[New Article] The Gallant Bard - New Muse and Feats ( Compatible with PF2E )
https://www.thegamersage.com/post/the-gallant-bard-new-muse-and-feats-pf2e- compatible
In this article, The Gamer Sage brings a new option of Muse to the Bard, and 6 new Feats for the class, all based on a conversion of the Gallant Bard Kit for ad&d.
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Courtier Archetype + 7 New Social Skill Feats: https://www.thegamersage.com/post/courtier-archetype-and-7-new-social-feats -pf2e-compatible
Warlock Class - New Concept: https://www.thegamersage.com/post/warlock-class-pf2e-compatible
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https://www.thegamersage.com/post/the-gamer-sage-review-pathfinder-2e-rpg-e legant-and-full-of-choices
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[New Article] The Gallant Bard - New Muse and Feats ( Compatible with PF2E )
https://www.thegamersage.com/post/the-gallant-bard-new-muse-and-feats-pf2e- compatible
In this article, The Gamer Sage brings a new option of Muse to the Bard, and 6 new Feats for the class, all based on a conversion of the Gallant Bard Kit for ad&d.
Liked the article? Help The Gamer Sage by commenting, critiquing and sharing this article. Your support is essential so that more free content can be created.
Very interesting version of the Bard. However, it may just be me, but I somehow picture a performer that travels from city to city (like a rodeo cowboy or professional wrestler) who sleeps with adoring fans in each city he goes to. That image doesn't conjure "purity" and "innocence", unless it means he is preying on those things!
Very interesting version of the Bard. However, it may just be me, but I somehow picture a performer that travels from city to city (like a rodeo cowboy or professional wrestler) who sleeps with adoring fans in each city he goes to. That image doesn't conjure "purity" and "innocence", unless it means he is preying on those things!
This is a conversion of the Ad&d Gallant Bard Kit.
I did change the lore in very specific points where it was necessary in my point of view, but it tried to keep it as close as the original as possible.It was a request, so not something I chose to do on my own, but it was interesting anyway.
The concept here is about a Bard that is pure romance in the sense of old chivalry romances way. (It is much more about romance, like declaring poetry at night on the window of the room that belongs to the one he/she is interested in, and winning combats in his/her honor, them it is about sleeping with people I believe.)
The Gallant is not someone that exploits people, in fact, if you read his code, he is forbidden from doing so. He protects children and defenseless people.
Most often he is a knight, wearing shining full plate armor, sword, shield, and a mounted lance. He is a performer, but a jousting performer, that acts like a "knight in shining armor".
I believe the original writers of the class had this idea taken from classic romances of knights and chivalry and were thinking about scenarios like Dragon Lance. It seems an interesting concept for a bard in this kind of worlds.
The original creators explicitly said that they were supposed to be "more pure them a paladin", as they are not bound to desire to fight evil or to the laws, only to pure romance, and protecting people in need. (I believe their idea of purity here is in the sense that they do it not for a cause, but for a pure desire to help. And the romance here is seen in the lights of old romantic books and not on the idea of luxury.)
If any part of the article gives you a different view on this class please let me know so I can fix it.
Thank you for the review of it. Any critiques on the mechanic aspects? I would be grateful to have your opinion.
Oh, I forgot to say that I am taking requests if anyone wants to see a specific content made for PF2E. Both original or conversions.
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Well, lines like "Always looking for pretty company to exert its charms on" just shouts "he's an alpha-male always on the prowl for another woman to bed, and "happiness is the goal of life, and doing what makes one happy, and does not deprive others from happiness, is their way of living" sounds like "I just do whatever I want to be happy. It's not like I'm harming anyone, the women are all satisfied when I leave them.." "Always on the road, from one place to another, in searching for new romances and experiences and to be part in more heroic journeys, they will adventure for romantic causes. Promises to romantic interests" just drives the point home for me. If I were to create a Gallant Bard he'd probably be a fantasy version of a pickup artist LINK
Pickup artists (PUA), self-identified as seduction community, or pickup community, is a movement of men whose goal is seduction and sexual success with women. The community exists through Internet newsletters and blogs, marketing (e.g. banner ads, seminars, one-on-one coaching), forums and groups, as well as over a hundred local clubs, known as "lairs" The rise of "seduction science", "game", or "studied charisma" has been attributed to modern forms of dating and social norms between sexes which have developed from a perceived increase in the equality of women in western society and changes to traditional gender roles. Commentators in the media have described "game" as sexist or misogynistic. Some people have acknowledged that the techniques espoused do sometimes succeed in attracting women.
