Level Up (A5E) (+) Project Chronicle: Class Conceits and Narrative Role

[Composer99]

PF does rounds-per-day of rage. That might be too fiddly for a 5e port, even one that is meant to be crunchier (as A5E is).

Maybe a compromise is a few minute-long rages, in the "combat stance" style of 5e, and a few more-or-less immediate bursts of rage? Those bursts of rage could provide you with the oomph to get advantage and/or an A5E Expertise Die on a single ability check. For instance, it would come in handy when you really need to push that boulder out of the way, or, à la Minsc in Baldur's Gate 2, break out of the cage by bending the metal bars with your bare hands.

(I'ma remember this for my own homebrew.)

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Calm Fury (Berserker subclass)

- Exultant Blow: Can expend 1 use of Rage to auto-crit (x per SR) like 4e.
- Vigorous Retort: Rage can be maintained has long as you are making CHA checks against a creature.

• Thane Presence: When Raging, your Persuasion and Intimidation rolls can never be less than your STR score.
• Frumious Majesty: When you enter Rage all creatures of your choice must make a Wis save against 8+prof+CHA or be charmed or frightened until they make the save. If a creature make the save, they are immune for 24h.
• Disheartening Might: Creature with more than 6 INT must make a Wis save against 8+prof+CHA to attack you when you are not Raging. On a failed save, they must change target.

 

[Steampunkette]

Just about to start in on the Bard's Tale (ba dum tish). Any requests or Suggestions for story components or names?

Bard
It is said that the first moment of civilization, of order and of calm, came when the Serpent and the Witch sang a song to the beasts of the forest, the plains, and the sands. In those dazzling moments, music soothed the bestial violence for a time. Mere moments of beauty and compassion, of peace and comfort. Fleeting as the wind and fickle as the sea, varied as the people who birth it into our world.

Since that glorious moment, we have sought music. We have created it from thin air, devised instruments to produce it's tones, and raised our voices in song. Even infants, our children, babble and hum to have some measure of music and the passions it brings.

If there is any goodness within packed cities and crowded streets, it is the music shared from one to another.

Music of Creation​

The gods gave, and give, magic to the world. Not only in the Witch's Arcana, but the mysteries and magics of their various Priests. Music, it is said, is the only magic they do not grant, for it exists beyond them, outside of them. Something they use, but do not make for themselves. A deep truth of all that is, and ever could be.

That those who raise their voice in song, who create music, who give it breath and strength and life, create in those moments of song, create something far greater than themselves. For that creation of music lives in the memory and the heart of those who hear it.

One must be careful, then, what they breathe into the world.

Those Fretting Players​

There are many who sing, who dance, who play their songs for the world. Who stand upon the corner of a street, who prance upon stage, who sing to kings of kind or wicked temper. But these are not the fretting players of the world. No. They are wondrous in their creations, of course.

But it is the Bard who travels, who chronicles, who gathers music from across the wide world to learn of it's touch in every way they can. It is these people who collect the true secrets, and power, that lie within the song and rhythms of the world. They seek and create, they birth and they restore. Every lost composition recovered reminding the world of what has been lost in some small measure.

These souls can birth legends, and gods, can sing into being terror and pain. Those whose music can bring a king to his knees, and raise a people to unspeakable heights.

Embrace these souls. And fear them.
-The Chronicler-

 

[Steampunkette]

PF does rounds-per-day of rage. That might be too fiddly for a 5e port, even one that is meant to be crunchier (as A5E is).

Maybe a compromise is a few minute-long rages, in the "combat stance" style of 5e, and a few more-or-less immediate bursts of rage? Those bursts of rage could provide you with the oomph to get advantage and/or an A5E Expertise Die on a single ability check. For instance, it would come in handy when you really need to push that boulder out of the way, or, à la Minsc in Baldur's Gate 2, break out of the cage by bending the metal bars with your bare hands.

