I was recently considering a couple levels of Dirge Bard for my Inquisitor build. While this was primarily about trying to get more out of certain spell abilities, I can easily work this into my character's back story (which I've been slowly fleshing out).
Question: Would the "Secrets of the Grave" Dirge Bard ability carry over to impact mind-affecting spells from another class? As a general rule, I'm well aware that most class abilities which affects spells usually DO NOT affect spells outside of the class in question which grants said ability, so my assumption is that this would also be true of this particular ability. However, the text for this particular power reads as follows:
At 2nd level, a dirge bard gains a bonus equal to half his bard level on Knowledge (religion) checks made to identify undead creatures and their abilities. A dirge bard may use mind-affecting spells to affect undead as if they were living creatures, even if they are mindless (though spells that affect only humanoids do not affect them, even if they were humanoids in life). In addition, he may add one necromancy spell from the spell list of any arcane spellcasting class to his list of spells known at 2nd level and every four levels thereafter.
This ability replaces versatile performance.
For information on this Bard Archetype, click here: Dirge Bard
My thought was that I might grab two levels of Dirge Bard, which would mesh well with my general character concept AND my primary character class, the Inquisitor. While I realize that any dipping is often not optimal for any class with spellcasting ability or level-based special abilities (of which the Inquisitor possesses both), and will restrict a character from access to the highest level, and often most powerful, abilities available to their class, our games have NEVER made it to level 20. On the off chance that this game does get there, I guess that's a decision I will just have to live with, hoping that the utility of the abilities gained from my dip is enough of a counter-balance to the loss of: one extra Judgement/day, two 6th level spells/day, and True Judgment's Death Strike-like ability. Getting an extra +4 on saves against fear, energy drain, death effects, and necromantic effects, and the potential ability to use mind-affecting spells on Undead are both pretty boss! Plus the 1st level Bard stuff, and a few arcane utility spells never hurt anybody.
If you're interested in my character concept/background, feel free to read the following.
But unforeseen circumstance were to change the course of a young man's life.
The careless exploration of dark magicks by overzealous clergymen, acolytes and other religious extremists brought a horrid plague upon the city in which our hero's studies had taken him. Rampant outbreaks of an unidentifiable and powerful unholy disease was killing residents, causing them to rise again as horrible, flesh-eating rage monsters. Few, it seemed, would escape the wrath of this terrible curse, and our young prodigy was not to be an exception.
The city council put a hasty quarantine into effect, and couriers were sent in all directions to major outlying communities. "We have brought upon ourselves the wrath of our gods. No cure can be found for this accursed plague. We must raze the city, decimate the populous. None may survive this cleansing."
But those of power have eyes and ears everywhere. House Auvryghym was not so fortunate as to save their son from the plague, but his corpse was recovered before it could be consumed by the unholy flames. Money was no object for these wealthy nobles. Complex ritual were performed and dark pacts were made. The horrid curse infesting Solraen's body was expunged, and his life was renewed.
The process of the eradication process was not kind to our hero, however. He became hideously scarred and disfigured, half his face being all but burnt off by holy water. Most of the damage was repaired, but Solraen was left bearing a monstrous visage.
Angered by the carelessness of his people, and vowing to protect others from such atrocities, young Solraen was granted a moment of clarity, and found himself blessed by a vision from a "heretical" source. He was to be a champion for the people; a force of good and righteousness; a protector of the innocent and defenseless; a cunning, unseen hand of holy retribution against the evils that plague the world.
And so it was that our hero gathered his possessions, outfitted himself with implements designed to eradicate the creatures of darkness, funded by his family's stipend through the use of trickery and deception, and then fled the lands of his people in search of more holy teachings. He abandoned his past, his family, his people, and even his name which he associated with the very dark powers that made him into the monster he now appeared to be.
Taking up the mantle of "the Wraith" -- an ironic title representing his hideous, death-like appearance, as well as the creatures he sought to destroy -- our hero clad himself in all white, wearing a mask to protect others from his nauseating countenance, and set out to extinguish evil, fighting from the shadows with holy fervency.
ACtually, the general rule is that abilities that affect spells affect spells no matter what class you got the spells and abilities from.
AWESOME!!!
And I think I've gone through and corrected all the grammatical errors in my character's story. Still looking through it, though. ;)
One more question.
In my story, it states that my character has been hideously, nauseatingly scarred by the events of his past. Are there any traits, qualities, feats, or whatever else you can think of that I could use to represent this? Some way of giving him a bonus to (likely) Intimidate at the cost of a penalty to Diplomacy? This would have to be a circumstantial bonus - "Only when people can see his face." Maybe even some way to cause a one-round nausea effect when his face is seen (with a very, very easy Fortitude save)?
If not, I'm sure I could convince my group to house-rule something. I'm not looking for something free to make me OP or anything like that, but it's fun when you can incorporate role-play elements into actual game effects.
And I would really prefer avoiding a feat. I don't have enough of those to spare as it is! LOL!
Besides, my character is somewhat ashamed of his appearance, and generally will prefer to keep it covered by a mask or bandages.
There's the feat called "Deformed". It doesn't give the penalty to Diplomacy, but you can just say you rolled 1 lower :)
There's the feat called "Deformed". It doesn't give the penalty to Diplomacy, but you can just say you rolled 1 lower :)
Oo! Awesome! Exactly what I was looking for. And just to correct you, the link lists it as a TRAIT, not a FEAT, so that makes it PERFECT! Thank you very much, Cheapy! Happy Happy Joy Joy!