3.5 Bardic PrC, The Rockabilly [PEACHes & Cream]
The Rockabilly
(working title)
Many names exist for this class - String Shredders, Rippers, Devil Strummers - the latter most favored by religious figures and suspicious Town Guardsmen, no less - but they are all singular slang for the simple and ancient name that has inspired more than one youth to bang their heads day and night to the horror of their parents and guardians; the Rockabilly.
Rockabillies and their organization is as varied as their temperaments - many times, they are common amongst the people in oppressed human societies banging out thunderous tunes of youthful rebellion. Other times, they can be found singularly, wandering countrysides and making a name for themselves with their fantastic riffs.
Rockabillies are hard to pinpoint; most gleaned information about them amounts to a summary of incredible musical talent with a strange, magically-charged instrument that looked like a lute from the depths of hell to amazed onlookers as their minds are blown. However, a few collegiums have gathered enough lore about these legendary bards to lay down a general idea of their being.
Rockabillies, as they are known in the formal term, are bards who find the gentle subtleties of typical music distasteful, and have a tendency to rise up from oppressed lives with their talent and hunger for loud, violent music that is known for upsetting certain authority figures and bolstering the spirits of the young and dulled with supernatural tunes, using a magically-infused instrument known simply as the Riffer. Riffers vary in design amongst their owners, but follow a typical design involving a lengthened neck and flattened body and head, which is slightly raised and featured along a line of electrically sensitive metal strings. By channeling magically-supplied electric current, the instruments produce extreme and powerful notes which are combined in quick succession into one of many songs that the Rockabilly creates in his spare time, usually while doing heavy and addictive narcotics. Using their magical instruments, the Rockabilly accomplishes a marvel, and 'rocks out so hard' as to create a magical link with other Realms and Planes, which they use to create various magical effects with incredible power that accompany their tunes. - Terrien Steward, 1rst Magi of the Circle of Fames - Wordly Observations Upon Record
Rockabillies are chaotic beings with a tendency to live hard and die young; such is their way of life, which they fully embrace with little regard beyond their own music. Often, it is said, a Rockabilly that becomes especially infamous ascends to a special plane in the afterlife centered around a great and furious heavenly war of song, fire, love, passion, death, and violence - supposedly somewhere in Valhalla.
Hit Die: d6
Requirements
To qualify to become a Rockabilly, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Perform (string instruments) 8 ranks
Alignment: Any Chaotic
Spells: Able to cast 2nd level arcane spells
Special: Bardic Music, Fascinate, Inspire Courage +2.
Class Skills: Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha). [Skill Points - 6 x Int Modifier]
Rockabilly
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+1
|+0
|+2
|+2
|Bardic Heritage, Riffer Proficiency, This is My Axe
2nd|+2
|+0
|+3
|+3
|Blow Their Minds (Run to the Hills), I am Iron Man +1
3rd|+3
|+1
|+3
|+3
|Rock Out
4th|+4
|+1
|+4
|+4
|I am Iron Man +2
5th|+5
|+1
|+4
|+4
|Inspire Rebellion
6th|+6
|+2
|+5
|+5
|I am Iron Man +3
7th|+7
|+2
|+5
|+5
|Stairway to Heaven, Highway to Hell
8th|+8
|+2
|+6
|+6
|I am Iron Man +4
9th|+9
|+3
|+6
|+6
|The Thunder God is Pleased
10th|+10
|+3
|+7
|+7
|I am Iron Man +5[/table]
Class Features
Armor and Weapon Proficiency: Rockabillies gain no proficiencies with armor or weapons. They do gain proficiency with the telltale instrument of the Rockabilly, as shown below.
Riffer Proficiency: Rockabillies become inspired by the same supernatural, blessed design of the Riffer as the next Rockabilly; typically, the base design is the same, but is heavily customized by the flavor and taste of the Rockabilly; it tends to range from flamboyant and colorful to downright ridiculous and frightening. Only Rockabillies may utilize Riffers. To create a Riffer takes twenty four hours of uninterrupted crafting, and 50 gp; Riffers look fancy, but in one specially cited case, one was made from scrapwood bought from the backdoor of the woodcrafter's own home. Most of the money goes to the paint and fancy, anyways.
Bardic Heritage: Rockabillies gain no new spell slots, but may apply their Rockabilly level as their effective caster level, and apply their Rockabilly level to checks and bonuses made from Bard class abilities.
This is my Axe (Su): Rockabillies gain magical aptitude as they advance in the Rockabilly class, but do not gain spells in a conventional sense. Instead, they focus their magical dabbling into creating magical electricity that hums noticeably through their Riffer's thin metal strings whenever their hands touch the strings (often displayed at tense moments by actual electricity firing from their fingers) that allow them to play incredible power tunes in a way no other Bard can. To solidify the pact between them and their righteous 'axe' (usual slang used by Rockabillies to refer to their instruments) they form a close, powerful bond transcending any mortal ties. However, if their Riffer is ever destroyed, conducting a continuous 24 hour ritual to bond with another one can be undertaken, provided their former Riffer was destroyed or removed from them by at least one Planar level. (EDIT) A Rockabilly may use his Riffer as an exotic, two handed weapon with 5ft of reach that he has proficiency for, and gains +2 to all attack rolls made with his Riffer which does 1d6 electricity damage/1d6 bludgeoning damage on a successful strike. At 7th level, the damage rolls increase their die to 1d8 electricity/1d8 bludgeoning. All bonuses to a Rockabilly's attack and damage rolls using a Riffer use Charisma in place of Strength. A Riffer cannot be used as a weapon while Rocking Out.
