Pathfinder: Re-Skinning the Bard so People Will Play it

I don’t really have anything against the bard, but I do believe he is the least-played character class of them all. In my experience, the better you are at one thing (like multiplying damage on a charge) the more likely it is that you will be played as a character class. It also helps if your game mechanics set you up to look dramatic or cool while you’re doing your thing (like shapeshifting, backstabbing, or blasting away the undead with a firmly presented holy symbol).

Most bards do NOT look like this. This image was created by Jason Engle.

In short, bards do everything pretty well, but seldom as well as the classes built to fulfill those critical roles, and their non-traditional adventurer activities (playing music, singing, poetry) relegate them to enjoying very little love at the gaming table.

I have a partial solution that I’m sure has occurred to many of you out there—I edited the bard in a number of ways to give him a new flavour that is less care-free performer and more hardened marine.

Here are my sweeping changes.

• Change the name of the Bard class to Soldier, Warlord, Adventurer or something else that speaks of experience, wisdom, and/or command.
• Naturally, replace the word “bard” throughout with your chosen class name.
• Instead of activating his/her spells and abilities through song, make it Rhetoric, Command, Inspiration, or something else that speaks to the force of will and charisma that we’re looking for.
• Replace the names of abilities wherever they no longer fit with your theme. Bardic Knowledge becomes Well-Traveled. Bardic Performance becomes Command. Countersong becomes Shout, Distraction becomes order, and so on.

Simple, but I can’t leave all the work to you. Here’s an alternate class and role description for your new bard-based character class.

Officer

The failed tactics of an ancient army, the secret lore and customs of a cabal of prickly wizards, and the best way to crack a safe, a prisoner, or a whip; all of these are well-known to the officer. Typically educated, formally or not, the officer has forgotten more mundane and archaic lore than most learn in their lifetimes, and she uses this knowledge to outmanoeuvre her enemies, get into places she doesn’t belong, and get out with ever more valuable experiences. Comfortable in armour and well-trained with a variety of weaponry, she is nonetheless an able spellcaster, and she has learned to empower her commands in ways that have profound effects on her audience. For the officer, every day brings new challenges, adventures, and rewards, and she is more than equipped to claim the treasures of each.

Role: Experienced well beyond her years, the officer’s versatility as a combatant, dungeoneer, or party leader are her greatest strengths. A deep skill pool allows her to train to fulfill many party roles, from diplomat to assassin. A capable support combatant, she is most effective away from the front lines where she can weaken her enemies while empowering her allies with knowledge, magic, and her potent command abilities.

What do you think? Have you found bards woefully underplayed over your gaming career? Would you play a warlord, soldier, or officer in a pathfinder campaign? Let me know in a comment below. 

New Pathfinder Race: Cyclopskin

Hey all, I conceived of these guys many years ago, and just now updated them for Pathfinder. Enjoy,and please let me know if you have any questions or comments below.

Cyclopskin

Cyclopskin roam freely in most settled lands as they are well-known as able labourers, warriors, or craftspeople. They are at home wherever there is honest work to be done, and, while superficially similar to dwarves in appearance, they set themselves apart as being generous hosts and helpers to friends and strangers alike. Favouring simple lives of hard work and honest rewards, the "kin of the cyclops" become fierce enemies when their livelihood is threatened, and their tools become deadly weapons in their work-hardened hands.

Personality:Cyclopskin work hard at everything they do, and they admire and desire the need to succeed by getting one's hands dirty. A common saying is to "sleep like a cyclops" after a difficult day. Cyclopskin are not over-proud, but even among the elderly or the infirm a cyclopskin will never ask help for a task that can be accomplished alone. This is often seen as hubris by outsiders, but Cyclopskin are quick to thank those who offer help and point out that work, for them, is often a personal undertaking and needs to be treated as such. The commoners of most civilizations—bakers, farriers, smiths, thatchers—are honoured among cyclopskin families, and the quality of cyclopskin merchandise benefits simply by being associated with a race known for its careful implementation of the "common" skills.

While careful planners and slow to make decisions, they are resolute and focused on their tasks, be it hosting a party or warring with another nation. Few Cyclopskin start their lives as fighters, but it is not uncommon to see cyclopskin soldiers or mercenaries hefting hammers and axes while carrying the tools of their former trade on their backs. The tools and skills of their former lives may seldom be used, but they are never forgotten.

