Loremaster Subclass
Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2018 11:30 am
Bards are, in NWN, a really weird class. To play them effectively, you pretty much have to always multiclass with, at most, 16 or so levels in bard - usually wearing heavy armour. At worst, they're just used as a dump class for skills. That's not really how I imagine a bard being, and I think there's a real need for some bardic love in the way of a subclass, so I came up with this as a very, very rough idea of what could be implemented sometime in the future, if the dev team had any interest.
Loremaster:
A loremaster cannot wear medium or heavy armour, and cannot use shields. They do gain a ASF reduction when wearing light armour, allowing them to cast arcane spells without penalty.
Bardic Lore:
Starting at level 1, once per rest, a bard can allocate one spell that they may cast infinitely from their spellbook. This increases to two at level 16, and three at level 28.
Loremaster Summoning:
The loremaster has access to a unique stream of summons, much like other caster classes, though with a significant difference. Instead of using the arcane to summon creatures from other planes, loremasters attract followers from the area in which he hunts and inspires them with his song to join his cause. A random creature type from the area the loremaster is in becomes his 'follower', enhanced to be more powerful by his song (and summon creature level.)
My idea for the follower system, and buffing the creatures received would be something vaguely like this..:
Summon Creature I: +4 STR, DEX & CON and cleave is added to the 'follower', along with 20 temporary hitpoints.
Summon Creature II: +8 STR, DEX & CON, cleave and knockdown (improved if already available) is added to the 'follower', with 40 hitpoints.
Or the summons could be standardised, with only the model changing each time.
The Bardic Blade:
At level 9, the loremaster learns how to enhance his combat prowess through the medium of his bardic powers. Starting at once per day at level 9, plus 1 every 7 levels, the bard may focus all their efforts into their weapon. They are treated, for the duration of the ability (measured by CHA) as having full fighter AB progression, with their AB and damage stemming from their charisma instead of their strength or dexterity. Their AC is also increased as if they had used the divine might ability.
Killing Joke:
At level 16, the loremaster gains a unique ability to tell a joke so funny to all hostiles around them, that they are all effected with an enhanced version of Tasha's hideous laughter, the DC decided by the loremaster's CHA and levels.
Bardic Encore:
At level 28, the bard can use a -encore ability to refresh his and his party member's abilities and spells as if they had rested, though it does not restore health.
So, that's my general idea. How effective it would be, and how plausible it would be to make with or without haks I have no clue, but I really think that discussion on the development of bards would really help flesh out the base class more in fitting thematically.
Loremaster:
A loremaster cannot wear medium or heavy armour, and cannot use shields. They do gain a ASF reduction when wearing light armour, allowing them to cast arcane spells without penalty.
Bardic Lore:
Starting at level 1, once per rest, a bard can allocate one spell that they may cast infinitely from their spellbook. This increases to two at level 16, and three at level 28.
Loremaster Summoning:
The loremaster has access to a unique stream of summons, much like other caster classes, though with a significant difference. Instead of using the arcane to summon creatures from other planes, loremasters attract followers from the area in which he hunts and inspires them with his song to join his cause. A random creature type from the area the loremaster is in becomes his 'follower', enhanced to be more powerful by his song (and summon creature level.)
My idea for the follower system, and buffing the creatures received would be something vaguely like this..:
Summon Creature I: +4 STR, DEX & CON and cleave is added to the 'follower', along with 20 temporary hitpoints.
Summon Creature II: +8 STR, DEX & CON, cleave and knockdown (improved if already available) is added to the 'follower', with 40 hitpoints.
Or the summons could be standardised, with only the model changing each time.
The Bardic Blade:
At level 9, the loremaster learns how to enhance his combat prowess through the medium of his bardic powers. Starting at once per day at level 9, plus 1 every 7 levels, the bard may focus all their efforts into their weapon. They are treated, for the duration of the ability (measured by CHA) as having full fighter AB progression, with their AB and damage stemming from their charisma instead of their strength or dexterity. Their AC is also increased as if they had used the divine might ability.
Killing Joke:
At level 16, the loremaster gains a unique ability to tell a joke so funny to all hostiles around them, that they are all effected with an enhanced version of Tasha's hideous laughter, the DC decided by the loremaster's CHA and levels.
Bardic Encore:
At level 28, the bard can use a -encore ability to refresh his and his party member's abilities and spells as if they had rested, though it does not restore health.
So, that's my general idea. How effective it would be, and how plausible it would be to make with or without haks I have no clue, but I really think that discussion on the development of bards would really help flesh out the base class more in fitting thematically.