Dandu
First Post
So, I might have a new player in my D&D game. He is joining just after the party hired a bard for the (very) small army they are in charge of, so the DM suggested that he just play the bard, and taked me with creating it.
Here is the current character. I focused on the bard song so he can just sing and contribute, but I feel that the character has potential for a lot more than just that.
I have included the text for all non-core ACFs, items, and spells in the notes, and have reproduced them below.
[sblock]Masterwork Drums: +1 on weapon damage rolls, -1 on saves vs charm and fear effects.
Bardic Knack (PHB II, Page 35)
Level: 1st
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain bardic knowledge.
Benefit: When making any skill check, you can use 1/2 your bard level (rounded up) in place of the number of ranks you have in the skill (even if that number is 0).
You can't take 10 on checks when you use bardic knack (to take 10 you have to use your actual ranks). If the skill doesn't allow untrained checks, you must have at least 1 actual rank to attempt the check.
Mimicking Song
Level: 1st.
Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain the countersong bardic music ability.
Benefit: Mimicking song is a spell-like ability thatnrequires you to have 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill.nUsing mimicking song counts as one of your daily uses of bardic music. You grant a +2 bonus on the Move Silently check of all allies within 30 feet (including yourself). This
bonus increases by 2 for every fi ve bard levels you have (to a maximum bonus of +10 at 20th level). This effect lasts as long as you continue performing.
Song Of The Heart
Prerequisite: Bardic music class feature, inspire competence ability, Perform 6 ranks.
Benefit: When you use inspire courage, inspire competence, inspire greatness, or inspire heroics, any bonus granted by your music increases by +1. Thus, a 15th-level bard with this feat grants his allies a +4 bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws against fear when he uses inspire courage, rather than the +3 he would normally grant. If he uses inspire greatness, the same bard grants up to three allies 3 bonus Hit Dice, a +3 bonus on attack rolls, and a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves.
Also, when you use fascinate, suggestion, or mass suggestion, the saving throw DC increases by 1. If you have the Haunting Melody feat, the saving throw DC for that effect also increases by 1.
Melodic Casting
Prerequisite: Perform 4 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks, bardic music class feature.
Benefit: Whenever a Concentration check would be required to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability (such as when you cast defensively or are distracted or injured while casting), you can make a Perform check instead.
In addition, you can cast spells and activate magic items by command word or spell completion while using a bardic music ability. Bardic music abilities that requite concentration still take a standard action to perform.
Normal: A bard can't cast spells or activate magic items by command word or spell completion while using bardic music.
Haunting Melody ( Heroes of Horror, p. 123) [General]
Prerequisite: Perform 9 ranks, Bardic music,
Benefit: When you sing or use some other Perform skill, you can inspire fear in enemies within 30 feet of you. Any opponent in range must succeed on a Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your bard level + your Cha modifier) or become shaken for a number of rounds equal to your ranks in the Perform skill. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
Special: Using this ability counts as one of your daily uses of bardic music.
BADGE OF VALOR
Price (Item level:1.400 gp (5th)
Body Slot : Throat
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 17) Abjuration
Activation: Immediate (mental)
Weight: -
When you activate a badge of valor, you and allies within 60 feel gain a +2 bonus on the next save you or they make against a charm or fear effect before the start of your next turn.
If you have the bardic music ability to inspire courage, you can activate a badge of valor Io increase the bonus granted by that ability by 1 for the duration of its effect.
A badge of valor functions three times per day.
Inspirational Boost
Enchantment [Mind Affecting]
Level: Bard 1
Component V,S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Duration 1 round or special; see text
When this spell is in effect, the bonus granted by your inspire courage bardic music increases by 1. This effect lasts until your inspire courage effect ends. If you don't begin using your inspire courage ability before the beginning of your next turn, this spell effect ends.
Improvisation
Transmutation
Level: Bard 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
You gain access to a floating "pool" of luck, which manifests as bonus points you can use as desired to improve your odds of success at various tasks. This bonus pool consists of 2 points per caster level, which you can spend as you like to improve attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks, although no single check can receive a bonus greater than one-half your caster level. You must declare any bonus point usage before the appropriate roll is made.
Used points disappear from the pool, and any points remaining when the spell ends are wasted.
These points count as luck bonuses for purposes of stacking.
For example, a 14th-level bard pauses while chasing a pickpocket to cast improvisation. At any time during the next 14 rounds, he could use the points to provide him a +7 luck bonus on a Spot check, a +7 luck bonus on a Climb check, and a +7 luck bonus on two of his attacks.
Material Component: A pair of dice.[/sblock]
I was especially pleased to find Mimicking Song. The idea of using Bardic Music to aid move silently is too funny to pass up.
