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Sadly, this isn't a discussion about my awesome heavy metal bard, nah, it tis my desire to play one, and I haven't the foggiest idea on how you could make one RAW. My DM loves the idea, and has allowed me to play a heavy metal player from earth mysteriously transported to his fantasy world, and my electric guitar will no long need electricity or speakers to work.
Awesome.
Anyways, he allows any WotC book alongside Pathfinder, so I wonder, how shall this 7th level Human Bard be made? I would love suggestions.
Is your axe going to be an axe?
Not that familiar with 3.5 bard stuff. Pathfinder stuff:
Go for a 2HW if you can. Sword and Board also works, but that doesn't seem to me what your going for.
Stat Priority: Str, Cha(15 min, bump to 16 at some point), Con, Dex, Int, Wis.
Feats:
Arcane Strike, Power Attack, Toughness, Weapon Focus, Dazzling Display,
Spells (not the best, just amusing):
Silent Image (special effects)
Ventriloquism (lip sinc)
Disguise Self (what rockstar doesn't want to hide sometimes)
Alter Self (Body Modification)
Heroism (just because its awesome, and you are the star)
Enthrall (they must watch, even though they disapprove)
Rage (Trash that room)
Sound Burst (1 big strum)
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Remember tons of cool one liners and verses from 80's metal to toss out while fighting stuff.....
Dio has some good ones-
"we search for the truth, we could die upon the tooth, but thrill of just the change is worth the pain!"
"the dark that you find can come out of your mind"
and anything else that works is cool but either keep a list to use in cool situations or get your rememberator working good.
Also you could use some verses as the verbal components for spells. Change words to fit the tone of the spell being cast, totally steal the words from existing songs, or make up your own metal lyrics...
I've wanted to do this concept for a while so I have given it mostly flavorful thought....
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So required stuff to watch/listen to for inspiration:
Mark Wahlburg's "Rock Star" movie.
Steel Panther's "Feel the Steel" album.....totally Not Safe to listen to around kids and most wives, but some great lines in those songs.
Anything Ozzy, Dio, or hair metal oriented (for good metal ballads try out Winger, Poison or Warrant). I would also suggest some Metal Church, Flotsam and Jetsam, Overkill, or Testament. All great 80's metal bands that were semi-popular but not to the point where everyone knows all their lyrics...
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Oh man, no, I don't want to be a brutal legend character at all! No, I meant, like, how he traveled from earth to the fantasy world. Let us not get on that track of thought; I won't be anywhere near melee combat! The group needed a booster, and I've done cleric to death, so I thought, how about an awesome twist upon the bard?
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The bard can be a decent booster, I guess... But living to boost the party alone isn't quite as effective as boosting the party while beating the crap out of stuff. Just remember, round one of combat is always- Move Action: Inspire Courage, Standard Action: Buff or Debuff spell (Haste is a favorite). If you can convince your DM to let your guitar also be a weapon (like maybe a two-handed bludgeoning weapon) that you can strum in-between attacks. Just don't play into the "prances with lute" stereotype. Remember, you don't have enough spells to cast every round, and it only takes a free action to maintain your performance. Get some damage-dealing potential so that you don't waste those actions.
Treanmonk's Guide to Bards offers 3 main roads for the bard. Melee Bard, Ranged Bard, and Controller. All 3 work out well. Sounds like you want the controller, which relies on whip prof to trip enemies. He also has the neat idea of grabbing a net. Dazzling Display is a great ability, especially if you got a rogue ally going shattered defenses. Spells like Greese are your friend. Feinting is also a decent combat action for your team, but it takes a while to get their with greater feint.
The big thing is that Bards are best not being total back line characters just singing in the background and buffing. They work very well as skirmishers, or ranged attackers now.
Stat Priority: Str(combat manuevers), Cha, Int (13 min for combat expertise), Dex + Con, Wis.
If you want Agile Manuevers you can go for Dex instead of Str.
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This all sounds cool, but what kinda stuff would flavor it as a heavy metal player? I'm not as interested in what is powerful (I am a little though, so that is all cool), so much as what would make you think awesome heavy-metal based magic? I saw the Ironskin chant in Complete adventurer that works great, but I can't take it yet. Things like that.
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Are you going to go with the KISS look, or something more like POISON, or perhaps just angry, like early METALLICA? Or the other extreme- GWAR.
It seems that would do a lot to determine your choice of armor.
I'm thinking of a mix of Van Halen, Metallica, Hammerfall, Thin Lizzy, Acrassicauda, and Guns n' Roses. And maybe a little Rammstein, although I'm not sure Industrial Metal is what I'm thinking of for this character.
This all sounds cool, but what kinda stuff would flavor it as a heavy metal player? I'm not as interested in what is powerful (I am a little though, so that is all cool), so much as what would make you think awesome heavy-metal based magic? I saw the Ironskin chant in Complete adventurer that works great, but I can't take it yet. Things like that.
I think thats why a lot of us thought of an up in your face melee bard sceaming some death metal as he smashed his oponent in the face (which totally works for a character). And I still recomend Dazzling Display, no matter your other choices. Its all about being so flashy your enemies are scared of you, and everyone will love you when the enemy gets -2 to hit and saves. Its prerequisite is a good feat too.
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And I still recomend Dazzling Display, no matter your other choices. Its all about being so flashy your enemies are scared of you, and everyone will love you when the enemy gets -2 to hit and saves. Its prerequisite is a good feat too.
