D&D 3E/3.5 Beefing up the 3.5 Bard?

[CrusaderX]

Has anyone come up with a quick and simple way to make the 3.5 Bard more effective? I'm not looking for a huge change in the class, just a simple tweak, like, say, giving them a bonus Feat every 5 levels. Or something similar.

BTW, would bonus Feats unbalance the class?

 

[Malin Genie]

What exactly do you mean by 'beef up'?

The roles of the Bard are (1) Information Provider, (2) Diplomat, (3) Support Fighter, Caster, Scout and Healer.

(1) Access to Gather Information and all Knowledge skills, Bardic Knowledge ability, Greater/Scrying, Clairvoyance and Legend Lore spells (at equivalent or lower levels than other party members)

(2) Diplomacy, Gather Information, Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty), Bluff and Sense Motive as class skills for synergy, Perform (and Bardic Fascinate ability...)

(3a) As a support fighter, a Bard has moderate BAB, can use light armour and shields, and can fight while singing for a significant bonus to self and others. She also has access to good combat spells like haste.

(3b) As a support caster, a Bard has a range of strong offensive Enchantments (like Tasha's, Suggestion, Confusion... generally accessed at lower levels than a Wizard or Sorceror...), some miscellaneous offensive spells (e.g. Grease, Glitterdust, Shout) and good utility/transport spells (Feather Fall, Tongues, Dispel Magic, Dimension Door, Shadow Walk, Plane Shift.)

(3c) As a support scout, a Bard has access to Spot, Listen, Move Silently and Hide as class skills, as well as access to spells that help in the role like invisibility, Sculpt Sound. Admittedly, a Bard with maxed-out stealth/scouting skills will have to forfeit skill points in either social or knowledge areas, but it is a choice that's open to her.

(3d) As a support healer, Bards aren't great but can take one or two Cure spells (and use wands of Cure) in case the Cleric is out of action and a party member (or the Cleric herself!) needs quick healing, and can also at higher levels start using healing items/scrolls via Use Magic Device.

A Bard will generally have two or three of these roles, through ability, skill and spell choices, at which she excels, and will still be able to offer some contribution in other areas. It is unclear to me exactly how the Bard needs 'buffing' - do you think they should fight better (and still have access to information gathering, diplomacy, steath, support caster and support healer abilities)? Do you think they should have more powerful spells (and still cast in light armour, fight competently, and have a large number of skill points to spend on a wide range of class skills?)

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Bards are fine as is. The only thing I did for them in my games is give them any one perform at max ranks for free (4 ranks at 1st+1 ranks every bard level there after, unless they take bard as a secondary or tertiary class in which case they gain +1 rank a level of bard).

 

[Nifft]

Bards are fine as is. The only thing I did for them in my games is give them any one perform at max ranks for free (4 ranks at 1st+1 ranks every bard level there after, unless they take bard as a secondary or tertiary class in which case they gain +1 rank a level of bard).

This is a great idea. Perhaps make Bard a semi-PrC that, if you take at 1st level, grants you the skill bonus, but otherwise requires 4 ranks in some Perform skill, and grants +1 rank/level in that particular Perform skill at 2nd and every level thereafter.

(This is similar to what I do for my Aristocrat PC class -- it grants Wealthy at 1st level if it's your first class -- otherwise, you must take Wealthy to qualify for Aristocrat levels.)

-- N

 

[akchf]

I would have to ask what you mean by beefing up the bard, since it's well balanced. My biggest problem with the bard is that I think it's good at everything except the feeling of the magical songs. I think Montecook came up with a great way of doing this with his variant bard in his books of Eldritch Might.

 

[Nifft]

My one problem with the Bard is the illusion of skill points.

A Bard has fewer skill points than a Rogue, yet to be effective -- to use one of his most powerful class abilities -- must invest ranks in at least one Perform skill, and preferably two (for maximum versatility). So, granting those particular skill ranks for free would IMHO put the Bardic Music class ability on par with other class abiliites.

(As a spellcaster, the Bard also needs ranks in Concentration, and many will take ranks in Spellcraft. That leaves 2 skill points unaccounted for. Sorcerers and Clerics have the same issue -- for Clerics, I don't care, as they're strong enough. Sorcerers and Bards could use a skill-related boost, though.)

-- N

 

[Derulbaskul]

Another option would be to have a single Perform skill but allow a new type of instrument/performance for every two ranks gained.

IMC, a bard (and sorcerer) does not need to use a full round action for spontaneous metamagic.

 

[ciaran00]

I allow bards to know spells from the sorceror/wizard list, albeit as spells that are two levels higher. Since I use spell points, I remove this restriction for bards at 21st level.

I also give them poisoncraft as per the system from athas.org for bards.

ciaran

 

[drunkmoogle]

I allow Bards to start their songs as a MEA, mainly because I ruled it that way once and it stuck as precedence. That small change gives them a standard action at the start of initiative, allowing them to cast a spell, then start singing. It's one of the best mistakes I've ever made.

 

[Malin Genie]

I definitely agree that the 3.0E system (or variant thereof) for Perform, where characters could get multiple instruments/modes without having to spend on several different skills, was better than the 'realistic' 3.5E version.

Nevertheless, even now a 14 Int Bard could max out two types of Perform, Concentration, Diplomacy, Hide and Move Silently and still have plenty of points left over for Spellcraft, Gather Information, and Knowledge ranks.