Only thing I can think of would be your Con. Being a gnome bard, in my opinion anyway, one should have a 14 Con. This isnt just to get more milage out of your racial bonus, but also because Fortitude is the weak save on the bard.
Its easy enough to get the points for a 14 Con in your build. 10 Str vs 8 doesnt really make much of a difference to your build, and a 14 Int shouldnt be needed for keeping all the important skills maxed. Id say dropping either your profession or Intimidate would be the way to go for that one skill point you lose. Profession because, Profession is kinda "meh" to begin with, and Jelly seems to favor using your Perform skill in place of it for making money. Intimidate, simply because you take a -4 penalty to it due to size vs almost everyone, although the thought of a really intimidating Gnome is kinda funny.
Dropping down to 8 Str and 13 Int will net you a 14 Con. At level 8, you can put your stat point into Int, netting you 8 skill points at that point (skill points are retroactive, just like hitpoints)
I shall have to mirror Darlins last statement, sorry for getting a bit ranty. Optimizing is sorta my thing, within reason.
Archery feat is a great complement for the bard also...
With his focus on Charisma, he will likely be casting spells every round within a few levels. The basic Point Blank + Precise Shot is likely gonna be wasted feats for him.
yes and no an 5th level bard with bonus spell would have about 8 per day.
that doesn't really qualify to spell every round fr every combat per day.
a 10th level bard would have 17 spells per day. would be better. but the problem is getting to survive till 10th...
A big thing for the bard to think about is your versatile performance ability. It effectively replaces the need for you to put skill ranks into certain skills... for example, you have perform (string), which allows you to use your perform skill in place of bluff and diplomacy. Because of that, there is really little to no need to put ranks into either of those skills, and the same idea is for all your perform skills.
Also, I would seriously think about putting ranks into a perform skill that doesn't require an instrument (like oratory, sing, etc), so that way no one can take your instrument and leave your bard a sitting duck.
With his focus on Charisma, he will likely be casting spells every round within a few levels. The basic Point Blank + Precise Shot is likely gonna be wasted feats for him.
I agree. Typically as a bard, I always take those feats so my bard can always fall back on using a bow... but being a gnome makes that less viable of an option compared to spell casting.
Personally, I would bank of my gnome's high AC and maybe lean towards a melee bard, taking arcane strike and maybe weapon finesse and grabbing a rapier, trying to bank of that crit chance.
OH! Dexter, also... Hideous Laughter. And Grease. Bards get those as level 1 spells, which is AWESOME! Hideous Laughter effectively can take an enemy out for a few rounds, and grease is create battlefield control.
I have never been big on a damage caster bard... but things like sound burst and chord of shards are pretty sweet options if you want to go that route. (sound burst is great to grab regardless)
Thalrik, are you suggesting that I reassign my ability scores? I didn't know I could do that.
I really wish I had this advice when I was making my character. Looking back I really wish I had put more points into Constitution. I have of yet to draw my sword!
I imagine you will soon find your chance, Dexter. Even the smallest blade is still sharp...
I wouldn't stress about your CON, your bard really shouldn't be getting hit. Maybe drop WIS down and bring CON up to 12 to get that extra +1 on Fort saves... but really, you should be ok.
Yeah, just because the Bard can't stand up against an ogre with a sword or something doesn't mean they can't be effective. In the last long game I was in the bard ended up killing 2 out of 3 witches in a fight, due to high stealth score allowing her to get off a thundering drums attack followed by a rapier full attack.
depends completely on the bard setup
in 3.5 or in pathfinder there are several option that make a bard a very very good melee option.
(pathfinder : arcane duelist or dervish. Even straight vanilla can make a good melee bard via feat + spells)
I'll definitely agree with Algar there. Though sadly the best fighting archetypes for bards give up some of their powerful buffs (pretty much anything that gives up inspire courage can't buff).
I would not say inspire courage is a necessity to buff. Street performer provides a (in my opinion) better buff, essentially providing invisibility to a party member (say, the rogue or example). And at level 1 that is awesome!
And the archaeologist archetype makes great melee, and keeps all the buffs, however they only effort the bard, not party members
Ferdin, I totally agree about sleep. It becomes not so useful as you level... But is easily replaced by deep slumber later on. And it works great with lullaby.
like i said too straight vanilla bard with inspire courage can have almost same to hit bonus as fighter add on top of that mirror image / haste/ heroism / good hope etc and it can be a mean combat machine
Yup. Even the straight bard in the Core Book (I believe that is what you mean by vanilla) is pretty awesome at whatever you want it to do. Especially with arcane strike combined with inspire courage, you can start doing real good damage pretty early on if you want.
And guys, I just want to say how sad I am the super goblin failed... I thought... that maybe he would be able to do cool things. Instead he failed all his rolls miserably lol.
combat isn't over yet.... there still might be the possible crit.
and with a +4 to hit he can still manage to hit hard someone.
Did you miss the super goblin? the two normal gobs got on each other's shoulders and formed master blaster (if you have seen Mad Max lol).
