Alternative to Deadly Performance

[Alton Nimblewit]

Hello,

Our GM has houseruled that all death effects are subject to Ravenloft-style corruption checks, which means that the bard's capstone ability could cause my Neutral Good bard to devolve into a slavering shell of a soul husk.

I've talked to the GM about this, and he wants me to suggest alternatives to Deadly Performance, so long as it fits the ability and power.

FYI, I'm already level 10, and the character has already developed as a standard bard with no archetypes, and changing that would require costly retraining, so archetypes are out.

I see some alternatives based on the other capstone abilities for other classes:

* paralysis for 2d6 rounds (Rogue's Master Strike)
* sleep for 1d4 hours (Rogue's Master Strike)
* nonlethal damage equal to the creature's current hit points (Ranger's Master Hunter)

In order for the replacement of deadly performance to be viable, it must fall under the following criteria:

1) It must be of comparable power to a save or die effect.
2) It must target a single creature.
3) It must make sense in the context of a mind affecting effect.
4) It must make sense in the context of a visual/audio performance.

Sleep definitely would meet this requirement, but I'm looking for something a bit more creative.

Thoughts?

[Alton Nimblewit]

Sorry, let me clarify this a bit... the Ravenloft thing isn't houserules... we're in Ravenloft, as we recently discovered. As in, there-is-no-half-orc-only-caliban Ravenloft.

Alton's an Innocent, and Deadly Performance is subject to a powers check. Poor guy was never designed for a horror campaign.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Hmm, my 3E Battle Dancer re-write, flavored after Capoeira, featured chanting and voodoo curse-like effects that cause various afflictions as her capstone dance (works like bardic performance where you have various options). I don't know if you're melee or ranged-oriented, build, etc...

Spoiler:

Dance of Death* (Su): A 20th level battle dancer masters the potent dance of death. As a standard action, she selects one foe and initiates this odd mix of voodoo ritual and performance, chanting vivid predictions of that creature's imminent demise. Against that creature, the dancer's attacks with any weapons are treated as if they had the Bane magical weapon property, of a type that matches the victim, her unarmed strikes have their base (before feats and magical properties apply) critical stats changed to 18-20/x3 (so a dancer w/ Improved Critical feat would have a critical range of 15-20/x3, for example), and when she uses Skiva against that creature, it does not consume an immediate action (allowing for repeated use of Skiva and Au Batido against that creature). Finally, the victim finds himself transfixed by otherworldly spirits. On any round in which he attempts to move away from the dancer any distance, he must first succeed on a will save (DC 10 + ½ Dancer's level + Dancer's charisma modifier). Failure on a given round means he is unable to move to any space that is further away from the dancer than his current position for that round. In order to maintain this dance on subsequent rounds after activating it, the dancer must attempt at least one melee attack on the victim each round, and the dance can be maintained for up to 1 round per rank in Perform (Dance).

Feel free to adapt and pilfer anything from there, if it helps. It is fairly powerful, though that's partly because by 20th level, this costs a standard to activate and is single target, while as most other dances (performances) by then are move or swift to activate and often buff multiple allies.

Spoiler:

Skiva = Perform (Dance) check to negate a hit and Au Batido is basically a parry after succeeding. The benefit was getting to counter EVERY attack of the victim instead of just one per round.

[Alton Nimblewit]

Alton Nimblewit is no Capoeirista, and curses require a powers check as well...

Alton is range-oriented (Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Deadly Aim, Weapon Focus (shortbow), Arcane Strike). He was originally going to go Arcane Archer, but I decided that full bard would be better for him.

If we're looking for something flavorful, Alton is a faith healer/evangelist, so something in that vein would work exceptionally well.

[Dosgamer]

I'm not a fan of the bard capstone ability myself. If I were to rewrite it I would look to the rogue capstone such as you have done, but also consider the possibility of allowing various status effects such as nauseated, dazed, frightened, staggered, etc. Pick a few of them as mutually exclusive options and go with it. Perhaps allow some of the less powerful ones be small AOEs. Good luck!

[Alton Nimblewit]

Hmm... I already have Frightening Tune for the frightened condition. The staggered condition already exists as part of deadly performance (if the target succeeds).

You might be on to something there, though... something of a prismatic effect where the target gets hit by a random status ailment.

In effect, the performance is so powerful that the user experiences a wide range of emotions. The dominant emotion is determined randomly, and has an effect.

Awe (Stunned)
Anger (Staggered)
Joy (Exhausted)
Despair (Panicked)
Myriad (Confusion)
Sensory Overload (Blindness or Deafness)

Failed save duration TBD (1d4-1d6 rounds). Successful save reduces the duration to 1 round.