Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Scorpion13 01-19-07, 12:43 AM	I was thinking the other day that I saw a alternate class thing for a Bard who cant cast regular Wiz/Sorc spells, instead relying solely on his music. Did I imagine this, or can one be found somewhere? Also, if there isnt anything like this, how would you go about doing it? The reason Im asking is because I want Bards in my game to have more flavor than usual, and more reliance on songs and whatnot. What do you think?
nightwyrm 01-19-07, 01:07 AM	Variants would probably be found in either the unearth arcana or the PHB2.
Xylem 01-19-07, 02:00 AM	I think you might be thinking of Shadowfax7's Spell-less variant Bard (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=762266). Things move off the first few pages of this forum very quickly, unfortunately.
Shadowfax7 01-19-07, 09:56 PM	I actually made another version, if you are interested. It's less powerful, but much more versatile due to the fact that it doesn't force a player to take the specific Bardic Music abilities in the variant. However, those abilities should be made available through the bonus feats, if a player wants. It was balanced against the Rogue, not against a spell-casting class. (Changes from the PHB Bard are in red) BARD Alignment: Any nonlawful. Hit Die: d6. Class Skills The bard’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (n/a), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha). Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier. Table: The Bard Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Ref Will Special 1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Bardic music, bardic knowledge, countersong, fascinate, inspire courage +1 2nd +1 +0 +3 +3 Bonus feat 3rd +2 +1 +3 +3 Inspire competence 4th +3 +1 +4 +4 Bonus feat 5th +3 +1 +4 +4 Inspire courage +2 6th +4 +2 +5 +5 Suggestion 7th +5 +2 +5 +5 Bonus feat 8th +6/+1 +2 +6 +6 9th +6/+1 +3 +6 +6 Inspire greatness 10th +7/+2 +3 +7 +7 Bonus feat, Inspire courage +3 11th +8/+3 +3 +7 +7 12th +9/+4 +4 +8 +8 Song of freedom 13th +9/+4 +4 +8 +8 Bonus feat 14th +10/+5 +4 +9 +9 15th +11/+6/+1 +5 +9 +9 Inspire heroics, Inspire courage +4 16th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 Bonus feat 17th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 18th +13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +11 Mass suggestion 19th +14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +11 Bonus feat 20th +15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +12 Inspire courage +5 Class Features All of the following are class features of the bard. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A bard is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, and whip. Bards are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields). Bardic Knowledge: A bard may make a special bardic knowledge check with a bonus equal to his bard level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. (If the bard has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history), he gains a +2 bonus on this check.) A successful bardic knowledge check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a hint as to its general function. A bard may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random. DC Type of Knowledge 10 Common, known by at least a substantial minority drinking; common legends of the local population. 20 Uncommon but available, known by only a few people legends. 25 Obscure, known by few, hard to come by. 30 Extremely obscure, known by very few, possibly forgotten by most who once knew it, possibly known only by those who don’t understand the significance of the knowledge. Bardic Music: Once per day per bard level plus Cha bonus if any, a bard can use his song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around him (usually including himself, if desired). While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music and the descriptions discuss singing or playing instruments, they can all be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance. Each ability requires both a minimum bard level and a minimum number of ranks in the Perform skill to qualify; if a bard does not have the required number of ranks in at least one Perform skill, he does not gain the bardic music ability until he acquires the needed ranks. Starting a bardic music effect is a standard action. Some bardic music abilities require concentration, which means the bard must take a standard action each round to maintain the ability. Even while using bardic music that doesn’t require concentration, a bard cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), or activate magic items by magic word (such as wands). Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf bard has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use bardic music. If he fails, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Countersong (Su): A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to counter magical effects that depend on sound (but not spells that simply have verbal components). Each round of the countersong, he makes a Perform check. Any creature within 30 feet of the bard (including the bard himself ) that is affected by a sonic or language-dependent magical attack may use the bard’s Perform check result in place of its saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Perform check result proves to be higher. If a creature within range of the countersong is already under the effect of a noninstantaneous sonic or language-dependent magical attack, it gains another saving throw against the effect each round it hears the countersong, but it must use the bard’s Perform check result for the save. Countersong has no effect against effects that don’t allow saves. The bard may keep up the countersong for 10 rounds. Fascinate (Sp): A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bard, and able to pay attention to him. The bard must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every three levels a bard attains beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with a single use of this ability. To use the ability, a bard makes a Perform check. His check result is the DC for each affected creature’s Will save against the effect. