Bardic Craft?

[GuardianLurker]

I was thinking (always a dangerous idea) about Bards. Specifically, I was wondering about allowing (possibly with a feat) Bards to use the Craft skill with their Bardic "Music" abilities, instead of, or in addition to, their Perform skill.

The concept of a "Bardic Painting", or a "Bardic Sculpture", is just really cool.

What problems do you all see with this? Comments?

 

[cerberus2112]

Cool idea

Its an intersting idea, but seems difficult to implement.

Would this be like a magic banner that inspires confidence in allies whenever it is displayed? Perhaps a bard could craft a magic horn that couters sonic effects.

The problems I see are the continuous access to more buffing effects, on top of magic items with space requirements.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Re: Cool idea

Would this be like a magic banner that inspires confidence in allies whenever it is displayed?

if it was a celtic bard the banner could be a picture of a pissed off leprechan that all the gladiators touched on their way out to the arena...

kahuna burger

 

[candidus_cogitens]

My question is, WHY?

There isn't anything about historical bards that would relate to skill with crafting objects. Bards were storytellers and historians above all else.

 

[Khorod]

The Bard class in D&D is about inspiration & jack-of-trades. Transcending history is something the designers said they were trying to do... historically 'rogue' never meant someone who worked for the crown as a spy.

The problem with crafting items that do this is the game-logic. Bards can only use their Performance ability x times per day. Each of those x times is the bard going to greater lengths to put more soul into his music, more inspiration than normal song would provide.

If the bard could just create a banner, why couldn't he inspire those gladiators every time the touched it? Because each gladiator would get tired of it? He could still pass such a banner through an army of gladiators.

Better yet would be the Bard creating a magical item, maybe wondrous, maybe an other-shaped wand, that could hold his inspiration ability. The bard can activate his banner for 2d4 rounds per day, carry it on a pole while he charges with his horse into battle. And 5 of his allies get all inspired with courage and charge after him.

 

[GuardianLurker]

Cerebus, you've got it in one.

Candid_Thought, the answer to your question is that I (for various reasons) stopped thinking about Bards as being their historical analogues (who were much more than just storytellers) and started thinking of them as "magical artists".

And there's certainly some precedent for artists who are so skilled that their creations are magical (Pygmalion, for one).

Thinking about it a little bit more, I came up with this :

Bardic Crafting (Item Creation)
Prereq: Bardic Music ability
Effects: A character with this feat can imbue any masterwork item he is creating with any Bardic Music effect (except Countersong), using his ranks of Craft (instead of Perform) to determine which effects he can imbue. Each effect can only be activated once, and thereafter the item is a normal masterwork item.
Special: Imbuing an item with Inspire Courage or Fasicinate costs 25 xp, with Inspire Competence costs 50 xp, with Suggestion costs 100 xp, and with Inspire Greatness costs 200 xp. All costs a re per the maximum number of targets at activation.


Thoughts?

 

[drdevoid]

I think this has some very interesting possibilities. For one it gives low level followers of PCs with Leadership something to do. It also could give neat modifiers in larger battles/mass combat such as the enemy getting your flag or fending off an attack against the flag bearer. Neat idea!