(I'ma remember this for my own homebrew.)

To be clear: This would be for a specific subclass. Not all Barbarians. So it's a level of crunch that gets chosen by the player.

That said, you might be right.

Calm Fury (Berserker subclass)

- Exultant Blow: Can expend 1 use of Rage to auto-crit (x per SR) like 4e.
- Vigorous Retort: Rage can be maintained has long as you are making CHA checks against a creature.

• Thane Presence: When Raging, your Persuasion and Intimidation rolls can never be less than your STR score.
• Frumious Majesty: When you enter Rage all creatures of your choice must make a Wis save against 8+prof+CHA or be charmed or frightened until they make the save. If a creature make the save, they are immune for 24h.
• Disheartening Might: Creature with more than 6 INT must make a Wis save against 8+prof+CHA to attack you when you are not Raging. On a failed save, they must change target.

I do like some of this, too. Particularly the Exultant Blow and Thane Presence...

To make Exultant Blow work with so limited a resource as rage, though, I think it might be best to allow a person to -end- their rage with an automatic Critical Hit. You land a hit while raging that isn't a critical hit, you declare you're ending your rage in an Exultant Blow, and it becomes a crit, to smash through your target's armor.

Thane Presence, though... maybe we can do it as gaining a Strength Bonus to Social Skills while raging...? A5e doesn't have default attributes tied to checks for the express intent of making skill use more varied. But you've gotta admit... that'd be a great way for a Coldrage Barbarian to gain a benefit of their quiet and seething rather than bombastic rage. Right?

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

To make Exultant Blow work with so limited a resource as rage, though, I think it might be best to allow a person to -end- their rage with an automatic Critical Hit. You land a hit while raging that isn't a critical hit, you declare you're ending your rage in an Exultant Blow, and it becomes a crit, to smash through your target's armor.

The Playtest barbarian had this feature. When you are raging and make an attack, you can decide that it is automatically a Crit, but your Rage ends and you are stunned until the end of your next turn.

Thane Presence, though... maybe we can do it as gaining a Strength Bonus to Social Skills while raging...? A5e doesn't have default attributes tied to checks for the express intent of making skill use more varied. But you've gotta admit... that'd be a great way for a Coldrage Barbarian to gain a benefit of their quiet and seething rather than bombastic rage. Right?

Maybe add the ''damage bonus'' from rage to persuasion and intimidation checks (no matter the stat) when raging and your voice can be heard at 100 ft.

Maybe a social version of Reckless attack? Like you can gain advantage with persuasion and intimidation, but enemies have advantage on Insight or Deception checks against you for the rest of the round.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Just about to start in on the Bard's Tale (ba dum tish). Any requests or Suggestions for story components or names?

Maybe something related to snake dancing or fire-dancer/fire-eater?
Doubling down on the mystic performances theme instead of ''just another spellcasting'' would be interesting, I think.

 

[Steampunkette]

The Playtest barbarian had this feature. When you are raging and make an attack, you can decide that it is automatically a Crit, but your Rage ends and you are stunned until the end of your next turn.


Maybe add the ''damage bonus'' from rage to persuasion and intimidation checks (no matter the stat) when raging and your voice can be heard at 100 ft.

Maybe a social version of Reckless attack? Like you can gain advantage with persuasion and intimidation, but enemies have advantage on Insight or Deception checks against you for the rest of the round.

I'd be ditching the Stunned 'til next turn thing, for sure.

There is no damage bonus from rage, according to the Playtest. It instead adds Temp HP at the start of every turn on top of resistance. For damage they get Furious Critical at level 2, which allows them to gain interesting benefits whenever they manage to land a crit. Things like Stunning or Deafening or Flinging people around. Plus, y'know, Maneuvers.

Which makes the ability to -declare- a critical hit particularly powerful for this subclass, I think.

Still. Having the Temp HP Value added on top is definitely a strong way to do it, as it starts at 2 and grows to 3 and higher over leveling.

