Marshal versus Bard

[Aust Diamondew]

I don't know if this discussion has been had before but I'm wondering which people think is a better support class between marshal and bard?

Marshal's auras don't take time to activate like a bards music or spells so he can continue to take other actions.

Bards get more skill points but have worse hit dice.

Inspire Courage seems to provide better and more bonuses than a marshals major aura and minor aura, its only disadvantage being that it is not always active.

Marshals get a good fortitude save instead of relfex, which is generally more vital IMO (save versus death is more important than save for half damage).

Bards don't have as good of weapon or armor proficienies and bards who wear heavy armor suffer arcane spell failure.

 

[tensen]

I don't know if this discussion has been had before but I'm wondering which people think is a better support class between marshal and bard?

Depends on what you are supporting. They tend to have a slightly different focus.
I've played in a campaign where both were in play at the same time. Now that was a major support team.

The Marshal is more support for combat directly. The Bard has much more versatility. Depend on the focus of the campaign.

 

[Enkhidu]

We've got something like a Marshall in our current game, as well as a Bard. While the Commander's (our version of the Marshall) bonuses have a lot more flexibility, the Bard's bonuses give more bang for the buck (and can be used for more than combat - You wouldn;'t believe the number of times we've done the old "take 20 with the bard inspiring competence" trick). The beauty comes in when both sets go off, combined with a haste spell from the bard.

I love combat synergy.

 

[Piratecat]

Add in a divine mind from the Complete Psi book, and you've got a whole room of synergistic buffing goodness!

 

[Enkhidu]

Add in a divine mind from the Complete Psi book, and you've got a whole room of synergistic buffing goodness!

Hey, right now, we can crank up a +5 to hit or damage right out the gate. I'm not sure if we can take any more!

 

[brehobit]

Marshal is a nice "dip" class for a fighter/commander type. And a GREAT class for Gestalt. But a bard is generally better if you have the 4 encounters/day model. If you allow all the bard wackyness one can get from the splat books, a 3rd level bard can provide +3 attack and damage to the whole party twice a day (Eberron only). A Marshal doesn't touch that.

Throw in the bards skills, knowledge, spells (including healing!) etc. and the bard just wins. By a lot.

Now if I were building a fighter/leader type, I'd take 2-4 levels of marshal over any bard levels. It reflects the idea of a good leader better, and can be managed in full armor.

 

[wmasters]

Both are potentially solid support classes. The bard probably a better pure support class, but personally I'm quite a fan of the marshal as I prefer a character that can do support but holds his own too.

A high dex marshall with Improved Initiative and the Initiative boosting aura has a lot of potential, putting the fighters into a position to full attack and hit before the monsters get a chance is very effective.