So, do you think this is too much for an inexperienced player, or does it seem like it would be easy enough to pick up and use?
Here is the current character. I focused on the bard song so he can just sing and contribute, but I feel that the character has potential for a lot more than just that.
I have included the text for all non-core ACFs, items, and spells in the notes, and have reproduced them below.
[sblock]Masterwork Drums: +1 on weapon damage rolls, -1 on saves vs charm and fear effects.
Bardic Knack (PHB II, Page 35)
Level: 1st
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain bardic knowledge.
Benefit: When making any skill check, you can use 1/2 your bard level (rounded up) in place of the number of ranks you have in the skill (even if that number is 0).
You can't take 10 on checks when you use bardic knack (to take 10 you have to use your actual ranks). If the skill doesn't allow untrained checks, you must have at least 1 actual rank to attempt the check.
Mimicking Song
Level: 1st.
Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain the countersong bardic music ability.
Benefit: Mimicking song is a spell-like ability thatnrequires you to have 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill.nUsing mimicking song counts as one of your daily uses of bardic music. You grant a +2 bonus on the Move Silently check of all allies within 30 feet (including yourself). This
bonus increases by 2 for every fi ve bard levels you have (to a maximum bonus of +10 at 20th level). This effect lasts as long as you continue performing.
Song Of The Heart
Prerequisite: Bardic music class feature, inspire competence ability, Perform 6 ranks.
Benefit: When you use inspire courage, inspire competence, inspire greatness, or inspire heroics, any bonus granted by your music increases by +1. Thus, a 15th-level bard with this feat grants his allies a +4 bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws against fear when he uses inspire courage, rather than the +3 he would normally grant. If he uses inspire greatness, the same bard grants up to three allies 3 bonus Hit Dice, a +3 bonus on attack rolls, and a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves.
Also, when you use fascinate, suggestion, or mass suggestion, the saving throw DC increases by 1. If you have the Haunting Melody feat, the saving throw DC for that effect also increases by 1.
Melodic Casting
Prerequisite: Perform 4 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks, bardic music class feature.
Benefit: Whenever a Concentration check would be required to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability (such as when you cast defensively or are distracted or injured while casting), you can make a Perform check instead.
In addition, you can cast spells and activate magic items by command word or spell completion while using a bardic music ability. Bardic music abilities that requite concentration still take a standard action to perform.
Normal: A bard can't cast spells or activate magic items by command word or spell completion while using bardic music.
Haunting Melody ( Heroes of Horror, p. 123) [General]
Prerequisite: Perform 9 ranks, Bardic music,
Benefit: When you sing or use some other Perform skill, you can inspire fear in enemies within 30 feet of you. Any opponent in range must succeed on a Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your bard level + your Cha modifier) or become shaken for a number of rounds equal to your ranks in the Perform skill. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
Special: Using this ability counts as one of your daily uses of bardic music.
BADGE OF VALOR
Price (Item level:1.400 gp (5th)
Body Slot : Throat
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 17) Abjuration
Activation: Immediate (mental)
Weight: -
When you activate a badge of valor, you and allies within 60 feel gain a +2 bonus on the next save you or they make against a charm or fear effect before the start of your next turn.
If you have the bardic music ability to inspire courage, you can activate a badge of valor Io increase the bonus granted by that ability by 1 for the duration of its effect.
A badge of valor functions three times per day.
Inspirational Boost
Enchantment [Mind Affecting]
Level: Bard 1
Component V,S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Duration 1 round or special; see text
When this spell is in effect, the bonus granted by your inspire courage bardic music increases by 1. This effect lasts until your inspire courage effect ends. If you don't begin using your inspire courage ability before the beginning of your next turn, this spell effect ends.
Improvisation
Transmutation
Level: Bard 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
You gain access to a floating "pool" of luck, which manifests as bonus points you can use as desired to improve your odds of success at various tasks. This bonus pool consists of 2 points per caster level, which you can spend as you like to improve attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks, although no single check can receive a bonus greater than one-half your caster level. You must declare any bonus point usage before the appropriate roll is made.
Used points disappear from the pool, and any points remaining when the spell ends are wasted.
These points count as luck bonuses for purposes of stacking.
For example, a 14th-level bard pauses while chasing a pickpocket to cast improvisation. At any time during the next 14 rounds, he could use the points to provide him a +7 luck bonus on a Spot check, a +7 luck bonus on a Climb check, and a +7 luck bonus on two of his attacks.
Material Component: A pair of dice.[/sblock]
I was especially pleased to find Mimicking Song. The idea of using Bardic Music to aid move silently is too funny to pass up.
So, do you think this is too much for an inexperienced player, or does it seem like it would be easy enough to pick up and use?
