Hi,
Starting a new campaign soon and have elected to go with a bard. Just curious to see what you guys would suggest. Initially I wanted an archer build but I realized that most of the adventure would occur indoors and there was no way I'd get improved precise shot in any reasonable amount of time. I looked at whip, but it was just too many feats. I will say I am allowed to have the Master Performer feat from the factions guide right off (assuming I have the qualifying feat, and thus human is very attractive)
So what do you recommend?
Take a look here: Guide to the Guides
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I played a bard in CoT. It is a very good choice for the AP. If you can take Master Performer and Grand Master performer. I suggest doing it. I don't recomend archtypes for this AP.
Verstal Performance: Act this will help you out so much in the AP. I can't tell you how much you realy want to have this. The oritary is the other one that I picked up at 6. To fill out my skills
Act (Bluff/Disquise) Oritary (Diplomacy/Sense Motive)
Bardic knowlage made a big impact in the AP as well. The most common Local, Nobility, Arcane, Planes.
For weapons I just used a rapier and dagger. The though was to use Two Weapon Fighting. Did not hapen very often killed stuff off to fast for me to get up there after doing all my bard stuff first. Fascinate is very effective in most of the AP. I spend 75% of my combat time doing crowed crontrol. If I hade it to do agan I wold put more in to Cha then I did dex and just use a rapier the few times I did get a chance to fight.
I played a bard in CoT. It is a very good choice for the AP. If you can take Master Performer and Grand Master performer. I suggest doing it. I don't recomend archtypes for this AP.
Verstal Performance: Act this will help you out so much in the AP. I can't tell you how much you realy want to have this. The oritary is the other one that I picked up at 6. To fill out my skills
Act (Bluff/Disquise) Oritary (Diplomacy/Sense Motive)Bardic knowlage made a big impact in the AP as well. The most common Local, Nobility, Arcane, Planes.
For weapons I just used a rapier and dagger. The though was to use Two Weapon Fighting. Did not hapen very often killed stuff off to fast for me to get up there after doing all my bard stuff first. Fascinate is very effective in most of the AP. I spend 75% of my combat time doing crowed crontrol. If I hade it to do agan I wold put more in to Cha then I did dex and just use a rapier the few times I did get a chance to fight.
How about this, planning on going str/power attack for the efficiency of a single feat investment melee solution with a two hander:
Str 18 (w/racial)
Dex 14
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 10
Cha 14
Bard1 Master Performer, Extra Performance
Bard2
Bard3 Arcane Strike
Bard4
Bard5 Power Attack
Bard6
Bard7 Craft feat (?)
Bard8
Bard9 Grand Master Performer
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If you're interested in doing Ranged Combat without heavy feat investment, the Sound Striker archetype can give you a very effective ranged option (at level 6). You could go for a switch-hitter type bard, focusing on melee at the early levels, then using your ranged abilities until enemies close the gap later on, buffing once you get into melee. Seems like it'd be effective.
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When I was a bard, I did the whole Arcane Strike, Power Attack, Lunge set up with a long spear.
I found that action economy was often the whole point of playing the bard, and between casting, inspiring, moving and attacking, something had to give. Thats where my lunge/longspear came into play.
So, you can't take Lunge until level 8 as a straight Bard, but until then a solid round should be:
1st round: Cast/Inspire (unless lvl 7), Move to flank/or just 5 foot step and hit from 10 feet out, effectively giving you 15' range. Or, you could cast "Expeditious Retreat" first round, and then move to flank/charge for added to hit/support. With the 10' reach, you threaten quite a bit for rogue support/flanking with friends :)
2nd round: Continue Inspire, Cast/Attack, Move, or if you have a metamagic rod of Quicken: Lesser, you can do both, get that fast :)
I had a blast doing surprising amounts of damage. The bonus from Inspire, the bonus from flanking I usually had set up with faster movement, and the ability to charge into a flank with the added reach was just awesome.
For those times where I couldnt move because I had to do something else, like a 2nd swift action in place of a move, then I would simply 5 foot step and hit from far out...this is where Lunge worked wonders. With that, I was usually able to hit about a 20' area with the long spear...that is in essence the same reach a heavy armored guy would have.
Since you uber buffs all happen at lvl 3 or less, the Quickened: Lesser meta magic rod was key... Free action to continue Inspire, Swift action to cast Haste, Move action to get into position, Standard action to attack from flank/charge/lunge and get the +'s to my to hit.
With the Inspire, Flank, Charge, I could do some solid to hits, and if I had a Haste/Good Hope/Heroism on, it just got downright silly, often I had as good of or better to hit rolls than the fighter. Thats why it was ok to use Power Attack, and combine with the Arcane Strike and Inspire, holy jesus was it fun.
Imagine the look on the PA fighters face when you hit for just as much as him, and you are standing 15 feet from the dude you just jacked up and he can't hit you back or strike back or anything without moving.
Gravy baby, it was all gravy.