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and listens to the song, taking no other actions, for as long as the bard continues to play and concentrate (up to a maximum of 1 round per bard level). While fascinated, a target takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat requires the bard to make another Perform check and allows the creature a new saving throw against a DC equal to the new Perform check result. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability. Inspire Courage (Su): A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the bard sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 5th level, and every five bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 5th, +3 at 10th, +4 at 15th and +5 at 20th). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability. Inspire Competence (Su): A bard of 3rd level or higher with 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to help an ally succeed at a task. The ally must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the bard. The bard must also be able to see the ally. The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as he or she continues to hear the bard’s music. Certain uses of this ability are infeasible. The effect lasts as long as the bard concentrates, up to a maximum of 2 minutes. A bard can’t inspire competence in himself. Inspire competence is a mind-affecting ability. Suggestion (Sp): A bard of 6th level or higher with 9 or more ranks in a Perform skill can make a suggestion (as the spell) to a creature that he has already fascinated (see above). Using this ability does not break the bard’s concentration on the fascinate effect, nor does it allow a second saving throw against the fascinate effect. Making a suggestion doesn’t count against a bard’s daily limit on bardic music performances. A Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 bard’s level + bard’s Cha modifier) negates the effect. This ability affects only a single creature (but see mass suggestion, below). Suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language dependent ability. Inspire Greatness (Su): A bard of 9th level or higher with 12 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use music or poetics to inspire greatness in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet, granting him or her extra fighting capability. For every three levels a bard attains beyond 9th, he can target one additional ally with a single use of this ability (two at 12th level, three at 15th, four at 18th). To inspire greatness, a bard must sing and an ally must hear him sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. A creature inspired with greatness gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target’s Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependant. Inspire greatness is a mind-affecting ability. Song of Freedom (Sp): A bard of 12th level or higher with 15 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use music or poetics to create an effect equivalent to the break enchantment spell (caster level equals the character’s bard level). Using this ability requires 1 minute of uninterrupted concentration and music, and it functions on a single target within 30 feet. A bard can’t use song of freedom on himself. Inspire Heroics (Su): A bard of 15th level or higher with 18 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use music or poetics to inspire tremendous heroism in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet. For every three bard levels the character attains beyond 15th, he can inspire heroics in one additional creature. To inspire heroics, a bard must sing and an ally must hear the bard sing for a full round. A creature so inspired gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws and a +4 dodge bonus to AC. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for up to 5 rounds thereafter. Inspire heroics is a mind-affecting ability. Mass Suggestion (Sp): This ability functions like suggestion, above, except that a bard of 18th level or higher with 21 or more ranks in a Perform skill can make the suggestion simultaneously to any number of creatures that he has already fascinated (see above). Mass suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language-dependent ability. Bonus Feats: The bard gains a bonus feat at 2nd level, at 4th level and at every three bard levels thereafter (7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, and 19th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as general feats (including bardic music ability feats). A bard must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums. These bonus feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets from advancing levels. A bard is not limited to general feats when choosing these feats. Ex-Bards A bard who becomes lawful in alignment cannot progress in levels as a bard, though he retains all his bard abilities.
DM Denubis 01-19-07, 09:59 PM	Personally, I like the Dark Sun bard. Link. (http://www.athas.org/releases/ds3/ds3_r6.pdf)