We're getting the band back together!

[Addem Up]

My friend and I were joking around about a Pathfinder party that, well, was a band. The more I thought about it, the more it appealed.

So my question to you all is, how would you build this?

I was thinking a War Drummer Skald on the front lines, an Evangelist Cleric as second-lines melee and vocals, a Court Bard for the guitar and buffing, and a Maestro Bloodline Sorceror on bass and crowd control.

[Ciaran Barnes]

I notice that all of the classes you picked use Charisma as a primary or secondary ability score. Perhaps you haven't spent much time with musicians.

Depending on how serious the band was, one or more of the members could actually get by without a class skill bonus, or by virtue of a high Charisma and no skill points at all.

[DominusMegadeus]

Yeah, it's not like any musician has ever been a likeable person before?

[Gambit]

Sounds like a fun party concept. THIS might also prove useful to you in this endeavor.

[Ciaran Barnes]

Musicians are just as likable as any other person. A high Charisma character could be liked or loathed. Its about strength of personality, not how likable someone is. Anyhow, the point was that they could all have a great Charisma, but they don't all need it.

A high Charisma character with few or no skill points might not have much technical skill, but gets by with personality. A mediocre Charisma character with max skill points and training is just the opposite. Obviously the ones with the best Perform skill have both.

I would make your front liner a singer. He'll want his hands free for a weapon (maybe a shield). Drumming would probably take two hands.

[Hock]

I'd think you'd want at least one illusionist for the pyrotechnics and laser light show!

[stormcrow27]

I also suggest searching for the Disciple of Metal prestige class from the WOTC forums if you want a great lead singer class that gets powers from METAL.

[Addem Up]

Ciaran: I'm going for classes that have music as a huge part of what they do. They tend to have CHA as a primary stat since Perform's based off CHA.

The frontliner is most likely the Skald, since he and the Evangelist are the most battly. The War Drummer archetype was picked mainly because we had no drummers... though a Maestro Bloodline Sorc dual-wielding wands could work.

Hock: Excellent point. Perhaps a Heavens Oracle with Awesome Display and Lure of the Heavens, multiclassing into Veiled Illusionist?

[cnetarian]

In my somewhat limited experience the drummer would most likely be a drunken rager barbarian (and before you ask, a drunken brute barbarian would be a bass player).

[Devilkiller]

The war drummer sounds good for sure. If you're going for a metal group you might want to check out the Dirge Bard, which picks up some necromancy spells and eventually gains an ability called Dance of the Dead which makes your dead enemies (or allies I suppose) get up and fight as skeletons or zombies. Dirge Bard also gets a few Necromancy spells from any arcane list to round out the spell selection. Dirge Bards can also intimidate people using the Perform (Keyboard) skill, which could represent playing an organ like Alia from Blood Ceremony (a band you should really check out if you like Black Sabbath and or Jethro Tull)

The Court Bard you suggested seems nice since the penalties it gives enemies can work together with Inspire Courage for your band. The Archivist Bard (perhaps a music historian?) could also give you insight bonuses which would stack on top of Inspire Courage. That might seem like a lot of PCs with a single spell list, but this would allow them to buff and debuff as fast as the notes in a blistering guitar solo, and the Skald can provide any critical utility spells like Restoration via Spell Kenning. The Evangelist could also still fit even with a Dirge Bard if you assume the DB will switch to Dirge of Doom once it is available (and everybody get Cruel weapons). On the other hand, just having the DB use Blistering Invective might be more satisfying since your lyrics would literally set people on fire!

The Leadership feat would be good for picking up managers, roadies, and hangers on in general. For a different vibe I could imagine a more Skald and Viking themed band which is basically like Amon Amarth with weapons and shields.