Lion Blade (Playable?)

[drennier]

I am starting to make a PFS character and my first inclination was to play a Taldor Detective Bard. I'm not particularly fond of the actual rules on the detective so I'm just playing a detective themed bard. I eventually wanted to mix in a few levels of Investigator Rogue (the actual rules).

In looking where I wanted to take this character I stumbled upon the Lion Blade PrC. The flavor of it was great. Its something I really love and it fits the feel of the character I am aiming to achieve. However, after looking at the class, it just looks terrible.

I understand that LB is from a past edition and needs a little updating but I just wanted to see what the general consensus was on the class as a whole. Thoughts?

[luke vyseblade]

i personally loved the flavor and feel of the lb, but theres nothing there for me to ever want to use, it's perfect if ur wanting to play a character like that but i personally dont have that kinda mental capacity, and there fore i avoid playing them

[drennier]

Like I said, I love the flavor. I have the mental capacity and WANT to play a character like that. I just look at it and I'm left wanting for a lot in the mechanics department.

BAB and Saves are fine, just like the Bard progression. (Would the HD scale up to d8s when its updated to current PF rules?) But the abilities just seem so lackluster. You get a slowly progressing upgrade in sneak attack which is ok. But the rest of the abilities just seem very 'meh' in their usefulness.

The other thing that I really wonder about is the problem with the prerequisites. I understand that the skill prereqs are all at -3 (how do you reconcile Hide 8/Move Silent 6? Use the 8? Use the 6? Average for a 7? Also, do you ignore Gather Info, or does that become a Diplomacy prereq?) but in seeing as how you need to be a Bard to get into the school, you have versatile performance (great ability). Presumably you go Performance Acting to get Bluff and Disguise. This makes the skill prereqs a straight tax to get into the class.

Also, inspire self seems somewhat limited. As the character type is supposed to be a sneaky infiltrator (Stealth, Bluff, Disguise), making a "throaty chant" would seem to not help with things like Stealth, Bluff, Diplomacy, etc.

Again, I just find it lacking and I wanted to know others think I'm just being picky or this is a generally accepted truth.

[Squidmasher]

Why don't you just play a Master Spy from the APG? It seems mostly the same, but a lot more playable.

[Kirth Gersen]

I'm still trying to figure out why both of those "prestige classes" weren't simply presented as rogue talents to begin with.

[drennier]

I have considered it and may still chose to go that route. The Lion Blade just had the specificness of Taldor to it that I liked.

Due to playability, I may not have a choice. Depends if I can really convince myself that Lion Blade would be that fun to play.

[thrashbin]

lion blade is good if you have buddy who is a scorpion striking monk then you both step back and take turns pitching shurikens at the guy till your gm table flips