Bards: Arcane or Shadow?

[zoroaster100]

I prefer arcane powersource (or if there is such, an art or music powersource) for the bard.

 

[DandD]

I'm going with Arcane and being similar to the Warlock in structure, getting his powers from a patron is a lot like a Warlock's pact. Also there will probably be different patrons, Muses almost, music, song, dance, poetry & prose.
One thing you have to remember about power sources is that they should support at least 3-4 classes, so a Art/Music source might have the Bard as a leader, a dancer class as striker, but where to go from there?

Well, a mime for artist/music defender, perhaps? A guy who can mimic the action of enemies and strike them down with their own powers, confusing them, perhaps even take their form for a short while.
And as an artist/music controller, somehow a painter... Like Relm, of Final Fantasy VI.
Drawing monsters and other fantasy creatures who can call down strange effects upon the battlefield.

The more I think about, the more I hope that D&D 4th edition becomes more video-gamey, like as I said, Final Fantasy.
Ah, good times...

 

[Gargazon]

The more I think about, the more I hope that D&D 4th edition becomes more video-gamey, like as I said, Final Fantasy.
Ah, good times...

Great, now I'm thinking about Paladins riding around on giant celestial chickens

I think the bard will probably be the leader class for whatever power source the sorceror is involved with (who I see as being a Controller). They always seemed to have some kind of link to me.

 

[DandD]

That connection probably steems from the fact that both use charisma as the magic-relevant ability score. Aside from that, bards and sorcerors shouldn't have any common things.

 

[Patlin]

We all know it, but just so it's said: Tri-classed Fighter/Rogue/Druid. The original and best Bard.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I actually would have liked the Bard to be a martial leader. Someone like Gurney Halleck.

 

[LEHaskell]

I actually would have liked the Bard to be a martial leader. Someone like Gurney Halleck.

Gurney Halleck, Bard/Warlord

 

[VannATLC]

Gurney is more a warlord with ranks in Perform(Balliset)

or closer to the original norse bard source.. Having said that, I would generally say Gurney, in DND terms, would be a Bard/Warlord mutliclass. some of the rogue, some of the warrior. Lots of charm and class.

 

[Belorin]

We all know it, but just so it's said: Tri-classed Fighter/Rogue/Druid. The original and best Bard.

Ah, good times.

Bel

 

[Andur]

Bard Powers:

Pump Up The Volume: Encounter, +d10 sonic damage to an ally's next hit.

Walk this Way: at will, allow one ally to shift towards the bard.

Stairway to Heaven: Daily, once per day, when the Bard dies, a stair appears and a host of Axes come and take one +30 v WILL attack action on all opponents, on hit 10d6 points of damage and stunned until successful save, on miss stunned for one round.