Do bards make good officers?

**Akisa** · 2007-12-30, 01:49 AM (ISO 8601)

I was thinking of creating a military officer and Bard seems to stand out for me. They have average BAB, with some magical abilities, very knowledgeable (class skills and bardic knowledge), wide assortment of skills and biggest one of them all is inspire courage. A Lt. with the inspire courage could make their team more effective or they can carry wand of cure light wounds to their squad back up or even provide small magical assistant.

**Bag_of_Holding** · 2007-12-30, 01:50 AM (ISO 8601)

Their lack of lawful nature may be a problem though

**BRC** · 2007-12-30, 01:53 AM (ISO 8601)

I homebrewed an NPC officer class which was preety much a bard with everything except the inspiration abilities taken off and the inspiration abilities changed to use Diplomacy or Intimidate.

**Xefas** · 2007-12-30, 02:20 AM (ISO 8601)

Well, unless they're the leader of a magical unit (squad of Duskblades?), the spells are rather out of place. The Marshal would be more appropriate for a group of non-magical units.

If the game isn't a low magic setting and the PCs are reasonably proficient with building a character, Sublime Marshal for combat competence.

**Wordmiser** · 2007-12-30, 02:21 AM (ISO 8601)

Good Officers? Bards make great everythings.

And the leader role does appear to be the main point of the class' existance.

**Yami** · 2007-12-30, 03:35 AM (ISO 8601)

You want Baladins! Besides, why must officers be lawful? It's often better if they're not.

**Solo** · 2007-12-30, 03:45 AM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Akisa

I was thinking of creating a military officer and Bard seems to stand out for me. They have average BAB, with some magical abilities, very knowledgeable (class skills and bardic knowledge), wide assortment of skills and biggest one of them all is inspire courage. A Lt. with the inspire courage could make their team more effective or they can carry wand of cure light wounds to their squad back up or even provide small magical assistant.

Let me introduce you to Robert Byrnes, Bard/Marshal who Inspires Courage in his men by yelling at them.

He didn't max out Perform: Oratory for nothing, you know.

**Wordmiser** · 2007-12-30, 03:52 AM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Solo

Let me introduce you to Robert Byrnes, Bard...

This makes me think... would Perform (Shocking Chess Victory) be a fair method of inspiring courage? Whether or not it's RAW, it would be too groovular for me to turn down if one of my players were to request it.

**JackMage666** · 2007-12-30, 03:54 AM (ISO 8601)

War Chanter PrC, in Complete Warrior, might help this along. Or not, I don't really know if it's considered underpowered or not.

**KIDS** · 2007-12-30, 05:21 AM (ISO 8601)

Yep, I imagine a bard in that role would be quite good and likely well loved by his people. It's a nice idea. As for the non-lawful, being a soldier or officer or general has no requirement of being lawful. If you do however think that such a person should be lawful, toss the bard's restriction out of the window because it's garbage.

**JackMage666** · 2007-12-30, 05:33 AM (ISO 8601)

Also, if you do become lawful, you still keep all your abilities and such, you just can't go back to bard. Go Marshal instead, after you lose your bard Abilities. Auras AND Music is awesome.

**Talic** · 2007-12-30, 07:16 AM (ISO 8601)

I've seen several rough and gritty platoon commanders who realized there's a "by the book" way, and a "we're in the real world out in the field so that pencil pusher in washington can go sit on a..." way

**CactusAir** · 2007-12-30, 07:40 AM (ISO 8601)

What's so good about marshal?

bard6/paladin2/vistuoso2/sublimechord2/vistuoso+8

with the right feats you can have +10 (or +12 depending on how you interpret WOC) Inspire courage. That's leadership.

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