Bard College of Archaeology help

[drspper1]

So I wanted to focus my bard as more of a Indiana jones/tomb raider flavoured class, so I tried my hand at creating a college. My DM is quite accepting of character mechanical ideas if they fit, my bard is half-nymph (half-elf mechanically except I got fey ancestry replaced with a long rest inspiring leader feat, and called it nymph inspiration).

below is my idea on this college, feel free to pick holes, give feedback and point out if some thing is over powered or under powered compared to the other colleges. I did struggle for ideas for the level 14 feature.

College of Archaeology
Bards of the College of Archaeology are no dull researcher, instead these lively adventurers do their research head-on in the field. They require the usual charm and social skills to learn secrets to lead them to hidden and lost worlds, while requiring something of a rogues reflexes and skill to avoid the inevitable risks involved with exploring lost caverns and forgotten dungeons.

Bonus Proficiencies
When you join the College of Archaeology at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in a single skill of your choice, as well as thieves’ tools, whips and improvised weapons. Their skill with the whip also enables them to make grapple actions against tiny or small targets and even use it to swing across pits up to 10 feet wide with a whip.

Raiders Action
Also at 3rd level, your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. The following actions may be used as a bonus action on each of your turns: Dash, Disengage, Hide, Use an Object, Disarm trap, or Open lock actions. The use an object, disarm trap and open locks actions require a dexterity (sleight of hand) check to be successful.

Evasive Dodge
Starting at 6th level, when an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to make an uncanny dodge to halve the attack’s damage against you.
In addition, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or an ice storm spell, like a rogues evasion feature. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage on a fail.

Heightened Willpower
Beginning at 14th level, you acquire greater mental strength and fortitude. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.

[SharkForce]

1) this should probably be in the homebrew forums (you have to go all the way up to gaming to get to that subforum).

2) you've basically given this class all the best features of the rogue. at this point, you may as well just remove rogues from the game entirely, pretty much, because sneak attack (the only thing you aren't gaining) is not remotely close to being as good as gaining full spellcasting progression.

which brings up another question... why bard? indiana jones isn't exactly known for being an inspiring leader or musically inclined. why not just build it on the rogue chassis, and then you can actually give something that isn't just taken from another class?

[ImSAMazing]

This is just a Rogue... Why bard? Make it Rogue or Cleric or a Fighter specialisation(preferably Rogue). Indiana Jones has a good soundtrack, but he doesn't write it himself...

[PoeticDwarf]

His lv. 6 feature is more for lv. 14, than it's stil strong. His lv. 14 feature is for lv. 6...

ImSAMazing you can't make a rogue archetype with features every rogue has :smallwink:. And why NOT a bard, my idea of indiana jones is, to be fair, a rogue bard fighter multiclass.

[drspper1]

There certainly something rogue-like about Indiana Jones, but for me at least he's certainly part Bard considering he's a university professor, loves ancient tales and legends, etc. That don't scream Rogue to me. Also to quote the PHB on Bard...

"Every adventure is an opportunity to learn, practice a variety of skills, enter long-forgotten tombs, discover lost works of magic, decipher old tomes, travel to strange place, or encounter exotic creatures."

Here's an older alternate I made of this College before I possibly over reached, but I still don't like the level 14 feature...

Bonus Proficiencies
As OP.

Danger Sense
Also at 3rd level, you gain an uncanny sense of when things aren’t as they should be, giving you an edge when you dodge away from danger. You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that you can see, such as traps and spells. To gain this benefit, you can’t be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

Uncanny Dodge
Starting at 6th level, when an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to make an uncanny dodge to halve the attack’s damage against you.

Resilience Beginning at 14th level, at the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to 5 + your Constitution modifier if you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don’t regain this benefit if you have 0 hit points.

Another alternate for the level 14 feature I considered was a bonus action with the whip after an attack or spell, even if they are not light in quality.

[noce]

For level 14, this may be strong, but it's surely thematic.

Artifact Lore - your knowledge of ancient gears allows you to attune one additional magic item to yourself.
Additionally, you can use any wand without needing to be attuned to it, and you ignore class restrictions for wands.
Furthermore, you can use scrolls even if that spell is not on your class spell list, or if it is on your class spell list but of a higher level that you can normally cast.
To do so, you must make an Intelligence(History) check to recall your knowledge about such a tool. The DC equals 10 + the spell level. Whether or not you succeed on the check, the scroll crumbles to dust.


Reminder about normal rules for scrolls:
If the spell is not on your class spell list, it's unintelligible.
If the spell is on your class spell list, you can use an action to read the scroll and cast its spell.
If the spell is on your class spell list but of a higher level than you can normally cast, you must make an ability check using your spellcasting ability to determine whether you cast it successfully. The DC equals 10 + the spell's level.

[Takewo]

I just want to point out that Archaeology (http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/archaeology) has little to do with the College that you are presenting. What you want is just a kind of adventurer that plunders tombs and has a bit of knowledge. Probably 'Tomb Raider' would be a better name. And probably Rogue would also be a better class.

It is just about the fluff, though. If you want to call it archaeologist, do so. My sense of linguistic correction just urged me to correct that point.

[AvatarVecna]

One of my first 5e characters (which I am remaking for a pbp game here ITP) was Zerron Marthaas, who was, in essence and design, Tiefling Indiana Jones. He's just a Lore Bard with the Sage background. The new version (which is higher-level) is a Thief Rogue/Lore Bard with the Sage background.

You don't need a special Bard College anymore than you need a special rogue archetype. If you're wanting to play a tomb raider, make a Thief Rogue; if you're wanting to play a knowledgeable explorer with lots of little tricks, play a Lore Bard; if you want both, multiclass. You don't need to homebrew for this.

[SharkForce]

There certainly something rogue-like about Indiana Jones, but for me at least he's certainly part Bard considering he's a university professor, loves ancient tales and legends, etc. That don't scream Rogue to me. Also to quote the PHB on Bard...

use backgrounds, put expertise into appropriate skills, and there goes that problem.

[SouthpawSoldier]

I actually just discussed a similar build in another thread. A history and anthropology professor, based on 3.5's Bardic Sage Bard variant class. Just a matter of fluff to substitute Archeology for Anthropology as an area of expertise.

Knowledge Cleric with Sage background. Without any racial Proficiencies, at first level you have Expertise in two Knowledge related classes, and Proficiency in 4 others; you'll also know 4 bonus languages in addition to what you get from your race. Perfect for any concept related to studying history and cultures, whether it be a diplomat, anthropologist, archeologist, or what have you. I chose to go Divination Wizard after that, but that my not fit what you're looking for; details in my link at the bottom.

There may be some factors that don't quite match the adventuring archeologist, but I'm sure you can cut and swap a few features. Maybe give up all but light armor for Finesse or Brawler related maneuvers?

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19494166&postcount=18