Suggestions for Tweeking the Bard?

[icedrake]

In the light of the PHBII coming out (I have not yet read through it but have read many reviews of it), I wondered what others have done to up the powerlevel of the bard. I'm not very interested in rebuilding the class from the ground up, but instead subbing out some abilities for another or granting the character more options than it had before.

A great example would be to allow the bard to sub out any of their bardic music abilties for bardic music feats. The Eberron CS orginally included this optional rule and some great feats for the class. Another tweek could change the activation time on bardic music from a standard action to a move action or free action, at least inspire courage. The knight's abiltilies seem to only require free actions to use and I would like to modify inspire courage so it follows the same concept. The bard already lacks the combat prowess of the other classes and I feel that this change would deversify their options in combat.

Another idea I'm toying with would be to offer the bard a number of skill based bonus feats, such as skill focus and the +2/+2 feats or expanding its bonus feat pool to include a pool of basic combat and metamagic ones, mirroring to the scout. They could get feats every fifth level starting at 5 or possibly earlier.

What have you guys done to improve the bard while still keeping much of the class the same?

 

[szilard]

I haven't done it, but I am considering making their spells-known work more like the Beguiler and Warmage:

All spells that are either Bard Only or which Bards get at a lower level than anyone else are automatically spells known. Bards get a limited progression of additional spells known that can be drawn from the current Bard spell list.

-Stuart

 

[Paraxis]

I kept it simple and give them 2 extra action points but only for levels that they take as a bard I first gave them the heroic spirit feat from eberron for free at first level but this made them front loaded, and since the class bonus stacks with the feat if they take it characters wanting to level up in the class like it alot. The extra action points help the bard with using his songs more (I use the UA rules on action points only 1 to use another use of a x/day ability). With this and the ability to sub out songs for bardic music feats makes them very playable, currenty have a halfling bard 4/dragonmark heir 4 , she is not the most combat oriented character but amazing social skills and heros' feast for breakfast or lunch everyday from her dragonmark is great. She is probably the most cherished companion by all the other characters.
I try to make my game include something for everyone in each adventure (not game session), stuff for the rogue to sneak attack and disable,undead to turn, disease to be resisted, and sound based magic to counterspell (ie command spell/harpy song/siren). I hate it when I play a character and my abilities are never used what good is it when you are immune to disease and the DM never uses them, or nobody ever trips(although thats not realy a problem) when you are a dwarf.

 

[Firebeetle]

My suggestion is three fold:

A. Give the bard a d8 hit die. Stop thinking "lover, not a fighter." Historical bards where fighters (and probably lovers too.) That and they die too easily and need the extra points.
B. Double the bard Charisma bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy. Bards are "face men" in name only, they don't get any buffs to this. Also give bard the ability to be the ONLY ones who can change an NPC attitude two steps on one roll. Rushed Diplomacy checks are -5 for bards instead of -10. Positive Sense Motive modifiers against a bard's Bluff are halved.
C. Allow Bards to try any skill untrained with just their modifier. This makes them truly a "Jack of All Trades"

I would also recommend the bard spell list from Spell Compendium, which has more bard only spells.

Fourth suggestion:

D. Add a number of bardic music uses equal to level+CHA bonus. Makes all the difference for first level.

 

[Tyrion]

This change expands on szilard's suggestion, and sounds pretty radical and overpowered at first, but it's worked very well for our campaign and made the bard a more flexible, powerful class:

Bards know every spell on their list. They no longer have to pick "spells known" like a sorceror--they're just allowed to cast whatever they want spontaneously (provided they can cast spells of that level).

This gives them a big boost, but since, like the cleric, they're a support class, these bards don't outshine the other party members. It fits with the class flavour-wise, too--bards are SUPPOSED to be the most adaptable, flexible, "jack of all trades" class in D&D.

 

[James Heard]

I wonder how the Bard would look if you took the:
1. Every Bard Spell Known
2. d8 HD
3. Bonus to Bluff & Diplomacy checks
4. Able to attempt any skill untrained
5. Bardic music Level + CHA times/day
and then compared it with the other classes? Personally I'd give Bards first level spells at first level (shift the spells per day/known list left), and not give anymore uses of bardic music, but that's me. Bard spells aren't generally so powerful that they'd overwhelm the game if given out earlier.