Bard Boosting?

[candidus_cogitens]

New uses for Bardic Music.

New music magic!! (Note, I made it a rule that the bard must have both the requisite ranks in perform AND the requisite class level to use these abilities--but that's a different issue.)

Level one, Inspire Courage & Inspire Competence (see feat descriptions), minimum 3 ranks in perform.
Level two, Fascinate, minimum 4 ranks in perform.
Level three, Countersong, minimum 5 ranks in perform.
Level four, Song of the Masses, minimum 6 ranks in perform.
Level five, Tonguetwister, minimum 7 ranks in perform.
Level six, Suggestion, minimum 8 ranks in perform.
Level seven, Song of Sorcery, minimum 9 ranks in perform.
Level eight, Rally the Dying, minimum 10 ranks in perform.
Level nine, Inspire Greatness, minimum 11 ranks in perform.
Level ten, Rat-a-tat, minimum of 12 ranks.


RALLY THE DYING [Class feature, bard]
You can stabilize the dying and stir them to consciousness. Thus, even at –9 hitpoints, an ally could act as though merely disabled (0 hitpoints). This effect works only once per ally, per song; in other words, if a rallied ally again falls unconscious, he cannot be rallied again unless the bard begins a new song.


RAT-A-TAT [Class feature, bard]
A bard can direct a wave of concentrated harmonic vibrations toward one enemy in order to (a) cause his heavy metallic armor to vibrate wildly, giving him a –6 dexterity penalty (-3 AC), or (b) cause his metallic weapon to vibrate wildly so that his attacks are subject to a –2 penalty. This effect is not subject to Dispel Magic, and lasts as long as the bard sings. The bard can shift the sonic wave toward a new opponent each round if she wishes.


SONG OF LUCK [Class feature, bard]
All allies within 30 ft. of the singer can take the better of two rolls when attempting a single designated task. The allies cannot each choose a different task. This song cannot be used during combat, and only lasts one minute.


SONG OF SORCERY [Class feature, bard]
A bard can use this ability like a meta-magic feat, increasing the casting time as written. He must make a spellcraft check against a DC of 15 + Spell level (taking 10 not permitted). If he succeeds, the Spell is cast as if under the effect of Spell Focus--if he fails, the spell is lost.


SONG OF THE MASSES [Class feature, bard]
A bard can influence many people at once. He can change the attitudes of NPCs as per the DMG, but he replaces the Diplomacy check with his Perform check. He influences all people that can hear him. The Bard must perform for at least ten minutes to use this ability.


TONGUETWISTER [Class feature, bard]
A bard can use music or poetics loaded with alliteration and rhymes to confuse spellcasters in the act of recalling verbal components. The effect has a range of 30 ft. from the bard. The opposing spellcaster must make a concentration check against a DC of 10, plus the bard’s level, plus the spell level.

 

[Kareyev]

Boosting the Bard

About a year ago I joined an existing campaign as a Bard. I started at 2nd level while the rest of the part was near the end of 4th level. I had heard about some of the problems with the bard and wanted to get a better appreciation for them before tinkering with the rules. Much to my suprise when I finally joined the group I found they had a fighter (damage machine), a cleric of Pelor (healing machine), a rouge/psion (sneaky machine), and a wizard specialized in the school of enchantment (charm machine). At the beginning I started to think that the Bard was the last thing this party needed.

Over the past year I have found out that this was not the case. The fighter was thrilled to have someone else on the front lines with them. I may not hit as hard or as often, but another body has made the difference many times. The cleric had rolled almost minimum hit points every level so with another healer in the group meant she could take bigger risks. The rouge loved having someone to back her up on those scouting missions. The wizard and I do clash a bit, but his charms work great in combat while mine work great in social situation where obvious spellcasting would put us in danger.

Ok. Just had to get that out of my system. I'm not intending to have this degrade into another "why I don't like the bard" list, but how to change it. Given my experience with the bard I have not found a need to change it much, but there are some minor rule tweaks I am planning with my next campaign.

- The Preform skill is only accessible though the Bard and Expert classes. No one else can apply skill points as ranks in this skill; even as cross class. (This is to discourage the multiclass abuse)

- Encourage the player to come up with a focus for the bard (I'm the best known healer, archer, singer, jester in the land). Keeping a focus helps the bard a lot. Pick feats and spells that enhance this concept. (My bard is more combat oriented, and the Mirror Image spell and combat feats has saved him more than once.)

