I hate making posts like this since I always feel like there are more important things to be talking about. I think everybody and their mom thinks bards are fine, and they are. However, over the past couple of months this issue has become more of a problem. Literally every GM I played with this year has ruled differently on this and they all seem to feel they needed more guidance. So this is me trying to get that.

It seems the intent of Harmonize is to allow the bard to use two compositions at the same time. However, rules as written says starting a harmonized composition ends a normal composition currently in effect (see rules below). This means if you start a normal composition as your first action in a turn and then Harmonize, your first action is wasted as that normal composition immediately ends as soon as you start your third action to play a harmonized composition.

The same is true if you use Lingering Performance (or the new Martial Performance) on the normal composition. Even if you don't get tripped up by the order of operations issue above and use your first action to Harmonize, then start your harmonized composition as your second action. Next you use a free action to use Lingering Performance and finally use your third action to cast a normal composition, in the next turn, as soon as you start your harmonized composition, the lingering performance normal composition ends.

Basically Harmonize allows the following.

- Start a normal composition the same turn as a harmonized composition.
- Start a normal composition without ending a harmonized composition.

What it doesn't do is

- Start a harmonized composition without ending a normal composition.

Without this, there is a problem with the order of operations that cause these edge cases. It seems like we don't want harmonize to work with the other spellshape feats, which honestly is fine but, it would be better to say so instead of having confusion, IMHO.

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Rules as Written (using non-remaster rules though none of this has changed in the remaster):

Composition (Source Core Rulebook pg. 629 4.0)
To cast a composition cantrip or focus spell, you usually use a type of Performance. If the spell includes a verbal component, you must use an auditory performance, and if it includes a somatic component, you must use a visual one. The spell gains all the traits of the performance you used. You can cast only one composition spell each turn, and you can have only one active at a time. If you cast a new composition spell, any ongoing effects from your previous composition spell end immediately.

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Harmonize (Source Core Rulebook pg. 101 4.0)
[one-action]
Feat 6
Bard Concentrate Manipulate Metamagic
Prerequisites maestro muse
You can perform multiple compositions simultaneously. If your next action is to cast a composition, it becomes a harmonized composition. Unlike a normal composition, a harmonized composition doesn’t end if you cast another composition, and you can cast another composition on the same turn as a harmonized one. Casting another harmonized composition ends any harmonized composition you have in effect.

HUZZAH!

I was worried we'd never hear about the card game again. I'm very excited to hear about the new difficulty options. I really like the idea of a smaller / faster game. One issue we have during conventions is there is never an opportunity to play a fast ACG game. I'd love to have an option that is 30 to 60 minutes. We could play over lunch or dinner.

So, I now feel I've played enough Bard to talk more knowledgeably about how the class feels at low levels (1 and 5).

Character Creation (Layout): Flipping back and forth looking at compositions and spells was very frustrating. BUT, I am glad for the page number to the composition.

It's been said elsewhere but I'll say it again, Spells and Compositions should not be in the same place. If a Wizard cannot take a Composition unless she multi-classes into Bard, then Compositions should be found in the Bard section. This was SUPER confusing.

Spell Points: I get trying to reduce complexity, but I will always miss the specific over the general. Bards have performance rounds. I know this is semantics (because the current use isn't "rounds"). I don't know, I want Spell Points to be specific to my class and not a generic, homogeneous thing.

Also, the more I think of spell points and Compositions, I get confused as to why I'm tracking two resources for the same thing. If Compositions are spells then they should be tracked with spells. If they are not spells, then they shouldn't be with the spells and tracked with a completely separate pool. It's so confusing.

Inspire Courage: OMG thank you! Being able to freely inspire has been so great!

Action Economy: Right of the bat, the change to the action economy gave Bards a wonderful boost. Being able to begin a performance, move up to a baddie and attack them in one round has been phenomenal!