Having a detailed code to follow also sounds like the pickup artist's "Rules of the Game".
I know that pickup artists are not the image you wanted to convey, and it is because of the modern world we live in that brings the image to mind. A much nicer take on it might be the John Cusack Boombox serenade in the movie "Say Anything" (there is video online if you have not seen it: Link.
As far as your mechanics go, Romantic Appeal's "change all successes into critical successes" seems far to powerful a feat to me, even with the "If they are not attracted to you, all failures are reduced by 1 step". I'd say take both of those out and just leave the +2 bonus if they could be attracted.
For Inner Confidence, the +3 bonus on your choice of a wide range of things (attack, damage, AC or saving throws) seems too powerful for a 4th level feat. It combines Inspire Courage and Inspire Defense plus Inspire Heroics, all rolled into one with the effects of a critical success on Inspire Heroics. Since they are Bards, why not just let then take each of those focus spells if they want them?
Poetic Charm also seems too powerful. Success = fall madly in love with you, Crit success = Falls so deeply in lover that they have a -3 on all further saves against your charming ability? Too much.
Last Words doesn't make much sense to me. I get that you are trying to let the hero have his last words, but you need to take a feat to do it, and hearing them makes everyone else Doomed 1? Why? And you are also messing with the death and dying rules to do so? The whole thing is a bad idea, IMHO.
PS: Many of the feat's you created also call back to pickup artists methods. Squire Aid = Wing-man, Poetic charm = "negging", Inner confidence = "inner game", etc. I'm not an expert on that scene, I don't belong to it or approve of it, but there are just so many similarities to what you wrote I can't help it.
I hope all these details help you. I don't really know how to fix it without changing practically everything you created and focusing entirely on a kind of celibate purity angle. I just think creating a bard version may be the wrong way to go IMO since I would just create this character as a Scoundrel Rogue! He could be a good-hearted scoundrel, or a con-man and seducer, but that is for the targets of his seduction (and their fathers and brothers!) to find out. My grandmother (dad's mom) fell for one of these kinds of guys and he convinced her to sign her house over to him! My dad laid a trap for him, caught him when he got back to the house, and threatened him with all kinds of stuff unless he signed it back over to my grandmother again. He knew he was caught and didn't want the police getting involved, so he finally did give it back, but since then I have a very low tolerance for the "charming guy" routine.
Well, lines like "Always looking for pretty company to exert its charms on" just shouts "he's an alpha-male always on the prowl for another woman to bed,
No.
It does not specify gender, the Gallant Bard is not restricted to any specific genre or anything.It specifies that he pursue happiness without causing unhappiness to others.
"I just do whatever I want to be happy. It's not like I'm harming anyone, the women are all satisfied when I leave them.."
First, the romance can be with a woman, a man or someone that is not even part of the genre conformity, depending on the interests of the Gallant Bard the the the said person.
Second, it specifically calls that he does not want to cause unhappiness, why you assume that it is an excuse for something bad? I am not a native English speaker, so please help me in this.
I know that pickup artists are not the image you wanted to convey, and it is because of the modern world we live in that brings the image to mind. A much nicer take on it might be the John Cusack Boombox serenade in the movie "Say Anything" (there is video online if you have not seen it: Link.
Humm, I was not specifically aware of the details of this issue in particular.
But like I said I was basing myself on the original ad&d official class kit. I tried to preserve the concept and the way they created it as much as I could, but I made some changes to deal with genre issues and how our society evolved over the years.
I believe changing specific words, and clarifying what words specifically gives the wrong impressions is the best way to do this, instead of changing the concept, since doing it would defeat the pupose of an adaptation from old edition official content.
As far as your mechanics go, Romantic Appeal's "change all successes into critical successes" seems far to powerful a feat to me, even with the "If they are not attracted to you, all failures are reduced by 1 step". I'd say take both of those out and just leave the +2 bonus if they could be attracted.
Remember that this is class feats not Skill Feats.
