non-singing Bard?

[Sqwonk]

I like the Knowledge and Diplomacy aspect of the Bard, but not the singing part. Most of the Bardic Music abilities are fairly lame.

Is there a non-singing Bard out there?

My other thought was to take a rogue and swap some roguish ability out ( or use feats) to re-create the bard's bardic knowledge and Knowledge skills.

 

[Terraism]

(Posting here to address both this question and the one you've got about making Knowledge skills class skills.)

The Education feat (ECS, FRCS, Ghostwalk) adds all Knowledge skills to your class list. Trivial Knowledge (Races of Stone) grants you, if I remember, a sort of Bardic Knowledge - not quite as good, but it's an option. If you've got a flexible DM, you may be able to bargain for Bardic Knowledge in exchange for a rogue's normal Trap Sense, or something similar.

 

[Winding Road]

You could swap in the auras used by either the Marshal (Miniatures HB) or the Dragon Shaman (PHB 2). Both of those fill the support role that the bard's music provides. You'd probably have to play around with either of those options to balance them, but the bard is on the low-power end anyway.

 

[Nifft]

Cloistered Cleric gets Bardic Lore, all Knowledge skills, and no music at all.

Cheers, -- N

 

[irdeggman]

I assume you know that bardic music doesn't necessarily mean "singing".

While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music and the descriptions discuss singing or playing instruments, they can all be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance.

Perform (Oratory) works fine.

 

[Machiavelli]

I like whistling, because having your defenses battered down before your apparently inevitable, violent death is just SOOO much more emotionally defeating when they guy who's doing it is whistling like he's doing laundry

 

[Rhun]

I keep hearing that the Akshic from Arcana Evolved fits for this type of character (but I've not tried playing one):

http://www.ptolus.com/cgi-bin/page....ss_MCAE_Akashic

 

[Arkhandus]

If you just want a simple solution and find the bard alright otherwise, just swap out bardic music for a few bonus feats. A feat at 1st, 6th, 9th, 15th, and 20th-level. Any feat of their choice that they meet the prerequisites for, each time.

 

[Rogue765]

FEAR THE MIME!!!

 

[jasin]

I'm playing a human paragon/wizard/loremaster in AoW, and it makes for a kickass bard without music. I'm the diplomat of the party, and I have both lore (of course, with a lower modifier, since only loremaster levels count) and at least a rank in every single knowledge that exists.

You could also go human paragon/sorcerer/loremaster if you wanted to focus more on diplomacy than the knowledges.

If you want spellcasting either, a rogue with Education should work. And Knowledge Devotion from Complete Champion could let you put those knowledges to excellent use in a fight. Again, human paragon levels could add some interesting options, since it's very much a bard-like jack-of-all-trades class.