Hit die: d6.
Good saves: Reflex and Will.
Skill points: 4 + Int (I don´t have the skill list in hands but it's similar to the rogue's list, just a little bit shorter, it includes alchemy as class skill).
Abilities: Int is bard's main atribute since he gains few skill points/level, and important abilities like his death attack, and poisons DC (and the alchemy skill) relly on Int.
01 +1 save vs. poison, poison use, evasion
02 exploit weakness
03 uncanny dodge (dex bonus to ac)
04 +2 save vs. poison
05 +1d6 sneak attack, death attack
06 uncanny dodge (can't be flanked)
07 Plan
08 +3 save vs. poison
09 improved evasion
10 +2d6 sneak attack
11 uncanny dodge (+1 against traps)
12 +4 save vs. poison
13 cool under pressure
14 uncanny dodge (+2 against traps)
15 +3d6 sneak attack
16 +5 save vs. poison
17 uncanny dodge (+3 against traps)
18
19 uncanny survival
20 +6 save vs. poison, +4d6 sneak attack, uncanny dodge (+4 against traps)
exploit weakness: extracted from d20 modern, the bard can use his brains over brawl to take advantage from his enemy's fighting style. Spend a move equivalent action, make a Int check against DC 15 adding your bard levels to the result. If sucessfull you can use your Int mod for your attack rolls in exchange of str or dex.
death attack: as the assassin from DMG.
Plan: also extracted from d20 modern, the bard can make a Intelligence check (DC 15) adding his bard levels, prior to a situation in order to elaborate his action plan:
check result bonus
failure 0
15 +1
20 +2
25 +3
This bonus applies to attack rolls, skill checks and saves, lasts up to 3 rounds, starting from the first round of action and decreasing by 1 point every round.
cool under pressure: select 3 + Int mod skills. The bard can take 10 despite of stress or distractions.
uncanny survival: Once per day the bard can add one-half his bard levels to his armor class for 1 round. This ability ensures the bard to escape safelly from the scene after a murder to strike again in the future, like the halfling assassin in tyrian conspirancy.
+6 save vs. poison: at this point the bard will have good reflex saves, good will saves, and a good save for poison +12 (+6 from low fort save plus +6 from bonus).
Poisons:
To concoct poisons and toxins I elected the alchemy skill instead of craft in my game. Since in DS3E alchemy is cross-class skill even for wizards, only bards will have alchemy as class skill.
I also use an alternate rule adapted from d20 modern web enchantment.
To create a poison first of all you have to set the check DC by the method:
Method--Base Alchemy check DC
Contact--------15
Injury----------10
Inhaled--------10
Ingected-------5
Then you set the effects:
Ability----------------------Alchemy check DC*
Damage--------Primary damage/Secondary damage
1----------------------------------+2/+1
1d2-------------------------------+3/+2
1d3-------------------------------+4/+3
1d4--------------------------------+5/+4
1d6--------------------------------+6/+5
2d4--------------------------------+8/+6
2d6-------------------------------+10/+7
3d6--------------------------------+12/+8
Ability
Drain
1--------------------------------+6/+6
1d2-----------------------------+9/+9
1d3----------------------------+12/+12
*Double the mod for Con damage or drain.
Finally set the save DC.
Save DC--------Alchemy check DC
10--------------------------+0
+1**-----------------------+1
**This number can not exceed one-half the bard's level + Int mod.
Time and Components:
Alchemy
Check DC-----Components-----Time
up to 14------------5cp------------1h
15-19--------------10cp------------2h
20-24--------------25cp------------4h
25-29--------------50cp------------8h
30-34------------100cp-----------12h
35-39------------250cp-----------24h
40-44------------500cp-----------48h
45+-------------1000cp-----------72h
After the elapsed time, if the check is succesful the bards produces 1d4 doses of the poison. If the check fail the bard ruins half the material components.
Example: A bard wants to create a Injurity poison (base DC 10), 1d4 Str primary damage (+5 DC), 1d4 Con (+10 DC) secondary damage, with save DC 15 (+5 DC). Spends 100cp in components, after 12h work, make a alchemy check against DC 30.
New Feats:
Poison Mastery
Choose a poison methoid (contact, injury, inhaled, or ingested). Add +2 to the save DC when you create such poisons.
Mass Production
after a succesful alchemy check, you create 1d4+1 doses of poison, instead of 1d4.
That's all I can remember... any thoughts?
.I like it, but I'm not so good at balancing things, so I'm not much help there. One thing I do notice is that most rogues would like to take two levels of this class - poison use and exploit weakness seem quite beneficial.
In my opinion rogues won't take bard levels too often, since poison use isn't powerful enough, and exploit weakness won't serve rogues for their Dex is always higher than their Int.
Even death attack won't serve multiclass rogues well, since its DC is set based on bard's level (DC 10 + one-half bard levels + Int Mod), so you have to advance in the bard class to increase Death Attack DC.