Building a Melee Bard

[Dema_89]

Hi everyone,
as the title suggest, i'm planning to build a lvl4 melee bard with a 15 point buy for stats.

The problem is that i'd like to go for weapon finesse and dump strenght (i just don't like the idea of a bard who is as strong as beautiful).

Is there a way to be useful without going for D.Dancer or D.Dervish or just using STR?

Thanks in advance

[Bart Vervaet]

arcane duelist is a pretty good archetype.
for more damage go for a finesse weapon with the agile enchantment

[Bertious]

Inspire courage and arcane strike can give you some damage so finess is not out of the question and at higher levels an agile weapon will let you add dex to damage.

So perhaps Arcane Duelist
10 str 0 points
18 dex 7 points and +2 race +1 level 4
12 con 2 points
13 int 3 points
08 wis -2 points
14 cha 5 points

Feats
1st Arcane Strike (free),Weapon Finess, Lingering performance
2nd Combat Casting (free)
3rd Piranha Strike
4th -

So using a masterwork short sword at lvl 4 can be +7 to hit and 1d6+3 damage (1 from arc strike 2 from piranha strike)

Fully Buffed (song + allegro spell) +9/+9 1d6+4

Next level your weapon becomes arcane bonded so for 4000 gold you can enchant it to +1 agile and have the following
Short sword +7 to hit 1d6+9 damage (4 dex 2 arc strike 2 piranha and 1 magic) or fully buffed +10/+10 to hit and 1d6+11 damage

[Dema_89]

Thank's both for the answers, very useful.

Just a doubt about the Agile enhancement and the Piranha Strike feat. They're both out of the core set of books (core, apg, um, uc), so i've to discuss with the dm to get them or are they "legal" :) ?

Looking the Arcane Duelist i don't like it a lot (too little bardish ^^), so i think i'll go for a base bard and take Arcane Strike at lvl 1 as a feat, but Agile and Piranha are amazing!

[Bertious]

If piranha strike is not allowed you can always drop int to 10 and put str at 13 for normal power attack at which point an elven curve blade would be a good choice which you can get by going half elf and taking the ancestrial arms alternate racial ability.

Lvl 4 would look like
+7 to hit 1d10+5 with a masterwork curve blade or +9/+9 1d10+6 buffed

[Dema_89]

Thanks, i'll try to persuade the DM :)

[calagnar]

As a bard you are much better off using your first few feet's to get Improved Initiative, and Lingering Performance. Then move in to the feet's you want to take. I recommend Weapon Finess, Quick Draw, Two Weapon Fighting, Improved Two Weapon Fighting, and Discordant Voice. In that order. Finesse to hit, Quick Draw to have a free hand to cast, and still draw a weapon and full attack when they close with you. Two Weapon Fighting, & Improved to take advantage off the bonus damage from performance, and good hope. Discordant Voice because sonic damage is really hard to get. This is not the best combat bard but there ability to support the group is far better. By getting the buffs off before the other party members go. This build dose take a few level to get going really good. The first 3 levels are tough. After getting in to level 2 spells then the +2 inspire courage things start rolling. Then level 7 the build becomes self sufficient combat/buffing/healer. I have played two bards with the same build. One in a home game, and one in PFSP. This bard is pathfinder cheat mode for almost every thing.

Ability Scores
Human
Str 10 (This is due to 15 point buy. 20 point buy this is 14)
Dex 18 (15+2+1=18)
Con 14 (Important note to any one that will get hit. More HP is good for you. I never make a character with less then a 14 base Con.)
Int 12 (Your skill point starved as every bard is. You need to get all the ones you can. 6+1human+1Int+1Favord Class= 9/Level. And this is still not enough for my bard.)
Wis 7 (Well this part hurts.)
Cha 14 (Your Cha determans so meny of your abilitys, and spells.)

[Victor Zajic]

I have a bard(archaeologist)/Fighter who is really good at melee, but I had a 20 point build. Uses an Adlori Dueling sword and weapon finesse. the trick is to make dex your primary stat, charisma secondary, and make sure you have at least 13 str for power attack. At higher levels you can qualify for the Aldori Sword Lord prestige class, which will give you dex instead of str to damage, but you are going to want power attack to make up for the melee damage way before them.

Your charisma really can't afford to be above a 14 at the most, if you're serious about being an effective melee caster.

Bards have access to some spells that are amazing in melee combat, especially once they get level 2 spells. Being the high AC tank of the party, being able to 5ft step back and heal yourself, or cast mirror immage, and having heroism up for long periods of time really give you an edge in combat. And with the Archaeologist archetype by level 6 you are better at finding and disarming traps than a rogue, but you give up the ability to buff anyone but yourself. But your self buff do stack with Heroism, which at level 5 bard you are getting +4 to attacks, skills, and saves while both effects are up.

A couple levels of fighter early get you the HP, feats, and weapon proficiencys to really shine. If you start as a bard 2 fighter 2 you can be very effective, right out of the gates. Save up for a mithral breastplate as soon as you have access to one and your AC will be nearly as good as a heavy armor/shield tank. And there is little reason not to carry around a masterwork/enchanted buckler for more ac, at least until you have the Aldori Dueling Mastery feat, if you go that route. You could save on some feats by just being a rapier fighting, though, without a huge hit to melee damage, but level 1 in Aldori Sword Lord is really good.

[tifton]

Half-elf Archaeologist
Ancestral Arms (scimitar)

lvl 1 Weapon Finesse
lvl 3 Lingering performance
lvl 4 Dervish Dance (lvl 4 Combat Trick)

Str 9
Dex 18 (15+2+1 lvl 4=18)
Con 12
Int 12
Wis 12
Cha 13 (13 +1 lvl 8=14)

[StreamOfTheSky]

Is Dawnflower Dervish not available? It's perfect for your needs. Dex to hit and damage right from level 1 as a class feature, and doubled inspire bonus to make you good in melee (at the expense of not buffing others).

[zean]

I agree with the post above. I know you said you wanted to avoid the Dawnflower Dervish, but the fact is, the math works out such that if you attempt to be a Weapon Finesse Bard with something like a Rapier, it's just not going to turn out all that well. The Strength Bard is also a decent option. However, straight up vanilla Weapon Finesse and dump Strength without an archetype is setting yourself up for a bit of disappointment with regard to your damage output (1d6 damage for about 7 levels!).