Spell Casting: So... while we got a buff (now 10 lvl casters) we also go a nerf. It's an odd feeling to not be able to cast as many spells. I've continually run out of spells. This is especially bad when I'm the sole healer of the group (going to get to this in a second). 2 spells at level 1 and 4 Spell points are gone in 2 encounters. Which leaves me swinging for the final encounter. I've overcome this by just not using resources in the first encounter. Which means people die. "I'm saving it for the BBEG" is the worst excuse to someone who is on the ground with the dying condition.

Bardic Healing: Sit down, this is going to be a long one. Overall, healing in the playtest is immensely difficult. The only spell in the playtest with descent through-put as far as healing goes is "Heal", however, that is only available to Clerics and Druids. And Druids who bring heal suffer from the same issue the Bard does I mentioned above in Spell Casting. You get 2 and you're done. With Resonance this means that there is very little healing going on if you don't have a Cleric.

Having said that, as a player that enjoys healing, "Heal" is the BEST spell in the game and it is blocked to Bards :(. Not only that, "Heal" is a fun spell. It's versatile and effective and makes healing exciting. I'd love for Bards to have heal but, in reality, what I really want is for Bards to heal their allies as well as Clerics, if their spec'd for it. The discrepancy isn't just in the 1d6 vs the 1d8, or the range, but also in the fact that at first level the only spell that heals multiple targets at range is Heal.

One thing I was thinking is what about a bonus if you are using an Inspire ability (Courage, Competence). Instead of the range being touch, it is "one target affected by your Inspire abilities". Then maybe Soothing Words allows you to choose between it's current effect or choose to allow your Soothe spell to affect multiple targets, however, all targets need to be affected by your Inspire ability and within 30 feet of you. The through-put wouldn't be as great as a Cleric's "Heal" but it would offer up another viable healing class.

Of course a lot of this would change if spell casting changes, but the main thing I want to point out is that healing is on the fritz. I've played games where I was the only healer, I've played games where it was me and an Alchemist or me and a Paladin or me and a Druid and I've played when it was me and a Cleric. It is night and day having a Cleric. I think the problem lies in the fact that they are the only class that can mass heal the team. This has caused the side effect of everyone NEEDING a Cleric. Not HEALER - CLERIC. This greatly diminishes Alchemists, Bards, Druids, and Paladins if Clerics are the clear winner of the healing wars and no one can touch them.

Add to that the fact that, it seems, a lot of people don't like healing, relegating it to just one class means even fewer healers. Not only do I have to like healing now, I have to like Cleric, even though I love Bards more. This was an issue in PF1 too. I hated this. If you want to heal you have few choices, even though you could have many.

This creates fewer and fewer healers because all the hoops they have to go through to play the spec they like. However, if classes that have healing can spec into healing, it adds many more opportunities for more healers. Today, as the playtest sits, Cleric is the game's healer, everyone else is pointless.

So I say all that to say, I like SOOTHE, I like the idea that Occult does healing differently. But differently cannot completely inferiority, otherwise there's no point to learn Soothe, if I always have to get next to the person dying and I can only heal one person and I do less healing than the other "better" healing spells. It cannot be all those things.

Having said all that, I have really enjoyed the rest of Bard. Muses are great (I cannot wait to see more) and there is so much good stuff packed into the class, from shadow spells to buffs. I am sad we don't have Ear-piercing Scream, the Finale spells and the Inspiration spells (Timely Inspiration, etc). However, so far (levels 1 and 5) the class feels very bardy and performs (pun intended) well - outside of that healing bit.

I am SUPER excited for this!

Starship combat!

Hi all, I wanted to take a moment and congratulate our two newest 5-star GMs from the Greater LA area.

The first is some random dude in LA named Jon Merriex (LOOK MA I HAVE 5 STARS!!!).

The second is one of my all-time favorite GMs: Gary Norton! When he's not gallivanting about GMing at the big shows like PaizoCon and GenCon, he's my dependable work-horse volunteering to GM 5+ tables for LA's triannual conventions (Come join us at our next con in February) or one of our myriad game days.

Gary is an absolute pleasure of a GM to play with - even when he's eating your bard with a dinosaur (not that I have first-hand experience with that or anything...). He's well versed in both the lore and the rules, using both to masterfully spin a yarn so entertaining you'll want to pony up to his table every chance you get. And honestly, I do!

