Alternate interpretation of Bardic Performance

[Quintrino]

While pondering the plight of the bard I stumbled upon an interesting concept.

The bard is designed to be a social character.

What if his performance is merely him artfully manipulating the situation to his advantage. I quite like the idea and it suits many of the abilities that bardic performance already provides.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ManipulativeBastard gives some examples of those who have used abilities similar to this.

Let me know what you guys think.

[spalding]

My main problem with this idea is that if someone else wants to play a social character that isn't a bard they can. It is not unique enough niche to say, "OH you are balanced as a bard because you have out of combat abilities."

A human Fighter with a 14 Int (combat expertise could be a reason) can have 6 skill points a level total (2 for class, 1 for human, 2 for Int, 1 for favored class). Now since he doesn't have to pay 2 points a level for cross class skills he could take:

Bluff (good in and out of combat)
Intimidate (good in and out of combat)
Sense Motive (still useful on both sides of combat)
Diplomacy (socially needed)
Gather Information (socially needed)
Acrobatics (good in combat)

Now he doesn't get a + 3 bonus on those becuase they are cross class but + 3 is small in the long run as the bonuses from the ranks start adding up, and if he decides he really really wants that bonus he could just take a level in rogue (which gets even more skill points and could match a bard in a social situation).

The fighter might not have a high charsima but he shouldn't have a penalty possibly with the following stats 15 Str 12 Dex 14 Con 14 Int 10 Wis 10 Cha off of the 15 point buy. Conversely though the Bard isn't going to be good at combat and social work either so that's a draw argument in my book.

It's just too easy for anyone to fill the role right now. Yes when you had to pay 2 points for 1 rank and could only have 1/2 the max in cross class the bard had more room to really shine in the out of combat social arena now as a consequence of the skill changes any one can do it (I like the changes to the skill system but it still has consequences).

[Quintrino]

Oh I certainly think the bard still lacks something. I dislike the defining role of the bard being the fool or buffoon type role that he seems to have been forced into at the moment.

I like the interpretation of the bard being someone who is above and beyond the regular social abilities of other characters. by seeing his "performances" as him manipulating the social scene I think it adds another way of viewing his role.

Maybe he should have more definable social benefits but I do think allowing bardic performance to be viewed as controlling the social situation is a good start.

I do feel that certain skills should be able to be substituted as perform, the situation above links perform to diplomacy, and in truth wouldn't acrobatics be the perfect embodiment of slapstick comedy.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels the bard is to intrinsically linked to the perform skill.

[Abraham spalding]

You know, it was considered very unlucky to attack a bard (and bards were not supposed to attack people) maybe some sort of sanctuary effect that only applies to the bard if he isn't hostile good against almost all intelligent creatures?

[Quintrino]

I'm not sure whether the role of the bard should afford it some sort of mystical protection though. Perhaps some sort of built in bonus to social skills perhaps.

At the very least I think they should at a few more bardic performance abilities that suit the manipulative image of a bard.

[Abraham spalding]

Maybe a luck penalty to hit the bard or something along those lines.

A class based boost to social skills wouldn't be bad either and would free up skill points some too, something along the lines of the way bardic lore is right now.