Powerful Pathfinder Bard Builds?

[Lawful GM]

Hi everyone,

I've been looking on the Paizo forums but I can't seem to find any decent examples of Bard Builds. What I'm looking for is a build that is able to do things by itself and be a powerful independant character in its own right, able to do well in fights, social scenarios or what have you (although I am liable to narrow down so that it is a master of one thing). All I have found is a skill monkey who I can't see functioning in any scenario where skills aren't being rolled and who does little in combat and this weird musetouched Aasimar thing. I'm even okay with it being multiclass (provided the first Level is Bard). I just want a powerful bard.

Preferably, I'd like it to be 25 pt buy with a minimum of non-open content stuff. I'd also like a full list of skill ranks and spells known, as well as the customary abillity scores/feats.

[mcv]

Standard Bards are very much support characters. They buff everybody else. For a standalone Bard, I'd look at some of the archetypes. Basically anything that gives up Inspire Courage for something more self-centered.

[Chris P. Bacon]

You may want to look into Archaeologist or Dervish Dancer builds. Doing a search for those terms may yield better results. Arcane Duelist is powerful, and well-rounded too.

[Lawful GM]

Chris P. Bacon wrote:

You may want to look into Archaeologist or Dervish Dancer builds. Doing a search for those terms may yield better results. Arcane Duelist is powerful, and well-rounded too.

Thanks! Could you show me any builds with those search terms?

[Cathulhu]

I might also look into a bard/dragon disciple... You can do nearly as well as a frontline fighter in damage and AC, and have support spells.i am enjoying one currently quite a bit.

[StreamOfTheSky]

No bard build will be extremely powerful, but there are some optimal archetypes.

Dawnflower Dervish (not dervish dancer) gets a self-only inspire in return for 2x the bonus, and at level 1 gets a feat to make Str a dump stat and rely on Dex for attack/damage with scimitar. Making it quite good as a melee/tank build sort of bard. Be sure to grab Blade of Mercy (you need to worship saranrae to be the archetype to begin with anyway) trait and Enforcer feat. You should also try to work towards Crane Wing.

Chelish Diva (not the other deva archetype, which sucks) is probably the all-around strongest bard archetype, it's just less focused than some others. Eventually lets you wear and cast in full plate, gives a very nice no-save frightened effect performance (but only single target), and the ability to burn extra perform rounds to buff the save DCs of other performances (once the enemies fail the saves, you can stop burning the extra rounds, so it's not even that costly).

Dirge Bard can use mind-affecting spells on the undead and gets to add some necromany spells to his spells known. And his well versed replacement is MUCH more useful. Undead is often a major weakness for Bards, so this archetype lets you cross one weakness off your list.

Archaeologist is nice as a rogue replacement, though Lingering Performance is basically required and you lose versatile performance, sadly. Probably best as an archer since your self-only inspire replacement is a swift action right from the start, allowing for full attacking the round activated. Though, w/ lingering performance and archery needing 3 feats up front, you'll start off very feat starved. May want to dip Divine Hunter Paladin 1 or 2 levels to help a bit. 2nd doesn't actually help with feats, cha to saves is just...very nice.