I was looking at Epic Meepo's Gallivant Bard archetype, and was wondering if anyone had some thoughts on whether or not you'd allow someone to use it:
Gallivants meander through time on a cycle of endless reincarnation, bearing witness to history as it unfolds. As a gallivant, you have the following class features.
Spells: For each spell level from 1st through 4th, you gain one fewer bard spell known than a normal bard of the same level. This modifies your bard spells known.
Mysterious Stranger (Ex): Starting at 1st level, you add 1/2 your gallivant level (minimum +1) to the DC of Sense Motive, Diplomacy, and Knowledge checks to learn about you.
Resist Death's Touch (Ex): At 4th level, you gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against death effects, energy drain, and necromancy effects, and on stabilization checks when dying.
Many Lives (Ex): At 7th level, if you are killed, you may automatically reincarnate (as the spell) 1 day later. You appear in a safe location within 1 mile of your previous body. At will for the next 7 days, you can sense the presence of your remains as if using locate object as a spell-like ability. If you are killed during these 7 days, you remain dead and do not reincarnate. The many lives ability does not function if you are slain by a death effect. You cannot be raised from the dead or resurrected, though you can be reincarnated.
Cheat Death (Ex): At 10th level, once per day, you may reroll a save against a death effect, energy drain, or necromancy effect before the result of the roll is revealed, or reroll a failed stabilization check while dying. You must take the result of the second roll, even if it is worse than the original roll.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon (Ex): At 13th level, you can speak with any living creature.
I personally really like the concept here. My issue with it is that you seem to be getting a ton of class features while only knowing less first through fourth spells, but then again not all of them are amazing. Mysterious Stranger is more flavorful than useful. Resist Death's Touch and Cheat Death are good, but the bonuses are very situational. Many Lives is very cool, but depending on play style death is relatively cheap anyway. Permanent Tongues is also cool, but not really a deal breaker.
Like I said what's bothering me is that you seem to be getting a lot for what you lose (especially if you're playing a race that can get spells known as a favored class option). What do you guys think in regards to that? Do you think the exchange rate here is reasonable?
id allow it
What you're suggesting brings it more in line with the Paizo archetype it was based on, Reincarnated Druid. The entire archetype was an attempt at that translated to Bard (and I think the spell hit was mostly there to keep it stack-able with other archetypes, which is nice). As you can see there, the Many Lives is meant to come early.
Like I said, I don't see it as amazing. Most games I play in aren't the type where character death is common, and it does have qualifiers like having to survive naked and find a way back from the safe place you reincarnate at and true death if you get killed in that time period. I do see your point with replacing Bardic Knowledge and Well Versed, but do you really think Tongues is worth replacing Suggestion and Mass Suggestion?
Hmm... what would you guys think if it reduced all spells, not just the strange 1 -4 it does now?