Not really a big deal, at all, but I was thinking the other day about how cool it would be to have different bard-related summoning themes.
For Example:
The Paint Theme:
Summons a multicolor-amored man "Painting" Created by the bard's imagination. As the levels increase perhaps summon a small prismatic dragon and things of that nature.
Music Theme: Living Music is summoned by the caster- Depending on the bard's alignment, the music may be dark and brooding, or happy and light-hearted. (Perhaps would appear as rays of blue or red or yellow light, respectively.) In any case, they deal sonic damage.
If anyone else has other bard-related themes to add, then by all means. I'm not really asking to have these things put in the module just because I suggested them- just to think about it.
This idea doesn't sound too bad to me. A nice flavorful addition to the bard class, if it was to be implemented.
A SONG that summons these :)
I think a summoning song would be OP. I do like the idea though!
How about instead of choosing between themes, just craft one "bard summon theme" that increases with spell level. Then you could have a focus for it like an instrument, a painting, things already in the game. This way other casting classes could also choose the theme if it fit their character. A priest of Sune, Milil or Sharess might start out with it or a charismatic sorcerer could choose to focus it for example.
Some ideas for summons:
lvl 1 Songbird
lvl 2 Animated Tamborine
lvl 3 Animated Harp (with something like sound burst)
lvl 4 Cherub Trumpet Player (with specific song)
lvl 5 Journeyman Bass Player (with specific song)
lvl 6 Slash from Guns and Roses (roll will save or die)
That sounds like a good idea but you know Slash isn't real right it's just your parents. He's based off an old Scandinavian legend, Wunterslash.
Got a new one:
The Story Theme:
You are able to manifest characters from the stories you read into shades of the actual thing. The heroes and villians of yore are yours to command!
Good aligned characters can summon lesser prospects of great famous Heroes from EfU's past.
Evil aligned characters can summon lesser prospects of terrifying and notorious villians of EfU's past.
Etorix
Appetite
Montezzi
"The Scholar."
Etc.
Etc.
I actually don't know that many famous good characters.
Hm. Do Bards get the Illusion theme? That seems fitting. Also, we did used to have a song that summoned creatures, Dirge of the Tormented used to summon a weak undead spirit. Trouble was it made it a useless perk as whenever you sung near someone non-Evil or druidically aligned, you would get crushed. So far as songs go, one that increases the summon level of any spell cast by yourself could be cool as it's hard for a bard to get worthwhile summons out due to their few and low level spellslots.
Bards are already the most versatile class in efu:m. Capable from everything from brewer support, arcane healing, melee crushing, and with the sheer volume of songs already available--I'm actually against them receiving any other types of perks.
It isn't a perk, it's a summoning theme. Doesn't have to be mechanically effective either- just something for flavor.