THIS makes a bard a bard

[arscott]

The thread on bards inspired me a bit. The way I see it, a bard is so adept with music that he can tap into the song of creation, causing all sorts of fun effects. He doesn't normally use weapons--he can damage foes with the power of his song.

There are two types of bards:
Lore-based, who use int as their secondary attribute. Their music constists of poetry or song plus an accompanying instrument (such as a harp, drum, or lyre)
Entertainment-based, who use dex as their primary attribute. Their music has no vocals, only instrumental (flutes, fiddles, and pipes)

[SBlock]Role: Leader. Your songs inspire your allies, and your knowledge of lore aids them in combat.
Power Source: Arcane. You have some understanding of the song of creation, and can affect the universe with your music.
Key Abilities: Charisma, Dexterity, Intelligence

Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple Melee, simple ranged
Bonus to Defense: +1 Reflex, +1 Will

Hit Points at 1st level: 12 + Con Score
Hit Points per Level Gained: 5
Healing Surges per day: 7 + Con Modifier

Trained Skills: Trained in Diplomacy and History, Plus four more from the list below:
Arcana, (Int), Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Insight (Wis), Nature (Int), Stealth (Dex), Streetwise (Cha), Theivery (Dex)

Build Options: Entertaining Bard, Learned Bard
Class Features: Rejuvinating Leader, Instrumental Mastery, Invigorating Chord

Rejuvinating Leader: You and each ally within 10 squares who can hear you gain a +1 bonus on saving throws.

Instrumental Mastery: Select an instrument. When weilding your selected instrument, you gain it's listed benefit:

Example instruments:
Drum You and each of your allies may, once per encounter, deal additional thunder damage equal to your intelligence modifier when making an attack.

Fiddle You and each of your allies may, once per encounter, move an additional number of squares equal to your dexterity modifier when moving, charging, or running.

Thundersong Bard Attack 1
You focus the sound of your instrument into a destructive blast that targets one of your enemies.
At-Will•Arcane, Implement, Thunder
Standard ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Cha vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d8 + Cha thunder damage. At 21st level, this improves to 2d8 plus Charisma damage.
Special: This power counts as a basic ranged attack.

Countersong Bard Utility 6
You play a song that bolsters your allies willpower, preventing them from becoming mentally dominated.
Daily•Arcane, Implement
Immediate Interrupt Ranged 10
Trigger: when a creature attempts to use a power with the charm, fear, or sleep keywords.
Target: The triggering power
Attack: Cha vs. the Will of the creature using the power
Hit: The triggering power is disrupted and has no effect.

Doom Chant Bard Attack 1
Your chanting fills an enemy with dread, attacking his mind and causing him to become distracted.
Encounter•Arcane, Fear, Psychic
Standard ranged 10
Target: One enemy
Attack: Cha vs. Will
Hit: 2d8+Cha psychic damage.
Secondary attack: Int vs. Will
Secondary hit: Target grants combat advatange to you and your allies until the end of your next turn.

Peircing melody Bard Attack 1
The high-pitched notes from your instrument cause pain to your enemies while giving focus to your allies.
Encounter•Arcane, Implement, Thunder
Standard close burst 10
Target: Each enemy in the burst
Attack: Cha vs. Fort
Hit: 1d10+dex thunder damage.
Effect: Allies within the burst gain +1 to attack until the end of your next turn.[/Sblock]

 

[SpydersWebbing]

I like it. It's an arcane leader, which I think is cool. I don't have the other "spellcasting" classes in front of me to compare, but it seems rather well balanced, except for HP. What's the HP of the wizard and warlock?

 

[arscott]

Oh, right. Oops. I gave it wizard hp. It should probably have Cleric hp, given it's role as a leader. Then again, I see bards as being a little bit less beefy than a cleric or warlord, and this guy shouldn't be in melee at all if he can help it.

What are everyone's thoughts on the matter?

Edit:

Also, who else has cool Ideas for instrument effects?

Drums make attacks more thundering, and fiddles compel characters to move at a more lively pace. But what's appropriate for a flute? or a harp? or a bass guitar?

 

[HeinorNY]

D&D is becoming too Guitar Hero-ish!

 

[Shado]

Wizards (controllers) start with 10 + Con hp and gain 4/level.

