Bardic PrC for perusal...

[Storminator]

Fairly raw version of an idea I had for my homebrew. Let me know what yall think.

Warhorn

Requirements
Mounted Combat
Bardic Instrumentals (new feat, see end of text)
Martial Weapon Prof: Longsword
Inspire Courage +2
Ride: 4 ranks
Perform (Brass): 8 ranks
Speak Language: Cavalry signals
Member of Bardic College
Assigned to cavalry

Hit Die: d6

Class Skills:
Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (n/a), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Use Magic Device (Cha)

Skill Points: 6 per level

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special
1	0	0	2	2	+1 spellcaster level, limited bardic music, bardic knowledge
2	1	0	3	3	+1 spellcaster level, stacking bardic music
3	2	1	3	3	+1 spellcaster level, Inspire mounted feat
4	3	1	4	4	+1 spellcaster level
5	4	1	4	4	+1 spellcaster level, Inspire feat

Limited Bardic Music: Warhorn levels stack with bardic levels for determining inspire courage and inspire greatness, and for determining the number of times per day bardic music can be used. They do not stack for determining any other bardic music ability.

Bardic Knowledge: Warhorn levels stack with bardic levels for bardic knowledge checks.

Stacking Bardic Music: When a Warhorn is using the inspire courage bardic music, the effects stack with other inspire courage effects. The number of inspire courage effects that stack are equal or less than the Warhorn class level.

Inspire Mounted Feat: The Warhorn may grant any feat with Mounted Combat as a prerequisite to all allies that can hear his bardic music. The Warhorn must use inspire courage before using this ability, and the inspired feat lasts as long as the original inspire courage ability is still in effect. The Warhorn must know the feat he is inspiring. If the Warhorn is using the stacked inspire courage ability to prepare for the inspire feat ability, the level of Warhorn with the inspired feat is used for determining stacking effects. The recipients of the inspired feat do not need the prerequisites of the feat. Only one inspired feat may be in effect at a time.

Inspire Feat: The Warhorn may grant any feat to all allies that can hear his bardic music. The Warhorn must use inspire courage before using this ability, and the inspired feat lasts as long as the original inspire courage ability is still in effect. The Warhorn must know the feat he is inspiring. If the Warhorn is using the stacked inspire courage ability to prepare for the inspire feat ability, the level of Warhorn with the inspired feat is used for determining stacking effects. The recipients of the inspired feat do not need the prerequisites of the feat. Only one inspired feat may be in effect at a time.
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Bardic Instrumentals (feat): Prerequisites: Bardic Music
Benefit: You may use an instrument to create any bardic music effect.
Normal: Some bardic music effects require song or poetics.

 

[MarauderX]

Some comments...

Why the need for longsword prof?

Seems that the language would be pretty simple for a bard, as it's all music right? Once you get enough ranks in perform I would think you could pick up how the signalling is done, and could learn how an enemy might communicate as well (codebreaking via music).

Ride might only be necessary for the calvary division, is there another PrC that is for the infantry? I would take out that requirement if they are pretty much the same.

Why only 5 levels?

Not too sure why you have the Bardic Instrumentals feat, as not all bardic music needs vocals to inspire as I read it. Sure it helps when you are in a tavern, but on a battlefield no one is going to hear you well unless you have amplification or a loud instrument. IMO the feat is pretty useless unless you are getting that far detailed in your game that you feel it is necessary to make the distinction that the SRD doesn't.

The rest of the PrC looks good though, and I like the idea for communication between battalions in an army.

 

[Storminator]

Some comments...

Why the need for longsword prof?

That's campaign specific. Cavalry in the country of interest uses the longsword.

Seems that the language would be pretty simple for a bard, as it's all music right? Once you get enough ranks in perform I would think you could pick up how the signalling is done, and could learn how an enemy might communicate as well (codebreaking via music).

The language requirement eats up exactly one skill point, which I thought was an elegant rules use.

Ride might only be necessary for the calvary division, is there another PrC that is for the infantry? I would take out that requirement if they are pretty much the same.

Again, campaign specific. The only significant army units are cavalry. Even infantry is primarily mounted infantry.

Why only 5 levels?

It's a small idea, it didn't seem to get significantly better if I stretched it out.

