Update 22 - Swashbuckler Tree Preview Discussion

[MangLord]

If you are not taking "Extra Songs" (for example) in Warchanter or Spellsinger because there's something better in Swashbuckler for the same amount of APs, then you are getting something better, and obviously not hurting your character. (Extra Songs might not be the most powerful example, of course.).

Honestly, I think "extra songs" is one of the only things in the other two trees worth spending AP on. I'm certainly not going to blow AP on intimidate bonuses and added threat for a lightly armored character with a thin HP bar. I actually laughed when I saw Breath of Frost. For 2 AP, that's like taking a $20 out of your wallet and burning it. Spellsinger is better than Warchanter, but neither have much to work with for a character looking to contribute to even a heroic elite PUG. Realistically, Swashbuckler is the only hope for bard ever becoming a fun, versatile class to play.

[Nascoe]

Honestly, I think "extra songs" is one of the only things in the other two trees worth spending AP on. I'm certainly not going to blow AP on intimidate bonuses and added threat for a lightly armored character with a thin HP bar. I actually laughed when I saw Breath of Frost. For 2 AP, that's like taking a $20 out of your wallet and burning it. Spellsinger is better than Warchanter, but neither have much to work with for a character looking to contribute to even a heroic elite PUG. Realistically, Swashbuckler is the only hope for bard ever becoming a fun, versatile class to play.

From what I have seen from it playtesting a bit, ti could actually make being a bard fun to play in heroic lvls at least. Stacking up on dodge, using blur, displacement etc. combined with good dex and finesse and taking the enhancements that get mobs to knock down, or even use the slap in the face can end up with you standing on a pile of mobs, having time to pull out the lute for a nice tune to boost damage of your palls (unless the mobs kill themselves before that from not hitting you and getting sonic guarded).
Its still too slow to really compete against fireballs, walls of fire and riskier (with actually having to be there) than the various DoT area spells or really big crits, but it does bring a bit of fun back into it (for me at least during testing it, I really felt like taunting the mobs a bit)

[LucasMacKinnon]

What I thought would be better is instead of just adding charisma to damage for swashbuckler. How about for the swashbuckler core allowing bards to use Charisma for attack as well, or dex which ever is higher. Or for the damage make it cost 4 ap and give us the choice for dex or charisma for both attack and damage. I know My bard personally without items has a base strength of 12 because of a +4 tome. I am a charisma based bard. Or perhaps giving bards another feat or 2 because It is difficult to take the single weapon feats as well as feats like quicken, or other feats for casting. We can't really have a balance of the 2 You basically have to pick one side or the other.