Warlords and Clerics (leaders) start with 12 + Con hp and gain 5/level.

EDIT: Additionally, all classes have at least 6 base healing surges a day. Both Leaders have a base of 7.

 

[Sashi]

No, I'm sorry, you have missed the most important requirement for a bard:

shiny pants.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Not really sure if I agree with the skills list. I would not have thievery (your bard has no reason to have that, that I can see); nor acrobatics or stealth (those seem to be aimed at the 3E bard list rather than your class). I would move both of the free powers into the list so they get 4 max, maybe?. I would add Intimidate (just cos I reckon it fits with his powerful voice) and (for the lore based) religion(int) and maybe dungeoneering- but I don't know if that does knowledgey stuff

 

[cferejohn]

You know, I think all this bar blather intelligent discussion has made me realize what I don't really like about bard being a player class, and I think it's even more true in 4e, with its right-out-in-the-open conceit that player characters, even low level ones, represent the top 1% of humanity in terms of skills, than it was previously. If a "bard" is someone who holds their own in combat with the most talented weilders of sword and sorcery, then what is the guy who collects and tells stories and performs for money? Its just kind of redefining the word "bard" to mean something pretty radically different than any non-D&D definition (whether historical or fictional) of the word.

If there is an arcane leader class that somehow derives its power through music, I wouldn't call it a bard (though he may be regarded as a "bard" by society, but so may a Rogue with some performance abilities). I'd probably go with something like Spellsinger, cringe-worthy though that term may be (thanks Alan Dean Foster, you furry-loving twit).

 

[arscott]

Okay, back from work. I edited the guy to give him role-appropriate hp.

Not really sure if I agree with the skills list. I would not have thievery (your bard has no reason to have that, that I can see); nor acrobatics or stealth (those seem to be aimed at the 3E bard list rather than your class). I would move both of the free powers into the list so they get 4 max, maybe?. I would add Intimidate (just cos I reckon it fits with his powerful voice) and (for the lore based) religion(int) and maybe dungeoneering- but I don't know if that does knowledgey stuff

There's an aspect of performance in the tumble skill, which seems appropriate for certain bards--especially if acrobatics includes dancing, which is a necessity for certain forms of musical performance. You're right that thievery and stealth aren't quite as appropriate to this bard as those of previous editions, but I think it's important to provide appropriate skill options for the (high dex) performance bard. As it stands, the skill list contains 3 int based skills (including history, which is automatic), and 3 dex based.

I considered intimidate, but I have a hard time visualizing the bard being scary without resorting to specific songs or chants (i.e., his powers).

If a "bard" is someone who holds their own in combat with the most talented weilders of sword and sorcery, then what is the guy who collects and tells stories and performs for money? Its just kind of redefining the word "bard" to mean something pretty radically different than any non-D&D definition (whether historical or fictional) of the word.

I don't think "bard" has ever been used just to denote a guy who sings for money. Historically, the word refers to a specific group of poets whose duty was partially ceremonial in nature--They're as much "guys who tell poetry for a living" as a clergyman is a "guy who dispenses moral advice for a living"--Technically true, but doesn't really denote their importance. More recently, it's an honorific bestowed on highly esteemed poets (i.e., Shakespeare is 'The Immortal Bard'), or a group of counter-cultural musicians in soviet russia.

In fiction, Bard tends to refer either to the historical caste of gaelic poet, or to heroic or villainous characters with a particular (and often supernatural) gift for song.

I've never seen Bard used as a synonym for traveling performer outside of a D&D context. And even it's use within a D&D context is pretty strained--It's equivalent to the sort of thinking that gives us "Rogues' Guilds" in place of "Thieves' Guilds" and never uses the word "monk" to designate a tonsured clergyman who lives in an abbey .

 

[Voss]

Thats partly why it seems so inappropriate for D&D, at least to me. Its a specific calling in a specific society. Its explicitly not someone who goes on adventures, its someone who stays in the community and performs his cultural role/duties.

Much like a druid isn't a shapeshifting eco-terrorist, I'd much rather D&D stopped abusing these historical terms and doing entirely inappropriate things with them. A skinchanger or song mage are completely viable classes, but they aren't druids or bards.