Quasi-Class: Troubadour Warrior

[blksabbath74]

Quasi-Class: Troubadour Warrior

I’ll admit up front that this class comes from a place of self-interest. In the past I have made a number of rather fun and effective Bard/Champion of Torm hybrids. However, after having posted a few versions and delved into the legendary levels systems, I have come to realize that such a hybrid is not that useful here.

10 levels of CoT and a few Great Smite feats have always been worth the investment to make a fighting bard. However at Legendary levels I now realize that anything less than Greater Smite and a Bardsong that is too far from max strength is pretty useless.

Both classes utilize charisma, so there is a good bit of common ground. Also, I have heard from several players that bards are slotted into a mold and there isn’t much wiggle room with them

Troubadour Warrior

Requirements: 10 levels of Bard and 10 levels of Champion of Torm, Feat: Extra Smiting, Feat: Lingering Song & Epic Feat: Lasting Inspiration by level 22.

Effects:

Half the Levels of CoT would count towards the Bardsong.

Half the levels of Bard would count towards the CoT’s level for Smiting. The Troubadour Warrior would qualify for Greater Smite if he had at least 20 levels of CoT (including bonus for Bard)

The Troubadour Warrior would have 0% Spell Failure when using Light or Medium Armor or Shields.

Upon reaching level 22, the Troubadour Warrior would receive Epic Mage Armor.

You guys may be able to think of some better ideas for such a class, and some of this may be way too powerful or not powerful enough.

The basic idea is a character that can be an effective bard but is also an effective warrior. He/She can still perform Bardsong and Curse Song effectively, but does not take too much of a hit for taking CoT levels, and can also get Greater Smite.

Please let me know what you think.

[simpetar]

May 11, 2010 19:53:54 GMT blksabbath74 said:

Requirements: 10 levels of Bard and 10 levels of Champion of Torm, Feat: Extra Smiting, Feat: Lingering Song & Epic Feat: Lasting Inspiration by level 22.

It is not quite possible to fulfill the requirements, unless the character is Shard (that has Lasting Inspiration for free). Other subraces cannot meet the conditions for Lasting Inspiration at 21.

Speaking in general, I think you need to remove some advantages from the idea, it is really overpowered. As an outcome of this I can imagine a 10 bard / 30 CoT tank, acting as full power CoT (40/+16 soak, full mind immunity, +1 attack per round, 20 unresistable damage each hit), with Epic Dodge (and other goodies EMA offers), 550 damage on Smites and self buffing lvl 38 bard song for easier soloing and more unresistable damage - this all with no drawback at all.

May 11, 2010 19:53:54 GMT blksabbath74 said:

The basic idea is a character that can be an effective bard but is also an effective warrior. He/She can still perform Bardsong and Curse Song effectively, but does not take too much of a hit for taking CoT levels, and can also get Greater Smite.

If you want to make a bard who can tank, there are various builds for str bard, dex bard, charisma bard with Rapier Wit, or the less frequent Dwarven Warchanter; just seek the out. Not meaning to discourage you from inventing, but I cannot think of anything to make this quasi more balanced.

cheers
simpetar

[jeanhelixü]

I had a completely opposite view. I see no benefit to the quasi.

A 10 bard/50 cot build as you indicated would lose 3 ab from bard, and would need save feats due to the lack of bg/pally saves. Furthermore going for smites results in a loss of ab due to the mandatory 25+ cha by level 24 if you want to fit in 10 great smites pre-LL.

EMA also wouldn't work, as it takes Caster Level from the highest of wizard, sorceror, druid, or cleric levels. Thus the effect would only be the bioware grade effect, the same you can get off of many items.

The curse song would only be about a level 40 or so curse song, which wouldn't be acceptable as the primary curser for the party as even PM or Harpy curse are level 50. Furthermore you'd only get 10 songs per rest (14 with extra music if you somehow fit that in). Which would be completely insufficient.

10 bard levels would also cut heavily into your spell casting, with no spells beyond level 4 at all. Also the 7 bab requirement to become a CoT would mean that you would need to take all 10 bard levels before the CoT levels could start, which would prevent the usual level 20 splash for skills. Furthermore skills would be a big issue because you would need Perform for your bard song and perform isn't a class skill for CoTs, not to mention that CoTs only get 2 +int modifier skill points per level and are already skill point poor.

Besides which tank bards can be made quite well already as Simp mentioned.

[jonuhey]

May 12, 2010 9:53:18 GMT jeanhelixü said:

EMA also wouldn't work, as it takes Caster Level from the highest of wizard, sorceror, druid, or cleric levels. Thus the effect would only be the bioware grade effect, the same you can get off of many items.

A few months ago it only worked to sorc and wiz, why couldnt that be changed for a quasi as well?


Anyway, bards have a lot of options now, can be str/dex/cha based tanks, casters, epic'ers ( hehe, awfull term, but you got the picture ;P), chanters and can splash levels without much loss too, I dont think another quasi based on them is needed atm.

[blksabbath74]

I more had in mind a full Bard who could take 20 levels of CoT and get the Greater Smite without losing too much on his Bardsong, but obviously this is a broken idea.