Are You a Dance Dance Revolutionary?

It’s a truism that most table-top gamers are also video gamers, and I’m no exception. One of my favorite games is Elite Beat Agents, a little-known game for the Nintendo DS. While the Wikipedia page has a more in-depth overview, the basic premise of the game is that the Elite Beat Agents are a government organization that, when people are in trouble, dispatches a team of agents to sing and dance to inspire them to overcome the trials they’re facing.

It’s a silly game, to be sure, but that’s what makes it so much fun. It’s also interesting since, in addition to its lighthearted tone, the player (via the Agents) takes on a supporting role, encouraging the people in trouble to help themselves, rather than simply stepping in to solve the problem for them.

Now, D&D and Pathfinder have something like that in the form of the bard class, which also uses the power of music and performing arts to inspire and augment others. But the bard alone isn’t quite the same the agents of EBA…luckily Eclipse doesn’t suffer from that limitation! Given that, here’s a member of the Elite Beat Agents, ready to cheer your Pathfinder PCs to victory!

Agents are GO!

A rookie among the EBA, Agent Spin is one of the youngest agents to be put in charge of his own team (two other agents, with the same stats as Spin). Even though he doesn’t have as many moves as some of his senior agents, he’s unequaled in the intensity he brings. Seeing and hearing Spin’s performance is enough to encourage even the most despondent of souls to pick themselves up and sally forth!

Available Character Points: 72 (level two base) + 4 (Duties to the EBA) +6 (level one bonus feat) + 6 (human bonus feat) = 88 CP.

Ability Scores: Str 8, Con 10, Dex 13, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 15 (elite array); the +2 human racial bonus will be added to Charisma, making it Cha 17.

Human Traits

• Bonus feat (6 CP).
• Fast Learner, specialized in skills (3 CP).
• Humans get to pick which attribute enjoys the Pathfinder Template bonus – buying off a Corruption worth (4 CP).

Basic Purchases (25 CP)

• Proficiency with Light Armor (3 CP).
• +2 skill points (2 CP).
• +2 on Reflex saves (6 CP).
• +2 on Will saves (6 CP).
• 2d8 Hit Dice (8 CP).

Skills	Ranks	Ability Bonus	Class Bonus	Other	Total
Diplomacy	2	+3 Cha	+3	—	+8
Perform (sing)	2	+3 Cha	+3	+3 Skill Focus	+11
Perform (dance)	2	+3 Cha	+3	+3 Skill Focus	+11
Sense Motive	2	+3 Cha	+3	—	+8

Agent Spin gets 4 skill points from having a +2 Intelligence bonus over two levels, 2 skill points for his bonus human skill point at each level, and 2 skill points from direct purchases, for a total of 8 skill points. Since he can have up to twelve skills as class skills, plus Craft and Profession, he can easily afford to make all of the above skills class skills, leaving the others undefined until he takes them.

Special Abilities (63 CP)

• Mystic Artist/Perform (dance) (6 CP).
• Mystic Artist/Perform (sing) (6 CP).

Normally, Mystic Artist only needs to be purchased once. However, by buying it twice and specifying the skills it applies to, Agent Spin may add the bonuses from both together when determining the basic Mystic Artist abilities he may take, which are Emotion, Competence, Greatness, Excellence, Mass Greatness, Mass Excellence, Fascinate, Hold Audience, and Emotional Auras.

• Privilege (3 CP). Members of the EBA are known far and wide for helping people in need, and so can count on most (good) people allowing them to operate free from interference.
• Skill Focus/Perform (dance) (6 CP).
• Skill Focus/Perform (sing) (6 CP).
• Assistant with the Aide modifier. Specialized for half cost/only useable with Mystic Artist abilities (6 CP).
• Reflex Training/three times per day when Agent Spin uses Mystic Artist, he may immediately take a standard action (6 CP).
• Reflex Training/three times per day when someone else uses Mystic Artist, Agent Spin may immediately take a standard action (6 CP).
• Harnessed Intellect (6 CP).
• Rapid (Mystic Artist ability modifier) (6 CP).
• Innate Enchantment (6 CP). All abilities are either spell level 1 x caster level 1 x 2,000 gp or spell level ½ (0-level spells) x caster level 1 x 2,000 gp. The personal only modifier (x 0.7) is added where appropriate.
  • Sanctuary (1,400 gp)
  • Ghost sound (1,000 gp)
  • Prestidigitation (1,000 gp)
  • Detect good (1,000 gp)

Mission Complete!

Singing and dancing to triumph over evil!

If it isn’t immediately apparent, Agent Spin is a comparatively powerful support character, particularly if working with the two other agents on his team. When Spin uses Mystic Artist to either sing or dance, he may immediately take a standard action to use the other form of Mystic Artist as well; both apply immediately thanks to his Rapid enhancement. While not technically a form of concentration, I’d say that Harnessed Intellect applied, meaning that Spin can keep using both forms of Mystic Artist for 3 rounds after the first. Further, the effects linger for 5 rounds further once he ceases performing.

On his own, Agent Spin can thus grant a powerful set of bonuses to a group; he can grant Mass Excellence to a group of four people while simultaneously granting Mass Greatness to a group of five, all for a total of 9 rounds. If he has his team backing him up, both can use Assistant with the Aid modifier (twice; once on their action, and once from the free action granted by Reflex Action when someone else, like Spin, uses Mystic Artist) to grant an additional +4 to the bonuses from each of those powers!

Each target would then gain a grand total of +5 positive levels (granting +5 BAB, +5 to all saves, +5 to AC, and +30 CP spent where Spin allocates) and 5d10 temporary hit points, along with two +8 bonuses that could be applied to ability scores, all saves, their AC, attack rolls, or melee damage rolls!

Of course, Agent Spin isn’t going to last long in direct combat; with no weapon proficiencies or Base Attack Bonus, he’s largely relying on his sanctuary innate enchantment (DC 14) to protect him. But then, thanks to his Privilege, only malevolent creatures would even think of doing that. His remaining innate enchantments are used to make sure the people he helps deserve it (detect good) and to create “special effects” during his performance (e.g. ghost sound for background music, prestidigitation for flashing lights, etc.).

Until next time, may your characters be able to bust a move when they need it!

Tags: Eclipse, Pathfinder