Blow Their Minds (Run to the Hills)(Su): A Rockabilly expands upon the Bardic ability to Fascinate , using their incredibly tasty riffs to Blow Minds. Blowing Minds functions as the bardic ability Fascinate, but upon failing the saving throw, all effected creatures instead are Shaken. At 5th level, they are instead Frightened. Finally, at 10th level, they become Panicked. Additionally, all penalties associated with the above abilities are increased by +1 for every full round in which the subjects have heard the Rockabilly wailing on his Riffer, not including the round in which their Mind was Blown & by +1 for every 2 levels of Rockabilly the character possesses. This ability cannot be used in conjunction with Fascinate.
Rock Out (Ex): A Rockabilly of 3rd level becomes more experienced in busting out intense chords and extended Riff Solos, and may Rock Out. Rocking Out is a full-round action in which a Rockabilly may only move in a five-foot step. While Rocking Out, a Rockabilly gains certain advantages, and may cast spells using his Riffer as a focus as his spells flow from his intense solo, and gains +2 to all attempts made to Fascinate or Blow Minds per three Rockabilly levels. This bonus stacks up to a +6 at 9th level while rocking out. Additionally, they may utilize Lightning Bolt as a spell-like ability three times a day, provided they are Rocking Out. A Rockabilly gains one additional use of Lightning Bolt at 5th, 7th, & 9th level.
I Am Iron Man (Su): A Rockabilly plays with such intense, supernatural force that while Rocking Out he gains a bonus to his AC which increases up to a maximum of +5.
Inspire Rebellion (Su): A Rockabilly of 5th level can use his powerful songs to fill others with a strong, supernatural force of rebellion and awakening of their fighting spirit. Any nonhostile targets within 30 ft of the Rockabilly becomes uppity and gets a real fire going in their bellies as the music sets them to frenzy by passing a Perform check to bolster the attack rolls of all nearby nonhostile creatures by +2, as well as removing any listed condition: Shaken, Panicked, Frightened. In addition, at 7th level, the powerful magic of the ballad may free all targets within earshot from being Dominated by a successful ranged touch attack against the dominated creature.
Stairway to Heaven (Su): While Rocking Out by at least 7th level, A Rockabilly may play his Riffer with such righteous fury that he can summon a Good-Aligned Outsider who's challenge rating does not exceed his own level minus two 1/week, to remain and serve him for a number or rounds equals to his Rockabilly level provided that he continues to Rock Out; if at any time he stops Rocking Out during the duration of the visit of the Outsider, it departs immediately for the Hells. At 10th level, they may use this ability 1/day.
Highway to Hell (Su):While Rocking Out by at least 7th level, A Rockabilly may play his Riffer with such unholy power that he can summon an Evil-Aligned Outsider who's challenge rating does not exceed his own level minus two 1/week, to remain and serve him for a number or rounds equals to his Rockabilly level provided that he continues to Rock Out; if at any time he stops Rocking Out during the duration of the visit of the Outsider, it departs immediately for the Heavens. At 10th level, they may use this ability 1/day.
The Thunder God is Pleased (Ex): A Rockabilly's tunes are so intense that upon reaching 9th level, lightning strikes the head of their Riffer whenever they play in a pyroclastic display of light and sound and sparks, eliminating the need for their own magical electricity to power their axe - even inside and underground.This grants them the use of their musical-related abilities as Extraordinary abilities rather than Supernatural or Spell-Like abilities. In addition, once per day, may tilt their Riffer to the sky as a standard action and release a mighty thunderclap from a rolling, deadly storm that forms above the caster, deafening every hostile within 60 ft. of the Rockabilly that fails a DC 10 + Rockabilly level Reflex save in addition to functioning as a Call Lightning Storm, with the condition of stormy weather automatically fufilled.
Re: 3.5 Bardic PrC, The Rockabilly [PEACHes & Cream]
Cool, a heavy metal bard.
They should be able to use their guitars like a greataxe using charisma instead of strength.
Re: 3.5 Bardic PrC, The Rockabilly [PEACHes & Cream]
heavy rocker bard.. wow!
The lvl 9 skill, besides deafening, could also shoot a Lightning storm (or some sort of electric damaging area effect)
I don't really see how you should get an AC bonus...
i mean sure it's useful and needed, but i dunno.. it strikes me as weird...
i like the idea of using the instrument as a weapon dealing damage with Cha instead of Str.
maybe add some lightning damage?
Re: 3.5 Bardic PrC, The Rockabilly [PEACHes & Cream]
How many skill points per level does the Rockabilly get?
Debby
Re: 3.5 Bardic PrC, The Rockabilly [PEACHes & Cream]
Re: 3.5 Bardic PrC, The Rockabilly [PEACHes & Cream]
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Debihuman
How many skill points per level does the Rockabilly get?
Debby
Whoops, I did forget that, didn't I? Fixed.
Re: 3.5 Bardic PrC, The Rockabilly [PEACHes & Cream]
Slight problem: because of the skill rank requirement, the earliest anyone could enter this class is level 12, meaning they could only take 8 levels of it pre-Epic.
Re: 3.5 Bardic PrC, The Rockabilly [PEACHes & Cream]
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Wahrheit
Slight problem: because of the skill rank requirement, the earliest anyone could enter this class is level 12, meaning they could only take 8 levels of it pre-Epic.
Zounds, you're right; I need to start putting betas on unposted test pages, because I have this bad tendency to leave placeholder numbers on the forum product. Originally, this was just going to be a quick 3-level class so Bards could play the electric guitar and rock out, and quickly grew.