A class feat is expected to be particularly important and class defining when it brings no combat utility.Can you share with me examples of what you are comparing it to? As I checked and so far I see it similar to things like:
BREATH CONTROL - Skill Feat
ROBUST RECOVERY - Skill Feat
GLAD-HAND - Skill Feat
IMPECCABLE CRAFTING - Skill Feat
SHAMELESS REQUEST - Skill Feat
UNMISTAKABLE LORE - Skill Feat
(And others...)
Remember that a Class Feat worth more than a Skill Feat, so some examples are a bit weaker but that is to be expected. (Others are pretty on par with it)
Can you help me look at it from a different perspective? For now, I believe it is pretty ok, if not underpowered, since it has no combat value, and most Pf2E Class feats are combat-related. (I am respecting the original class here, but I agree that the balancing can be changed if necessary.)
For Inner Confidence, the +3 bonus on your choice of a wide range of things (attack, damage, AC or saving throws) seems too powerful for a 4th level feat. It combines Inspire Courage and Inspire Defense plus Inspire Heroics, all rolled into one with the effects of a critical success on Inspire Heroics. Since they are Bards, why not just let then take each of those focus spells if they want them?
Seems like you forgot that the status bonuses don't stack.
Also, remember that you cannot activate different compositions at the same turn that easy. And that each one would take one action, making you end without actions to actually use your bonus to attack.
Inner Confidence is SELF only, so if you use your actions on all cantrips, how will you even attack? (This ignoring that they don't stack and that you can't normally use different compositions on the same turn)
I hope you don't take my arguments here as a defense or as a lack of willingness to change things. As you can see on my Warlock class, many changes were made by the feedback of Mellored for example.
Poetic Charm also seems too powerful. Success = fall madly in love with you, Crit success = Falls so deeply in lover that they have a -3 on all further saves against your charming ability? Too much.
Again, out of combat utility. Spells at this level does similar things.
The -3 are not to all your charming abilities, just to the new saves that the target might get from THAT specific effect against you asking things the target would normally not do. But the target can gain a bonus that could go +10 or higher if what is asked is too far from what that person would feel reasonable.
You are overvaluing out of combat effects, and not reading all the nuances and details, like mitigators, specific tags, and forgetting general rules that very much reduce the power of those skills you are analyzing.
Last Words doesn't make much sense to me. I get that you are trying to let the hero have his last words, but you need to take a feat to do it, and hearing them makes everyone else Doomed 1? Why? And you are also messing with the death and dying rules to do so? The whole thing is a bad idea, IMHO.
This is one of the staple abilities of the original class.
The Doomed 1 represents the tragic nature of your poem, think about Lord Byron, but being recited by an amazing high-level bard on the moment of his death. Seems pretty dooming IMO.
No death and dying rule was messed with. There are other effects that prevents a character from gaining the Dying condition.
Can you please show/explain to me why or how it does not work with the RAW rules of the game, or how it breaks the rules? Remember the rules are there to receive exceptions from feats, there is nothing wrong with this happening if it works mechanically.
And it does not even break the rules on dying.
Read again: It is a reaction, that prevents damage that would bring you to zero, and reduce you to your level in HP. Then in 1d4 rounds you will take damage equal to your level, and if it brings you to zero, and you start dying, then before you fall unconscious and start your rolls, you, as a free action of speaking, will recite your final poem and let everyone, including yourself, doomed 1. (Which is partially a nerf to the ability, since you will go to dying 2 because of that.)
I hope all these details help you. I don't really know how to fix it without changing practically everything you created and focusing entirely on a kind of celibate purity angle. I just think creating a bard version may be the wrong way to go IMO since I would just create this character as a Scoundrel Rogue! He could be a good-hearted scoundrel, or a con-man and seducer, but that is for the targets of his seduction (and their fathers and brothers!) to find out. My grandmother (dad's mom) fell for one of these kinds of guys and he convinced her to sign her house over to him! My dad laid a trap for him, caught him when he got back to the house, and threatened him with all kinds of stuff unless he signed it back over to my grandmother again. He knew he was caught and didn't want the police getting involved, so he finally did give it back, but since then I have a very low tolerance for the "charming guy" routine.
I am very sorry for your personal history, good thing that it ended well for your family.
