Ampersand: The Bard (merged)

[Rechan]

With all this Sliding/Mark exchange/Free attacks business, along with using Wands as an implement, it makes me think that the bard is a Battle Conductor.

I can just see him standing in the back, waving his baton, and insisting he be called Maestro.

 

[Larrin]

Implements: Wands, though there are things called Songblades which count as Bard implements, and some(though not all) magical instruments can be used as an implement. Primarily wands though.

I can live with that without crying.

Sounds like the powers are very musically inclined in name. Any "perfomance" type mechanics mentioned outside of powers/combat?

what sorts of proficiencies/number of skills? Same hitpoints etc as other leaders?

 

[thecasualoblivion]

I can live with that without crying.

Sounds like the powers are very musically inclined in name. Any "perfomance" type mechanics mentioned outside of powers/combat?

what sorts of proficiencies/number of skills? Same hitpoints etc as other leaders?

"Performance" type mechanics I would call Rituals that are unique to Bards(Bards get Ritual casting for free, and can cast "Bard" rituals as a standard action 1-3 times per day), and the Song of Rest class ability, which adds the Bard's Charisma modifer to Healing Surges spent during a short rest(when not cheesing it with leader healing words).

HP/Surges are standard for the Leader role, and Bard's get Arcana+four skills, and their skill list includes everything but Endurance, Stealth, and Thievery(yes, 14 skills total).

 

[Lacyon]

A lot of effects which slide allies. Remind me- can you refuse a slide that you do not want? I don't think this will be a problem at the table if you can't, because I permit table talk, and my players aren't jerks. "Want me to slide you?" "No." But I can see it being an issue for people on the internet tubes.

The word "ally" implies willing target in 4E.

 

[Rechan]

and can cast "Bard" rituals as a standard action 1-3 times per day)

Wot? I read that you can cast a bard ritual without expending components. What's this about standard actions?

 

[Remathilis]

And again another awesome class that I would play in an instant

To bad that we didn't get to see some weapon-powers since I always pictured the Bard to be a mixture of Martial and Arcane Class (attacking with Weapons and Charming with spells). But I am quite sure that they concentrated on Implement Powers in this Article so that we can playtest them already.

Hmm... I just wonder if you count as a martial Class if you multiclass to a Rogue. That would enable you to become a Bard-Rogue Whip Master (Weapon-Multiclass needs you to be a Martial Character)

The Song of Rest is weak IMHO since in my experience you usually use your leader-healing in the restphase (10 minute Rest versus 5 minutes is normally not a problem). If the song would be as strong as Majestic Word at level 6+ then it would be awesome but at the moment I would only see use at low levels and if the whole group is down (where you might need half a dozen or more Healing Powers and therefore 30min+).

Methinks the Valorous bard (the other side we don't see) is going to have the weapon-vs-AC powers...

 

[Rechan]

Another thing I noticed: the bard gets the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to healing.

Cleric's Healing Word: Healing Surge + 1d6 + Wisdom.
Warlord: Inspiring Word: Healing Surge + 1d6
Bard: Majestic Word: Healing Surge + Charisma mod.

I forget what Artificers can do, aside from making a little object that allows a person to carry and consume it to heal themselves.

 

[Cadfan]

Rechan: +Cha for a bard is bigger than +1d6 for a warlord, assuming the bard has at least an 18 charisma at level 1. And the gap grows larger as you level up and improve your charisma score, since you both gain +1d6 bonuses at an even rate.

AND the bard gets to slide you when he heals you. Overall, he's got better healing than the warlord, and as for whether its better than the cleric, I guess you have to ask yourself whether the cleric's additional +1d6 edge in hit points healed is better or worse than the bard's "slide 1 space."

 

[Baumi]

I can just see him standing in the back, waving his baton, and insisting he be called Maestro.

Cool! I wasn't sure about the Wand as Implement since it might fit mechanical, but from the fluff it's not especially Bard-like ... but picturing a Bard as someone who stands back, sings and control the battlefield like a maestro fits so damn well.

About overpowered class features...

After reading the Virtues again, I have to agree that they seem very powerful. But I would have to play a bard first before I could say if this is to powerful or not.

As I said before, the song of rest is not that great since a leader usually already uses his Healing Powers at a short rest. If you could rest 5 minutes than a 10 minute Rest shouldn't be a big problem.

Since the Bard is partly controller (like all Arcane Classes) I don't see a problem with the sliding. He still doesn't trump the Warlord in that regard and I think at higher levels his powers will be become more differenciated when you can allow stronger status effects (Wizard has the same problem).

What I do fear is that the ability to mutliclass multiple times might get us some broken combos in the hand of a Min-Maxer.

 

[TerraDave]

I like it. And I like it better then the barbarian.

Mechanically it may be a little bit warlord, a little bit wizard, a little bit cleric, and a tiny bit rogue, but really feels like its own thing.

My players had the "who has to be the leader" problem when making there charecters...this would have solved that.