Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Betzlalel Aug 20, 2015 9:58:03	Have you ever wanted to be an inspiring presence on the battlefield, alternately smashing heads and inspiring allies with your greataxe guitar? Then this is the path for you! I present the mechanics for the Bardbarian , for your personal enjoyment.   Battle Hymn Starting when you take this path at the third level, you can choose to let the rhythm of battle flow through you as you break into a combat song. As an action while you rage you can begin the song. The song ends if the rage ends, you choose to end the song as a bonus action, or if, upon taking damage, you fail a concentration check equal of DC 10 or half the damage dealt, whichever is higher. As a bonus action on each of your turns you may grant up to your Charisma modifier + 1/4 your barbarian level rounded down (minimum one) Primal Inspiration dice. This dice is a d4 at level 3, a d6 at level 9, and a d8 at level 16. These dice may be used by each ally to increase the damage of an attack or spell that requires an attack roll, or as a reaction to taking damage to reduce the damage dealt by the number rolled. Each ally may be granted multiple dice, but may only expend them one at a time. Singer, Songwriter, Storyteller At level 6, the songs you sing sometimes contain hidden pieces of lore. You may add your Charisma modifier to Arcana, History, Nature, and Religion checks in place of your Intellect modifier. Bardic Presence At Tenth level, your inspiring aura grants you a way with people normal barbarians lack. Choose either persuasion or intimidate. If you have proficiency in the chose skill, you gain expertise. If not, you gain proficiency. Furthermore, you gain the ability to cast Charm Person on friendly characters you meet out of combat. Your casting time for this spell is 1 minute rather than 1 action, during which you must maintain a continuous conversation with the target. The save DC is equal to 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma modifier. Dreadful Racket Beginning at 14th level, whenever you the Battle Hymn feature, you only have to use a bonus action to maintain the song, and furthermore you affect your enemies as well as your allies. When the song begins, all enemies within 60 feet who can hear it must make a Charisma saving throw equal to 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a failed save, whenever the creature rolls an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check, it must also roll a d4 and subtract that number from the total. The creature may re-attempt the saving throw on each of its turns. A creature who succeeds on the saving throw in immune to this effect for 24 hours.
#2 Macv12 Aug 20, 2015 17:43:56	Pretty cool. Though I'd like to read the bio of the character for whom this class is built.
#3 bid Aug 20, 2015 21:44:23	Betzlalel wrote:
(Reply to #3) Betzlalel	bid wrote:
(Reply to #4) Macv12	EDIT: wait, ignore, I got mixed up.   I think a better version of what you're looking for with the primal dice might be, allies within range of you can spend their bonus action for a boost, or you spend your reaction. The current feature does kind of make you a firehose of damage dice.
#6 Danny_Montanny Aug 21, 2015 7:14:12	Great idea! Here's my suggestions:   First, don't call it Bardbarian... Haha. Call it the Path of the Ancient Song or something like that. The Path of the Bardbarian just sound lame to me.   Battle Hymn is waaay too powerful. The Valor Bard gets this ability and couldn't even scratch the surface of what your Bardbarian can do, and Inspiration is the Bard's main shtick! Your thought of it granting your Rage Damage bonus to allies that can hear you is right on the money, though. Stick with that. The edition's theme isn't "roll more dice", it's "make everything more streamlined." Make it activate when you start your Rage like the Frenzy ability. As it sits, if you use it as your action and haven't taken damage since the end of your last turn, your Rage (and song) ends. Doesn't really make much sense. If you're worried about balance let it only work on your Charisma modifier (minimum of one) number of allies.   So now you're "lore" checks use your Charisma, because...? It's now a stat that matters to you? Doesn't really make thematic sense. How can being more Charismatic help you remember stuff better? I'd say give an option to pick 2 of the 4 to gain proficiency in, showing that they pick up training from singing their songs and remembering some context.   Wait, now you have an inspiring aura? The mechanics are pretty sound, though I think just proficiency is enough, he fluff just is weird to me.   For the last ability, Bane only effects 3 people within 30 feet and if they fail, they're effected for the duration. Your Rage (and song) still only last a minute max, so it's on par there. The extra range and potentially more targets effected are balanced nicely with the targets being able to make the save multiple times. Slightly better wording like, "any creature that starts its turn within 60 feet of you and can hear your Battle Hymn" makes the saving throw at the start of their turn.   All in all, good ideas, but needs a bit of polish. Especially to keep with the Primal theme of Barbarians.