I couldn't be happier to see him join the ranks of our most elite GMs.

Congratulations Gary!

So, I want to like the Zealot but it still feels off. I want to start by saying I played a Celestial Divine Power Zealot. So a lot of my feedback comes from that viewpoint.

Today in reviewing the Warlock I noticed something I hadn't noticed before. A lot of their abilities have really cool knock-on effects.

• You get Combat Casting and can cast in light armor with no penalties and later it upgrades to waving medium armor penalties.

• You get an elemental armor that gives you resist 5 and deals 1d6 damage. Those numbers upgrade as you level.

The Zealot doesn't get a lot of stuff like that. It feels like if you don't take Divine Power and Smite, you lose. And if you take Channel Energy you're a fool. I know there are other threads on the spell casting thing, so I won't rehash it here (because with only 10 options 6 of them will be that - and that's even less in PFS).

I was thinking about ways to boost some of the lackluster abilities. Below are my thoughts so far.

Channel Energy
For me, I think Channel Energy has become so connected to healing in PFS that any healer that doesn't have it at level isn't worth their salt. So seeing a minimum level of 6 with a -4 penalty really makes this a fool's choice. On top of that it's further limited by alignment. Basically you're saying don't take me. So I propose the following:

Heavenly Blaze : Your Heavenly Fire ability is enhanced to 2d4 points of damage +1 for every 2 Vigilante levels you possess. At level 7 and every 3 levels thereafter, your damage increases by 1d4. Additionally, Neutral creatures are always healed by your Heavenly Fire ability. At level 8 and every 4 levels thereafter you may target an additional creature within 30 feet of you. Roll once for attack and damage then apply those rolls to each target in range. A Zealot Vigilante must have the Celestial Divine Power and be level 4 before taking this talent.

This keeps basically the same power curve (7d4 +10 healing or damage compared to the current 8d6 healing at 20) but allows the Vigilante to do something unique and different. On average they'll heal / damage an individual target more than a Cleric of the same level but they can do it to significantly fewer targets AND need to land a hit. Also it builds on the Celestial Divine Power. It does mean the other Domains can no longer heal... but really, no one was picking this anyway.

Celestial Bastion

With the change above I suggest this ability be opened up to all Zealots. It's not super powerful either but it can be very useful when up against Combat Maneuver artists. Maybe change the name to Bastion of Faith or something?

Discern Lies

This one needs a boost. Maybe have it allow the Vigilante to Detect Alignment (as the Detect Good, Evil, Chaos, Law spells) as well. Or maybe have this start at level 1 and start with Detect Magic and grow into the others.

Those were the ones that struck me as lacking. Depending on how the spell casting situation goes the others are all about on par.

So at Gamex this weekend I built a new GM baby who happens to be a Duettist / Sound Striker. In playing this character I found a few... things that seem... well... truly awesomsauce in a way that I fear is not correct.

Weird Words says:
At 6th level the bard can start a performance that is always a standard action to speak up to one word per 4 bard levels laden with sonic energy. Each word deals 4d6 points of sonic damage as a ranged touch attack with a range of 30 feet. The bard adds his charisma modifier on damage rolls with weird words. Multiple words that strike the same target stack into a single powerful attack, applying energy resistance and bonuses on damage rolls only once. The bard can target all words at the same or different targets, but he unleashes all words simultaneously. Each word costs 1 round of bardic performance.

Duettist says:
At 4th level, a duettist's familiar learns how to create supernatural effects with its performances, just like its master. The familiar can use any of its master's bardic performances, but only the familiar or the duettist can have a performance active at any given time, not both. If one is performing and the other starts a performance, the previous performance immediately ends. Each round that the familiar performs consumes 2 rounds of the duettist's bardic performance.

Can I and my Familiar do Weird Words in the same round?

Hellos all,

I have the pleasure to introduce a new Venture-Lieutenant for the Los Angeles area: Ashley Shields!

Ashley has been a big organizer for us in the Long Beach area and will now be taking over the position for the Long Beach area.

Join me in congratulating her!