But the top goblin critically fumbled.. and the bottom goblin failed his strength check... so they went tumbling down... into a well... and failed reflex saves... lol
no no i saw it. i rather though it was a super cool ability. it reminded me of a feat for small race that allowed them to combine strong etc...
I know right? I tend to find the baddies at low levels kind of boring to fight... So I try to make them interesting. I really love how detailed paizo is with the goblins, it makes them really fun to use!
Goblins are delightful in pathfinder. And yeah, I will agree that the street performer's invisibility granting power is amazing, however it doesn't really scale up the same way that inspire courage does, so it's more powerful early on, then later not as good since many enemies get the ability to see invisible.
So everyone.
I hope things are going well and you all are having a good time!
Just wanted to throw out there... I have a homebrew campaign I have been working on. It has to do with a lot of clockwork contraptions, an insane wizard, airships, steam punk inventions, oh and did I mention super secret clockwork tower. oh and magical shifting fey forests.
Would any of you be interested in being the test subjects?
Indeed, and would you look at that, Gregory is made with a steampunky look in mind for his xtra arms and familiar!
Yes I shall have to accept.
Also, on an unrelated note, 30!!! new posts in gameplay thread...And here I thought 25 last time was some kinda earth shattering records.
Admittedly most of it was steamy Aasimar bow-chigga-bow-wow but still.
Well since my turn of "events" is done i can't wait to read the 2-3 pages of conversation you are going to have with the priest Thalric :)
I would am definitely interested. Steampunk sounds fun. I really wish the artificer class was in Pathfinder. Sounds like it would be perfect for the setting.
Excellent! Well ferdin can join too if he wishes. You all should discuss amongst yourselves your party roles, and we can have that going in a few days as well.
I have been having fun playing in a couple campaigns... And I find the lack of dm posting disturbing.
I mean... Maybe I'm biased ;p but I determined if I really wanna play a game that gets posted in frequently, I, as a dm, will have to do it myself haha.
Eventually I'll decide to try my hand at GMing. When I do I'll let you know.
:)
On further consideration, I may have to play this Synthesist summoner ive been thinking about. Reason being that summoners are hard to get into games on the forums, synthesist even more so, which is strange since the base summoner takes more work (an xtra "character" in the form of the Eidolon) and is more powerful.
Either way, he would multiclass Ranger (trapper) like Gregory will do whenever I get him into a game. Will focus heavily on skills with the Skilled evolution and claw attacks / buffs in combat.
I think I would like to play a cleric. I'm torn between Irori and Desna.
It could be fun to play a multiclass Cleric/Wizard/Loremaster/Mystic Theurge
lol :)
Most DM do not allow summoner as its felt like a way over owered character.
As for myself. i'll wait until everyone has declared what kind or character they want to do and fill in the last gap.
Yeah anything is allowed, I mostly just wanna see how well the story is working and if the encounters are in the right places etc.
You can all play psionics for a I care :p. also we start level 3
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I would be interested in playing some sort of gnome rogue/tinkerer/device disabler. A character who is constantly intrigued by mechanical devices, and compelled to find out how they work; and, an inventor who likes to experiment with things to craft interesting items (I already have two items that come to mind).
Summoner is mostly overpowered due to the action economy of basically playing two character, coupled with the ease with which an eidolon can use wands (use magic device as class skill + Skilled evolution puts an eidolon at +12 at level 1 fx)
The Synthesist gives up that power for more defence, becoming kinda like a paladin in some ways. The Synthesist is only overpowered if the player dumps str and dex to 7 (which is so cheese I can almost smell it just talking about it)
Given the interest shown ill likely have to consider something else though.
I am fine allowing a summoner...
Only if I am allowed to make fun of him for being a summoner
I ran a campaign with a summoner in the party and he would just hide behind walls using his connection to see through his eidolon... Lol
But like a said, cheese is gonna be ok here, as the campaign a sorts meant to be a little cheese ;p
Also I'm not gonna run a recruitment thread, this is it so you all are in already if you want
Coming up on 400 posts with still a week to go before we hit a month of play...damn
And this discussion tab as well, seriously :O
Gordron Silverkin is the alchemist character I was talking about. He could maybe be considered a little cheesy(due to high strength), but he has a good backstory and lots of hooks to tie him to a plot. I made him for a game that looks like it will never go anywhere and have been dying to play him.
I must say JellyMan, you are an excellent GM! I had my doubts about PbP, but I'm finding myself enjoying it more than in playing IRL. Are games on the Forums normally this good?
Wow, I didn't even notice we were approaching 400 posts in the gameplay thread! That's almost an average of 4 posts per day for each of us!
PbP is in many ways better than IRL, since you have to roleplay, and can do it alot more convincingly (unless you are an actor irl)
The only problem is the usually slowish pace, but not this one, oh yeaaah.
I'll get working on a half-elf Cleric of Nethys/Wizard (Evocation)
How many points are we spending on abilities?
Average starting gold. 25 points. Level 3. Bear in mind, I'm hoping it will be a fairly difficult campaign hehe
Also thank you very much :]