- As a DM use the bard to pass on tidbits of information via Bardic Lore. This is one way the DM has kept me engaged as a Bard. I seem to have a good inside knowledge of a lot of things that go on in the campaign. Due to the nature of my character I'm told most of it before the sessions so it can blur into the campaign without everyone else hearing how the DM phrased the information. (I've also misunderstood some things which has lead to much joy for the DM as well)

- Extra feats and all are great as well. There seem to be several suggestion above so I'll leave it at that.

That's my two cents. Best of luck to you and let the good times roll.

<edit as part of the post was missing>

 

[sfgiants]

Hey, I know I am going to anger some but I like the bard as is. The bard is simply a complementary character. Every encounter is made easier by having a bard around. Not all the classes can do that. An extra fighter will make combat easier, and an extra rogue will make sneaky stuff easier, but a bard can help out in both... If I had to make a change I would up the skill points to 6.

Just my good ol' 2 cents worth.

 

[ranix65]

Kevin Smith is awesome, I've met him a few times(he's a friend of a friend, and we go to his comic shop every once in a while) and he's just so cool. Jason Mewes is a jerk though.

And for the record Mooby, he raped his son, or did something along those lines, it's obvious from Matt Damon's reaction(You sick freak, your own son!).

 

[Darkness]

Moved to House Rules...

 

[Shirt Guy John]

Kevin Smith is awesome, I've met him a few times(he's a friend of a friend, and we go to his comic shop every once in a while) and he's just so cool. Jason Mewes is a jerk though.

And for the record Mooby, he raped his son, or did something along those lines, it's obvious from Matt Damon's reaction(You sick freak, your own son!).

Wow. That's pretty sweet, to have met Kevin Smith. I can't believe that Mewes is anything other than brain-dead after the way he acts in movie comentaries, though.

And second, you mis-quoted Dogma! How could you! The line is:
"You're his father, you sick f@$k!"

Sorry, it's one of my personal pet peeves when people mis-quote Dogma

Oh, and I would love to see a bard that could stand alone (ours have always ended up getting caught trying to do something cool and then slain painfully).

 

[ranix65]

MY bad for misquoting Dogma, my gf gets on me about that too, I screw up the lines sometimes when I say em.

Yeah, it was really cool to meet him, he's a little bit of a perfectionist, but that's all good, ya know?

Jason Mewes is just pissed because he's stuck riding Kevin Smith's coat-tails. Why is he stuck in that position? Because he blows all his money on pot, and then legal counsel when the cops bust him. So he's a very bitter person.

 

[Spatzimaus]

Anyhoo, on the original topic:

The PHB Bard is a good class, it just has almost nothing in common with the EQ Bard, so if that's what your player is going for he might want to try a Cleric who follows a god of the right domains.

IMC, we modified the Bard like this:
1> Remove the 5 healing spells they had. Healing is something divine casters do, not arcane Sorcerer/Rogue hybrids.
2> Add Endure Elements (1), Resist Elements (2), and Protection from Elements (3) to their list. Doesn't quite replace the healing spells, but it's not supposed
3> At the start, they are proficient with all simple weapons and any one martial weapon. At levels 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18 they can gain a martial or Exotic weapon OR take Weapon Focus OR take Armored Caster for free.
(Armored Caster is a Netfeat that subtracts 10% from your arcane failure rate)

 

[Ace]

Bards are pretty OK as it is but I borrowed something I saw online (forgot whos site, sorry) and IMC Bards are allowed to subtract performance skil from spell failure chance while in armor

Also I allow a Bard to add his charisma bonus to spells known as well as spells per day

FYI I consider the bard the cousin of the Sorcerer IMC and allow them to add CHA bonus to spells known and I allow them all the healing spells on the Brad list. Its sems balanced IME

 

[Crothian]

I played a bard from level one to 24. I ended as a 20th level bard/4th level lasher because I wanted to be pretty darn good with a whip. THe only change we made was 6 skill points per level. It worked out great. I was very useful in combat as the support guy, using my songs, spells, and whip when needed.