Mulletmanalive
2009-10-15, 10:28 AM
A not quite finished base class redoing the Bard to make it fit a bit better for my game, Mecha Victoriana. Anyone who want's to look at it from 3.5 eyes, just ignore the defence progression and read the Poor saves as 1/3.
Several features are not quite finished but i'm looking for advice on token costs and the like for the abilities; i'm going to a scheme where a bard will have more powers than he will use in any given encounter but won't fall into a rut-routine.
Bard:
'Bard' is actually a horribly misabuse of a technical term, but I hope we'll be forgiven; a bard is technically a musician of a very specific type who filled the role of geneology keeper and teller of the old tales in the Orkney Isles off to the north of Scotland. Similar terms can be found throughout the world of a tasked keeper of the great songs and stories; the Norse Skald, the French Minstral [little servant] and the Irish Keener [these women officiated funerary rites].
In Mecha Victoriana's world, the bard has begun to resurface as a power within the world, though for reasons slightly divorced from the D&D norms. As the Fæ began to resurface into the world, they began to take note of those who still knew their customs, because to the fæ, customs are more important than any law.
Note: This redesign is related more to making the class fit in with the ethos produced by MV and the unusual magic system present in the world rather than any comment on the balance of the original class.
Unlike the otheres in this thread, the Bard is not a Carnival class, though some of it's spinnoff classes and/or options may be related to carnival.
Bard
{table=head]Level|BaseAttackBonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Defence|Special|SongPool
1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+0|Melody, Narrative Twist +1|
11 ( 5 )
2nd|
+1|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+1|Dressing (2)|
12 ( 6 )
3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+2|Attack (2), Mæstro [1]|
13 ( 6 )
4th|
+3|
+2|
+4|
+4|
+3|Dressing (3), Uncanny Dodge|
14 ( 7 )
5th|
+3|
+2|
+4|
+4|
+3|Narrative Twist +2|
15 ( 7 )
6th|
+4|
+3|
+5|
+5|
+4|Dressing (4), Mæstro [2]|
16 ( 8 )
7th|
+5|
+3|
+5|
+5|
+5|Attack (3), Fæ Loan|
17 ( 8 )
8th|
+6|
+4|
+6|
+6|
+6|Dressing (5)|
18 ( 9 )
9th|
+6|
+4|
+6|
+6|
+6|Ambience (2), Mæstro [3]|
19 ( 9 )
10th|
+7|
+5|
+7|
+7|
+7|Dressing (6), Narrative Twist +3|
20 ( 10 )
11th|
+8|
+5|
+7|
+7|
+8|Attack (4)|
21 ( 10 )
12th|
+9|
+6|
+8|
+8|
+9|Dressing (7), Mæstro [4]|
22 ( 11 )
13th|
+9|
+6|
+8|
+8|
+9|Ambience (3)|
23 ( 11 )
14th|
+10|
+7|
+9|
+9|
+10|Dressing (8)|
24 ( 12 )
15th|
+11|
+7|
+9|
+9|
+11|Attack (5), Narrative Twist +4|
25 ( 12 )
16th|
+12|
+8|
+10|
+10|
+12|Dressing (9), Mæstro [5]|
26 ( 13 )
17th|
+12|
+8|
+10|
+10|
+12|Greater Fæ Loan|
27 ( 13 )
18th|
+13|
+9|
+11|
+11|
+13|Ambience (4), Dressing (10)|
28 ( 14 )
19th|
+14|
+9|
+11|
+11|
+14|Attack (6), Mæstro [6]|
29 ( 14 )
20th|
+15|
+10|
+12|
+12|
+15|Dressing (11), Narrative Twist +5|
30 ( 15 )[/table]
Hit Dice: d8
Class Skills: Appraise , Balance [Dex], Bluff [Cha], Climb [Str], Concentration [Con], Craft , Diplomacy [Cha], Disguise [Cha], Escape Artist [Dex], Forgery [Int], Gather Information [Cha], Hide [Dex], Knowledge [Any, taken Individually] [Int], Listen [Wis], Manipulation [Cha], Move Silently [Dex], Perform [Cha], Profession [Wis], Search [Int], Tumble [Dex], Swim [Str].
[B]Skill Points per Level: 6 + Int
Class Features:
[B]Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Though not usually directly trained for combat, fifteen minutes in the proximity of Fæ leaves one with a burning desire to learn. Bards are proficient with all Simple weapons, all Martial Melee weapons and with light armour. They are also proficient with shields.
Song Pool [Su]: A Bard has limits to what he can do with his music, most of which are imposed mechanically by his ‘Song pool.’ A given Bard can store a given amount of fæ audience favour as Song Tokens, equal to his bard level + 10. If the Bard is prepared for an encounter, he begins with half as many Song Tokens as his maximum capacity, rounded down [these numbers are given in parentheses in the class table]. If he is unable to prepare, then he begins the encounter without any tokens.
Song tokens are spent to power the majority of the Bard’s abilities. They may gain more tokens through the use of their Melody ability.
Each Bard’s Song Pool abilities are tied to a particular Perform skill, usually Poetry, Storytelling, String Instruments or Singing. There are various benefits to each: Poetry and Storytelling cost the Bard 1 Song Token if he wishes to say anything outside the style of his narration [yes, this SHOULD be enforced], but leave the Bard’s hands free in order to fight.
String Instruments take up both of the Bard’s hands, making it very difficult to fight effectively but leave him able to talk. Singing suffers the same limitations as poetry/storytelling [and is even more difficult to communicate while you’re using it] but has the advantage that the bard can claim a Synergy bonus if he is also using a Stringed Intrument.
