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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kaisoku" data-source="post: 5651646" data-attributes="member: 58447">Some rundown of changes from 3.5e to Pathfinder:Alignment Restrictions removed. No Ex-Bards.Bardic Music- Starting a bardic performance goes from Standard -> Move at 7th, and Move -> Swift at 13th.- Maintaining a bardic performance went from Standard action (3.5e) to Free action (Pathfinder core, 1st level).- Also, while doing a bardic performance, you can do whatever you want (including cast spells, etc). It's not "concentration" based, it's only stopped when you are pretty much prevented from making a free action.This set of benefits means you can use your bardic performances while doing other actions, like attacking, casting spells, using skills, whatever.Yes, give everyone the group buff but not be stuck "only buffing".You lose overall time of usage (and unfortunately out of combat benefits for things like inspire competence), but overall as the bard you can do more.Bardic Music (continued)- End cap "Deadly Performance" for a save-or-die (and even a make the save and still suck) effect makes it a pretty decent 20th level effect (if you play to that level).- Stealth boost: Inspire Courage now gives a +competence bonus to attack and damage rolls, not morale. This means it stacks with the Bard-worthy spells of Heroism (Greater) and Good Hope.Skills- Skill consolidation was the first step towards making a 6 + int class even better at doing skill things.- Versatile Performance is an amazing class feature that basically means that you can get a pile more out of your skillpionts for having invested into multiple perform skills.Note: The developers on the Paizo boards have outright stated that you shouldn't be inhibited from character development from a class ability, so ranks that you put into a skill skill that is later covered by Versatile Performance could be reassigned (similar to how Int bonuses give skillpoints retroactively now too).- Lore Master and Jack of all Trades are not really amazing (unless your group tends to go heavy into Knowledge skills for Lore Master). Jack of all Trades feels a bit low-benefit for the levels you get them at (not really a high level perk all things considered, but hey.. it's added on top of everything else).Overall, they feel like a better skills class than the Ranger or Rogue (short of a couple quirks like tracking or stealth while on the move).If you place any value on skills in your game, then the Bard got a serious improvement in this area (I know some people feel skills are completely replaceable with magic, so I guess YMMV).Spells- The APG granted the Bard a fairly extensive set of utility options for their spells. A lot of "mess with people" effects, and bypassing resistances and immunities (like bypassing DR or hitting incorporeal creatures).The Finale line of spells give some neat buffing/saving options with the condition of being in the middle of using bardic performance. Allow an ally to reroll a save (like the fighter who just got dominated/etc).- I haven't checked out Ultimate Magic much yet, but I hear it has some decent offensive options in there.General Stuff- If you don't like some of the bardic performance options, then the archetypes typically have at least a couple replacements. I like the Arcane Duelist and Sandman options from the APG.- I haven't checked out Ultimate Magic with regards to Bards much, but Masterpieces are supposed to be decent (although the cost might be a bit high). Not sure what the spells and archetypes do for the class there yet.- I believe Ultimate Combat has feats to expand use for the Whip, and on top of that, includes an archetype of Archeologist.This, to me, pushed the class up a notch on the fun factor, regardless of how the class archetype even plays out. Being able to play Indiana Jones? Yes please!I feel that the "can do bardic performance while attacking and spellcasting, while inspire courage stacks better" that really puts the Bard head and shoulders better than it was in 3.5e. The skill mastery stuff is just gravy on top of that.And that's the core Bard, without even getting into some crazy archetype or spell combination.Although there is a thread about using Beguiling Gift (force someone to use an item you hand them) and giving a Druid a metal shield, to force them lose druid powers for 24 hours.Granted, a Will save-based spell here isn't the best of ideas, but it still makes me chuckle at the thought of that combination.</blockquote>

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