I would play a bard if. . .

[Fishbone]

Not using a magical musical instrument I believe really waters down the bard. Oratory is no match for an extra 4 or 5 spells a day, massive bonuses to your Fascinate/Suggestion combos, and other mechanical goodies. Hell, war drums don't even cost 300 GP and they give +1 to attack and damage when inspiring courage.
Its like limiting yourself when you really don't have to.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

Not using a magical musical instrument I believe really waters down the bard. Oratory is no match for an extra 4 or 5 spells a day, massive bonuses to your Fascinate/Suggestion combos, and other mechanical goodies. Hell, war drums don't even cost 300 GP and they give +1 to attack and damage when inspiring courage.
Its like limiting yourself when you really don't have to.

But you could (with the help of your DM) creat equivalent items that help your orating bard.

 

[Shade]

A gun could definitely coerce me.

Now, if it were a half-elven bard, I think I'd try my luck with the triggerman's reflexes.

 

[lukelightning]

But you could (with the help of your DM) creat equivalent items that help your orating bard.

How about a megaphone? I can see it now...the bard on the sidelines, shouting at his compatriots: "you call that power attacking? Put your waist into it! And come on Roger the Rogue, sneak up behind that ogre! And Manda the Mage, concentrate when you cast defensively! How come you can't concentrate! C'mon, concentrate harder, or is your brain made of lettuce?!?!?"

 

[Chimera]

But you could (with the help of your DM) creat equivalent items that help your orating bard.

Pomeroy's Powerful Podium A magic, self-mobile podium that aids Perform(Oratory) as well as providing the benefits of a tower shield.



Svengali's Silver Tongue Artifact. Replaces the Bard's tongue as per the Vecna items.

 

[Sound of Azure]

But you could (with the help of your DM) creat equivalent items that help your orating bard.

I've allowed characters with the Craft (Music) or craft (Poetics) skill to create "masterwork" pieces of music/poetics that modify the perform check. You can add features that increase the effects of various bardic music abilities if you also have Scribe Scroll. You could substitute Craft Wondrous Item if that seems wonky.

You could also do the same with crafting other kinds of speeches or stories with something like Craft (Oratory).

 

[greywulf]

Very cool writeup greywulf.

I do the same type of thing with each character I create and try to encourage my players to do the same. But I treat it as more of a matter of describing the character's background and role. No class should restrict you to one concept, not even you redubbed Knight-Commander. We still call the class "Bard" for game rule purposes, but each concept can be expressed without the class. One bard could be a "Wandering Minstrel" another a "Knight-Commander" another a "Banshee Sorceress." The class name is just a tag. My current PC is a Sister of the Dancing Blade, not a Monk/Fighter/Dervish.

I agree entirely!

My Knight-Commander is just one solution of doubtless many

 

[Slife]

A gun could definitely coerce me.

Now, if it were a half-elven bard, I think I'd try my luck with the triggerman's reflexes.

Why? You can make a great diplomacy build starting with a half-elf bard.

 

[Set]

I'm seriously considering changing bards into a sort of priest. Change the flavor around a bit, reflavor a couple of spells, replace instruments with holy relics/scriptures, and the class is a lot less silly.

I did this in my Scarred Lands campaign. The party ended up fighting a group of Asaatthi lizardfolk, who had some dwarven slaves they used as cannon fodder. The dwarves had been dosed up with an alchemical solution that acted like weak Barbarian's Rage (but was killing them), and behind the Fighters and Druid (and his Dire Monitor companion) was a 'priest' who was exhorting his followers from a prayer-book. His class was Bard, but he used Perform (oratory) and Knowledge (religion), as well as Craft (alchemy) skill to boost himself and his 'party.'

But you could (with the help of your DM) creat equivalent items that help your orating bard.

For a knight-commander, some sort of flag or standard could be used to rally the troops.
For an inspiring priest, a prayer book or holy incense censer or something.

Musical instruments are totally unnecessary.

If the 'Bard' wants to base his 'inspiration' off of his advanced knowledge of mystical computation / arithomancy, giving his allies precise instructions in where to strike and when to dodge, I'm fine with that. Flavor trumps all.

 

[Fishbone]

Except when mechanics trump. Hey, my Barbarian can have a great reason for wanting to take on the world armed only with his adrenal glands and a garden hoe but that doesn't make the garden hoe do 2d6 19-20 X2 or 1d12 X3 damage.
Oratory is great, smack talking is great, playing the effing bongo drums is great, but it comes at a trade. 3 or 4 spells a day and upwards of +12 on your Suggestion DC. Now you can spend the money elsewhere, that is certainly the character's perogative, but there has to be a tradeoff.