I'm working on a bard variant (inspired by the 3.5e truenamer's skill-check based casting, with more reasonable check scaling, but more on that later.) that I intend to use in my group's campaigns, and I'm trying to make sure that I hit the pathfinder balance points right. (I also figured if it works out, I'd post it so people could use it if they were so inclined)
1: I'm not sure how to phrase the search for this so that it gets useful information... a year ago when introduced to pathfinder, I found a post that explained what the natural multiclass breakpoints for a pathfinder class were, based on some levels tending to be heavier than others. My memory and own evaluation of the classes is that odd and prime number levels tend to have the strongest features, and I want to make sure that I capture the general pattern correctly.
2: Bonus feat "value". I've noticed that among 3/4 BAB classes, the ones with narrow bonus feat lists tend to have them more often than the ones with regular combat bonus feats. Inquisitor having teamwork feats every 3 levels, Alchemists and rogues getting "psuedo-feats" every 2 levels, but monks getting bonus feats every 4 levels.
I have been thinking to replace Lore Master with a "knowledge bonus feat", allowing a skill focus, magic school focus, or weapon focus feat, but am uncertain how many or at what progression to provide them. These all strike me as "minor" bonus feats, once every 3 levels seems reasonable... but I see the skill focus feats so rarely I'm not sure if that's just flat out too generous?
3: Bonus Martial/Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Fluff). How in Kromm's name do I balance this? I've noticed some very bard flavored weaponry in the SRD (Bladed scarf, Totem spear, off the top of my head) that seemed very intriguing as bard concepts, and my test bard is going to be a veil dancer using bladed scarves, but I simply do not like the associated feat tax.
I've penciled in a "performance weapon" mechanic based loosely on the arcane bond concept, where you get up to level/5 of weapons that you customize and practice with and can treat as parts of your performance. (The flavor being that you could decorate a weapon and make it a display of physical or acting prowess eg: "I put streamers on my quarterstaff and twirl it like a baton!") This opens up all weapons as fluff weapon, but I really like the idea of making the existing "fluff" weapons baseline proficiency for the bard, since, well, the class exists specifically for that fluff.
Would it be reasonable to add a weapon proficiency feat to the list of "knowledge bonus feats" I mentioned in #2? Perhaps if I specifically state "Performance themed bonus weapon proficiency feat"? There are so few of them it almost seems overly specific, and PF performance weapons often end up being functionally worse than their non-exotic counterparts. (the bladed scarf losing reach/near reach is one example that comes to mind.)
What really bugs me about this, is I know Monk's bonus feat list doesn't include bonus weapon proficiency choices for monk weapons, resulting in exotic monk weapons that the monk simply has to pay feat tax for.
I was going to post Music progression balance questions, but that's probably a full post on it's own, it's a touch after 4:30 am, and I think my first three questions are bordering on too extensive anyway. *nervous chuckle*
Thanks in advance!
Wow, that "veil dancer using bladed scarves" sounds exactly like something I asked about a few days ago in the Advice forum (http://paizo.com/forums/dmtz59ja?Three-Impossible-Characters)! Interesting synchronicity.
Interesting coincidence! I need to start reading the advice forum more often. I've been sticking to rules with a pinch of homebrew and general. With regards to the veil dancer, it's sort of just an amusing concept. You know, I think I'll post over in your thread, although with all the 3.5 or homebrew stuff I'm going to suggest, it might have been more appropriate over here. *laughs* :)
I think I found a solution to my problem, too, I'm just going to roll with Paizo style psuedo-feats. (ala rogue/witch/magus/etc.) Didn't particularly want to write a whole bunch of them, but it seems like one of those "if the shoe fits" solutions.