Bard tactics

[Oryan77]

So I've never been a big fan of Bards. The group is probably going to be hunting down an 8th lvl Satyr Bard and I want to make it a tough encounter. The group consists of 5 lvl 7 PC's.

The problem is that since I don't use many Bards I don't think very highly of them. So I don't have many good ideas for a lone Bard to fight a party. They appear to be more for backup to a party, so I can't come up with a lethal combo of spells. They don't do much straight forward damage and I can't figure out how to make this guy hurt PC's. His 1d6 arrow damage twice a round isn't going to do anything...and that's if he hits them. All I see are spells & abilities that would just be a nuisance to the party but nothing to actually take anyone down.

Any ideas to make the PC's tremble a bit by a lone Bard? He's more of a runner than a fighter. But I want the PC's to be challenged when he does attack.

 

[FrostedMini1337]

Give him super low Cha (Low enough to cast what he needs) and arcane strike. Keep his wis at 10, int at 12 maybe.

I'd have him not fight them, or at least have some(a lot) of backup. Fey backup if he's a satyr. Those pesky sprites, and some evil fey if you have the books for them

 

[Vorput]

Well... fascinate them all (not hard to do with the DC equaling his perform check)- then hit themwith suggestions... you can give suggestion after suggestion after suggestion until they finally fail their will save.

A good suggestion might be "PLayer X loves to be tickled- why don't you tickle him with a fireball..." Something to that effect anyway... Or else- why don't you all just leave me alone?

But in combat- a bard is going to suck... they're designed too... give him a party to inspire though, and it's another matter.

Vorp

 

[Goldmoon]

Maybe improved trip or improved disarm and a whip? Would be an annoyance but not lethal really.

Litter the ground with caltrops perhaps and use improved trip a lot.

 

[szilard]

Fascinate and suggestion can be used to turn half the party against the other at essentially no cost to the bard. It is unclear to me how a Satyr's pipes interact with bardic music, but that's another potential opener.

With his natural move plus expeditious retreat, a satyr bard shouldn't have much trouble staying out of melee with the party. Once he's worn them down via musical effects, he can try to snipe them with spells and arrows. Alternately, he can buff himself.

Other options:

Detect Thoughts+Alter/Disguise Self+Glibness - he can be anyone and probably talk the PCs into anything. He could fairly easily send the PCs into danger by claiming that the nasty Satyr went thataway...

Charmed allies could be used. 8th level bards can cast Charm Monster. This can be supplemented by summoned beasties. The bard can then buff its allies (via spells and music). Add some illusionary ones in there to confuse things.

-Stuart

 

[Wardo]

Why not play up the bard's ability as a master of social skills?

He finds out the players are coming after him using his high Gather Info, and prepares a trap by fascinating, charming, or just diplomacy-ing a bunch of low-power mercenaries or monsters. Of course, once the bard starts singing and casting some mass buffs (theirs a Swift Spell in complete adventurer that improves the bonus from bard song by 1, haste is always good), the random thugs become much tougher.

I also like the whip idea. Use that too

Edit: Or what Stuart said. Beat me to it by a few seconds.

 

[Stalker0]

For straight up fight, no bard is going to be teh equal of a fighter in fighting prowess, nor a wizard in casting prowess..its just not going to happen. The bard's biggest strength is in group enhancement. So if it winds down to the party fighting this guy, I would recommend giving him some minions.

 

[Oryan77]

For straight up fight, no bard is going to be teh equal of a fighter in fighting prowess, nor a wizard in casting prowess..its just not going to happen. The bard's biggest strength is in group enhancement. So if it winds down to the party fighting this guy, I would recommend giving him some minions.

That's what I figured I would need to do. They'll be in a small fishing port and that's probably where the confrontation will be. Maybe I'll have him keep ducking off, hiding, and using mind-effecting abilities to have townspeople fight for him. Then he'll just pepper the PC's with annoying spells and try to get away.

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

I hate Bards

 

[FrostedMini1337]

P.S. Bane Arrows. And Bane Caltrops.

 

[Shadeus]

Here's a bard that I wrote up for a book that I never finished. He may not quite be what you are looking for, but maybe there's some good ideas in there. It was intended for a low magic world, so you may need to alter his equipment.

Grays, male human Brd8: CR 8; Medium Humanoid (5’ 10” tall); HD 8d6+8; hp 38; Init: +3 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 17 (+3 Dex, +4 armor); Atk +10/+5 melee (1d6-1/crit 18-20, masterwork rapier); AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +8; S 8, D 16, C 12, I 11, W 15, Ch 20;

Skills: Bluff +18, Diplomacy +25, Escape Artist +12, Gather Information +14, Perform +16, Sleight of Hand +10, Sense Motive +13, Use Magical Devise +15;

Feats: Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Dodge, Weapon Finesse, Extend Spell;

Spells: daze, flare, ghost sounds, light, mage hand, read magic; charm person, cure light wounds, expeditious retreat, sleep; addiction, blindness, eagle’s splendor, invisibility; confusion, fear, sculpt sounds;

Spells per day: 0th-level: 3; 1st-level 5; 2nd-level: 4; 3rd-level: 2;

Equipment: masterwork chain shirt, masterwork rapier, master’s lute (+4 to Perform checks), ring of persuasion, wand of dimension door (16 charges).

Ring of persuasion: This ornate ring is made of interwoven strands of gold decorated with three small diamonds. The ring grants the wearer a +2 bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy checks.

Tactics: He loathes physical combat and will often use expeditious retreat to flee from combat. In dire situations, he will use his wand to escape entirely. Generally he blinds those who irk him and uses confusion to boggle any pursuers.

Personality: Grays surrounds himself with 4-5 women at all times. He would not think twice about putting them in danger and they are in such a near-charmed state, they will defend him with their lives (even though they are non-combatants). He became addicted to mushroom powder as a child and now sells the drug on the street. He just pushes the drug that someone else makes. If business is slow, he uses his magic to get more clientele.

He is incredibly charming and can talk his way out of most situations. Grays has most of the local watch on his payroll and he’s charmed the rest to look the other way. It’s not that his drugs are illegal; they just tend to bring violence around them. Especially selling mushroom powder.

Young wizard’s apprentices will often come to him for the drug to try to impress their master. Others are just junkies that get off on the high of being a “know-it-all” if only for a short while.