Maybe something related to snake dancing or fire-dancer/fire-eater?
Doubling down on the mystic performances theme instead of ''just another spellcasting'' would be interesting, I think.

That... is a solid idea! Perhaps a Naga performing in Court, or at a Temple... Singing change into the world.

 

[GuyBoy]

A dance-based bard would be interesting in your setting. Shadows in Zamboula was a problematic REH story in many ways, but portrayed a dancer-bard effectively in Nafertari. It also had an adept in the form of Baal-Pteor, though he was fatally outmatched by Conan.
Kenzer had a decent go with the Basiran Dancer back in early 3e days.

Similarly, Ellenici could feature poetic bards, inspired by Homer and Sappho.

Personally, I play bards a fair bit, so I’m intrigued by your take on them.

 

[Steampunkette]

Bards make Legends in A5e with their performances. Surely, one could make a Legend out of an Assassin, should they choose.

Song of the Scarlet Shadow​

Nabirye slithered quickly toward the great hall as the horn sounded. Behind her, a shadow slipped between pillars in the great halls of the palace at Akhet, where Prince Rudjet-Ka the Golden mustered his armies in preparation to make the final push toward Il'sha-ah, to take the throne from his sister, rightful Pharoah of the Annam.

Nabirye glanced back with downcast eyes at the place the shadow had been standing, and entered the King's chamber, where his generals feasted and fornicated before the would-be ruler. "Music!" He cried out, his voice hoarse and slurred from the burn of wine in throat and belly. His eyes, not quite focusing on the serpent-girl as she made her way to the small stage where musicians began to play.

Around the pillar at it's center she climbed, coiling about it, the cool marble felt luxurous against her scales, her hip, her back, as her arms reached outward and her voice slipped forth. Wordless and sweet as honeyed wine, yet more satisfying by far.

Her eyes settled, for a moment, upon the king before turning up to the shadow above him, behind him. Quickly she swept her gaze away, across the torchlit chamber. Her voice held an ethereal quality as it came back to her from the walls of marble and stone,echoing her melody back. It sussurated and surrounded the generals, the king.

And for a moment, there was peace as mouths hung open and turned toward Nabirye upon the column. The grunts of effort ceased, and even the players, still plucking harp and beating drum, dulled and quieted behind the resonance of her voice.

None saw the Scarlet Shadow drop from the balcony behind the king. But all heard the tenor of the song change when he landed. The distraction was broken, lifted like a veil from their eyes, as words broke through her song. What began as distraction became far more sinister in it's sussuration...

The Song of Doom began and Rudjet-Ka the Golden, Prince of Il'sha-ah, exile and would be king, felt the doom clutch upon his heart. Felt the weakness in his arms as he rose from his gilt throne, the nemes cloth on his head fallen to awkward angle by the sudden lurching motion. His hand found the hilt of his khopesh from the table...

And the Scarlet Shadow, his prey at hand, struck out at Rudjet's exposed back. A shallow cut, as the prince's inebriation and the song set him off weight, he screamed at the bite, nonetheless. And spun to see the masked face of his assassin.

The musicians broke and fled, scattering across the hall in terror and fear, for their patron's demise meant their own destitution if only for a time. The generals rose from stupor, from lust, eyes growing clearer as they looked to the interloper, the assassin with the strange hooked axe.

And the spell broke. Chaos began, fighting and blood, screaming and death. And above it all the song of Nabirye, ringing and clear, strong and empowered. She gave to the Scarlet Shadow great strength in her song, and in time, short time, the Song of Doom was fulfilled. Rudjet and his number lay dead.

Nabirye sought the arms of her lover, and the mask of the Scarlet Shadow raised for their kiss in the bloody aftermath.

 

[Steampunkette]

Debating a Chronicler subclass for Bards. That might be interesting. A bard that travels and seeks information, specifically, rather than just kind of "Getting" it.