Level One Kobold Bard Help!

[Rents]

I need help making a Kobold Bard, I was originally going to be a Kobold Monk; but my GM told us we really NEED a bard because of the type of Campaign we have. We're using a standard 15 point buy, I took a look at the guide for Bards but I'm not really sure if my Kobold will be useful; If anyone can help me it'd be appreciated. I'm pretty new to Pathfinder and wanted to give Kobolds a try, my friend is running a game with mainly monster PCs and wants to see how it'd turn out.

[boring7]

Why does the party "NEED" a bard?

Actually, I can probably guess. The party has a whole mess of folks that shoot first, shoot last, shoot some more, and then MAYBE get around to asking a question or two as well as a severe deficiency in the buffs and heals department.

You're a magician archetype bard who carries wands, maxes out pornomancy, and uses a whip (both regular and scorpion) with Expertise (Disarming, tripping, stuff like that) in order to have SOMETHING to do in a fight that's more interesting than, "I keep playing my lute give everyone a bonus *yawn*"

I mean maybe you're boring like me and can have fun with that but I don't meet many who do.

[Azten]

It depends on what you want to do besides using Bardic Performance. Do you want to cast spells, fight with ranged weapons, or fight in melee? As shown above, Bards have far more options than "I keep playing my lute give everyone a bonus *yawn*"

Of course, if you take Caught Off-Guard you could use that lute as a weapon and still keep your Performance going...

[Rents]

Azten wrote:

It depends on what you want to do besides using Bardic Performance. Do you want to cast spells, fight with ranged weapons, or fight in melee? As shown above, Bards have far more options than "I keep playing my lute give everyone a bonus *yawn*"

Of course, if you take Caught Off-Guard you could use that lute as a weapon and still keep your Performance going...

I'm looking for Range since I'm a Kobold, from what I know they're made of paper mache unless they're meant for close combat.

[Azten]

Yeah, the -2 Con doesn't help. The -4 Str can be an issue with Range too though.

For example, the following weapons deal less damage if you have a negative Strength modifier: Sling, thrown weapons, bows.

That leaves guns and crossbows for ranged fighting.

Now, if you can manage a Str of 8 or 9, this problem is off set by your Bardic Performance. Point Blank shot adds a +1 to damage rolls if you are within 30ft of your target too, so there's another little bit of help(you'll need it for Precise Shot later anyway).

[Atarlost]

Light Crossbow is probably the weapon for you. Try to fit rapid reload into your feat plan by level 8, but don't expect great things from it. Play a vanilla bard. It sounds like you may need versatile performance and bardic knowledge and you certainly need inspire courage and I'm not sure that any archetypes keep all three.

Good performances are Orate and Comedy or Keyboards and Sing. Accordion is a nice portable, hands-free keyboard instrument, though you don't need an instrument to do versatile performance. Act is also good with either pair.

At low levels your 1d6 crossbow bolt will be fine. You'll hit more than the wizard, but run out of spells sooner. You get one of the "low level to be swapped out" encounter enders. When it stops working you should have level 2 spells and soon after +2 inspire courage and start to be able to make yourself worthwhile as a bard. At level 7 you get Haste or Good Hope and move action performance and get to be a walking on demand +2 or +3 APL.

Important feats are Lingering Performance, Arcane Strike, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Reload, Deadly Aim, and that one that adds sonic damage to every attack while you're performing.

[Vuvu]

discordant voice is the sonic one, but you have to have 10 ranks of oratory or sing.

[boring7]

The whip works like a ranged weapon too (mostly) if you want to go with Expertise (extra AC helps).

Focusing in on crossbow sniper works, though make sure to max out acrobatics for when you need to leave a threat radius, (or enter one in the case of "oh crap the fighter needs healing or he will DIE.")

Always have at least one illusion.

Diplomacy only works if they aren't shooting you on sight, so consider some form of disguise.

Don't name yourself, "Deekin."

While I HIGHLY doubt it will prove a good idea or even feasible, I'm pretty sure all kobolds qualify for Dragon Disciple. And sometimes that just ends up being where the RP takes ya.

[Atarlost]

Vuvu wrote:

discordant voice is the sonic one, but you have to have 10 ranks of oratory or sing.

Who ever heard of a bard that doesn't max out one of those? They're both good for versatile performance and don't require implements.

[Rents]

Thanks for the help so far.

