Looking for feedback on the Bard archetypes

[Matt2VK]

Looking for feedback on the Bard archetypes –

Arcane Duelist
Dawnflower Dervish
Dervish Dancer

20 Point buy, PFS legal, 12th level max.

At moment, I’m leaning towards a Half-Orc Arcane Duelist or a Half-Orc Dervish Dancer and going with the Falchion as my weapon of choice.

I’m trying to come up with a flexible build that will allow me to do damage, healing, and skills, while having decent defenses. As the classes I run with can change, session to session.

Any suggestions (or opinions) on builds or the 3 bard archetypes are welcome.

PS. Have looked at the Bard guide and it’s a bit dated.

[Cheapy]

If you want damage, heal, skills, and decent defenses, think hard about giving up Versatile Performance. It's what makes you the best skill monkey in the game.

Arcane Duelist: I like it up to 5th level. At that point, you get a bonded weapon and from then on if you want to cast a spell, must have it in hand. It makes casting spells in cities a bit weird, since you have to be waving around your weapon. Neat if you don't mind that bit.

Dawnflower Dervish: Pretty good, but not that interesting.

Dervish Dancer: Much more interesting, but gives up VP. Rain of Blows is really good.

Arcane Strike will help in the damage department. With your buffs, you could swing power attack pretty easily as well, and not be any worse off. A dawnflower dervish with the falchion, power attack, and arcane strike could lay the hurt pretty decently, as could the dervish dancer. Dervish Dancer will pull ahead quite a bit at level 6, due to permahaste. You'll be zipping around, being where's needed, and then laying hurt there.

Healing isn't something you need to worry about. Just take CLW and then grab a Wand of CLW. And then retrain CLW if you really don't want it as a spell known.

I've been meaning to work on that bard guide for a while.

[Matt2VK]

At moment, I'm having a hard time deciding on what kind of stat build I'd have.

Looking at (20 point build) -
STR 16 DEX 14 CON 12 INT ? WIS ? CHA 14

Trying to decide where to put the 8 at, INT or WIS. Then if I want the (+2) on either my STR or CHA or to just go with a completely different stat array.

[Cheapy]

14 Cha is fine. You'll do fine with just 16 STR to start out with. Getting to 18 wouldn't be a horrible idea, since you could start out two-handing for +2 damage, but not really necessary. You have buffs for that ;)

Personally, I'd probably take Dex down to 12 and have no dump stats.

[Ryu Kaijitsu]

I don't know about those dancers, in my opinion the Archeologist is the best archetype of Bard, but seems you have a clear idea/concept in your mind already

[Atarlost]

Archaeologist is a lousy combat bard because it lacks the +2/class level rounds of performance. It much performance cycle with lingering performance, costing a feat and throwing away 1/3 of its swift actions, which it would otherwise use for arcane strike.

Dervish Dancer can sustain performance, allowing it to arcane strike consistently. Dervish Dancer also can use the finale spells.

Arcane Duelist gets to inspire everyone and has the usual scaling rounds/day.

Dawnflower Dervish gets double self only inspire with all the other advantages of the dervish dancer over archaeologist.

Archaeologist is the best rogue by a wide margin, but it's one of the weakest bard archetypes if you aren't interested in trapfinding or rogue talents. I'm not impressed with any of the rogue talents not related to traps or sneak attack.

[Ryu Kaijitsu]

Archeologist doesn't have bardic performance to begin with, and you forget that you can get Ninja Tricks through Rogue Tricks too :)

But yes, it is true that it is more of a single-multiclass rogue/sorcerer, than a typical buffing bard.

[Cheapy]

Atarlost, Archaeologist's Luck also gives a bonus to damage, so while it won't be as high as arcane strike, you're still getting bonus damage. And bonuses to hit. And you can easily get it to the point where you're able to keep it up for every single round of combat, from level 1 onwards.

[Sister Maeve]

I forgot the Luck bonus, with that yes, its even a better option :)