Oh yeah, when you said that, I put it on the sheet, for sure. It does work great for the concept. And I do kinda see what you mean about screaming death metal into enemies ears.
Made a bard once for a one shot based off of the lead singer of Dethklok. 1/2 Ork with a great-axe/guitar named Norman Combustion.
Made a bard once for a one shot based off of the lead singer of Dethklok. 1/2 Ork with a great-axe/guitar named Norman Combustion.
This is so BRUTAL man.
As for me, I once had the very same idea of a "Metal" bard. Under a 20-point buy system, I built him this way. It wasn't optimized, but it rendered the character pretty well :
- Half-Wild Elf
- Bard 1, CN
- Studded Leather with spikes
- Reinforced guitar with mythral strings (MWK, DM allowed since I gave him a good laugh with the concept)
- Skill Focus "Perform(String)" as RacialFeat
- Skill Focus "Perform(Sing)" as 1st level feat
- You may replace on of those Skill Focuses with "Perform(Dancing)". You know, headbanging?
STR 13
DEX 13
CON 13
INT 14
WIS 9
CHA 17 (15+2 Racial)
Goes for an aggressive rock star. His 9 WIS embodies a carefree attitude and violent behavior. I had ideas of creating spells to increase the broadcasting capabilities of my instrument so I could one day play my tunes with my band on an altar with breeches to every planes of existence. The nine hells with Rock is a much more interesting place, is it not?
- You may replace on of those Skill Focuses with "Perform(Dancing)". You know, headbanging?
Or you could replace it with Improved Unarmed Strike. You know, headbanging? ;)
Or you could replace it with Improved Unarmed Strike. You know, headbanging? ;)
- You may replace on of those Skill Focuses with "Perform(Dancing)". You know, headbanging?
I buy it.
Grab leap attack for stage diving.
There are some good SpC spells that would fit as well, like itonthunder horn.
If core only, take shout.
And check out Dee Synder's House of Hair radio show. That's right, Twisted Sister's Dee Synder is a radio DJ. Sunday nights.
Don't forget Spinal Tap.
There is only ONE song to epitomize a Heavy Metal Bard.
Rainbow, "Man on the Silver Mountain." Listen to that, and it will wholesale get you into the mood.
==Aelryinth
As long as you guitar is a twin neck you'll be fine!
SLAYER!
Someone had to say it...
How about a Heavy MEtal bard, from the moderne world, that falls in the fantasy world, and sings about fantasy worlds?
Blind Guardian anyone?
Disguise Self (what rockstar doesn't want to hide sometimes)
This lends itself to a KISS-style rocker, with the emphasis on makeup and costuming.
I would also suggest that you need something, preferrably a weapon or instrument, that goes to eleven.
EDIT: W E Ray, sorry, I didn't see your comment earlier.
SLAYER!
Someone had to say it...
Great idea! I'm currently playing a tough bard who often dresses as the devil, and it is working out great.
Half orc gives a nice +2 to intimidate, and you could do a lot of the make-up and other effects with prestidigitation.
For inspiration, you MUST watch Live After Death by Iron Maiden. I also recall some apt stuff from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. If you really want to make up a crazy character, watch Heavy Metal Parking Lot. Be warned! That it will warp your mind!
I wonder why noone mentioned "Freedom Call" yet. Their songs are pretty much epic fantasy - for instance listen to "Ocean".
A stagediving Heavy Metal bard MUST be in the thick of things. Guitar Axe is a no brainer, Dazzling Display fits so well it's insane as does Haste.
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And who says you need an elecric guitar ;).
The Video Game Sacred 2 contains a Quest about an In-Game Blind Guardian Gig - and has the bands equipment as weapons...
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Since Freedom Call was mentioned, you could also look at its idols
Helloween, especially at Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I and Part II
and
Gamma Ray, especially miracle and Abyss of the Void all of which essentially tell parts of the same epic story.
Rebellion in Dreamland and most of the first Avantasia Album might be worth a look. Grave Digger and (Morgan)le Fey did some cool epic fantasy songs as well - and of course Rhapsody , if you don't mind a certain goofyness.
For gear take real items and then add fantasy:
For example, in ther 14th century there was armor called a Coat-of-plates. This was small (5 or 6 square inch)plates held together in the form of a long coat by either leather or chain mail links.
Go with black leather and make the styling more like a trenchcoat then add spikes. Treat as studded leather armor with spikes.
Your guitar could be a one of kind invention by some insane dwarf, but since the summon instrument spell exists, simply say you--and you alone--summon yours from a totally seperate universe--ours. It would be high tech wireless and to locals appear to be magic.
For spells don't forget pyrotechnics! (2nd level spell) Throw down a couple torches before you start to play then use the pyrotechnic spell for either pizazz or as an attack form. In fact, if your GM will allow, substitute pyrotechnics for suggestion as one of your bardic music abilities.
Also, here's a feat for you, KISS style:
Stage Spittin attack
Preq: 4 ranks perform, Con 13+
Effect: instead of throwing an alchemical potion such as alchemist's fire or acid as a splash attack you can swallow then spit it up as a line attack 15feet long starting at an adjacent square.
Finally, lets rename some!
Sleep=Enter Sandman
Darkness=Back in Black
Sound Burst=I wanna Rock!
Hideous laughter=Crazy train
Hallucinitory terrain=man in the box
Summon monster=living dead girl or dragula (assumes undead)