Bard Prestige classes? Do you have one you like?

Graywolf-ELM

Explorer
I've got a player looking for a good prestige class for his Bard character. He's an Orc BattleDrum player, Drigka by name. Have any of you seen, or know of a good prestige classe for Bards? So far nothing has jumped out at me.

Thanks,
GW
 

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Voadam

Legend
I don't own it but badaxe games has a half orc product with prestige classes designed for every favored class multiclass so there is a barbarian bard oriented prestige class in there.
 

Graywolf-ELM

Explorer
Thanks guys, I have the complete Arcane, so I'll look at that one. I'll also look into Badaxegames as well. I've visited the website but not purchased anything yet. Does anyone know if they do good work on their products?

GW
 

kenobi65

First Post
Complete Adventurer has Virtuoso, which had originally appeared in 3E in Song & Silence. It really focuses on further expanding the types of bardic music that the base bard class already receives. Complete Adventurer also has the Fochlucan Lyrist, which is a nod to the old 1E bard (fundamentally, you need levels in druid and rogue as well as bard to qualify).

Complete Arcane has two bardic PrCs. One of them (Seeker of the Song, I think) trades off spellcasting for more music abilities, while the other trades off bardic music for more spellcasting capabilities.
 


the Jester

Legend
Well, here's a homebrewed one that sounds just about right for your guy, the war beater. It's for orcish drummers, so it might be just right! You might want to change the prereqs- two of those are custom feats (which I guess I'll also post below).

WAR BEATER

Orcish drummers who encourage their kin in battle, war beaters are almost always audible miles away. Their tremendous drumming builds the confidence of the troops they strike a beat for.

Hit Die: d8
Prerequisites: Base attack +5. Cha 15+. Perform (drumming) (8 ranks). Inspire Fear, Soldier’s March. Bardic music ability.

Class Skills: Bluff (cha), Climb (str), Concentration (con), Craft (int), Decipher Script (int), Diplomacy (cha), Disguise (cha), Forgery (int), Gather Information (cha), Handle Animal (cha), Heal (wis), Intimidate (cha), Intuit Direction (wis), Perform (cha), Ride (dex), Spot (wis), Use Rope (dex). Skill points per level: 4 + int bonus.

Base Attack: Good (as fighter)
Good Saves: Fort
Poor Saves: Ref and Will

Level-Special Abilities
1- Deafening Drumming
2- Rally
3- +1 bardic music/day
4
5- Inspire Rage
6- +1 bardic music/day
7
8- Name Champion
9- +1 bardic music/day
10- Doubletime

CLASS FEATURES

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
War beaters are proficient in all simple and martial weapons, as well as light and medium armor.

Bardic Music (Ex, Su or Sp): The war beater continues to gain uses of bardic music per day, albeit at a slower rate than a true bard. The war beater gains new bardic abilities based on the war beater chart above rather than the bard chart.

Deafening Drumming (Su): The war beater can create a cone of thunderous sound to short range (25’+5’/2 levels). The cone lasts for one full round, during which time the war beater cannot move. All creatures that pass into or through the cone must make Fort saves (DC 15 + cha bonus) or be deafened for 2d4 minutes. This ability counts as one use of bardic music for the day and is often used to wreak havoc on a battlefield by disrupting the enemy’s communications.

Rally (Ex): If the war beater’s unit’s morale should break, his tremendous drumming can rally them to him. He makes a Perform check with a base DC of 20, modified as follows:

Outnumbered: +2; if more than 2:1, DC is increased by 4 instead.
Impossible to harm foes (high DR, no ranged attacks against flyers, etc): +5
Enemy is other than humanoid, animal, vermin or beast: +2
Fear effect on at least 25% of unit: +2
Numerical superiority: -2; if more than 2:1, DC decreases 4 instead.
Hated enemy (racial, religious, enemy state, etc): -4

If the war beater’s Perform check succeeds, the unit rallies and is brought back under the control of their commander. This is a mind-affecting sonic language-dependant ability that counts as one use of bardic music for the day.

Inspire Rage (Ex): The war beater can cause all his allies within a 20’ spread to fly into a barbarian rage that lasts for 1 round plus each character’s (newly enhanced) con bonus. Allies unwilling to rage are allowed a Will save (DC 15 + cha bonus) to resist. This is a sonic, mind-affecting compulsion that counts as two uses of bardic music for the day.

Name Champion (Su): The war beater’s exhortations can single out one individual to act as a champion for his unity, encouraging him to greater feats of glory. The creature must hear the war beater orate and drum for a full round, then gains a +2 enhancement bonus to str, con, attacks, weapon damage and reflex saves. These bonuses last for as long as the war beater continues to drum and rant. Once a unit has a champion named, it cannot have a different champion named until the first one leaves the unit or dies. This is a sonic, mind-affecting, language-dependant ability that counts as one bardic music use for the day.

Doubletime (Su): This sonic ability allows the war beater to set a marching beat that gives all his allies within a 100’ spread an extra move-equivalent action each round. This ability lasts 1 round/war beater level; it is a sonic effect that counts as two uses of bardic music for the day.


The prerequisite custom feats are:

INSPIRE FEAR (Bardic)
Your bardic music can frighten and disturb.
Prerequisites: Cha 15+, Bardic Music ability, perform (7 ranks)
Benefit: As a form of bardic music you can inspire fear in all creatures within 5’ times your perform check. All creatures gain Will saves (DC13+ your Cha bonus) to negate the effect. Those failing are shaken and suffer a -2 morale penalty to attacks, saves and checks. Allies get a +2 circumstance bonus on this save and are totally unaffected if under the influence of your inspire confidence ability. Using this feat is a supernatural, mind-affecting fear ability.

SOLDIERS’ MARCH (Bardic)
Your music can inspire your allies and yourself to move further and faster on the road.
Prerequisites: Cha 13+, Bardic Music ability, perform (6 ranks)
Benefits: You can use your bardic music to encourage quick travel, allowing your group to hustle for up to your Cha bonus in hours per day. You can also give a +2 morale bonus to Con checks for forced marches. Soldiers’ March counts as one use of your bardic music ability for every two hours of use. This is a supernatural sonic mind-affecting ability.
 

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