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I wanted to rebuild the 3.5 fochlucan lyrist, which is a bard/druid PrC, though it needed evasion, which was suggesting it needed rogue levels too. While working on it I figured it would be better to build a bard archetype with druidic flavor. The name is most likely going to change but I didn't think of a good one yet.
Fochlucan Lyrist
Skills : All skills, except disable device are class skills for the fochlucan lyrist
alignment: any neutral
Spells: Fochlucan Lyrists have the same restrictions as druids regarding spells with an alignment subtype.
1st level :
Bonus languages
A Fochlucan Lyrist is considered an initiate druid and there for also knows Druidic, a secret language known only to druids, which she learns upon becoming a 1st-level Fochlucan Lyrist. Druidic is a free language for a Fochlucan Lyrist; that is, she knows it in addition to her regular allotment of languages and it doesn’t take up a language slot. Druids are forbidden to teach this language to nondruids.
Druidic has its own alphabet.
Nature Sense(Ex)
Druidic Initiate
* These abilities replace Distraction and Countersong.
2nd level :
Woodland stride(Ex)
Wild Empathy(Ex)
The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the Fochlucan Lyrist and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
A Fochlucan Lyrist can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check.
* These abilities replace Well Versed and Versatile Performance
3rd level :
Trackless step(Ex)
* This ability replaces Inspire Competence
8th level :
Wild Shape(Su), see spoiler
To assume the form of an animal, plant or elemental the Fochlucan Lyrist needs to sacrifice a spell slot, which is expended as if cast. The level of the spell slot expended depends on the spell simulated and the Fochlucan Lyrist can choose to use a lower level spell slot to use wildshape as a druid of a lower level, though the duration always remains the same (1 hour per effective druid level).
- Beast Shape I, requires the expenditure of a 3rd level spell slot
- Beast Shape II and Elemental Body I, require the expenditure of a 4th level spell slot
- Beast Shape III, Elemental Body II and Plant Shape I require the expenditure of a 5th level spell slot
- Elemental Body III and Plant Shape II require the expenditure of a 6th level spell slot
If the Fochlucan Lyrist also has druid levels which grant wild shape, the Fochlucan Lyrist effective druid levels stack with druid levels to determine how often the druid can use wild shape, how long it lasts and which forms she can assume.
* This replaces one bard spell known of 3rd level and when the Fochlucan Lyrist learns to cast 4th, 5th and 6th level spells she knows one less spell of each level.
10th level :
Resist Nature's Lure(Ex)
* This ability replaces Jack of All Trades
I am a little worried it might be a little too strong, the druid spells are fairly specialized though and the Lyrist knows a very limited number of spells, especially considering she has 1 less known spell of levels 3 through 6, though she could learn more by expending feats or favored class bonus.
The wildshape is limited in number of uses and requires using spell slots, and is also nowhere near as powerful as a druid's but gives the bard alot of flexibility, so perhaps it does need some downgrading.
I was doubtful about sacrificing Dirge of Doom and Frightening Tune, which I chose not to do, but depending on feedback I might change my mind.
If this had a domain instead of wild shape, I would've so used this 2 years ago when I was making a tribal shaman bard.
Why didn't you post this two years ago? >:| And no, "archetypes didn't exist" is not a valid excuse.
Ok, Wild Shape probably should go, though I did enjoy the mental image of a whirling air elemental singing 'The Dirge of Doom'.
I think instead I will add some spells to the spell list, though the Fochlucan Lyrist still has to select them normally :
3rd level, Beast Shape I
4th level, Beast Shape II, Elemental Body I
5th level, Beast Shape III, Elemental Body II, Plant Shape I
6th level, Elemental Body III, Plant Shape II
Also considering adding this ability :
1st level :
Nature's Bond
The Fochluan Lyrist selects a domain among those normally available for druids, the domain spells are added to her spells known as soon as she can cast spells of that level and she can use the domain's granted powers as a cleric of her level, use charisma instead of wisdom to determine number of uses or the DC where appropriate.
* The Fochlucan Lyrist has one less spell known per spell level, effectively these are replaced by the domain spells.
Druidic Initiate is too much, but Wild Empathy is too little for Versatile Performance.
What if you gave them one Druid spell at 2nd, 6th, and so on-- like a Magician-- instead of Versatile Performance? Then you could give Wild Empathy in place of Countersong, which seems more fair.
Druidic Initiate is too much, but Wild Empathy is too little for Versatile Performance.
What if you gave them one Druid spell at 2nd, 6th, and so on-- like a Magician-- instead of Versatile Performance? Then you could give Wild Empathy in place of Countersong, which seems more fair.
Druidic Initiate is the main feature of the archetype but bard spells are often superior to the level they are granted at, while druid spells are often very specific in application. The benefit that will be gotten isn't that great and her spells suffer the same alignment restrictions as a druid, most of the class features sacrificed eventually come down to compensate for her more diverse spell list, the other abilities gained are mostly for flavor downplaying her musical tendencies and strengthening her connection with druids and nature, but eventually inferior.
* I am still considering wether I should add a domain or not, it seems a bit much with not alot of features I want to give up, eventually it will turn out to add an animal companion at -3 levels is too powerful for features given up.
* I decided not to add the polymorph spells to the spell list since it already got expanded quite a bit, but still want to add some relatively minor wildshape ability.
* I want to delay Dirge of Doom till level 14 and sacrifice Frightening Tune for the ability to wild shape as a druid half her level for animal forms only, the purpose is mostly to have her being able to wild shape in an animal like a hawk to travel fast or a mouse to eavesdrop, at the levels she gains it it shouldnt be a large boon in combat. I'll leave the more advanced forms to actual druids.
As for the name, what about "Ovate," the (somewhat mistaken) word used for Druidic Bards in Strabo and adopted in the 18th and 19th centuries. The correct form seems to be Vates (Irish = Faith). It seems to sum up the Celtic bard-druid combination well enough. I just like the sound of Ovate a bit more, since the Nature-orientation of the PF Druid is based more on modern and Victorian notions than history.