Melody [Su]: Songs are not limited to their starting potential and many of the great Orkney tales are longer in presentation than they are in any form that people would care to write down. The færies expect a certain amount of expansion in their songs and stories and reward such. As a Full action, a Bard may spin extra details into the song in order to please his customers. On doing so, he may make a Perform check with the Perform skill that he has tied to his Song Pool: for every full 5 points that the Bard rolls over 10 on the check, he gains one song token, as follows:
[B]Roll: |Tokens:
≥ 14 |
0
15-19 |
1
20-24|
2
25-29 |
3
30-34 |
4
+5 |
+1
Narrative Twist [Su]: By their simple presence, Bards distort their environment; their habit of attracting fæ creatures leads to a bizarre parody of Schrödinger’s theory of observation distorting reality to play out as their attention is drawn to aspects of the story he weaves. As a Standard action, the Bard may begin to tell his story, an act that costs him a number of tokens equal to the bonus he wishes to grant [limited by the value in the table]. He may grant bonuses to a number of characters equal to his Charisma bonus at any one time, and no more than half of these bonuses may be drawn from any one of the following categories [the fæ grow bored with flat stories]:
Boldness: Tales of courage and violence are common throughout the world and the fæ are very fond of them. The bonus applies to Attack, Damage and Fear save rolls.
Cunning: The cleverness and tricks of mortals thrill the fæ because we come up with things that they would never conceive in their immortality. The bonus applies to Bluff, Manipulation and Disarm checks.
Escape: Tales of escape are common, if usually part of a larger tale; the escape is key to fæ stories. The bonus applies to Defence, Reflex saves Escape Artist and Tumble checks.
Haste: The songs include many tales of characters running to or from something. Some fæ like that kind of thing. Each +1 applied to this grants a +5ft bonus to speed and Initiative checks.
Might: Songs that include feats of strength are as old as time itself. The fæ usually miss the fancy in them…The bonus applies to the Strength score of characters for the purposes of how much they can lift. Those affected count as having the Powerful Build feature while so enhanced.
Wisdom: Tales of winning through understanding are well appreciated. The bonus applies on the natural dice rolls on Knowledge, Spot and Sense Motive checks.
Sustaining this ability on subsequent rounds costs the Bard a Swift action, one token and limits his ability to communicate or act, depending on which skill is tied to his Song Pool. The bonuses may be reassigned each round as a Move action. No single character may have more than one of these bonuses at any one time.
Mæstro [Ex]: The ability of a bard is not that of an unnatural performer, but it certainly is above the limits of most normal people. At 3rd level and again at 6th, 9th, 12th, 16th and 19th levels, the Bard’s capacity for learning to performance increases again and again. Each time the Bard gains the Mæstro ability, the limit on the number of ranks in Perform skills he may have increases by one [to 4 + level at 2nd, 5 + level at 6th and so on].
Scene Dressing [Su]: It is the details that truly make or break a good story and the fæ have a strange habit of helping to make good stories; being effectively stories given life themselves, they find it almost impossible to resist. At 2nd level, the Bard gains two abilities from the Set Dressing list and gain a further ability from the list at each even numbered level thereafter.
Each ability has a cost in tokens to activate and/or maintain and wherever saves are called for, they are resolved against a DC equal to the Bard’s Perform skill modifier with the skill tied to their Song Pool. Activating any given ability is a Standard action and can effect any target within comprehensible hearing range of the Bard [30ft normally, 60ft with Loud Voice].
Uncanny Dodge [Ex]: When your core audience are fæ, you get very used to sensing what’s behind you. At 4th level, a Bard retains his Active Defence when Flatfooted or otherwise unaware of an attack. This does not negate precision damage unless the attack is stopped.
Attacks [Better Name Forthcoming] [Su]: Convincing fæ to help you set a scene is one thing; convincing them to help you fight your battles because your characters are behaving out of order is completely another. At X level, the bard gains two abilities from the “Attacks” list and gains additional ones at Y levels. Each attack has a range equal to his audible range [30ft normally, 60ft with Loud Voice] and takes a Standard action to use, which provokes an attack of opportunity.
Fæ Loan: There are many items that the Fæ use that seem to be innately magical but really function based on legendary properties of materials. The Bard gains the ability to beg and barter for these items at X level. This ability functions like the Big Bag’o’Guns feat, except he may request one of the following items as an action that takes 1 hour of preparation time:
[I]Ankou Bells, Ankou Sickle, Ogre Club, Pixie Arrows, Satyr Pipes, Sith Arrows
Baba Yagga’s House, Greater Ankou’s Scythe, Nächen’s Violin, Robin’s Redcap
Ambience [Su]: There is a reason that many stories start “It was a dark and stormy night.” Weather and similar conditions can really effect the mood of a situation, something that a X level bard, well acquainted with the lords of the fæ, is able to make great use of. Ambience abilities require a Full action to use and have a maximum range of 100ft + 10ft per Bard level. It is worth noting that ambience abilities often take time to begin functioning because of their greater scope.
Dressings:
Real:
Alterations that the Bard makes to the actual environment, with the exception of the mist, are permanent, though they can be undone, either by the bard or by a little careful digging and resetting of materials. The majority of a Bard’s abilities alter or create stone/compressed earth. There are several feats that allow different compositions.
Chill Fog: Mists are a classic piece of mood setting; they’re also a convenient doddle for the fæ to conjure. A minimum of 4 tokens must be spent on activating the power, often more, with each token creating a single 10ft cube of mist. This mist obscures vision beyond 5ft; creatures within 5ft have Concealment, while everything beyond has Total Concealment. The mist must be conjured in a contiguous mass and lasts for a number of rounds equal to the Bard’s Song Pool.
Column: You create a column of material that provides cover and supports things above it. The column is 1ft in diameter and 2ft in height per token spent. Regardless of a Bards wishes, columns are always vertical and can bear a maximum of 1 tonne per 4 tokens spent before crumbling. Unlike other Real Dressings, Columns grow fast enough to be a weapon, dealing 1d3 damage per token spent, a Reflex save against the Bard’s Perform bonus negates.
Ditch: The thing about earth is, that there’s a lot of air in it, and manipulating that allows for the ground to be raised and lowered. A minimum of X tokens must be spent when activating this power, each token moves the equivalent of one 5ft cube of material. At it’s most basic, this creates a 10ft wide ditch that is 5ft deep in the centre that is 5ft long per token spent. The ditch may be widened with additional tokens, each making it either 5ft wider or 5ft deeper in a given section.
Floor: Building a tower from song is suddenly possible, although most bards use it to create bridges…You create a horizontal plain of material. In doing so, you must spend a minimum of 8 tokens. One 5ft square of flooring, one inch thick is created per token spent.