Physical Description: Cyclopskin have one large eye that dominates the center of their foreheads-—the defining feature of the race. Their eye can be blue or green (a sign of good luck for some families), but are most often shades of brown, hazel, or umber. Their faces, much like their bodies, are more square than oval, with roman noses and well-defined jawlines. Cyclopskin men grow hair on their faces, but it is usually kept short or shaved right off. This contrasts with their hair, which is often worn long and either loose, braided, or ponytailed, and groomed as meticulously as any dwarf grooms his beard. Cyclopskin women favour long hair as well, often braiding it into hundreds of tiny ropes or piling it in elaborate patterns atop their heads and securing it with care and with pins crafted by their own hands.

Cyclopskin builds range, but generally fall somewhere between humans and dwarves, weighing about the same. They average about five feet tall, with no discernment for sex. Their skin is naturally pale, but most cyclopskin spend a great deal of time working in the sun, and many are tanned, with some well-established families being naturally darker-skinned. Cyclopskin are seldom anything but muscular and fit, with a few notable exceptions when the family trades include baking.

Cyclopskin have exceptionally wide feet and powerful hands, a testament to their giant heritage. Their hands are tools, and sometimes weapons, but are also social markers—calluses, scars, and other evidence of work are as much a badge of pride as any battle trophy, and there are few cyclopskin of either sex with smooth hands.

All I get are X-Men if I search for cyclops online, so, here's a wild orange D10.Names:Cyclopskin have been known to carry many names, even those traditionally used by other races, often reflecting their childhood homes. Most cyclopskin carry only first names, family names being much less important than family skills. Traditionally, Cyclopskin names have a strong, rolling quality to them, incorporating a good deal of vowels. Males Names—-Couralio, Oolio, Loadz, Oothar, Oultan, Bomaehr, Aehrin, Ruhniin, Gnaezh (pronounced NAYJ). Female Names—Shaemohn, Shaeyahn, Loori, Taelea, Ceili, Mayelm, Eiya.

Cyclopskin Racial Traits

+2 Strength, +2 Charisma, -2 Dexterity: Cyclopskin are strong and gregarious, but their large hands and wide bodies make them less nimble than other races.

Medium: Cyclopskin are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Family Ties: Cyclopskin receive two free Skill Focus feats at first level that they can apply to any two Craft and/or  Profession skills of their choice. Skills are passed down from cyclopskin parents, with training beginning at age three. Generally, each parent passes down one favoured skill. In addition, cyclopskin can begin play with a free set of masterwork artisan’s tools associated with one of their skill focus feats. These tools are usually passed down from their parents and are usually cherished by the cyclopskin.

Finally, cyclopskin receive a +2 bonus to Appraise checks related to their focused crafts or professions, and +2 to diplomacy checks when bargaining for, or with, items from their focused crafts or professions.

Powerful Hands: Thanks to their formidable hands, Cyclopskin receive a +2 bonus to climb checks and can wield large weapons without taking the a -2 penalty to attack rolls. Cyclopskin wielding small (and smaller) weapons take an additional -2 penalty to attack rolls (-4 for a small weapon, -6 for a tiny weapon, and so on).  

Focused:Cyclopskin receive a +2 bonus to concentration checks made to maintain a spell. Cyclopskin are focused, able to eliminate distractions more easily than other races.

One Eye:Cyclopskin take a -2 penalty to all sight-based perception checks, and a -2 penalty to all ranged attack rolls made using a weapon with a range increment(attacks with maximum ranges, like the rays of a spell, are rolled normally). Cyclopskin receive a +2 bonus to saving throws against all gaze attacks.

Stocky:Cyclopskin receive a +2 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense when they have the grappled condition.

Stable: Cyclopskin receive a +1 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.

Low-light vision:Cyclopskin eyes are large, and their irises dilate very quickly, allowing their eyes to adjust to low-light conditions quickly. Cyclopskin can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Determined:Cyclopskin receive a +1 racial bonus to will saves.

Weapon Familiarity: Cyclopskin are proficient with the warhammer, light and heavy picks, axes (but not the dwarven waraxe), and the Cyclopskin Work Maul.

Giant Blood:Cyclopskin count as giants for items and effects that target creature type.

Languages:Cyclopskin begin play speaking Common and Giant. Cyclopskin with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfing, and Orc.

Cyclposkin Work Maul  30gp  1d6/1d4  1d8/1d6  x3/x4  10lbs. B or P

The cyclopskin work maul is the natural progression of the common work hammer that has been enlarged and strengthened for war. A wielder can strike with either the hammer end or the pick end. It is very heavy and awkward to use in one-hand without special training, thus, it is an exotic weapon (cyclopskin can use it one-handed as a martial weapon). Work Mauls are unsuitable for light or domestic use, such as hammering nails or punching in tent pegs, but they are effective piton drivers.