What to do with this pfs bard?

[claudekennilol]

Here's a high level overview of stats/skills.

Musetouched Aasimar bard lvl 6. FCB -> Inspire Courage 1/2 1/6 +3 +1

Str 10
Dex 16
Con 12
Int 14
Wis 8
Cha 21

Bluff 21
Diplomacy 19
Disguise 12
Handle Animal 21
Intimidate 21
Knowledges -> 8
Sense Motive 17
UMD 17

Perform Sing 21
Perform Dance 17
Perform Percussion 21

Feats
Lingering Performance
Improved Initiative
Prodigy (Sing, Percussion)

Gear of Note
Circlet of Persuasion*
Headband of Alluring Charisma*
Sleeve of Many Garments
*already included in above

Spells Known
0 - Dancing Lights
0 - Daze
0 - Haunted Fey Aspect
0 - Detect Magic
0 - Resistance
0 - Unwitting Ally

1 - Grease
1 - Liberating Command
1 - Remove Fear
1 - Summon Monster I

2 - Hold Person
2 - Silence
2 - Heroism
2 - Blindess/Deafness

I'm toying with the idea of going arcane archer, but I'd have to retrain at least two of my feats for that to be worthwhile. Obviously I'm a great party face, but once I start inspiring in combat, I don't really know what to do. I'm not opposed to staying bard and that'd probably be best, but I need something to do in combat to be more effective.

[Chess Pwn]

You could take a level of inspired swashbuckler and get dex to damage with the rapier with one feat. You'll have tons of panach, and something to do in combat. And with a buckler or shield in your other hand your AC will be good too.

[claudekennilol]

Chess Pwn wrote:

You could take a level of inspired swashbuckler and get dex to damage with the rapier with one feat. You'll have tons of panach, and something to do in combat. And with a buckler or shield in your other hand your AC will be good too.

That's a good idea.

[Imbicatus]

Bards make great archers, but I would stay bard instead of going arcane archer if you go that route. I'd also retrain all three of your feats to point blank/precise shot/rapid shot.

Another option would be to dip a level of Inspired Blade Swashbuckler at 7. You gain finesse and weapon focus bonus feats and could retrain one feat to combat reflexes and use the level 7 feat for fencing grace. You would have decent melee ability then, and with a crapload of panache could parry up to four attacks in a round.

Edit: Ninja'd

[Fourshadow]

You could definitely retrain your feats and go archer bard. You could then replace Lingering Performance with a Tuned Bowstring...it does the same thing and allows you to attack.

[Imbicatus]

A Tuned Bowstring is indeed awesome, it's outside the price range of PFS until very late in your career.

[Fourshadow]

Imbicatus wrote:

A Tuned Bowstring is indeed awesome, it's outside the price range of PFS until very late in your career.

I thought level 6 was 16k gps...of course, that would be all you could afford. But I now see it is an 18k item. Hmmmmm...

[Rory]

Ring of Spell Knowledge II (6k)
Goblin Fire Drums (2k)
Scroll of Burning Hands (25gp)

Spontaneously cast 5d4+5 Burning Hands spells at level 6.

Upgrade to Ring of Spell Knowledge III (+7.5k)
Scroll of Scorching Ray (150gp)
Lesser Rod of Empower Spell (~9k)

Shoot multiple foes with ~12d6+18 rays as level 7.

Expensive, but this is a cash to damage potential.

********************************************

Pick the feat Flagbearer. Buy a Banner of the Ancient Kings (18k) and stick it on a longspear. At level 7, you'll give the party +5/+5 prior to your first standard action.

And summoning a Lantern Archon, who will be shooting 1d6+5 rays (2 normal, 3 if you haste the party), isn't terrible.

You will also be +11 to hit (MW longspear only) for 1d8+5 damage. You can then piddle with Arcane Strike and upgrading to a Spell Storing weapon for debuffing effects applied to whom you attack.

[Cuttler]

With the stats you've got, I'd rather go ranged then melee. Depending on your party composition, ranged might be interesting.

Personnaly, with such a high charisma (+5 bonus at this point), I would go the debuffing/buffing spellcasting way...

Next level, you'll get 2 3rd level spell...so potentially with good hope and haste, your party will get a major boost!

You could continue with debuffing spells such as cacophonous call, glitterdust, soundburst, confusion, slow, etc.

at 8th, you'll have dirge of doom wich is a good debuff...

If you can, strongly recommend you get Saving Finale...My party kissed my butt many times because I saved theirs with this spell....Purging finale (3rd) is also a good spell to get out of bad situation.

anyway, i recommend you retrain at least prodigy which is really not critical for you since your perform skills will still be high enough...

[Chess Pwn]

Here's something really cool you could do, but you'll only ever get 1 attack a round. Take 1 level of Elemental Annihilator Overwhelming Soul Kineticist. It'll let you make a blade that does damage equal to 1d8+cha. get weapon finesse to have a better to hit with it. And also a ranged attack that will be the same hit and damage.
But an Overwhelming Soul Kineticist might be a good idea too. Here the attacks could be touch attacks so hitting is easier, and still using your charisma for damage.

[Fourshadow]

If they wanted to hit with ranged touch and still be a bard, they could look at the FAQ'd Sound Striker Bard archetype...it's sonic!

[Chess Pwn]

Fourshadow wrote:

If they wanted to hit with ranged touch and still be a bard, they could look at the FAQ'd Sound Striker Bard archetype...it's sonic!

But that one stops them from keeping a normal performance up, which I'm guessing he's wanting to do.

[Imbicatus]

Chess Pwn wrote:

Fourshadow wrote:

If they wanted to hit with ranged touch and still be a bard, they could look at the FAQ'd Sound Striker Bard archetype...it's sonic!

But that one stops them from keeping a normal performance up, which I'm guessing he's wanting to do.

Unless he also went Duettist. Does Duettist and Sound Striker stack?

[Fourshadow]

Imbicatus wrote:

Chess Pwn wrote:

Fourshadow wrote:

If they wanted to hit with ranged touch and still be a bard, they could look at the FAQ'd Sound Striker Bard archetype...it's sonic!

But that one stops them from keeping a normal performance up, which I'm guessing he's wanting to do.

Unless he also went Duettist. Does Duettist and Sound Striker stack?

Actually, they do. You might want to invest in Extra Performance a couple times (or really boost your CHA) as the familiar burns through bardic performance very quickly.