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The Glyphstone
2007-06-14, 09:07 AM
Here’s my latest project – a re-envisioning of the Bard class to hopefully boost its power level a bit. I basically decided to focus on the music that is the integral feature of the bard, and stripped away everything else. The end goal is what I hope isn’t just a jack-of-all-trades, master of none, but a backup specialist that can focus on a certain role and contribute a unique addition to it in the party…a nitro booster for the engine instead of a spare tire in the trunk. The “path” setup is mechanically similar to school specialization for a wizard, in that it can’t be re-selected or selected twice. For flavor, it’s not so rigid – it could be a chosen specialty of magic, or just that particular bard’s innate talent for a certain flavor of music. Anyway, enough rambling, judge it for yourself.

The (Revised) Bard
By The_Glyphstone

Alignment: Any. The bardic “tradition”, so much as it can be called one, is both many and varied. For every wandering troubadour, there is a loyal court minstrel, and for every compassionate performer, there is a devious manipulator.

Hit Die: D6.

The bard’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at each level: 6+Int (x4 at 1st level).

Level…BAB…….Fort….Ref…Will…Special
.…1……+0………+0……+2…..+2….Bardic Path, Bardic Music (Standard), Bardic Knowledge, First Song
.…2……+1………+0……+3…..+3….Countersong
.…3……+2………+1……+3…..+3….Second Song
.…4……+3………+1……+4…..+4
.…5……+3………+1……+4…..+4….Third Song, Bardic Music (Move)
.…6……+4………+2……+5…..+5
.…7……+5………+2……+5…..+5….Fourth Song
.…8…+6/+1……...+2……+6…..+6
.…9…+6/+1……...+3……+6…..+6
…10…+7/+2……..+3……+7…..+7….Twin Song
…11…+8/+3……..+3……+7…..+7
…12…+9/+4……..+4……+8…..+8
…13…+9/+4……..+4……+8…..+8
…14…+10/+5……+4……+9…..+9
…15...+11/+6/+1....+5……+9…..+9….Bardic Music (Swift)
…16…..+12….+5…..+10….+10
…17…..+12….+5…..+10….+10
…18…..+13….+6…..+11….+11
…19…..+14….+6…..+11….+11
…20…..+15….+6…..+12….+12….Final Song

Proficiencies: The bard is proficient in the use of all simple weapons, plus the longsword, shortsword, sap, shortbow, rapier, and whip. Bards are proficient with light armor and shields (but not tower shields).

Class Features: All of the following are class features of the bard:

Bardic Path(Ex): At 1st level, a bard selects one of three different paths along which his or her music will develop. This selection cannot be changed later, and the choice made affects which songs the bard gains access to at later levels.
-Path of the Skald: Skalds are bards of battle. Often found amongst the barbarian tribes of the wilderness and the occasional savage humanoid group, their music and rhythms inspire those around them to ever-increasing heights of glory and power. A bard that chooses the Path of the Skald gains Martial Weapon proficiency with a weapon of his choice as a bonus feat.
-Path of the Jester: A jester’s talents lie not in bolstering his allies, but weakening his enemies. A talented jester can demoralize his foes, cursing them to uncertainty, weakness and fear, eventually causing them to simply give up and die of despair at the futility of their existence. A bard that chooses the Path of the Jester gains the Deceitful feat as a bonus feat.
-Path of the Minstrel: Minstrels are the closest analogue to the “traditional” bardic ideal. Their magical talents are usually much more subtle than those of skalds or minstrels, but no less potent, for they employ song and sound itself as a weapon. Their music can subvert enemies into allies, cause wounds to knit themselves shut, or assault their foes with crippling blasts of sonic power. The greatest minstrels can sing the very world around them into a different form, temporarily overlaying actual reality with their desired version. A bard that chooses the Path of the Minstrel gains the Persuasive feat as a bonus feat.

Bardic Music (Su): As a bard grows in strength, he learns a number of different songs that he can call upon at need. The exact songs available depend on the path selected. As a standard action, a bard can begin performing any bardic song that he knows. Once begun, a song takes no actions to continue, but a bard cannot begin another song until the current song is ended. The specific method of performing can impede other actions indirectly (for example, a multiclass bard/sorcerer could not maintain a song and cast a verbal spell at the same time, nor could a bard beating on a drum attack with a two-handed weapon). A bard can activate his musical abilities a number of times per day equal to his bard level plus his Charisma modifier. When a saving throw is required by a song, the DC is equal to (10+1/2 bard level+Cha modifier). Bardic music abilities are considered mind-affecting, sonic effects unless otherwise noted.

