/+2
|
+5
|
+10
|
+10
|Improved Weapon Specialization (Chosen Instrument)

18th|
+13/+8/+3
|
+6
|
+11
|
+11
|Swift Song

19th|
+14/+9/+4
|
+6
|
+11
|
+11
|Instrument Bond 6

20th|
+15/+10/+5
|
+6
|
+12
|
+12
|Song in Heart, Sword in Hand[/table]

Class Features
Weapons and Armor: The songsword is proficient in all simple weapons and can wear light or medium armor and use all kinds of shields.

Bardic Music: The songsword gains one bardic music use per day per level he has attained.

Midstrike Song: When performing a full-attack action the songsword may forfeit one of his attacks to activate a Song in Heart, Sword in Hand ability. The songsword still uses up a bardic music use.

Opportune Song: When performing an Attack of Opportunity the songsword may forfeit one of his attack to activate a Song in Heart, Sword in Hand ability. The songsword still uses up a bardic music use.

Striding Song: The songsword may activate a Song in Heart, Sword in Hand ability as a move action. The songsword still uses up a bardic music use.

Swift Song:The songsword may activate a Song in Heart, Sword in Hand ability as a swift action once per encounter. The songsword still uses up a bardic music use.

~Song in Heart, Sword in Hand~
Whenever the songsword gains a new Song in Heart, Sword in Hand ability, he chooses it from those listed below. Each effect requires a bardic music ability to be spent as a standard action. By expending additional uses, up to 5, the songsword can improve the power of the effect. The effect is language-dependent and is a mind-affecting effect. Only one can be activated at a time, and its effects end early if the songsword is rendered dead, immobile, or unconscious; the effect also ends if they let go of their instrument or choose to stop playing. The nature of their bond allows the instrument to play by itself to some degree, allowing for the songsword to do combat.

Aria of Elements
::For every bardic music use the songsword expends, allies within a 60' burst gain 5 points of the energy resistance of your choice (which stack with previous energy resistances).

Cadence of Cacophony
::For every bardic music use the songsword expends, allies within a 60' burst deal an additional 1 point of sonic damage with their last attack in a full-attack action.

Dirge of Denial
::All opponents within 60' lose any bardic music effects from their allies. This requires an opposed check of d20+the songsword's total bardic music uses against d20+their bardic music uses if any of them have existing bardic effects. Against multiple bards/songswords, use the songsword's outcome against their rolls. If the songsword's outcome is higher, all opponents in 60' that are affected by that bard/songsword lose the effects and cannot receive the effect of allied bardic music until the duration of this effect has ended. Those opponents not affected by any bardic music cannot be affected by allied bardic music as well and do not receive the opposed check to affect them.

Falsetto of Focus
::For every bardic music use the songsword expends, allies within a 60' burst gain a +2 morale bonus to Concentration checks and may take 10 even if in stressful situations if this bonus is +4 or more.

Medley of Morale
::For every bardic music use the songsword expends, allies within a 30' burst gain a +1 morale bonus to their next check, saving throw, or attack roll.

Prelude to Poison
::For every bardic music use the songsword expends, allies within a 60' burst gain a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against poison and disease.

Requiem for the Falling
::For every bardic music use the songsword expends, allies within a 30' burst must be taken to an additional -2 hitpoints to be slain and gain the Diehard feat. For example, two uses will make it so that an ally must be reduced to -14 hitpoints. When the effect ends, any affected ally with negative hitpoints dies.

Sonata of Spells
::For every bardic music use the songsword expends, allied spellcasters within a 10' burst gain a bonus to their caster levels. On spells of a level up to the amount of bardic use attempts spent, they gain a +1 morale bonus to their caster level.

Symphony of Suprise
::For every bardic music use the songsword expends, allies within a 30' burst gain a +1 morale bonus to initiative and cannot be caught flat-footed.

Tone of Travel
::For every bardic music use the songsword expends, allies within a 30' burst gain a 5' bonus to one movement type of their choice. These bonus feet are expended as they are used up. For example, with three uses used, the warrior with a normal base land speed of 30' can move 35' for three rounds, 40' for one round and then 35' the next, or 45' in one round.

Waltz of Warding
::For every bardic music use the songsword expends, allies within a 30' burst gain a +1 morale bonus to saving throws of one type.

~Instrument Bond~
Level 1: The songsword may wield your chosen musical instrument as a true weapon. It deals damage as a morningstar of its size (including critical hits). He chooses, upon making this bond, whether it deals bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing damage. It cannot be enchanted as of yet. Even while wielding it in combat, he can play it to bestow the effect of your Song in Heart, Sword in Hand abilities. If it is ever broken or destroyed, he may spend 8 hours in meditation and half its value in gp (including its enhancement bonuses) to repair it. This can be done even if nothing is left of it.

Level 2: The songsword's instrument deals damage as a masterwork morningstar. By expending two uses of his bardic music whenever he could use a Song in Heart, Sword in Hand ability, it becomings a Singing Weapon. It deals an additional 1d6 sonic damage per Song in Heart, Sword in Hand ability he has attained. This effect lasts for five rounds.

Level 3: The songsword's instrument gains an enhancement bonus of up to 3; this may be either an ability, an enhancement bonus, or multiple abilities.

Level 4: The songsword's instrument gains another 3 points of enhancement. He may retroactively change its previous enhancements. Any opponent who takes damage from its sonic damage ability is deafened until the Singing Weapon effect ends.

Level 5: The songsword's instrument gains another 3 points of enhancement. He may retroactively change its previous enhancements.

Level 6: The songsword's instrument gains another 1 point of enhancement. He may retroactively change its previous enhancements. Any opponent who takes damage from its sonic damage ability is automatically bullrushed directly away from him (without an Attack of Opportunity); he receives a +4 bonus to do so.

dukexx
2007-04-17, 08:38 PM
first thing i notice is requim for the fallen. do those who have gone beyond their normal negative hp limit die, or all of them, even those at -1?

Maerok
2007-04-18, 09:42 AM
I had put it at any negative number to make it sort of a double-edged sword.

Maerok
2007-04-20, 11:00 AM
No other thoughts on this?

Magnor Criol
2007-04-20, 12:18 PM
I like it overall, but it seems a bit powerful for a base class, and thematically it's so connected to bards that this really feels like a PrC rather than a base class to me.

I like this class overall. Many bonus points for the El Kabong reference pic, too. =p