vRP Summer Santa 23: Brolaire

This is a skeleton of the "modular class feature that fills an interesting gap" gift that initially I had a lot of inspiration for but could not find a means to properly fill out. Consider it a blueprint of unnecessarily complex and extremely unbalanced ideas. Go to the bottom for the proper gift, under the "Extra Ballyhoo" feat.

Bardic Pranks
Starting at 4th Level, and from there on from every level a bard would gain two new known spells, a bard can elect to forfeit one of those known spells for a bardic prank. Bardic pranks are active abilities fitting the mercurial and whimsical nature of the class, typically acting as a mixture of various low-level spells all at once. Upon first taking a bardic prank, the bard gains a pool of points called "ballyhoo" equal to her Charisma modifier plus her level that refreshes after 8 hours of rest. Bardic pranks that require saving throws utilize a DC equal to 10 plus half of the bard's level plus her Charisma modifier. Bardic pranks that emulate spells or magical items use her class level as her caster level. Unless stated otherwise, a bardic prank costs 1 Ballyhoo to use. A bard can only sacrifice one spell "known" when they gain two new spells known.

4th Level

Bardic Disguise (Ex)
The bard gains the ability to rapidly fashion together quick disguises, able to mundanely change their appearance through entirely non-magical means in one full round action. The bard is able to take the appearance of any creature the same size category and race as them, within limits (for example, they wouldn't be able to grow a beard - but they could don a wig). This grants the bard a +10 circumstance bonus to disguise checks. This bardic prank can be taken multiple times at higher levels - upon taking it a second time, it becomes (Su) and functions as per the spell Disguise Self with the bonus being increased to +20. Upon taking it a third time, it functions as per the spell Alter Self while being able to change your clothes as well as your physical appearance.

Bardic Knock (Su)
The bard performs a deceitful call-out to a closed door aiming to draw the attention of anyone on the other side as a move action. This sends out an illusory sound of their choice (including projecting their voice) up to 60ft past the door and is audible in a 60ft burst (Though this burst is limited by the acoustics and soundscape of whatever is past the door), and the bard makes a Bluff check - which is applied against any creatures with an INT of 3 or higher. Upon failure, they're convinced of something valuable or important being on the side of the door the bard is on.

Bardic Vanish (Su)
The bard learns how to quickly escape any and all dangers by effectively turning invisible to her opponents... but not really. As a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, the bard produces a 5ft wide, 10ft deep pit she falls to the bottom of (landing as though she successfully passed the acrobatics check to land), which immediately covers up. This pit is extradimensional and can open in any level surface. During hte process of vanishing into the pit, an illusory effect is used to make the bard look as though she turned invisible - which any adjacent foes can roll a Will save against to disbelieve. The bard can stay in this pit for a number of rounds equal to her Charisma modifier.

7th Level

Ghost-tarist (Su)
The bard manages to leave her performance active through magical means while leaving them available to their other abilities in the mean-time. For the price of 1 ballyhoo per round, the bard can place an "anchor" of her performance in a location that turns the performance into an area effect equal to 25ft+5ft/2 levels localized on the "anchor" placed. In addition, the bard's normally limited functions from a performance unrestricted (e.g. one with perform (oratory) would be able to use verbal components, one who uses an instrument would be able to use both hands freely, etc). While this ability is active, rounds of performance are not spent in place of ballyhoo - but changing performances while it is active does cost two rounds. Activating Ghost-tarist is a move action.

10th level

Harlequin's Hustle (Su)
The bard teleports herself as a move action up to 30ft in any direction that functions as movement per natural benefits such as being able to draw items while moving and does not provoke an attack of opportunity - with one catch: She needs to be able to have feasibly moved to her chosen location if she had a number of rounds equal to her Charisma modifier to do so. For example, bard with a Charisma of 4 and a movement speed of 30ft wishes to reach the top of a 15ft high ledge that is 5ft away from her. While that's a feasible horizontal distance, she would need to be able to feasibly climb 15ft up the ledge in 4 rounds. If she wished to try and cross a 15ft wide pit with a 60ft deep gap, this would not be feasible as they would need to cross the 15ft but also climb the 60ft wall in what would be effectively 4 rounds' worth of time.