[SIZE=+1]Cradince Valent[/SIZE]
Male CN Kobold Bard 1st, Level 1st, Init +2, HP 10/10, Speed 30ft
AC 18, Touch 13, Flat-footed 16, Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +1, Base Attack Bonus 0, Action Points 1
Crossbow, Light (25) +2/+1 (1d8-1, 19-20/x2)
Mace, Light (-) -3 (1d6, 20/x2)
Claws +1 (1d4, 19-20/x2)
Small Chain Shirt (+4 Armor, +2 Dex, +1 Size, +1 Natural)
Abilities Str 7, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 15
Condition None

[Azten]

Looks good so far.

Why is the damage of the corssbow 1d8-1? Small, light crossbows deal 1d6, and I have no idea where the -1 is coming from.

[Rents]

Azten wrote:

Looks good so far.

Why is the damage of the corssbow 1d8-1? Small, light crossbows deal 1d6, and I have no idea where the -1 is coming from.

Oh I see, that was an accident I'm kinda new.

I have Detect Magic, Read Magic, GHost Sound, Cure Light Wounds, and Grease.

[boring7]

I would trade either read magic or ghost sound for Prestidigitation. Aside from party-tricks and not having to buy soap ever again it's the go-to spell for ALL your "little fiddling utility junk" magic. Lighting fires/fuses, drying/cleaning clothes, up to 1 pound of telekinesis, spicing up your bland rations, blowing a smoke ring and then blowing a smoke galleon through it (actually it's been so long does anyone remember that scene?) touching up your cosmetics, trimming your ha-er...talons, and finger-painting pictures or messages on anything, even the air in front of you.

Mending ain't bad either, but I think there was recently a whole thread on its limitations and how rapidly it loses relevance.

Edited for general tone.

[Rents]

boring7 wrote:

I would trade either read magic or ghost sound for Prestidigitation. Aside from party-tricks and not having to buy soap ever again it's the go-to spell for ALL your "little fiddling utility junk" magic. Lighting fires/fuses, drying/cleaning clothes, up to 1 pound of telekinesis, spicing up your bland rations, blowing a smoke ring and then blowing a smoke galleon through it (actually it's been so long does anyone remember that scene?) touching up your cosmetics, trimming your ha-er...talons, and finger-painting pictures or messages on anything, even the air in front of you.

Mending ain't bad either, but I think there was recently a whole thread on its limitations and how rapidly it loses relevance.

Edited for general tone.

Oh, I didn't know about that spell; I only took Ghost Sound because I was told I need at least one illusion.

[boring7]

A fair point, I may have to eat my words on that one too, at least for level 1.

Illusions are important for a bard because they pretty much NEVER have "real power" (whatever that means) in what they do. Their specialty is being the small man casting the very large shadow, and like the subtle dance of charm, dominance, and distraction they use in social manipulation a bard should have misdirections and illusions to trick people.

Ghost sound can be good for tricking or distracting people and monsters. And on reflection if the party has a wizard or a cleric you may not actually need detect magic because, well, they have those spells.

I don't know if I would take grease or Minor Image. Both are highly situational, both are useful even unto 20th level, and both are made more effective with imaginative use.

I honestly can't think of a time when I've used read magic, but that may just be because my DM's never threw appropriate situations at us to where we needed it. I'm re-reading the description and I'm not even sure what a lot of it means.

[Rents]

boring7 wrote:

A fair point, I may have to eat my words on that one too, at least for level 1.

Illusions are important for a bard because they pretty much NEVER have "real power" (whatever that means) in what they do. Their specialty is being the small man casting the very large shadow, and like the subtle dance of charm, dominance, and distraction they use in social manipulation a bard should have misdirections and illusions to trick people.

Ghost sound can be good for tricking or distracting people and monsters. And on reflection if the party has a wizard or a cleric you may not actually need detect magic because, well, they have those spells.

I don't know if I would take grease or Minor Image. Both are highly situational, both are useful even unto 20th level, and both are made more effective with imaginative use.

I honestly can't think of a time when I've used read magic, but that may just be because my DM's never threw appropriate situations at us to where we needed it. I'm re-reading the description and I'm not even sure what a lot of it means.

I'm the authority on magic, I am the healer and the Wizard; and the only ranged fighter. We only have 3 people in our party a Fighter and Barbarian, so yeah.

Edit: also our DM is pretty new to DMing.