Help sought: Holy "bard" adaptation?

[Bugaboo]

Seeking your input, please. I'd like to adapt the bard class with a few simple substitutions, and a public opinion sampling would be helpful for the final tweaking.

The concept is straightforward: a traveling bard with strongly religious overtones, without the need to multiclass. Rather than sing pop tunes in taverns, for example, he wants to perform "morality play" puppet shows or lead sing-along hymns on his guitar. Maybe even set up a few tent revivals on his journeys -- "Are you ready for a miracle? I SAID, Are You Ready For A Miracle?! Hallelujah! ... If there is even one doubter among you, the healing power of Pelor will not flow freely through this sick little boy's body..."

The spell swap is easy enough -- a one-for-one translation, which will limit the standard cleric's access to a bard's level. For example, instead of Alarm, Erase and Grease at first level, his list would include Bane, Bless and Doom. (The full list would be translated, of course.) He would still have access to no more than 20 spells at first level, 35 at second level, etc., just like a bard.

Fine points to determine:
* Should he keep the bard's lore ability? Or trade it for, say, the cleric's ability to cast default healing spells?
* I think access to two domains in addition to his bardlike list of clerical spells is unfair, unless he trades off a standard bard ability. Or perhaps only one domain. What would you suggest for balance?
* I figure that since he'll be a very charismatic guy, and more bard-like than cleric-like, his newly adapted clerical spell casting should also be based on charisma instead of wisdom. What say you?

Thanks for your input.

 

[Crothian]

I'd keep the Bardic ability. Perhaps redefine it with a more religious knowledge and less general knowledge.

Perhaps creata feat or something like that for the domains. Just adding even one will increase the power of the class by a bit.

I'd keep the spells based on Charisma.

You also might want to change around the class skills and that one extra weapon Bards learn should be the choosen weapon of the diety.

 

[Darklone]

Actually many clerics in my world are bards and experts. The cleric class is VERY rare (Templars).

I made no changes to the bards class.

 

[smetzger]

Keep the Bard as is except his spellcasting is Divine instead of Arcane.

Then outline some additional more spiritual things for perform. Like Gregorian Chant, Oration, Psalmic poetry, etc.

 

[Florin]

Well, at one time I was working on a "Divine Chorister" PrC that was similar to what you were suggesting, only with more focus on combining singing with holy effects, like he could use his voice as a divine focus, so there was less need for holy symbols. Also, they gained to ability to add Still Spell to one spell per day per X number of levels. At the very end they gained the ability to use Holy Note(Word) once per day.

I hope those give you some ideas.

As for your questions, I'm kind of torn on the Lore ability. It would probably still fit, though. I'd probably keep it.

I'd drop the domain access, or maybe only limit it to one?

I'd definently stick with Charisma as the spell attribute, as long as you don't allow turning.

 

[Bugaboo]

I'd keep the Bardic ability. Perhaps redefine it with a more religious knowledge and less general knowledge.

Perhaps creata feat or something like that for the domains. Just adding even one will increase the power of the class by a bit.

I'd keep the spells based on Charisma.

You also might want to change around the class skills and that one extra weapon Bards learn should be the choosen weapon of the diety.

Good catches. Thanks.

 

[I'm A Banana]

The Choirboy...

I'd make it a PrC that can be hit by a Bard3/Cleric3 and that makes the multiclassing viable. Sorta like an Arcane Trickster makes the Rogue/Wizard viable.

I'd ditch the bardic lore in favor of a domain. And probably have different uses for bardic music than the standard ones. Compress it into a 10-level PrC, and you have a decent lil' concept I think.

Some ideas:

*Create a Music domain for whatever god these guys are patrons of. Of all the domains I've seen published, this one could be one of the most useful, though I haven't seen it anywhere.

*A Divine Music ability to summon good Outsiders...

*A Divine Music ability to heal

*A Divine Music ability to ward/protect.

*A Divine Music ability to turn undead?

*Most of the Dex-based, rogue class skills should get switched out for Wis-based, Cleric class skills.

*Give him his own spell list of 1st-6th level spells (it'll be a quick spell advancement, but eh...) of spells useful to a bard/cleric. Less trickery and deciet on the part of the bard and more healing/warding/summoning from the cleric.

*I'd give him one domain to begin with, and just make the Bardic/Divine Music actually a bit more potent. It's not too hard to jack up the power on those bad boys. Plus, as a Cleric mutliclass, he'll have two domains already.

Yeah...sounds good to me.

 

[Crothian]

Good catches. Thanks.

Your welcome. Also, you have access to Path of Magic they have some interesting bard options in there. They give other options for Bardic Music, and I think wityh all of them you might be able to pick and choose between them all to get some that fit this cocept.

They also have info on Bardic Troupes, which could easily be redifined as choirs.