But remember, the Gallant Bard would NEVER do that, this is against his code of conduct, he cant act in evil ways, he cant be greedy, he can't act against pure romance.
I think you are projecting a bit here, and it is clouding your judgment. You interpreted many rules incorrectly, and I had read your posts, and I know you know best and you understand the system better than this.
I believe this is a hard topic for you, but this class DOES NOT FIT FOR A CHARMING PREDATOR, it is about a CHIVALRIC ROMANCE from medieval Chivalry Romantic Books.
I am very open to critiques and to changing my work when necessary, but in this case, I sincerely can't agree with you, and I apologize for that.
The way you want it to be changed goes against everything that is part of the original class, and all the specific parts where your critiques are clearly ignoring, as it specifically says that the Gallant Bard can't act in any of the wrong ways you are presenting here, was ignored by you.
Since it was a request from someone and not purely my choice of what to convert I will refrain from this changes now, but I will keep open to the views from you and others on the forum, and if the need arise i will do any necessary change to make it a better content.
If you have anything that is more on your style, that you want to be converted or created to PF2E, please let me know. =D
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Well, I wish you good luck, but as you said, my personal history means I'm probably not the best person to offer you advice on this class. While I can see you are trying to create a chaste and noble hero class, too many anathema limit players options and choices. That's why I've never played a Paladin. A poor GM can beat the player over the head with all sorts of rulings like "But your class and alignment would not do that, you need to do this instead!"
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Well, I wish you good luck, but as you said, my personal history means I'm probably not the best person to offer you advice on this class. While I can see you are trying to create a chaste and noble hero class, too many anathema limit players options and choices. That's why I've never played a Paladin. A poor GM can beat the player over the head with all sorts of rulings like "But your class and alignment would not do that, you need to do this instead!"
I understand well your point.
On the other hand, I love playing Paladins myself, so maybe we are at different points of the specter on this case. xD
But I had seen the same happening as you said, and it is really sad when it weakens interesting development for Paladin characters.
I am sorry for it not being the kind of content that you like. I hope to bring different things in the future that are more interesting for you, so you can help me improve it.
Like I said, I had seen your content, and there are interesting things there. But as a professional game designer, I learned a long time ago that I must sometimes trace some lines of where I want to go with a developed content. I do appreciate your effort in helping me.
I have increased the pre-requisites on the Inner Confidence because while I analyzed your critiques I came in conclusion that it would be a bit to easy for a multiclass "snatch" of the feature. So your feedback did help me improve the class.
I will review again all your comments, and try to further analyze and ask for friends and fellow designers on their opinions. And I will make changes to the content if it becomes necessary, of taking it down if my conclusion is that it does not have a good stand of quality.
But so far I liked this work and how the conversion ended.
I recommend you to look at the original Gallant Bard Kit to see how the class worked, and how I implemented it.
Thank you again.
I have many 2e books, which one was it in? I don't remember it.I recommend you to look at the original Gallant Bard Kit to see how the class worked, and how I implemented it.
Thank you again.
The Complete Bard Handbook. =D
I love the consistent theming and sheer melodrama. Love it. I can't help but think that the Code makes it a very natural multiclass option with Champion. I'm a huge fan of Don Quixote and the many Orpheic heroes of epics like Orpheus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpheus
and Lemminkäinen (Finnish epic) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemmink%C3%A4inen
I appreciate the gender-neutral take, so champions of love like Senua from the Senua's Sacrifice game have their place among the pantheon.
I love the consistent theming and sheer melodrama. Love it. I can't help but think that the Code makes it a very natural multiclass option with Champion. I'm a huge fan of Don Quixote and the many Orpheic heroes of epics like Orpheus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpheus
and Lemminkäinen (Finnish epic) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemmink%C3%A4inenI appreciate the gender-neutral take, so champions of love like Senua from the Senua's Sacrifice game have their place among the pantheon.
Thank you for the praise.
And I agree with you that it works well with champion multiclass.The original class was not gender-neutral, yet it had some specific parts that suggested that the Gallant Bard was not necessarily only for male characters. Yet it was written so many years ago, so I felt, during the conversion, that it needed some update in the way things were presented, making clear that it allowed for a greater diversity of possible characters to be Gallant Bards.
Glad you liked it.
I appreciate any and all feedback.