These squares are made of stone/compressed earth and must be both contiguous and may not extend more than 5ft in any direction from a support [so spanning more than a 10ft gap requires the Column power]. Floor sections have 30hp per inch and a substantial hardness of 8.
Raise: The opposite of Ditch, Raise creates two pieces of steep slope per token spent, to a point that is 5ft high. Additional tokens may be spent to raise the peak higher or create a raised area in the centre. For instance, a 5ft high, 20x20ft platform would cost 8 tokens [four for the core platforms and 4 for the slopes].
Spikes: Growing spikes is old hat to most fæ, most can grow either wood or manipulate stone well enough to do at least that. Spikes grown in this way cause anyone who enters the square they occupy to make a Reflex save or take 1d6 damage, as a Caltrop. Like caltrops, they must be removed with the Heal skill in order for the victim to regain full mobility. Each 5ft square grown costs 4 tokens and any spikes grown in a single action must be contiguous. Once they have gotten someone, the spikes are sufficiently broken to no longer be a threat and are removed.
Tanglefoot: Obstacles are always useful and are sometimes used to ensure that players stand on their marks. For 2 tokens, a Bard can render a 5ft square difficult terrain. A minimum of 8 tokens must be spent on this ability when it is activated and the effected squares must be contiguous.
Wall: A thin barrier is often useful and can be the difference between life and death. A minimum of 4 tokens must be spent on activating this power; for every 4 tokens spent, the barrier is 1 inch think [for 15 hp, Hardness 8] and covers one 5ft vertical square per token spent.
Illusionary:
The illusions that the fæ weave are technically phantasmal and are virtually permanent as long as the Bard continues to narrate. They can be disbelieved but only if interacted with directly; mere knowledge of the falsehood of an obstacle will not prevent you stumbling on it. Illusionary abilities have a duration of 10 rounds and may be sustained, by spending additional tokens, without any tell occurring that they are illusionary. All these abilities may be disbelieved with a successful Will save, though this only allows them to be penetrated; they do not become transparent or the like.
Befuddlement: The path is not always clear but Bards know that all roads lead to adventure. By spending 2 tokens, a Bard may enchant any location where a turning can be made [such as a crossroads or T-junction]. When characters in the location choose a direction, they have a 50% chance of being subject to a minor confusion effect and taking one of the other directions at random. This never leads to backtracking and is a Charm effect.
The key to set dressing is to make people see what you want them to see, even if that’s not what’s there. For 2 tokens, a single door [4 tokens for a double door] may be added or hidden along any one wall. The details of the wall are blended with the surroundings and if a window is present in the door, it is replaced by a tainting of what was visible prior to the disguise being made.
Ghost Mirrors: Ghost mirrors are a specific kind of Phantom Wall. Each 5ft square created costs 2 tokens, though any number of squares may be created in one go. Each square holds the properties of a mirror and those looking in the mirror must make a Will save or see their heart’s desire in the mirror, becoming fascinated by it. They may test each round to attempt to break free.
Misty Barrier: Unlike the real fog that some bards can create, you create a penetrable veil of illusionary gossamer. This may look like leaves or fine silk. It grants Total Concealment to things behind it, while ironically showing glimpses of what is beyond. Moving through it is not difficult. Many bards use this to create multiple veils over corridors rather than one barrier. Each square so defended costs 1 token, with a minimum spend of 5 tokens. Unlike other powers, this ability’s effects need not be contiguous but each must be within a 30ft radius of the first.
Phantom Wall: Similar to the 4th level Arcane spell, a false wall appears featuring details of the Bard’s choice [usually made to match the surroundings by the fæ]. A minimum of 6 tokens must be spent in activating this ability, each token creating a 5ft square, which must be arranged in a contiguous pattern. Despite the name, this can be used to create floors or ceilings, with the barrier being double sided. This effect may be disbelieved if interacted with.
Veneer: Changing a few details can change everything about an area. Veneer allows the details of all surfaces in an area to be changed, though the core elements such as shape, doors and the presence or lack of floors and ceiling are unchanged. This ability costs 1 token per 10ft cube being altered and the entirety of a room must be skinned in this manner, it cannot be partially disguised. Classics include making walls look like hedges or the inside of a tent.
Attacks:
There are several attack modes available to a Bard, though it is worth noting that they will never manage to become artillery pieces.
Arboreal Assault: This ability only functions if a suitable tree or wooden object is available within vocal range. For 4 tokens, the tree animates and grabs a one target within 10ft of itself with a Grapple modifier of +3 per token spent. This effect halts, closing around the target, at the end of the turn, requiring an Escape Artist check DC 10 + 3 per token spend, to escape.
Bean Sidhe's Wail: Contrary to popular representations, the Wail [funerary song] of a Bean Sidhe is not fatal; it is a declaration that someone will die. While usually sung around the homes of warded families, Bards of sufficient skill can bring the Bean out, though it is a double edged sword. For every 10 tokens spent, all who hear the Wail have their Threat and Error ranges increased by 1. This effect lasts until someone dies who is under the effect and allows for no saves of any kind, though it affects friend and foe equally.
Brute Quake: Ogres and Giants are simple creatures and not very accurate. Not that it matters because their strikes to the ground are very useful. At least 2 tokens must be used to activate this power. Nominate a point within vocal range; from this point, an area 5ft in diameter per 2 tokens spent emerges. All within the quake must make a Reflex save, DC 10 + ½ Bard level + tokens spent, or fall prone. Subtract 4 from the tokens spent and recalculate the area of effect; those within this area suffer 1d6 damage per 5ft of the secondary area's diameter.
Gremlin Swarm: Gremlins are a common fæ type, rather a subset of fæ than a specific species. Their presence ruins large machines. The bard picks a single mechanical target of at least Large size within vocal range and expends tokens. He must make an attack roll based on BAB and Int to place the gremlins in the right place. The target either gains 2 Heat per token spent or must make a Fort save DC 10 + 2 per token to avoid malfunctioning.
