Illiterate Bard Suggestions

[fusangite]

I'm looking to play a pre-literate Celtic-style bard along the lines of Taliesin. Needless to say, the core Bard class doesn't cut it. Could people suggest alternative classes in third party materials? Better still, anything conveniently available online?

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Why doesn't the core class cut it?

One of my favorite current characters has the goal of being the first illiterate Arcane Archer
His initial base is a close match to the Celtic.. its a matter of multi-classing appropriately.

Ranger/Bard is how he started...

 

[Tarril Wolfeye]

You could try the Savage Bard from Unearthed Arcana. As this is Open Content, you should be able to find it online.

 

[rbrt_spade]

You could make your own variant bard to your takes. Take a peak at the dmg and phb to make a variants. You could also tweak the phb one to your taste. Good luck!

 

[luke_twigger]

You could try the Savage Bard from Unearthed Arcana. As this is Open Content, you should be able to find it online.

Try here http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#bardVariantSavageBard

 

[fusangite]

Thanks guys! The Savage Bard class seems to still have a few vestigial features of the urban literate character with his weapon proficiencies, tumble skill, etc. Any other variants out there that get closer to a celtic ideal?

 

[fusangite]

Why doesn't the core class cut it?

Things that don't work for me if I'm doing a primitive Celtic bard: Tumble, Use Magic Device, Decipher Script, Weapon Proficiency (Rapier), Weapon Proficiency (Whip), literacy. Plus I'd like some class features that actually give the character the Bronze Age/early Iron Age feel I'm looking for.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Something (approximately) balanced with the core D&D classes, weaker, or stronger? Any other campaign peculiarities/assumptions that might be relevant?

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Things that don't work for me if I'm doing a primitive Celtic bard: Tumble, Use Magic Device, Decipher Script, Weapon Proficiency (Rapier), Weapon Proficiency (Whip), literacy. Plus I'd like some class features that actually give the character the Bronze Age/early Iron Age feel I'm looking for.

well, three of those are class skills that you don't have to take. (and only decipher script seem like a problem to me - use magic device is instinctive, not intellectual, and nothing in the actual uses of tumble sas you have to be doing fancy backflips, its just a skill to make you move "quicker" thus avoiding AoO and such.) Literacy you can just say no to. You have all simple weapons so no one is saying you have to use your extra proficiencies...

You might look at the Races Of Stone book... there are a couple of bardic prestige classes with a distinctly non sophisticated feel, and you could either try to swap out some base bard abilities for theirs or just aim for them.

 

[fusangite]

Something (approximately) balanced with the core D&D classes, weaker, or stronger?

Balanced would be good. Most of the characters in the campaign in question will be standard core classes.

Any other campaign peculiarities/assumptions that might be relevant?

Not really. Just looking for a preliterate Noric European type bard.