Bard - Thundercaller "Bound to the Land"

[Thalionmel]

Hi folks,

I've got a question concerning the "Bound to the Land" ability of the Bard Archetype "Thundercaller":

It gives half level bonus to Handle Animal, Survival, and Knowledge Nature and replaces bardic knowledge. But it doesn't say anything about class skills or untrained usage as BK does.

Looking at the character concept, which seems to me somewhat shamanistic, shouldn't it do one of both, either give the bard HA & Survival as class skills or let him use HA untrained?

Yours,
Thalionmel

[Cavall]

That is very interesting. I'd see little harm in allowing HA to be used untrained. But as written, you're correct it's a small glitch.

[Thalionmel]

Cavall wrote:

That is very interesting. I'd see little harm in allowing HA to be used untrained. But as written, you're correct it's a small glitch.

Well, I hope my DM will rule it like this. I think the ability is pretty useless in general, especially without being able to use HA untrained, and you give up one really useful ability for it. Don't know how often BK saved our butts in our old group because the bard knew the weaknesses of the monsters.

[Ascalaphus]

It's a bit odd, but as a bard you've got enough skill points to cope with the "not untrained" thing.

[Cavall]

I would like to try out this archtype, but my next bards going to be that wild caller or whatever it is. The idea of having ranger spells on an elven bard for an arcane archer really appeals to me.

[Thalionmel]

Ascalaphus wrote:

It's a bit odd, but as a bard you've got enough skill points to cope with the "not untrained" thing.

There ist no such thing as "enough skill points", especially not for a bard or rogue! :D

No, it's more that I have INT 14, Base 6 = 8 skill points, 4 of which have to go to perform skills to max for versatile performance (dance, oratory, act, percussion - very fitting for a shaman-style bard I think). The others for spellcraft, perception, UMD and at least one knowledge (arcane)... Favored Class Option is the one from race (Aasimar - of course I will take it for the Thunder Call BP; just hoping my DM will scale it on after lvl 13). But so - no skills from there... no SP for HA. Okay, with those choices in perform skills, with versatile performance it's no prob for me, but it was a general question for ruling. Not everyone is a powergamer like me.

[Cavall]

Maxing out every perform skill before they can be utilized for versatile performance seems a waste. Better to use some skills here and there until you van pick it up.

[Thalionmel]

Cavall wrote:

Maxing out every perform skill before they can be utilized for versatile performance seems a waste. Better to use some skills here and there until you van pick it up.

I'll see it while playing; we're just preparing for the group and will start at level 1. At first level I want at least to "unlock" the four perform skills with a rank. Will be quite a change, switching from a mid-to-high-level group played for years to nearly nothing :D