Nymph Cameo: Coaxing a nymph to reveal herself from the Hedge is difficult but rewarding. A minimum of 2 tokens must be spent in activating this attack: the nymph's brief appearance takes the form of a 45° cone, 5ft in length length per token spent, which originates from any shadow within vocal range of the Bard. All within the cone must make a Reflex save, DC 10 + ½ bard level + tokens spent or be blinded for 1d4 rounds + 1 per 2 tokens spent. The bard is immune to this, as are blinded creatures; Concealment applies [auto pass].
Pixie Arrows: The fæ-craft arrows of Pixies plunge their targets into an enchanted sleep. One arrow emerges from the Bard's shadow per 2 tokens spent. Each has a Range increment of 60ft, attacks with the Bard's Ranged attack bonus and deals 2d6‡ Subdual damage. Any target dealt damage by this attack falls asleep for that many minutes or until disturbed.
Seelie Archery: There are many fine archers amongst the fæ. The archer guards of the Seelie court [pronounced “zai-LAY”] are masterful marksmen. A minimum of 3 tokens must be spent on activating this power. At the bard's command 2 arrows per token spent emerge from the Bard's shadow and streak towards the target. This is resolved as a volley of arrows against the target [2d8‡ damage, Attack of 5 + number of arrows, additional hit per full 5 the attack roll exceeds the target's Defence, 10ft target area; Range 120ft (-4 per range category)].
Unseelie Archery: The Unseelie, those fæ who think of humans as quaint and funny animals, are deadly archers who strike from all directions. This attack functions like the Seelie archery power, except that only 1 arrow is fired per token spent and the arrows emerge from a random liminal somewhere within vocal range of the Bard. This renders the target Flatfooted against the attack the first time they are targeted with it. [2d8‡ damage, Attack of 5 + number of arrows, additional hit per full 5 the attack roll exceeds the target's Defence, 10ft target area; Range 120ft (-4 per range category)].
Fæ Items [Fæ Loan and Greater Fæ Loan]:
[B]Fæ Loan
[COLOR="DarkRed"]Ankou Bells: The bells of an Ankou are troubling in the extreme under most circumstances. When they are shaken, the sound travels oddly, appearing to the listener to be coming from a random direction around them. This has a disorienting effect on the target, causing the target to become Shaken unless they more at least 10ft towards an ally or are already adjacent to one. When adjacent to a target, they must make a Will save, DC 12 + Bard's Cha + the number of creatures within 15ft or suffer a Morale penalty equal to the number of creatures within 15ft on their attack rolls due to paranoidly watching their backs.
Ankou Sickle: The blades of an Ankou are as sharp as a winter wind and cuts to the bone. In the hands of one who can use it, this functions as a sickle with the following profile: Damage 1d6, crit 18-20/x3 and strikes as if it were natural materials.
Goblin Blades: Though retched, degenerate and cowardly, the Goblin has one core talent: they can create items of cold iron by the mere act of will; something they use to regularly threaten other fæ. When requested, the goblins provide up to three weapons of masterwork +1 quality made from Cold Iron, of the bard's preference.
Ogre Club: The clubs of the ogre are actually surprisingly well made when it gets down to it. The weapon is made of hawthorn taken from the depths of the Hedge and bound in man-skin. Hits with an ogre club deal normal damage for a club and push the target back 5ft per 5 points of damage dealt [no save].
Pixie Arrows: If the Bard requests Pixie Arrows, he finds a supply of 1d4 of them in his quiver at the beginning of each encounter. Each arrow deals Subdual damage and characters wounded by such fall into an enchanted sleep for 1 hour per point of damage dealt or until they are disturbed [physical pain], whichever comes first.
Satyr Pipes: The pipes of a Satyr are made from sylvan reeds and goblin bones. While he has them, a bard may tie his Performance to Perform [Wind Instrument]. If he does, he may spend tokens equal to the spell level to cast any of Cause Fear, Entangle, Sleep, Good Hope or Crushing Despair at will.
Sith Arrows: The Sith are nigh on an embodiment of dying. Their arrows replicate the process as well as it can be without actually killing the target. Target's struck with Sith Arrows must make a DC 19 Fort save or be affected by the spell Rigour MortisHoH.
Greater Fæ Items:
Baba Yagga’s House: A powerful Slavic fæ, Baba Yagga is a malevolent child snatcher with a penchant for riddles, as cruel as the winter. Her house is strange sight, effectively a mech of wood on a pair of huge bird's legs. The mech can move at a speed of 100ft per action, is Huge, uses the Bard's defence, has a Hardness of 5 and 70hp. It has no weapons but can stamp on foes for 2d6+3 damage suing the Bard's base attack bonus and a strength of 22. When kneeling, no force on earth can prove that it's not just a conventional log cabin.
Greater Ankou’s Scythe: The most powerful of the Ankou breed wield scythes. These are +3 masterwork weapons and have the following profile: damage 2d4, Crit: 19-20/x5. Scythes deal piercing and slashing damage.
Nächen’s Violin: A Swedish Fæ, Nächen makes his home in rivers and lures people to their deaths with his magical songs. Any being who hears the music of the violin, even faintly [about 120ft, varies with weather], must make a Will Save DC 20 or be affected by it. Those affected while the musician is stood in at least ankle deep water are drawn towards it at half their movement rate and stand fascinated once they are within 10ft of the player. Those affected when the musician is on dry land begin to dance as per Otto’s Irresistable Dance and continue to do so until the music ceases.
Robin’s Redcap: The most warlike of the Powrie, Robin Redcap was the being that led to the racial name. he discovered that by sewing a cap from the breasts of robins and soaking it in human blood, his cruelty became amplified into brutal, terrifying strength. By donning the cap, the bard enters a state of Greater Frenzy, adding +10 to his Strength, -4 to his defence, renders himself immune to Charms and Compulsions and gains an additional attack whenever he makes an Attack or Full Attack action without penalty. On the downside, if he runs out of foes, he must attack anything that remains standing until the duration runs out; humans can only wear a red cap for about 3 minutes [15 rounds].
Ambience:Ambience effects are basically more powerful dressings and weather manipulation abilities. The ability to turn the land to mud or coat it with snow are amongst these abilities.
