I would play a bard if. . .

[Vyvyan Basterd]

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.

You could do that without changing the bard at all. Just because the archetypical bard sings doesn't mean you can't think outside the box.

Take ranks in Perform (oratory) to use your "bardic music" ability. Take ranks in Knowledge (religion). Describe your inspiring oratory as religious scripture. Bam! (Sorry Emeril's on while I type )

[Rant] I see this all the time. DMs and players alike that let the books tell them what there character is. DMs that won't let people multiclass into Barbarian after first level because they can't possibly see how someone could 'learn' to be a barbarian after first level. I made a Barbarian/Sorcerer whose flavor was described as a civilized person with a draconic bloodline. His increased power (rage) and spells were described as manifestations of his bloodline. [/rant]

 

[VirgilCaine]

Even pure core, the bonuses from the music are very helpful and a nice thing to do if you have any kind of warning about the combat. The spells are really nice, but the number so low (and leaning so heavily toward "charmish" things) that you can't be an effective caster in more than 1 or 2 encounters/day. So the music helps. By 8th level, it helps a lot.

You're forgetting Scribe Scroll and Use Magic Device.

Bardic Music IS nice. It is powerful. But I'm a spellcasting kinda person.

If I had leadership and a buncha low level barbarians with greatswords, I could go for using Bardic Music.

Which, as my brother has enlightened me, I would take Animate Instrument.

 

[Fishbone]

SWEET CHRIST MAN! LET IT GO ALREADY!!!!
I'm sick of all your bloody trolling about bards, Firebeetle. The class is fine. It is balanced against the rogue. The only person who seems to have a problem with the class is YOU.
I didn't want to get personal with it but every other month you pull this crap and drives me up the effing wall.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I would play a Bard if. . .

I wanted to.


Fishbone - if it bothers you that much, there's always the IL function. Just sayin'.

 

[Drowbane]

Ive got bad news. My epic cold sorceror just Plane shifted there, and well... it did

'Nuff said. Obviously you're playing a bard in my upcoming campaign.

Ahh crap... there goes my Necromancer.

I guess I'll get to work on a Bard / Druid / Fochlu-whatever Lyrist....

 

[Warren Okuma]

I would play a bard...

If it was an all-bard road tour type campaign.

 

[Corinth]

Perform (Oratory)
Diplomacy
Sense Motive
Bluff

Yep, I could make myself one hell of a bard that doesn't sing a note right there.

 

[Firebeetle]

SWEET CHRIST MAN! LET IT GO ALREADY!!!!
I'm sick of all your bloody trolling about bards, Firebeetle. The class is fine. It is balanced against the rogue. The only person who seems to have a problem with the class is YOU.
I didn't want to get personal with it but every other month you pull this crap and drives me up the effing wall.

Fishbone, I don't understand what you're trying to say.

Look, "Give a Monkey a Brain" wasn't your best album, but I bought it anyway.

Seriously, ignore me if you like. Let's me know I'm getting somewhere.

 

[Fishbone]

The Bards Suck threads are almost as bad as the Fighter Sucks threads. WOTC has been bending over backwards giving Bards great feats like Song of the Heart and Melodic Casting, great spells, great magical musical instruments, and strong flavorful prestige classes like the Warchanter and Sublime Chord. Honestly, core bard is not that bad, and outside of core they are a very solid, capable class. Its just like damn, this is the 6th time I've posted this in a thread you started.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

The Bards Suck threads are almost as bad as the Fighter Sucks threads. WOTC has been bending over backwards giving Bards great feats like Song of the Heart and Melodic Casting, great spells, great magical musical instruments, and strong flavorful prestige classes like the Warchanter and Sublime Chord. Honestly, core bard is not that bad, and outside of core they are a very solid, capable class. Its just like damn, this is the 6th time I've posted this in a thread you started.

This is part of the problem. How many books do you need to buy to make a bard "good"? It would have been better to satisfy the customer with the core rules, but failing that, it should all be available in one book.

Although, I think I would not use Bardic Music. People see it as the main feature of the class for some reason.

It's one of the bard's two unique class features, and the only one controlled by the player (and also directly useful in combat).