Essentials Bard: the Balladeer

[Quickleaf]

Yaknow, the more I think about this, the more I kinda want to flesh the rest of the class build out...

I agree You've got a great start. It would be cool to see a concept write up (i.e. flavor text) for the "Balladeer".

One thing I really like about the Essentials class structure is that you can have separate and totally divergent builds to accommodate different character concepts. In this case, your build represents the active, "dashing swordsman" type of bard, while mind represents the more passive "inspirational singing" type. If I were working at WotC and actually building an essentials bard for a third Heroes book, I probably WOULD try to do both of those as their own builds, in the vein of the Hunter/Scout and Slayer/Knight.

Totally. I mentioned my other thread because there seemed to be some parallel development.

Some specific thoughts having digested your first post...

I really like how each song has a unique special effect when crescendo is used!

However, I don't think crescendo dealing extra damage is appropriate for a leader. It works for the slayer cause it's a striker. Is your intention to make this class as a strong striker secondary?
If not, I would make the base ability of crescendo be granting an ally a basic attack (what you have bonus for Limerick of the Underdog).
And I would change Limerick of the Underdog to help shake off conditions, like granting a saving throw or rising from being prone.

Individually, the songs look good. But the Ballad of the Perseverant part about "allies adjacent to each other not granting CA" seems too powerful for an at-will stance.
Instead, I would de-power it to "enemies attacking allies adjacent to each other don't get the +2 attack bonus usually associated with CA". IOW, other effects which key off of CA still apply.
Then with the crescendo you can boost this for a single ally so that they absolutely grant no CA for a round.

(It occurs to me that I also have notes for an Alchemist class in an old Google Doc somewhere... it stalled under AEDU structure, but essentials would probably solve all the problems I was having with it... hmmm...)

Oy... I better stop before I get too excited about this.

Don't hurt yourself

 

[LightPhoenix]

Crescendo shouldn't end the player's song-stance. I understand the intent - a climactic finish to the song. Even so, it's unduly punishing end the stance and use it up. Contrast it with Power Strike/Backstab; those simply add on extra damage.

I think Crescendo would be fine if it only had an additional effect based on the current song-stance. Basically, instead of the extra damage of Power Strike and Backstab, you get an extra effect. I'd remove the bonus damage, and give the player a choice between a default effect or the stance effect. For the default, I like the extra damage better; it's more in line with a leader-type effect.