Crippling Indecision

[GoldMonk]

So, my GM is starting a high-seas campaign, and I have no idea what I'm the world I am going to play. I'm mostly stuck between a vanilla bard and a buccaneer gunslinger. My current party consists of an oracle, a cavalier, a mesmerist, and a ranger, so both the support and skillmonkery of a bard will be beneficial, as well as the range and seige engine proficieny of a buccaneer. And my friends aren't any help. "Oh, just play whatever you want..." So, what do you guys think?

[Honest Tiefling]

Make both. Keep one as a back-up character, so the work isn't wasted. Perhaps while building them, you'll fall in love with one concept over the other. If all else fails, roll a die to decide which one. You're also golden if someone changes their mind or if someone else joins.

[GoldMonk]

That's actually a pretty good idea. I was hoping for some outside perspective to th pros and cons, however, as I've not played either and wouldn't know how they play.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

I've always wanted to play a warforged factotum 1/shaper psion in a swashbuckling campaign. Use the factotum level for skills used in swashbuckling, while the psion powers are ridiculously useful when practically all of your enemies will be riding around on valuable fabricate targets.

Seriously, metacreativity is fantastic if you know how to use it.

[Honest Tiefling]

That's actually a pretty good idea. I was hoping for some outside perspective to th pros and cons, however, as I've not played either and wouldn't know how they play.

Uh, sorry. I don't have much experience with the Gungslinger, but from what I have read, they are pretty good DPS machines, and often have a bit of non-combat skills from their reliance on a secondary mental stat, and 4 skills per level. They however, lack Diplomacy as a skill, which...Might be used depending on your party. Intimidate is always good. I mention these because Buccaneers rely on Charisma, not Wisdom. And if I am reading the class right, they only gain Dex to damage with guns at level 13. That's a pretty large hit to their damage output until later levels. Also, the higher level Deed (Captain's Curse) is Charisma dependent for the DC.

Bards have a worse chassis with less hit points, less ranged support (ranged fighting styles eat up feats). The spell list for them does have some nice utility spells, and great support. I personally really like some aspects of the bard, but I do tend to lean to spell casters. I am not familiar with the Mesmerist, but I do wonder if the enchantment/illusion spells would overlap with theirs. Either coordinate for tag-team tactics, or go full on support to let them shine. I would think of what combat style you want with this particular bard and decide if less DPS is worth being support/Skill Monkey.

If I really was pushed for a deciding vote, I'd say to go with the Buccaneer if your campaign is going to be higher level (Close to 13, preferably!). If there's a good chance of going on land, I think most of what the Buccaneer does will apply on land except for Rope Swing. However, Bucaneer seems really dependent on booze, else you are a subpar gunslinger. They also need ammo, a gun, and other goodies for siege stuff to work, so ship wrecks, capture, or loss of supplies will hurt them badly. It does seem more appealing if you have ways to swing into battle on a rope and ways to make it count.

Another test is to stat them up if you have Point Buy. Decide if the personality you have in mind more suits one or the other stat spread.

[daremetoidareyo]

Screw party roles. What do you want to be?

Werefish rogue? Aquaman (marshall with pimped out handle animal)?

I would try to think of the most hilarious thing to take on water that I could think of.

A paranoid trapsmith that booby traps every part of the deck?

Maybe a runecaster graffitti artist?

[GoldMonk]

I want to fill some niche in the party. I find that filling a role no one else does makes things more enjoyable as opposed to being an annoying guy that does his own thing.

[Honest Tiefling]

In that case, do you have more information as to what the others are doing? If the Oracle goes support, for instance, then go Gunslinger.

And personally, I too, prefer filling a niche role because then you get interesting group tactics going on. High five!

[GoldMonk]

Well, the cavalier is frontline, the oracle is doing aoe, the mesmerist is debuffs/social, and I'm not sure, but I think the ranger is doing long-range combat.

[Honest Tiefling]

If the Mesmerist is doing social, then what will your bard be doing out of combat?

[GoldMonk]

Rolling knowledge and performances. Though, the mesmerist, as a merfolk, will be also performing with sing.

[Theobod]

My suggestion would be the bard as ranged DPS seems done by the Ranger, the bard would give social skills to help out there, whip proficiency which with skill tricks is nice for maneuverability options as well as tripping/disarming (and disarming on a swaying ship is a good way to rob someone of their weapon permanently!) as well as the obvious buffing, the party is pretty big so inspire courage is handy, more so as it would affect your own crew who, presumably, dont do nothing when pirates come a knocking and actually try to repel boarders, also Sonic Spells, even if somewhat lackluster damage wise, are perfect for sundering enemy sails and rigging when swinging aboard using a whip to quickly disable pursuit. Also: from experience, seafaring games tend to have less combat and more diplomacy and similar encounters than your average game, so being able to contribute, even just aid another, could be very handy there.