I think that having the bard basically being a rogue with essentially no rogue skills (no stealth, no security, no backstab) is a MAJOR penalty. Whatever bonus they get for bardfoils and music would have to be huge to make the tradeoff worth it.eggmceye wrote:generally speaking, I think classes need at least 2 skills to make them viable
also another problem is, without using subclasses, a new class can't reuse another class's skill without a hack (eg blessed maces is a hack. hexblades are a hack), So you can't just give bards foils without making them like a 'bardfoil' something stupid like that.
unless of course bard is subclass of rogue, mutex with security - I'm pretty sure subclasses work (engine wise). so there could be 2 rogue specs: bard which gets music and assassin that gets stealth/backstab/security. would you, yes you dear reader, build a rogue with no security, or backstab or stealth, that has to carry a lute offhand, but can use a foil or one hand dagger, and can sling some sorta spells? that is the question.
At this point, I can't see losing those skills to be able to give a party-wide regen buff or health buff is worth it, unless we are talking about a significant buff at 100% skill.
I can see the stealth and backstab because that doesn't really fit with the theme of a Bard, but security is more of a grey area. I always envision a Bard as a scoundrel, so security fits for me.
A bard - a musician essentially - can pluck a delicate tune on their instrument that can bring a tear to the eye of most jaded of kings, and can also strum a thunderous war march that brings their allies to a murderous rage! Yet cant find the agility in their hands to pick a clumsy mechanical lock?