D&D 3.5 Lvl 10 (almost 11) build advice for Kung Fu Hustle concept.

[inexorabletruth]

There's a relatively new player on our team. This is her second campaign. For the first one, the DM built her a generic L10 Bard for an RP heavy short-run campaign that's gotten her almost to level 11. Now that the campaign is over, and she's learned about the mechanics, the DM is giving her a chance to retool and build something personalized, and I've agreed to help her personalize the character. But I wasn't expecting her to have such a specific image in mind.

She likes being a bard, but she wants to be... like... a magical bard ninja assassin... person. Specifically, the guy who plays the harp, from Kung Fu Hustle.

I was thinking about just imbuing her harp with the same function as Gauntlet of Infinite Blades, and make it the Harp of Infinite Blades, but that just summons a knife. It doesn't launch it through the air at her intended target.

So... IDK. Maybe there's an obscure class or PrC, or magic item that I don't know about that helps her get what she wants. Any suggestions?

D&D 3.5: Level 10 (level 11 WBL), with about 90% of the 10-11 XP to burn if needed.

[tyckspoon]

The Pathfinder Sound Striker archetype is almost exactly this, and wouldn't take very much tweaking to turn into a 3.5-style Alternate Class Feature; just need to figure out how often you want it to be used and get the conversion rate from Pathfinders 'Rounds of Bardic Performances' to appropriate spending of Bardic Music or uses/day or spell slots or whatever.

Otherwise, there's a number of sonic attack spells the Bard gets that can provide similar effects, and any Invisible spell that makes a projectile attack could qualify with appropriate fluffing (Bard doesn't natively get a large number of those, however.)

Edit: If you don't mind a little bit of custom magic items:

Songbow: This enchanted bow plays different tones when plucked depending on how it is gripped and where the string is pulled. If pulled to full draw with no arrow nocked, a humming field of sound appears on the string and can be fired as a normal arrow. The bow counts as a stringed instrument for Perform skills. If fired by a wielder using a Bardic Music performance, add half the character's Bardic Music level to the damage dealt by this bow.

(Basically staple together Hank's Energy Bow and a Crystal Echoblade to allow the character to shoot sound at people while playing.)

[Godskook]

Bard 6+X/Warblade 1+Y/Bloodstorm Blade 2
Feats: Snowflake Wardance, Point Blank Shot

A mildly permissive reading(that's still within RAW) suggests that Snowflake Wardance applies to this.

What you need DM-permission for:

- Just fluff, mostly, and possibly shoring up loose ends that leek into mechanics.

The above build using only 2 feat, so you're free to spend the others as best suits you. You have access to Whirling Blades(attack everyone in a line, but use Cha instead of Str), and SnowflakeWardance + Thunderous Throw is Cha+Str on attack/damage rolls.

The only re-fluffing you need to do is to re-fluff these Cha bonuses as the Bard playing music to generate attacks through his instrument, rather than using a "real weapon", and ask the DM to let you make a Instrument that also counts as a weapon(this is no more powerful than allowing Perform(Oratory) to work for Bard, which is RAW).

[RaiKirah]

Bard X/Soulknife 2 +Y/Soulbow Z/Whatever

A little refluffing and those 'arrows' can be flying off the harp. Heck, you can probably just use Sleight of Hand to make people think that's what's happening without refluffing. Use some Inspire Courage/Dragonfire Inspiration optimization and go to town.

[Falontani]

Ring the Golden Bell from Dragon Compendium allows you to use unarmed strike from ranged. X/times per day. Iirc there is an item or enchantment that allows you to use a weapon as if it were an unarmed strike (using unarmed strike damage I believe even)

Use both of those on your Harp and then you can hit someone with your harp from a ways away, without throwing your harp.

[inexorabletruth]

Thanks! I knew I could count on the Playground!