Cloud of Malaise: A Nauseated
Crashing Thunder: A Thunderstroke
Howling Winds: A Noisy Winds
Swirling Blizzard: A Blinding Snow
Tears of Heaven: A Chilling Rain
[I]To be completed.
Several features are not quite finished but i'm looking for advice on token costs and the like for the abilities; i'm going to a scheme where a bard will have more powers than he will use in any given encounter but won't fall into a rut-routine.
Bard:
'Bard' is actually a horribly misabuse of a technical term, but I hope we'll be forgiven; a bard is technically a musician of a very specific type who filled the role of geneology keeper and teller of the old tales in the Orkney Isles off to the north of Scotland. Similar terms can be found throughout the world of a tasked keeper of the great songs and stories; the Norse Skald, the French Minstral [little servant] and the Irish Keener [these women officiated funerary rites].
In Mecha Victoriana's world, the bard has begun to resurface as a power within the world, though for reasons slightly divorced from the D&D norms. As the Fæ began to resurface into the world, they began to take note of those who still knew their customs, because to the fæ, customs are more important than any law.
Note: This redesign is related more to making the class fit in with the ethos produced by MV and the unusual magic system present in the world rather than any comment on the balance of the original class.
Unlike the otheres in this thread, the Bard is not a Carnival class, though some of it's spinnoff classes and/or options may be related to carnival.
Bard
{table=head]Level|BaseAttackBonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Defence|Special|SongPool
1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+0|Melody, Narrative Twist +1|
11 ( 5 )
2nd|
+1|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+1|Dressing (2)|
12 ( 6 )
3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+2|Attack (2), Mæstro [1]|
13 ( 6 )
4th|
+3|
+2|
+4|
+4|
+3|Dressing (3), Uncanny Dodge|
14 ( 7 )
5th|
+3|
+2|
+4|
+4|
+3|Narrative Twist +2|
15 ( 7 )
6th|
+4|
+3|
+5|
+5|
+4|Dressing (4), Mæstro [2]|
16 ( 8 )
7th|
+5|
+3|
+5|
+5|
+5|Attack (3), Fæ Loan|
17 ( 8 )
8th|
+6|
+4|
+6|
+6|
+6|Dressing (5)|
18 ( 9 )
9th|
+6|
+4|
+6|
+6|
+6|Ambience (2), Mæstro [3]|
19 ( 9 )
10th|
+7|
+5|
+7|
+7|
+7|Dressing (6), Narrative Twist +3|
20 ( 10 )
11th|
+8|
+5|
+7|
+7|
+8|Attack (4)|
21 ( 10 )
12th|
+9|
+6|
+8|
+8|
+9|Dressing (7), Mæstro [4]|
22 ( 11 )
13th|
+9|
+6|
+8|
+8|
+9|Ambience (3)|
23 ( 11 )
14th|
+10|
+7|
+9|
+9|
+10|Dressing (8)|
24 ( 12 )
15th|
+11|
+7|
+9|
+9|
+11|Attack (5), Narrative Twist +4|
25 ( 12 )
16th|
+12|
+8|
+10|
+10|
+12|Dressing (9), Mæstro [5]|
26 ( 13 )
17th|
+12|
+8|
+10|
+10|
+12|Greater Fæ Loan|
27 ( 13 )
18th|
+13|
+9|
+11|
+11|
+13|Ambience (4), Dressing (10)|
28 ( 14 )
19th|
+14|
+9|
+11|
+11|
+14|Attack (6), Mæstro [6]|
29 ( 14 )
20th|
+15|
+10|
+12|
+12|
+15|Dressing (11), Narrative Twist +5|
30 ( 15 )[/table]
Hit Dice: d8
Class Skills: Appraise , Balance [Dex], Bluff [Cha], Climb [Str], Concentration [Con], Craft , Diplomacy [Cha], Disguise [Cha], Escape Artist [Dex], Forgery [Int], Gather Information [Cha], Hide [Dex], Knowledge [Any, taken Individually] [Int], Listen [Wis], Manipulation [Cha], Move Silently [Dex], Perform [Cha], Profession [Wis], Search [Int], Tumble [Dex], Swim [Str].
[B]Skill Points per Level: 6 + Int
Class Features:
[B]Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Though not usually directly trained for combat, fifteen minutes in the proximity of Fæ leaves one with a burning desire to learn. Bards are proficient with all Simple weapons, all Martial Melee weapons and with light armour. They are also proficient with shields.
Song Pool [Su]: A Bard has limits to what he can do with his music, most of which are imposed mechanically by his ‘Song pool.’ A given Bard can store a given amount of fæ audience favour as Song Tokens, equal to his bard level + 10. If the Bard is prepared for an encounter, he begins with half as many Song Tokens as his maximum capacity, rounded down [these numbers are given in parentheses in the class table]. If he is unable to prepare, then he begins the encounter without any tokens.
Song tokens are spent to power the majority of the Bard’s abilities. They may gain more tokens through the use of their Melody ability.
Each Bard’s Song Pool abilities are tied to a particular Perform skill, usually Poetry, Storytelling, String Instruments or Singing. There are various benefits to each: Poetry and Storytelling cost the Bard 1 Song Token if he wishes to say anything outside the style of his narration [yes, this SHOULD be enforced], but leave the Bard’s hands free in order to fight.
String Instruments take up both of the Bard’s hands, making it very difficult to fight effectively but leave him able to talk. Singing suffers the same limitations as poetry/storytelling [and is even more difficult to communicate while you’re using it] but has the advantage that the bard can claim a Synergy bonus if he is also using a Stringed Intrument.
Melody [Su]: Songs are not limited to their starting potential and many of the great Orkney tales are longer in presentation than they are in any form that people would care to write down. The færies expect a certain amount of expansion in their songs and stories and reward such. As a Full action, a Bard may spin extra details into the song in order to please his customers. On doing so, he may make a Perform check with the Perform skill that he has tied to his Song Pool: for every full 5 points that the Bard rolls over 10 on the check, he gains one song token, as follows:
[B]Roll: |Tokens:
≥ 14 |
0
15-19 |
1
20-24|
2
25-29 |
3
30-34 |
4
+5 |
+1
Narrative Twist [Su]: By their simple presence, Bards distort their environment; their habit of attracting fæ creatures leads to a bizarre parody of Schrödinger’s theory of observation distorting reality to play out as their attention is drawn to aspects of the story he weaves. As a Standard action, the Bard may begin to tell his story, an act that costs him a number of tokens equal to the bonus he wishes to grant [limited by the value in the table]. He may grant bonuses to a number of characters equal to his Charisma bonus at any one time, and no more than half of these bonuses may be drawn from any one of the following categories [the fæ grow bored with flat stories]:
Boldness: Tales of courage and violence are common throughout the world and the fæ are very fond of them. The bonus applies to Attack, Damage and Fear save rolls.
