Onto business, I made a thread on another forum recently asking for classes like fochlucan lyrist from 3.5e after expressing how much I want to use the class despite my DM (and his DM) thinking it looked too overpowered/complicated. I showed the DM the alternatives people suggested, as well as the PrC tier guide that was so helpfully linked, and he took another look at FL himself and changed his mind that it can be used so long as I can find or create a decent conversion without him having to. So far, this is the best conversion I have found, but I felt like it was dropping too much from the class, and it never seemed like it was finished anyway.
So I've attempted my own conversion, it is not finished yet, but I've ran into some bumps.
Requirements
Skills: Linguistics (4 ranks) Diplomacy (4 ranks) Knowledge, nature (4 ranks) Perform, String Instruments (7 ranks) Sleight of Hand (4 ranks)
Language: Druidic
Alignment: Neutral Good, Neutral, Chaotic Neutral or Neutral Evil
Spells: Ability to cast 1st level arcane and divine spells
Special: Bardic Knowledge and Evasion
Skill points per level: 6 + int modifier
Class Skills
Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (any) (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perform (Cha), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha)
Class Features
Hit Die: D8
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Fochlucan lyrists gain no proficiency with any weapon or armour.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each level, a Fochlucan lyrist gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in any one arcane spellcasting class and any one divine spellcasting class to which she belonged before adding the prestige class level.
Bardic Knowledge
Bardic Music: A Fochlucan lyrist adds her lyrist level to her bard level to determine the number of times per day she can use her bardic music, the bardic music abilities she can employ, and the power of those abilities.
Unbound: A Fochlucan lyrist's druid oaths are relaxed, allowing her to wear light metal armor with no loss of spellcasting, supernatural, or spell-like abilities.
Lvl/ BAB/ Fort/ Ref/ Will/ Special/ Spells per day/Spells known
1st +1 +0 +3 +3 Bardic knowledge, bardic music, nature bond, wild empathy, unbound +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
2nd +2 +1 +4 +4 Guileful Polyglot +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
3rd +3 +2 +5 +5 Extra Empathy +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
4th +4 +2 +6 +6 False Friend +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
5th +5 +3 +7 +7 Extra Empathy +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
6th +6 +4 +8 +8 Charmer +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
7th +7 +4 +9 +9 Extra Empathy +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
8th +8 +5 +10 +10 Honeyed Words +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
9th +9 +6 +11 +11 Extra Empathy +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
10th +10 +6 +12 +12 Steal the Story +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class and +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
Nature Bond/Wild Empathy: Fochlucan Lyrist levels stack with druid
So as I said, it isnt finished. I've shown this to my DM so far and he is okay with most of what I have. Nothing he has said no to, rather that it will just need to be looked at more when it's done.
The requirements- I had perform, string at 10 originally to match the original class's 13, but the DM said it should be lower than that for pathfinder so I reduced it to 7. I'm unsure about Evasion, while it was an original requirement, I feel it could and maybe should be dropped, but it's dependant on more I will say later.
Increased hit die from d6 to d8
DM is unsure on whether it should have full BAB or not. The idea so far is that it should probably be reduced to that of a bard or druid, but if the class is going to take longer to advance into/suffer from earlier level dips it can stay as is. He's waiting to see the final product before making a call on it.
Added Wild Empathy and Nature Bond to the class features, DM was perfectly fine with this. But now I'm getting to the part I'm stuck with. I put in extra empathy, which was a suggestion in the other conversion linked above. In trying to find a niche for this class, both myself and the DM felt it fit, but Im unsure if it should be spread out more. As for the rest of the special features...mostly they are just placeholders. I picked out a few rogue talents I thought fit based around it being a communicator, but I feel like maybe I am pigeon-holing it too much?
Some alternative ideas I had were to give it evasion as a class feature rather than a requirement, and/or maybe some bard Masterpieces from UM based on string/oratory, being that it will miss out on the higher level bard features.
I feel like I SHOULD be putting some bonuses to inspire competence/courage in there, but I'm not sure at what levels.
Finally..
Builds? Just out of curiosity where could this class go? In 3.5 its intended to have bard/druid/rogue levels but it turns out horribly unoptimized, and its better to use other PrCs that advance on the existing casting. My DM looked at it and suggested as a first thought, some druid and sorceror, with one level in bard, and have FL advance the sorcerer casting. In PF, would the 'intended' entry be feasible now, or could/should it still be using some alternatives.