13th Level

16th Level

Bardic Mimicry (Su)
The bard can attempt to replicate the lesser abilities of other classes she has seen. As a standard action, she can select a class ability she has seen in use in the past 24 hours and for an amount of ballyhoo equal to the class level required for said class ability to replicate it wholesale. It must be a class ability available a class level equal to or lower than the bard's class level (For example, a Level 16 bard would be able to spend 11 ballyhoo for armor training 3 (fighter level 11), but would not be able to use this ability to spend 19 ballyhoo for armor mastery (fighter level 19). This mimicry lasts for one minute.

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Amateur Prankster (Combat)
Although you are not a bard, you have quite a knack for stirring up ballyhoo.

Prerequisite: You have no levels in a class that has the bardic prank class feature.

Benefit: You gain a small amount of ballyhoo and a single 4th-level bardic prank from the bardic prank class feature.

You gain a pool of ballyhoo equal to half of your Charisma modifier (Minimum 1).

Special: If you gain levels in a class that grants the bardic pranks class feature, you can immediately trade this feat for the Extra Ballyhoo feat.
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Extra Ballyhoo (Grit)
You're far more audacious than the typical bard.

Prerequisite: Bardic Pranks class feature.

Benefit: You gain 2 extra ballyhoo points at the start of each day, and your maximum ballyhoo increases by 2.

Special: If you possess levels in the bard class, you can take this feat multiple times.

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Prompt: Write about an organization that is not DIRECTLY related to combat

In the Age of Adventure, where life is uncertain, you can't always take unnecessary risks without appropriate preparation and investment. Otherwise you might leave your loved ones estranged as you die against a dragon with all of your valuables, leaving them destitute.

That's why you need Adventurer's Insurance. At Cappellaio Matto Insurance, we have you covered. Founded in 633 by the young Mattheus Hru after Burndt was burnt to cinders and he lost his farm and had to move in with his cousin in Valveria, CMI has spent the past four centuries making sure adventurers were financially protected from any potential dangers. Initially, CMI was primarily focused on insuring civilians against the collateral damage caused in the growing Adventure Economy, but it expanded to help Adventurers as well.

Adventurer's Insurance may sound a bit daunting conceptually, but it's quite simple. You submit a request to one of our offices across Vearpi, Estierra, or Choron, we send a pair of agents to review your worldly items both mundane and magical earned from your adventures that you intend to use and appraise their overall value*. After determining the value of your materials, we offer you a quote for a plan where you pay a small** amount every month, and in return should you lose these appraised items or, heaven forbid, your life - we will financially compensate you or your next of kin*** the appraised value of those items, plus an additional compensatory fund based on your valued ability as an Adventurer and a compounding return on your monthly payments****.

Now this may have you uncertain, due to the potential costs of insuring your own equipment, and potential competition from the Pathfinder's Guild - but rest assured, if we weren't true to our word, do you think we'd be around on three continents for four hundred years? We even offer an asset recover program, where if you feel your items are too valuable for a simple price, we will instead use the estimated values to organize a party of Skilled Adventurers***** from the Wayseeker's Guild to find and recover your items in no time at all******.

So please, invest in your future and open a plan with Capellaio Matto Insurance, and rest easy knowing your life is in our hands*******.

*Value determined by reference data from the Nerville Wizard's Union, the Merchant's Guild of Valveria, and the Choronian Merchant's Guild. Value may vary based on current economic state and interest by relevant parties.
**Small is relative. Minimum rate of 100 gold pieces per month.
***Next of kin will be sought out through listed names in contract, familial documents including birth certificates if available, and census data. If next of kin is not found or does not accept reward within 745 hours of your passing, all funds are returned to CMI's treasury.
****Only for concurrent number of unmissed payments. If payment period is missed for any period, compounding return amount is reset.
*****Adventurers as proper noun trademarked to MerCorp, parent company of CMI and Wayseeker's Guild. A "Skilled Adventurer" has performed 2 officially recognized quests for Wayseeker's Guild and has been affiliated with Wayseeker's Guild for 3 calendar months.
******Minimum estimated period of reacquisition averages 170 hours. If reacquisition time exceeds 745 hours or you and your next of kin are unavailable to receive the reacquired items, they will be donated to the Wayseeker's Guild.
*******CMI holds no responsibility for the lives or deaths of any of its clients.