Cunning: The cleverness and tricks of mortals thrill the fæ because we come up with things that they would never conceive in their immortality. The bonus applies to Bluff, Manipulation and Disarm checks.
Escape: Tales of escape are common, if usually part of a larger tale; the escape is key to fæ stories. The bonus applies to Defence, Reflex saves Escape Artist and Tumble checks.
Haste: The songs include many tales of characters running to or from something. Some fæ like that kind of thing. Each +1 applied to this grants a +5ft bonus to speed and Initiative checks.
Might: Songs that include feats of strength are as old as time itself. The fæ usually miss the fancy in them…The bonus applies to the Strength score of characters for the purposes of how much they can lift. Those affected count as having the Powerful Build feature while so enhanced.
Wisdom: Tales of winning through understanding are well appreciated. The bonus applies on the natural dice rolls on Knowledge, Spot and Sense Motive checks.
Sustaining this ability on subsequent rounds costs the Bard a Swift action, one token and limits his ability to communicate or act, depending on which skill is tied to his Song Pool. The bonuses may be reassigned each round as a Move action. No single character may have more than one of these bonuses at any one time.
Mæstro [Ex]: The ability of a bard is not that of an unnatural performer, but it certainly is above the limits of most normal people. At 3rd level and again at 6th, 9th, 12th, 16th and 19th levels, the Bard’s capacity for learning to performance increases again and again. Each time the Bard gains the Mæstro ability, the limit on the number of ranks in Perform skills he may have increases by one [to 4 + level at 2nd, 5 + level at 6th and so on].
Scene Dressing [Su]: It is the details that truly make or break a good story and the fæ have a strange habit of helping to make good stories; being effectively stories given life themselves, they find it almost impossible to resist. At 2nd level, the Bard gains two abilities from the Set Dressing list and gain a further ability from the list at each even numbered level thereafter.
Each ability has a cost in tokens to activate and/or maintain and wherever saves are called for, they are resolved against a DC equal to the Bard’s Perform skill modifier with the skill tied to their Song Pool. Activating any given ability is a Standard action and can effect any target within comprehensible hearing range of the Bard [30ft normally, 60ft with Loud Voice].
Uncanny Dodge [Ex]: When your core audience are fæ, you get very used to sensing what’s behind you. At 4th level, a Bard retains his Active Defence when Flatfooted or otherwise unaware of an attack. This does not negate precision damage unless the attack is stopped.
Attacks [Better Name Forthcoming] [Su]: Convincing fæ to help you set a scene is one thing; convincing them to help you fight your battles because your characters are behaving out of order is completely another. At X level, the bard gains two abilities from the “Attacks” list and gains additional ones at Y levels. Each attack has a range equal to his audible range [30ft normally, 60ft with Loud Voice] and takes a Standard action to use, which provokes an attack of opportunity.
Fæ Loan: There are many items that the Fæ use that seem to be innately magical but really function based on legendary properties of materials. The Bard gains the ability to beg and barter for these items at X level. This ability functions like the Big Bag’o’Guns feat, except he may request one of the following items as an action that takes 1 hour of preparation time:
[I]Ankou Bells, Ankou Sickle, Ogre Club, Pixie Arrows, Satyr Pipes, Sith Arrows
Baba Yagga’s House, Greater Ankou’s Scythe, Nächen’s Violin, Robin’s Redcap
Ambience [Su]: There is a reason that many stories start “It was a dark and stormy night.” Weather and similar conditions can really effect the mood of a situation, something that a X level bard, well acquainted with the lords of the fæ, is able to make great use of. Ambience abilities require a Full action to use and have a maximum range of 100ft + 10ft per Bard level. It is worth noting that ambience abilities often take time to begin functioning because of their greater scope.
Dressings:
Real:
Alterations that the Bard makes to the actual environment, with the exception of the mist, are permanent, though they can be undone, either by the bard or by a little careful digging and resetting of materials. The majority of a Bard’s abilities alter or create stone/compressed earth. There are several feats that allow different compositions.
Chill Fog: Mists are a classic piece of mood setting; they’re also a convenient doddle for the fæ to conjure. A minimum of 4 tokens must be spent on activating the power, often more, with each token creating a single 10ft cube of mist. This mist obscures vision beyond 5ft; creatures within 5ft have Concealment, while everything beyond has Total Concealment. The mist must be conjured in a contiguous mass and lasts for a number of rounds equal to the Bard’s Song Pool.
Column: You create a column of material that provides cover and supports things above it. The column is 1ft in diameter and 2ft in height per token spent. Regardless of a Bards wishes, columns are always vertical and can bear a maximum of 1 tonne per 4 tokens spent before crumbling. Unlike other Real Dressings, Columns grow fast enough to be a weapon, dealing 1d3 damage per token spent, a Reflex save against the Bard’s Perform bonus negates.
Ditch: The thing about earth is, that there’s a lot of air in it, and manipulating that allows for the ground to be raised and lowered. A minimum of X tokens must be spent when activating this power, each token moves the equivalent of one 5ft cube of material. At it’s most basic, this creates a 10ft wide ditch that is 5ft deep in the centre that is 5ft long per token spent. The ditch may be widened with additional tokens, each making it either 5ft wider or 5ft deeper in a given section.
Floor: Building a tower from song is suddenly possible, although most bards use it to create bridges…You create a horizontal plain of material. In doing so, you must spend a minimum of 8 tokens. One 5ft square of flooring, one inch thick is created per token spent.