At 5th level, a bard can now being performing as a move action, instead of a standard action.

At 10th level, a bard can begin and maintain two separate songs as a single action. This consumes two uses of bardic music, requires a standard action instead of a move action, and the same song cannot be activated twice simultaneously, but both otherwise function normally.

At 15th level, a bard can activate his music as a swift action (or a move action if beginning two songs).

Bardic Knowledge: A bard may make a special bardic knowledge check with a bonus equal to his bard level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. (If the bard has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history), he gains a +2 bonus on this check.)
A successful bardic knowledge check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a hint as to its general function. A bard may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random.
DC…Type of Knowledge
10….Common, known by a substantial minority of the local population
20….Uncommon but available, known only by a few people as legends.
25….Obscure, known by few, hard to come by.
30….Extremely obscure, known by very few, possibly forgotten by most who once knew it, possibly known only by those who don’t understand the significance of the knowledge.

First Song (Su): At 1st level, a bard gains access to his first song, dependent on the Path he has chosen.

-Skald: Song of Bravery. Allies who can hear the skald perform gain a +1 morale bonus to AC and a +2 morale bonus to saves vs. fear effects for as long as the song continues. At 6th level, the AC bonus improves to +2 and the save bonus improves to +4. At 11th level, the AC bonus improves to +3 and the save bonus improved to +6. At 16th level, the AC bonus improves to +4 and allies gain immunity to fear instead.

-Jester: Song of Mocking. All enemies within 30ft. of the jester suffer a –2 morale penalty to attack rolls and skill checks. At 6th, 11th,and 16th levels, the maximum range increased by 10ft., and the penalty increases by –1, to a maximum of 60ft and –5 to rolls and checks at 16th level. In all cases, a successful Will save reduces the penalties by half. An enemy who saves against Song of Mocking automatically saves against all such saves caused by the same jester for 24 hours.

-Minstrel: Song of Friendship. A minstrel using Song of Friendship can implant a Suggestion in one target per minstrel level (only one suggestion can be used for each use of the ability). At 6th level, the ability instead functions like Charm Person aside from its multiple targets, that lasts for 1 minute per minstrel level. At 11th level, the minstrel gains the ability to charm non-humanoid targets as per Charm Monster, with the same duration. At 16th level, the ability functions like Dominate Person. In all cases, a successful Will save negates the effect. An enemy who saves against a minstrel’s Song of Friendship cannot be affected by that same minstrel’s Song of Friendship for 24 hours.


Countersong:
A bard of at least 2nd level can use his music to impede or disrupt an enemy spellcaster. This ability can be used with a readied action to counter a spell, as if using dispel magic, can be used to dispel or end an ongoing spell or effect with the sonic or language-dependent descriptor, or can prematurely end the effect of an opposing bard’s music. In the first two cases, treat the attempt as a greater dispel magic spell, with a caster level equal to the bard’s class level. In the third instance, the two bards make opposed class level checks, adding their Charisma modifier to the check. If the bard using countersong wins the check, the other bard’s song ends immediately (though nothing impedes them from beginning a new song on their next action).

Second Song (Su): At 3rd level, the bard gains access to his second song.

-Skald: Song of Might. Allies who can hear the skald perform gain a +2 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls. At 8th, 13th, and 18th levels, the bonus improves by +1, to a maximum of +5 attack/damage at 18th level.

-Jester: Song of Weakness. Enemies within 30ft. suffer a –2 morale penalty to AC and saving throws. At 8th, 13th, and 18th levels, the range increases by 10ft. and the penalty increases by –1, to a maximum of –5 at 18th level. In all cases, a successful Will save reduces the penalties by half, and causes the enemy to automatically succeed against all saving throws versus Song of Weakness performed by that same jester for 24 hours.

-Minstrel: Song of Skill. Allies within hearing range of the minstrel gain a +2 morale bonus to skill and ability checks. At 8th, 13th, and 18th levels, the bonus improves by +2, to a maximum of +8 at 18th level.

