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Message: <blockquote data-quote="captainspud" data-source="post: 5566101" data-attributes="member: 94481">Yes, it's a dumb name. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":P" title="Stick out tongue    :P"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":P" />Background: I've never played Bards and always thought they were a bit  silly. I've never used an Essentials character myself, though I have no  inherent problem with them-- some of my players use them, and I love  them for demo games. So, on no level is this me creating "my kind" of  character-- it's simply something that evolved from a mental concept and  clicked extraordinarily well as I started piecing it together.Long story short: I'm building an Essentials party for a demo I'm running in a few months, and I decided that on a fluff level, the party really needs a bard. Given that Wizards hasn't published an Essentials bard yet, I took a few minutes on my drive home yesterday to think of how that would work.I came up with a mechanic that I quite like. The Balladeer has a number of at-will Songs (mechanically they're mostly the same as stances) that grant benefits in a fairly wide aura; then, as the bard's encounter power, he can fire off a Crescendo that does more damage and concludes the song with a strong effect, and then the song ends and can't be sung again this encounter.I tossed together a sample level progression to demonstrate the concept. None of these are "final" powers (and some are probably broken or underpowered), they're just showing how the idea would work in practice.Balladeer (Bard)Power Source: Arcane/MartialRole: LeaderWeapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple range, rapierImplement Proficiencies: Instrument, WandArmor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide, chainLv 1: At-Will Attacks:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Cha-based MBA</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Cutting Verse (implement, RNG5, target suffers -2 to attacks)</li> </ul>Lv 1: At-Will SongsSongs are at-will stances that activate with a minor action.Choose two:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Song of Triumph (allies within 10 gain INT THP on a hit)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Crescendo: One ally gains +CHA to damage for one round</li> </ul> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dirge of the Nameless Fallen (allies within 10 gain +1 to defenses while bloodied)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Crescendo: One ally can spend a healing surge</li> </ul> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Fable of the Darting Hunter (allies within 10 gain +4 to defenses vs AoO and gain +2 to damage while flanking)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Crescendo: Allies within 10 can shift half their speed</li> </ul> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Verse of the Final Clash (allies within 10 can push 1 square on a hit)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Crescendo: One ally knocks prone on a hit for one round.</li> </ul> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Limerick of the Underdog (allies within 10 gain +1 to hit larger creatures and gain CA vs targets they miss)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Crescendo: One ally can make a melee basic attack.</li> </ul> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Ballad of the Perseverent (while adjacent to an ally, allies within 10 never grant CA and gain CA vs creature that hits adjacent ally)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Crescendo: One ally gains +INT to all defenses for one round.</li> </ul> </li> </ul>Lv 1: Encounter attack - CrescendoChoose the Victorious Crescendo or the Mocking Crescendo.Your Crescendo is an encounter attack that triggers on a hit. When you use it, you trigger the Crescendo of your current Song, and the song ends and can’t be sung again this encounter.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Victorious Crescendo: Additional 1d10 damage and one ally within 5 squares of you gains +INT to damage for one round.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Mocking Crescendo: Additional 1d10 damage and target suffers -2 penalty to hit for one round.</li> </ul>Lv 2: Utility Power<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Fairly standard Bard utility powers</li> </ul>Lv 3: Encounter attackChoose either the Harmonious Duet or the Resounding Solo<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Harmonious Duet: Standard, burst 5. You and an ally in the burst each charge or make a basic attack. If both attacks hit, each ally within 10 squares of you regains CHA hit points.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Resounding Solo: Standard, burst 5. You or one ally in the burst charge. On a hit, the attack does 1d10 additional damage and the target and all enemies adjacent to it are knocked prone.</li> </ul>Lv 5: Additional SongGain one additional Lv 1 song.Lv 6: Verse of ExpertiseGain the following Encounter song:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Verse of Expertise (choose one skill. Allies within 10 gain a +2 bonus to that skill)</li> </ul>Lv 7: Improved CrescendoYou gain an additional use of Crescendo each encounter.Lv 9: (something)Lv 10: Utility Power<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">More fairly standard Bard utility powers</li> </ul>Lv 13: Paragon SongbookSwap one Lv 1 song you know for a song from the following list:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Chorus of the Avenging Knight (when an ally within 10 is damaged by a creature, that ally gains +CHA to its next damage roll vs that creature)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Crescendo: One ally makes a basic attack with a +INT bonus to the attack and damage rolls.</li> </ul> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rime of the Mist Walkers (allies within 10 gain concealment. Once per round when an ally hits with an attack, a different ally can make a saving throw)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Crescendo: Allies gain a +2 bonus to saving throws until the end of your next turn. One ally may make a saving throw against each effect on him.</li> </ul> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Anthem of Justice (allies within 10 can’t grant CA. When an affected ally shifts to a square adjacent to an enemy, he may slide that enemy to a different square adjacent to him).<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Crescendo: Each enemy within 2 squares of one ally suffers CHA radiant and thunder damage.</li> </ul> </li> </ul>Lv 16: Utility Power<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Still more fairly standard Bard utility powers</li> </ul>Lv 17: Improved SongSwap an additional song you know for a level 13 song.Lv 23: Epic SongbookEven more awesome songsand so on.So, yeah. I still think bards are a bit silly, but if they're going to end up being Essentialized, I wouldn't mind seeing them done this way. And either way, I think I have a pretty good framework for my demo pregen. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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