Not too sure why you have the Bardic Instrumentals feat, as not all bardic music needs vocals to inspire as I read it. Sure it helps when you are in a tavern, but on a battlefield no one is going to hear you well unless you have amplification or a loud instrument. IMO the feat is pretty useless unless you are getting that far detailed in your game that you feel it is necessary to make the distinction that the SRD doesn't.

Inspire courage, which is the basis of the PrC, requires song or poetics, not music. I wanted the Warhorn to be inspiring courage with the blast of the trumpet. So either a modified rule or a feat was required. I took the easy way out.

The rest of the PrC looks good though, and I like the idea for communication between battalions in an army.

Thanks!

PS

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I can't figure out what you are trading off to get the extra Inspiring powers. As far as I can tell the ONLY thing given up is some of the higher level bardic music powers.

If the only thing you are giving up are some of the higher level bardic song effects, it would seem easier just to give the bard a choice of which bardic song powers he can learn when reaching higher levels and make things simpler.

DS

 

[the Jester]

It seems alright but a little bland.

I think you should add some spice to it somehow. Also, I don't see the need for the spellcasting for these guys.

Maybe give them a bonus feat that requires the Mounted Combat feat as a prereq at some point? Otherwise, it may take a while for them to be able to use their inspire mounted feat ability!

 

[LightPhoenix]

I too am a bit baffled by what exactly the Bard is giving up over these five levels.

Also, they get more BAB than a normal Bard - any five level spread in Bard only grants +3 BAB, this grants +4.

I think the wording of the abilities needs to be clarified a little. Maybe it was just me, but I had to re-read the abilities a couple times to get a feel for how all the stacking worked. If I'm understanding it correctly, the Warhorn can stack Inspire Courage effects with a number of other Bards' effects, up to his Warhorn level, correct?

I don't think the stacking of Inspire Courage is all that powerful - how often do you have more than one bard in a party?

The Inspire Feat ability is interesting, and I'm hard pressed to decide how powerful it really is. The Inspire Mounted Feat is vastly less useful - it's completely dependant on all your allies being in mounted combat. I don't think it's overly powerful at all, but I'd really need to see it in action to judge. Granting everyone Cleave, Whirlwind Attack, or Two Weapon Fighting may be a little over the top.

Finally, I would just house rule the Bard to allow them to use any instrument to create a bardic effect. I really don't think it's worth a feat, and furthermore I don't agree with the PHB in that some effects need to be sung/spoken. It just serves to limit the Bard, and there's no need for that.

 

[Storminator]

Essentially the Warhorn trades a few types of bardic music for a few others.

THe BAB entry is wrong, the last one should be 3, just like any normal 3/4 BAB class.

As to the usefulness of the Inspire Mounted feat ability... look at the last requirement. This guy is assigned to the cavalry. He turns a platoon of raw recruits (War 1) into a Spirited Charging machine. And he'll get to stack inspire courage, because there will be a rookie bard assigned to the troop as well.

I'm not really envisioning this as a PC class. It's more a flavor thing for my homebrew that I tried to put rules to. Of course I left any flavor off this write up...

PS

 

[LightPhoenix]

Essentially the Warhorn trades a few types of bardic music for a few others.

THe BAB entry is wrong, the last one should be 3, just like any normal 3/4 BAB class.

As to the usefulness of the Inspire Mounted feat ability... look at the last requirement. This guy is assigned to the cavalry. He turns a platoon of raw recruits (War 1) into a Spirited Charging machine. And he'll get to stack inspire courage, because there will be a rookie bard assigned to the troop as well.

I'm not really envisioning this as a PC class. It's more a flavor thing for my homebrew that I tried to put rules to. Of course I left any flavor off this write up...

Not to be trite, but roleplaying requirements should not and do not balance mechanical benefits.

I saw it as more of an NPC class too, so I must be picking up on your vibe.

Finally, on further contemplation, I don't think the inspired feat is overpowering at all. While it sounds really useful, I don't really think that it would actually be all that powerful in use, especially as a PC ability. Since PCs are usually pretty specialized, finding a feat that would benefit everyone would be pretty hard. Even with the group of PCs, I really don't think it would be unbalancing at all.

 

[the Jester]

Since PCs are usually pretty specialized, finding a feat that would benefit everyone would be pretty hard. Even with the group of PCs, I really don't think it would be unbalancing at all.

Oh, I don't know... the saving throw feats, spring attack, blindsight when fighting invisible enemies, improved initiative, mobility when fighting creatures with reach, toughness, combat expertise....