Bard (Arcane Duelist) 7 / Dragon Disciple (Green) Build Advice

[Red Griffyn]

I am potentially joining a new game and I have wanted to do a dragon disciple build since hey look like a lot of fun. I thought a Bard (Arcane Duelist) 7/ Dragon Disciple (Green) 4 would work out well allowing me to be a party face, light infantry that focuses down magic users, and provide some good party buffs/utility spells as bards are liable to do. The group has the following build rules:

- 15 Point Buy
- All Core/Extended Core + 1 Splatbook of your choice

I think I've built something worthwhile, but if you have any suggestions for spells or feats let me know.

Bard (Arcane Duelist) 7 / 4 Dragon Disciple (Green)

Race
1 - Suli

Traits
1 - Magical Knack (Bard) - +2CL up to HD to make up for dip
2 - Armor Expert

Stats (Level 1)
STR - 16 (14 + 2 race)
DEX - 12
CON - 14
INT - 8
WIS - 8
CHA - 16 (14 + 2 Race)

Stats (Level 11)
STR - 22 (14 + 2 race + 2 Belt + 4 Dragon Disciple)
DEX - 16 (24 + 2 Belt + 2 Leveling)
CON - 16 (14 + 2 Belt)
INT - 10 (8 + 2 Headband)
WIS - 10 (8 + 2 Headband)
CHA - 18 (14 + 2 Race + 2 Headband)

Bard (Arcane Duelist)
1 - Bardic Performance (Inspire Courage +1 and Rallying Cry
1 - Arcane Strike (Bonus Feat)
2 - Combat Casting (Bonus Feat)
3 - Bardic Performance (Inspire Courage +2)
4 - 2nd Level Spells
5 - Arcane Bond - Weapon
6 - Bardic Performance (Bladethirst)
6 - Disruptive (Bonus Feat)
7 - Bardic Performance (Move Action)
7 - 3rd Level Spells

Dragon Disciple (Green)
8 - +1 Natural AC, Free Action Claws (~7 rounds)
9 - +2 Strength, Dragon Bite with Claws (~7 rounds)
10 - 30 ft acid cone breath weapon
11 - +2 Strength, +1 Natural AC
11 - 4th Level Spells

Feats
1C - Arcane Strike
1 - Lingering Performance (Allows performance cycling
2C - Combat Casting (+4 Concentration to cast defensively)
3 - Improved Initiative (+4 Initiative)
5 - Step-Up (Follow enemies that try to 5ft away)
6C - Disruptive (+4 to concentration checks for threatened casters)
7 - Following Step (move up to 10ft when using step-up)
9C - Power Attack or Toughness or Great Fortitude
9 - Step Up and Strike (get an attack at the end of a step-up strike)
11 - Discordant Voice (+1D6 Sonic Damage to Allies in 30ft)

Items
+2/+2/+2 Headband (Performance Oratory)
+2/+2/+2 Belt
+1 Light Fortification Mithral Breastplate
+2 Buckler
Circlet of Persuasion (+3 to CHA checks like UMD and Initiative from Noble Scion)
AoNA (+1 AC)
RoP (+1 AC)
Handy Haversack
Eyes of the Eagle (+5 on Perception Checks)
Cloak of Resistance (+3)
Ring of Sublime
Dusty Rose Cracked Ioun Stone
Travelers Any Tool
Wayfinder
Adamantine +2 Cruel Longsword (bonded item)
Sleeves of many garments
Wayfinder
Deliquescent Gloves (+1D6 Acid Damage)

Spells
0 - Dancing Lights
0 - Detect Magic
0 - Mage Hand
0 - Message
0 - Prestidigitation
0 - Read Magic
1 - Ear-Piercing Scream
1 - Feather Fall
1 - Grease
1 - Saving Finale
1 - Vanish
2 - Bladed Dash
2 - Blistering Invective
2 - Glitterdust
2 - Invisibility
2 - Mirror Image
3 - Dispel Magic
3 - Good Hope
3 - Haste
3 - Purging Finale
4 - Dimension Door
4 - Invisibility, Greater

[Cory Stafford 29]

A lot of it depends on the makeup of the rest of the group. You can melee fairly decent, but you probably aren't going to be the main melee guy unless you dump bard for bloodrager or barbarian/sorcerer. You can buff pretty decent, but you probably aren't good enough at that to be the main party support guy either.

[Red Griffyn]

Cory Stafford 29 wrote:

A lot of it depends on the makeup of the rest of the group. You can melee fairly decent, but you probably aren't going to be the main melee guy unless you dump bard for bloodrager or barbarian/sorcerer. You can buff pretty decent, but you probably aren't good enough at that to be the main party support guy either.

That's fair. I envisioned my role in melee as running behind the lines to take out soft targets or as a secondary front liner. Every combat will essentially start with inspire courage, except in situations where I need to provide Ghost Touch or a one off enchantment via bladethirst to people's weapons for the combat at hand. But at higher levels I can add in inspire courage + haste/good hope or inspire courage + mirror image if I run out of 3rd level spell castings. I plan on performance cycling with Saving Finale and lingering performance or using the rallying cry performance to provide saves re-rolls to the party. I have some sonic evocation to drop in the middle of a melee (especially on casters with bad fort saves) and can use bladed dash/dimension door to get to the casters at the back. Suli lets me keep resistance 5 to every element and poor on some elemental damage of one type in one battle per day.

Out of combat, I also have decent face skills. I won't have the same # or diversity of skills as a normal bard. But I don't think that will matter too much.

The Dragon Disciple levels help to mitigate the lower point buy of the game and the armor expert trait lets me sit in Mithral Breastplate without ACP even though I don't get the medium armor proficiency until level 10 (which I don't reach in the build above).

Do you think there is a better bard archetype for achieving what I want? I thought about doing a skald, but the raging song is even less helpful as support role buff to the majority of the party.

[Pentacost]

This is very good well-rounded melee support. Definitely not a keystone or tank, but would definitely play a good in-close support to them. Would probably be better than most other options, especially in flavor and utility.