These squares are made of stone/compressed earth and must be both contiguous and may not extend more than 5ft in any direction from a support [so spanning more than a 10ft gap requires the Column power]. Floor sections have 30hp per inch and a substantial hardness of 8.
Raise: The opposite of Ditch, Raise creates two pieces of steep slope per token spent, to a point that is 5ft high. Additional tokens may be spent to raise the peak higher or create a raised area in the centre. For instance, a 5ft high, 20x20ft platform would cost 8 tokens [four for the core platforms and 4 for the slopes].
Spikes: Growing spikes is old hat to most fæ, most can grow either wood or manipulate stone well enough to do at least that. Spikes grown in this way cause anyone who enters the square they occupy to make a Reflex save or take 1d6 damage, as a Caltrop. Like caltrops, they must be removed with the Heal skill in order for the victim to regain full mobility. Each 5ft square grown costs 4 tokens and any spikes grown in a single action must be contiguous. Once they have gotten someone, the spikes are sufficiently broken to no longer be a threat and are removed.
Tanglefoot: Obstacles are always useful and are sometimes used to ensure that players stand on their marks. For 2 tokens, a Bard can render a 5ft square difficult terrain. A minimum of 8 tokens must be spent on this ability when it is activated and the effected squares must be contiguous.
Wall: A thin barrier is often useful and can be the difference between life and death. A minimum of 4 tokens must be spent on activating this power; for every 4 tokens spent, the barrier is 1 inch think [for 15 hp, Hardness 8] and covers one 5ft vertical square per token spent.
Illusionary:
The illusions that the fæ weave are technically phantasmal and are virtually permanent as long as the Bard continues to narrate. They can be disbelieved but only if interacted with directly; mere knowledge of the falsehood of an obstacle will not prevent you stumbling on it. Illusionary abilities have a duration of 10 rounds and may be sustained, by spending additional tokens, without any tell occurring that they are illusionary. All these abilities may be disbelieved with a successful Will save, though this only allows them to be penetrated; they do not become transparent or the like.
Befuddlement: The path is not always clear but Bards know that all roads lead to adventure. By spending 2 tokens, a Bard may enchant any location where a turning can be made [such as a crossroads or T-junction]. When characters in the location choose a direction, they have a 50% chance of being subject to a minor confusion effect and taking one of the other directions at random. This never leads to backtracking and is a Charm effect.
The key to set dressing is to make people see what you want them to see, even if that’s not what’s there. For 2 tokens, a single door [4 tokens for a double door] may be added or hidden along any one wall. The details of the wall are blended with the surroundings and if a window is present in the door, it is replaced by a tainting of what was visible prior to the disguise being made.
Ghost Mirrors: Ghost mirrors are a specific kind of Phantom Wall. Each 5ft square created costs 2 tokens, though any number of squares may be created in one go. Each square holds the properties of a mirror and those looking in the mirror must make a Will save or see their heart’s desire in the mirror, becoming fascinated by it. They may test each round to attempt to break free.
Misty Barrier: Unlike the real fog that some bards can create, you create a penetrable veil of illusionary gossamer. This may look like leaves or fine silk. It grants Total Concealment to things behind it, while ironically showing glimpses of what is beyond. Moving through it is not difficult. Many bards use this to create multiple veils over corridors rather than one barrier. Each square so defended costs 1 token, with a minimum spend of 5 tokens. Unlike other powers, this ability’s effects need not be contiguous but each must be within a 30ft radius of the first.
Phantom Wall: Similar to the 4th level Arcane spell, a false wall appears featuring details of the Bard’s choice [usually made to match the surroundings by the fæ]. A minimum of 6 tokens must be spent in activating this ability, each token creating a 5ft square, which must be arranged in a contiguous pattern. Despite the name, this can be used to create floors or ceilings, with the barrier being double sided. This effect may be disbelieved if interacted with.
Veneer: Changing a few details can change everything about an area. Veneer allows the details of all surfaces in an area to be changed, though the core elements such as shape, doors and the presence or lack of floors and ceiling are unchanged. This ability costs 1 token per 10ft cube being altered and the entirety of a room must be skinned in this manner, it cannot be partially disguised. Classics include making walls look like hedges or the inside of a tent.
Attacks:
There are several attack modes available to a Bard, though it is worth noting that they will never manage to become artillery pieces.
Arboreal Assault: This ability only functions if a suitable tree or wooden object is available within vocal range. For 4 tokens, the tree animates and grabs a one target within 10ft of itself with a Grapple modifier of +3 per token spent. This effect halts, closing around the target, at the end of the turn, requiring an Escape Artist check DC 10 + 3 per token spend, to escape.
Bean Sidhe's Wail: Contrary to popular representations, the Wail [funerary song] of a Bean Sidhe is not fatal; it is a declaration that someone will die. While usually sung around the homes of warded families, Bards of sufficient skill can bring the Bean out, though it is a double edged sword. For every 10 tokens spent, all who hear the Wail have their Threat and Error ranges increased by 1. This effect lasts until someone dies who is under the effect and allows for no saves of any kind, though it affects friend and foe equally.
Brute Quake: Ogres and Giants are simple creatures and not very accurate. Not that it matters because their strikes to the ground are very useful. At least 2 tokens must be used to activate this power. Nominate a point within vocal range; from this point, an area 5ft in diameter per 2 tokens spent emerges. All within the quake must make a Reflex save, DC 10 + ½ Bard level + tokens spent, or fall prone. Subtract 4 from the tokens spent and recalculate the area of effect; those within this area suffer 1d6 damage per 5ft of the secondary area's diameter.
Gremlin Swarm: Gremlins are a common fæ type, rather a subset of fæ than a specific species. Their presence ruins large machines. The bard picks a single mechanical target of at least Large size within vocal range and expends tokens. He must make an attack roll based on BAB and Int to place the gremlins in the right place. The target either gains 2 Heat per token spent or must make a Fort save DC 10 + 2 per token to avoid malfunctioning.
Nymph Cameo: Coaxing a nymph to reveal herself from the Hedge is difficult but rewarding. A minimum of 2 tokens must be spent in activating this attack: the nymph's brief appearance takes the form of a 45° cone, 5ft in length length per token spent, which originates from any shadow within vocal range of the Bard. All within the cone must make a Reflex save, DC 10 + ½ bard level + tokens spent or be blinded for 1d4 rounds + 1 per 2 tokens spent. The bard is immune to this, as are blinded creatures; Concealment applies [auto pass].
