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Message: <blockquote data-quote="PrecociousApprentice" data-source="post: 4202922" data-attributes="member: 61449">Now I will try to reinterpret as much of the mechanics of what made the bard into 4e. This is for those players that insist that they need all the elements that were part of the 3.x bard, even though they mostly sucked. There will be a few stretches, but I think that these stretches preserve pretty much all of the flavor of the bard, without some of the mechanical wonkiness of 3.x.The mechanical effects of the bard can be summed up in this short list. I will refer anyone that doesn't beleive me to the 3.x SRD. It's all there.1) Lightly armed and armored, not front line fighter type, but can fight adequately.2) Extensive knowledge in many areas.3) A skillset geared to social situaltions and perform.4) Inspirational abilities that are thematically tied to performance.5) A small set of charm type effects that are thematically tied to performance.6) Limited arcane magic which are mostly thematic and include spells that aren't the blasty type.To this list the RP elements of a very enchanting and sophisticated romantic, with boundless charm can be added.From this list you can separate it into the in-combat and the out-of-combat abilities. Since the out-of-combat abilities are most likely to be available to any class, these will be chosen after class. We should then move right along to the in-combat ablilites, which are listed as4) Inspirational abilities that are thematically tied to performance.5) A small set of charm type effects that are thematically tied to performance.6) Limited arcane magic which are mostly thematic and include spells that aren't the blasty type.With this list we can begin to determine what the class necessities will be. Warlord fits the bill really well for #4, and will likely have many more ways of accomplishing this than the 3.x bard did. To get the other two, I think that it is very likely that fey pact warlock or wizard will have the necessary charm/illusion spells that will fit the bill, especially as the character progresses through levels. The bard in 3.x didn't start with all this stuff, he just got it as he advanced. With the addition of the enchantment and illusions type power sources, we might be able to really pin down the fealing of the bard, but for now we can probably get away with what we have, and only the most resolute 4e detractors will be unsatisfied.The rest of what makes the bard is present or easily possible with any character. With the unified mechanic of character creation, fighty type abilities like BAB are all universal. Lightly armed and armored is gotten easily through class or feats, knowledge and social/perform ablity are skill things, which are available through class or feat.The only things left are just RP elements. Is the bard a rock star or a child prodigy? Poet? Playwrite? Orator? All of these things are RP.I for one would be much happier with this character than any 3.x bard. No more being useless, you have a defined role and the abilities to accomplish it. Plus the skill challenge seems to be the thing that bard players dreamed about to make their bards shine.Now this is just one interpretation, and WotC will interpret it another way. Their interpretation will probably anger many bard enthusiasts, especially the ones who still want to play useless bards. But saying that I cannot create a bard character with the rules that will be available in June is patently false to the point of being rediculous. I might even like to play one finally.</blockquote>

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