Fourth level for Rogue2 / Bard1?

[Smallfoot]

Playing a home campaign and we should be about to level up. It's a low-gold, found-magic campaign, so any advice built around buying magic items is not likely to be useful in the near future. We may not be 100% limited to the Core rulebook, but anything else is going to have to get the GM to agree.

Fellow party members: Cleric (melee/buff), Druid and wolf AC, Fighter (sword & board), Ranger (archer), Barbarian, Wizard. I'm pretty much the Face character, and will probably keep pumping the appropriate skills regardless of how I level up. Plus I'll probably take the 4th level ability bump in CHA, since that gives an immediate boost to skills, performance, spell DCs, etc.

While I have gotten some good use out of the Rogue skills, picking up a level of Bard was a *huge* boost in the degree I could contribute to different situations.

So which way do I go here? I'm leaning toward Bard but am open to arguments either way.

Pro for Rogue: +2 Skill points, Sneak attack 2d6, trap sense +1, +1 Fort and Will saves
Pro for Bard: +2 rounds performance, +1 spell/day, +1 Reflex and Will saves, well-versed, versatile performance

Name: Rizzo
Race: Halfling
Classes: Rogue2 Bard1
HP: 21
Alignment: Neutral
Speed: Walk 20 ft.
Languages: Common, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling
STR 8, DEX 18, CON 12, INT 14, WIS 10, CHA 15
Feats: Dodge, Weapon Finesse
AC: 18 / 16T / 14FF
Initiative: +4
BAB: +1
Melee tohit: +1
Ranged tohit: +6
Fortitude: +2
Reflex: +11
Will: +3

[Snickersnack]

I would recommend looking into teh different archetypes of an Inquisitor before setting your sights on a bard. Bard is a lot less rogue-like than Inquisitor and Inquis allows you a spell list and other party favors. ;)

[Smallfoot]

Thanks, but I can see at least three different ways Inquisitor doesn't work. Wisdom 10, two 3/4 BAB classes already, and roleplay - this character has shown no discernible interest in religion so far.

[Mysterious Stranger]

I would recommend staying with bard and not bothering with rogue anymore. If it is not too late you may want to look into the archeologist bard archetype. Even if your GM does not allow it you are going to be a lot better off sticking with bard.

Multiclassing really weakens your character especially for a spell caster. An inquisitor with only a 10 WIS is pretty useless. Almost all the inquisitor’s ability are based on WIS so you would be pretty useless as an inquisitor. Taking a spell casting class and not being able to cast spells above 0 level is a really bad idea.

[wraithstrike]

Go bard all the way. You still get much more use of it than anymore multiclassing with a rogue. Honestly if the GM allows it I would suggest retraining the rogue levels to bard levels.

[Paladin of Baha-who?]

Bard all the way. You've already got the best features of the rogue class: trapfinding, class skills, and rogue talents. There are a few rogue talents that are good; those you can take with feats. Otherwise, the bard will make a better skill monkey than a rogue going forward, as well as a better party buffer, superior in combat, and a better face.

[Hmm]

I would not bother to retrain your rogue levels. It was important to get that trap-finding. But now? Go bard! There is so much you can do as a bard! If you didn't already have a cleric to provide bless, I'd suggest picking up flagbearer feat. It stacks completely with bardic performance for an awesome buff.

Have fun as a bard!

Hmm

[strayshift]

Agree go Bard but one more level of rogue will give you +1d6 sneak attack... tempting.

[Drogos]

Honestly, the only reason to go Rogue is if you have found yourself successfully utilizing Sneak Attack. Having played with other Rogues/Vivesectionists, Sneak Attack is incredibly dependent on how your allies function. Do they set up Flanks and Ambushes? If so, the +1d6 can be justified. If not, you really want to get to activating Inspire Courage as quickly as possible, and therefore improving the static bonuses. The extra Skills are a wash with Versatile Performance, Trap Sense is not worth slowing down spell casting and performance progression, and the +1 Fort will be made up by continuing to advance one class. The only other reason I would even contemplate going for Rogue 3 is if you intended to go into Arcane Trickster, a path I HIGHLY suggest against unless you are ok being terribly subpar (I say this having played the same character build to 10 and being carried by my teammates for most of those levels). I also don't think retraining your rogue levels would be a terrible path, but seeing as that is outside the Core Rulebook, your GM may not approve that. Bard is a very strong single class "fifth man", as you're discovering.

[BretI]

Bard, much more generally useful. You've already got the trap finding ability, and can use a feat if you want any more rogue talents.

After Bard 4, decide if you've been using the Sneak Attack and want Evasion. Taking two more levels of rogue would give a small boost but you will probably find that the Bard levels are still more useful.

[Drogos]

I would stay Bard until at least 5 if you don't decide to get Rogue now. I also wouldn't go above a 3 Rogue and only if you are able to leverage Sneak Attack to the utmost.