Third Song (Su): At 5th level, the bard gains access to his third song.

-Skald: Song of Resilience. Allies who can hear the skald perform gain Energy Resistance 5 to one type of energy and DR 1/-. At 10th level, they gain Energy Resistance 10 versus two types of energy, and the DR increases to 2/-. At 15th level, they gain Energy Resistance 15 versus three types of energy, and the DR increases to 3/-. At 20th level, they gain Energy Resistance 20 versus four types of energy, and the DR increases to 4/-. The type or types of energy selected are not fixed, but chosen when each time the song is activated.

-Jester: Song of Horror. Enemies within 30ft. of the jester become shaken for as long as they can hear the jester perform (maximum 1 round/jester level) unless they succeed on a Will save. At 10th level, the range increases to 40ft., and failing the save causes enemies to be frightened instead of shaken. At 15th level, the range increases to 50ft., and affected enemies are panicked instead of frightened. At 20th level, the range increases to 60ft., and affected enemies are stunned for 1 round, then panicked for the remaining duration of the effect. Any enemy that saves against a jester’s Song of Horror becomes immune to that jester’s Song of Horror for 24 hours.

-Minstrel: Song of Suffering: The minstrel targets a point anywhere within 30ft. and within line of sight. All creatures inside a 5ft. radius burst centered on that point take 1d4 sonic damage per minstrel level. At 10th level, the radius of the burst increases to 10ft., and the maximum range increases to 60ft. At 15th level, the radius of the burst increases to 15ft., and the damage increases to 1d6 per minstrel level. At 20th level, the radius of the burst increases to 20ft., the maximum range increases to 90ft., and the damage increases to 1d8 per minstrel level. In all cases, a successful Will save halves the damage, but does not protect against future uses of Song of Suffering by that minstrel or any other minstrel.

Fourth Song (Su): At 7th level, the bard gains access to his fourth song.

-Skald: Song of Fury. Allies that can hear the skald perform fly into a berserker rage. They gain a +2 morale bonus Strength Constitution, a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, and suffer a -2 penalty to AC for the duration of the effect. At 12th level and 17th level, the bonuses to Strength, Constitution, and Will saves all improve by +2, though the AC penalty remains the same. This ability is otherwise identical to a barbarian’s rage, except that the subjects cannot end the effect voluntarily (it lasts until the skald stops performing) and it does not cause fatigue when ended. The skald can choose to exclude any allies of his choice from the effect, but they cannot be later included or affected allies excluded until the performance is ended and a new one began.

-Jester: Song of Madness. Enemies within 30ft. of the jester become confused (as per the spell) for the duration of the performance (maximum 1 round/jester level). At 12th level, the range increases to 40ft., and affected enemies roll twice on the confusion chart (the jester selects which result applies to each enemy). At 17th level, the range increases to 50ft., and each enemy rolls 3 times (the jester selects which result applies to each enemy). In all cases, a successful Will save negates the effect, and renders that enemy immune to that particular jester’s Song of Madness for 24 hours. During any round in which an affected enemy acts normally, they may spend a full-round action and gain a second save against the effect (same DC).

-Minstrel: Song of Vitality. Allies within 30ft. of the minstrel gain Fast Healing 1 for as long as they hear the bard perform (maximum 1 round/bard level). At 12th level, the range increases to 40ft., and the Fast Healing improves to 2. At 17th level, the range increases to 50ft., and the Fast Healing improves to 3.

Final Song (Su): At 20th level, the bard gains access to his final and most powerful song. Beginning a Final Song takes 2 expenditures of bardic music, and it cannot be performed at the same time as another song. A Final Song can be continued for a maximum of 1 minute, after which two more uses of Bardic Music must be spent to restart the song.

-Skald: Song of Champions. When a Skald performs the Song of Champions, allies within hearing range of him are infused with the essence of countless heroes past. They gain 4d10 temporary Hit Dice (with the commensurate increase of temporary HP, modified by Constitution as normal. They gain a +30ft enhancement bonus to all forms of non-magical movement, a +5 morale bonus to AC and to all saving throws, and can make one extra attack at their highest attack bonus when making a full attack action.