Pixie Arrows: The fæ-craft arrows of Pixies plunge their targets into an enchanted sleep. One arrow emerges from the Bard's shadow per 2 tokens spent. Each has a Range increment of 60ft, attacks with the Bard's Ranged attack bonus and deals 2d6‡ Subdual damage. Any target dealt damage by this attack falls asleep for that many minutes or until disturbed.
Seelie Archery: There are many fine archers amongst the fæ. The archer guards of the Seelie court [pronounced “zai-LAY”] are masterful marksmen. A minimum of 3 tokens must be spent on activating this power. At the bard's command 2 arrows per token spent emerge from the Bard's shadow and streak towards the target. This is resolved as a volley of arrows against the target [2d8‡ damage, Attack of 5 + number of arrows, additional hit per full 5 the attack roll exceeds the target's Defence, 10ft target area; Range 120ft (-4 per range category)].
Unseelie Archery: The Unseelie, those fæ who think of humans as quaint and funny animals, are deadly archers who strike from all directions. This attack functions like the Seelie archery power, except that only 1 arrow is fired per token spent and the arrows emerge from a random liminal somewhere within vocal range of the Bard. This renders the target Flatfooted against the attack the first time they are targeted with it. [2d8‡ damage, Attack of 5 + number of arrows, additional hit per full 5 the attack roll exceeds the target's Defence, 10ft target area; Range 120ft (-4 per range category)].
Fæ Items [Fæ Loan and Greater Fæ Loan]:
[B]Fæ Loan
[COLOR="DarkRed"]Ankou Bells: The bells of an Ankou are troubling in the extreme under most circumstances. When they are shaken, the sound travels oddly, appearing to the listener to be coming from a random direction around them. This has a disorienting effect on the target, causing the target to become Shaken unless they more at least 10ft towards an ally or are already adjacent to one. When adjacent to a target, they must make a Will save, DC 12 + Bard's Cha + the number of creatures within 15ft or suffer a Morale penalty equal to the number of creatures within 15ft on their attack rolls due to paranoidly watching their backs.
Ankou Sickle: The blades of an Ankou are as sharp as a winter wind and cuts to the bone. In the hands of one who can use it, this functions as a sickle with the following profile: Damage 1d6, crit 18-20/x3 and strikes as if it were natural materials.
Goblin Blades: Though retched, degenerate and cowardly, the Goblin has one core talent: they can create items of cold iron by the mere act of will; something they use to regularly threaten other fæ. When requested, the goblins provide up to three weapons of masterwork +1 quality made from Cold Iron, of the bard's preference.
Ogre Club: The clubs of the ogre are actually surprisingly well made when it gets down to it. The weapon is made of hawthorn taken from the depths of the Hedge and bound in man-skin. Hits with an ogre club deal normal damage for a club and push the target back 5ft per 5 points of damage dealt [no save].
Pixie Arrows: If the Bard requests Pixie Arrows, he finds a supply of 1d4 of them in his quiver at the beginning of each encounter. Each arrow deals Subdual damage and characters wounded by such fall into an enchanted sleep for 1 hour per point of damage dealt or until they are disturbed [physical pain], whichever comes first.
Satyr Pipes: The pipes of a Satyr are made from sylvan reeds and goblin bones. While he has them, a bard may tie his Performance to Perform [Wind Instrument]. If he does, he may spend tokens equal to the spell level to cast any of Cause Fear, Entangle, Sleep, Good Hope or Crushing Despair at will.
Sith Arrows: The Sith are nigh on an embodiment of dying. Their arrows replicate the process as well as it can be without actually killing the target. Target's struck with Sith Arrows must make a DC 19 Fort save or be affected by the spell Rigour MortisHoH.
Greater Fæ Items:
Baba Yagga’s House: A powerful Slavic fæ, Baba Yagga is a malevolent child snatcher with a penchant for riddles, as cruel as the winter. Her house is strange sight, effectively a mech of wood on a pair of huge bird's legs. The mech can move at a speed of 100ft per action, is Huge, uses the Bard's defence, has a Hardness of 5 and 70hp. It has no weapons but can stamp on foes for 2d6+3 damage suing the Bard's base attack bonus and a strength of 22. When kneeling, no force on earth can prove that it's not just a conventional log cabin.
Greater Ankou’s Scythe: The most powerful of the Ankou breed wield scythes. These are +3 masterwork weapons and have the following profile: damage 2d4, Crit: 19-20/x5. Scythes deal piercing and slashing damage.
Nächen’s Violin: A Swedish Fæ, Nächen makes his home in rivers and lures people to their deaths with his magical songs. Any being who hears the music of the violin, even faintly [about 120ft, varies with weather], must make a Will Save DC 20 or be affected by it. Those affected while the musician is stood in at least ankle deep water are drawn towards it at half their movement rate and stand fascinated once they are within 10ft of the player. Those affected when the musician is on dry land begin to dance as per Otto’s Irresistable Dance and continue to do so until the music ceases.
Robin’s Redcap: The most warlike of the Powrie, Robin Redcap was the being that led to the racial name. he discovered that by sewing a cap from the breasts of robins and soaking it in human blood, his cruelty became amplified into brutal, terrifying strength. By donning the cap, the bard enters a state of Greater Frenzy, adding +10 to his Strength, -4 to his defence, renders himself immune to Charms and Compulsions and gains an additional attack whenever he makes an Attack or Full Attack action without penalty. On the downside, if he runs out of foes, he must attack anything that remains standing until the duration runs out; humans can only wear a red cap for about 3 minutes [15 rounds].
Ambience:Ambience effects are basically more powerful dressings and weather manipulation abilities. The ability to turn the land to mud or coat it with snow are amongst these abilities.
Cloud of Malaise: A Nauseated
Crashing Thunder: A Thunderstroke
Howling Winds: A Noisy Winds
Swirling Blizzard: A Blinding Snow
Tears of Heaven: A Chilling Rain
[I]To be completed.