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A friend is restarting an old campaign, initially using 3.5 rules and perhaps eventually moving to Pathfinder. The campaign world is very much a Dark Ages / low magic setting, and he has specific rules in place restricting casters. I believe sorcerers are only available to specific non-core races, and the standard wizard, druid, and cleric are replaced entirely by setting-specific classes he's tuned to his liking.
He also has variant ranger and paladins, neither of which get spells as part of their class progression. I believe these are taken from some OGL product or article; I know he didn't come up with them whole-cloth.
I very much want to play a bard. However, I seem to have found a gap in his background materials -- he admitted to me that he doesn't have a variant bard progression, and he's just winged it on the subject so far.
Does anyone know of existing variants for this class or have suggestions? I believe he's fine with the bard having magic abilities (he didn't rule out the bard Perform abilities at all), but for several reasons wants to severely limit spell casters and wants the casting abilities pruned and replaced with something more restricted. That could be a set of totally non-magic abilities, a substituted set of specific spell-like abilities, whatever.
Any ideas?
Play a rogue with ranks in perform.
You'd have to seriously rework the class since you're getting rid of about half of the class's power.
It might work if you upped their BAB and HD, and maybe give them more uses of bardic performance.
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I would suggest taking a lot at some of the classes like scholar and others that have a lot of knowledge and see about adding a few of their special abilities. Then look at nobles and other social classes and add some of their social abilities. Likely up the skill points as well.
I think it is doable but would take a little bit of trial and error to find a balance.
Off the top of my head here is what I would do and I don't have the books in front of me or know how this would work for game balance but here is how I would picture a non-spell casting Bard.
Instead of Bard as the base class take the Swashbuckler from the Complete Warrior. Reduce is Bab to match the bard's and reduce the hit dice down to a d8 (I think they are normally a d10 right). Then add to it the Bardic Music and Bardic Knowledge. Maybe for better balance the hit dice will need to go down to a d6 but I thought the Swashbuckle was a little underpowered to begin with. The skill list will need to be tweaked a bit but overall I think it would have the right feel.
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In Monte Cook's Complete Book of Eldritch Might there is a Bard variant, spellsongs. Rather than casting spells, they essentially learn music magic (not to be confused with the Bardic Music ability, they still have that). They start out knowing notes, then chords, then melodies (for all intents and purposes-- notes: 1st-2nd level spells, chords: 3rd-4th level spells, melodies: 5th-6th level spells). All of the spellsong abilities match the flavor very nicely: everything (mostly) has to do with sound, like sonic attacks and such. It makes them look less like spellcasters and more like, well, bards.
I'd look at the Archivist from Heroes of Horror and look at the Dark Lore ability and take that as part of your progression for you bard, along with bardic lore.
I'd keep all of the bardic music abilities from the main bard class, since they're mostly inspiration or disruption. It makes logical sense that the siren's song isn't working that well when someone's in the kitchen with Dinah strummin' on the ol' banjo.
In place of the spells--which have frankly never really fit--I'd comb through the books and find various lore-based powers and charisma-based powers, and throw them a few extra bardic feats, especially the ones that let them affect undead and plant creatures and so on. If the game postulates a giant ambulatory geranium that eats adventurers, it's not that hard to postulate a giant ambulatory geranium that likes music too. Ditto with the dead. It's kind of the whole point of the danse macabre legend.
That would also be a nice perk for bards as well: give them the clerical turn/control undead, but focus it through music. So long as you keep playing the flute, your dancing skeletons and choreographed zombies will do your bidding. Once you stop, not so much.
Same thing would work with animals. Does it make more sense to stat up your standard singing Disney princess with all her little animal friends as a druid or a bard? Sounds like a good bardic trick to me.
I'd also make some of it dependent on magical musical instrument, so you maybe can't summon hordes of rats with any old tin whistle.
Well, the main role of the bard is support. OH! Maybe drop the spells and replace them with auras like the Marshall or Dragon Shaman. Maybe the bonus can be +1 per 10 points of a Perform check. Kind of like what the archivist does with their Dark Lore ability.
I'd also give them a Great Ally ability that increases the bonus they provide when using Aid Another and Flanking.
And maybe new uses for social skills that are unique for the Bard.
Do you have the Iron Kingdoms Character Guide? If so, there is a class called Fell Caller (albeit designed specifically for trollkin characters) that is basically a combat bard without spells. It doesn't seem like it would be unbalanced against PFRPG classes. The class has a d8 HD, a revised skill list, and the primary ability, Fell Calls, are comparable to and include Bardic Music abilities. They focus on debuffs for enemies and direct sonic damage.
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Well, the main role of the bard is support. OH! Maybe drop the spells and replace them with auras like the Marshall or Dragon Shaman. Maybe the bonus can be +1 per 10 points of a Perform check. Kind of like what the archivist does with their Dark Lore ability.
I'd also give them a Great Ally ability that increases the bonus they provide when using Aid Another and Flanking.
And maybe new uses for social skills that are unique for the Bard.
This is actually the sort of idea I had. Borrow some other inspirational abilities. Alongside the suggestions on lore abilities, that might be the right punch.
I'm pointing the GM at this thread to see what he thinks.
D&D Bards always irked me. I have always wanted to play a con man without all the magic baggage. I have thought about keeping all the spells but skinning the special effects to something more mundane.
You don't cast Charm Person. You sweet talk them until they come around to your point of view. The end effect is the same. You could even require Eschew Materials to maintain the same semblance of balance since material components would seem kind of silly for 'non-magic' kind of abilities.
Play a rogue with ranks in perform.
You'd have to seriously rework the class since you're getting rid of about half of the class's power.
It might work if you upped their BAB and HD, and maybe give them more uses of bardic performance.
I agree here, that an a shit load of knowledge skills, and gather info
I think Bards should get to use their Bardic Music a number of times equal to their Charisma bonus plus 1/2 their class level (minimum once per day).
It might be less times per day at higher levels, but at least the first level bard won't say "I already sang once today, and I used up both my 0 level spells. I guess I'll shoot my crossbow."
And Bardic Music should be a swift action, like talking is a free action. That way they can do something active in addition to doing something that's relatively passive.