-Jester: Song of Doom. Upon hearing the first strains of the Song of Doom, the enemies of a jester are crippled with the very futility of their continued existence. Any enemy within 30ft. of the Jester must succeed on a Will save or die of despair. Any enemies within 40ft. of the Jester, including those who succeed on the save vs. death, must pass another Will save or be blinded for the duration of the song. Regardless of the results of the save, any enemy within 50ft. of the Jester is sickened for the duration of the song. An enemy that fails its save against the blindness effect can make another save to remove the effect each round the song continues. Succeeding on any save makes that specific enemy immune to that specific component of that specific Jester’s Song of Doom for 24 hours. This is considered a death effect.

-Minstrel: Song of Dreams. A master minstrel can spin a tale of wonder and fantasy, so convincing and believable that he can almost fool reality itself into believing him for a short while. This ability functions as either a Major Image spell or a Hallucinatory Terrain spell, except that the duration of the effect lasts as long as the bard performs, to the normal maximum of 1 minute, and that the bard’s very force of will causes the images he creates to be partially real. Anything created or displayed by a Song of Dreams is treated as if having been created via a Greater Shadow Conjuration spell. However, succeeding on the Will save to disbelieve the illusion reduces the images to 50% of their normal effectiveness instead of 60%.

The Glyphstone
2007-06-15, 08:00 AM
No one even has a comment? Even "this is horrible!"?


..[/cries]

Lord Iames Osari
2007-06-15, 08:03 AM
Don't sweat it. My bard fix went for ages without a comment. I think people just don't like bards.

Shiny, Bearer of the Pokystick
2007-06-15, 08:27 AM
It's interesting, although, I must say...I find the class features a little sparse, especially sans spellcasting; it feels empty, which makes it an unappealing choice (seemingly) though it may, mechanically, be sound.

In the nitpick field, I also lament the lack of table tags.

I would be inclined to add more possible songs (possibly making the bard choose between them), or reinstate spellcasting; or, if you prefer, some spellcasting variant (truenaming, perhaps- actually, that would be neat, and if you don't do it, I will). >.>;

As it is, the songs possible are good, yes, but not enough to compensate for all the dead levels in my opinion, nor varied enough to allow for maximum customization.

Lord Iames Osari
2007-06-15, 08:32 AM
In that case, Shiny, why not lend a hand with my bard, which both retains the bard's spells and adds more songs to choose from!

The Demented One
2007-06-15, 08:33 AM
I like the Path system, but I do think it needs spellcasting. I'd probably go with a barebones spell list, and then have each path get its own, domain-esque list of spells. Also, any chance of getting more Paths?

The Glyphstone
2007-06-15, 05:03 PM
Shiny: Apologies for the lack of table tags - I wrote this at school, and the proxy server I have to work through doesn't agree with the board software. For the dead levels - keep in mind that there aren't nearly as many as it looks, because the songs increase in power frequently - the only actual "Dead" levels are, I think, 4,9,14, and 19.

Demented: Actually, that's a great idea...focused spell lists for each path would definitely help emphasize the "specialist" role I'm looking to enhance. More Paths are a possibility - any ideas? I've got the Skald as the "buffer", the Jester as a "debuffer", and the Minstrel as the classic "charmer"/utility belt.

The Glyphstone
2007-06-18, 08:49 PM
NE1?

NE1 atall?

Matthew
2007-06-21, 08:42 PM
I have never really understood the whole Bard Song/Bard spell divide. Whilst I think it is a good idea to put more emphasis on the Bard's songs, I have to agree that they ought to have the ability to do minor magics. Whenever I try to think of an example of a Bard (which is hard to begin with), I always end up with a Character who can use magic via music and song, but doesn't have to exclusively. I think, along with Cleric/Paladin Turning Attempts, Shape Changing and Smite Evil, Bard Song should be fully integrated with a Spell Casting System.

Hmmn, I'm ranting far too much. I think Bards should be Proficient in Light and Medium Armour, Shields, Simple Weapons and their choice of X number of Martial Weapons. They should also get Spot as a Class Skill (it really burns me that they don't - Bard's aren't perceptive?! What?).

What if Bards learnt Songs like Wizards learn Spells? Seems to me that would be a great mechanic for the poor old Bard.