My Bard just turned level 3, and I need to pick a feat. The shortlist contains 3 very different feats: (edit: there's actually 4 feats in the running now)
Combat Casting is immediately useful. I'm the party's arcane caster (in a Kingmaker campaign, which means few encounters per day, which means few spells per day isn't a big problem), but I also have a longsword and shield (just like our fighter and our paladin), so I could technically assist in melee. My AC isn't great though, and I've had a few times when an enemy focused his attacks on me and I went down. The ability to cast spells while in melee is definitely useful, but it's still risky, and I'd rather stay out of melee whenever possible. (I suck at ranged, though.) It feels like I'm investing in something I'd better avoid altogether.
Craft Wondrous Item is always cool, and I'll probably max out my spellcraft anyway. And in Kingmaker, I expect we'll have plenty of downtime to create stuff. Just not right now. At the moment, we're busy exploring, and we're utterly broke (all those animals and monsters we encounter don't have much loot), so I can't use this right away. Maybe I should pick it at level 5 instead of level 3. (Level 7 is definitely going to be Leadership.)
Eldritch Heritage: Imperious bloodline seems to be the only Eldritch Heritage I meet the requirements for. EH requires that I have Skill Focus in the skill related to the bloodline, and it just so happens that I have Performance: Oratory as my main performance skill, and due to the Focused Study alternate racial ability, I've got Skill Focus on it. And fluff-wise, it's absolutely perfect for my Bard: he's a Bastard of Rogarvia (campaign trait), which means I'm related to a mysteriously vanished royal house. Also, my Bard isn't really the music type, but a politician; words are his primary weapon. The Imperious bloodline fits this all perfectly. But is it actually any good?
The first ability from the Imperious Bloodline looks very iffy. I get a bunch of class skills that are already class skills for me. And on very specific uses, I get a hefty bonus. But how often will I be using those skills for that?
The later abilities sound more useful. But is this good enough?
There's actually a 4th feat that I was also considering in the past, and my write up of Combat Casting made me think of it again: Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Net. That might help my usefulness in combat, but I'm not sure just how effective a net will be.
I'm playing a wizard in the same adventure. Kingmaker does indeed have very little loot. However, I have gotten the wondrous items feat myself.
Now, combat casting is indeed a good pick as well, but my reasoning behind the wondrous items feat is so that if I did ever get any treasure, I could make exactly what I wanted for cheaper. Now, at this point you won't get a lot of use out of it, so 5th may be good. Once you get your kingdom up and running though, with a cooperative DM you could potentially put out fliers to make wondrous items for citizens who could afford them, thus getting your profits and slowly making money for yourself and or your kingdom.
I'd have to check on the imperious bloodline and what it does in order to know if it'd be of any real use.
As for nets, I was close to making a net / spear fighter, but it seems to me one would want more feats in order to get the full effect of nets. They're still good of course, but it will all depend on what you come across I suppose.
What other feats would you need for nets? I believe I read somewhere that a net is even usable without proficiency, because it's a touch attack. It's not going to be effective against every opponent of course, but if it's occasionally useful, that's still something.
Maybe I should buy one and try it out before I invest a feat in it, though.
Craft Wondrous Item might be something I'll really want once I get to level 5, but at the moment it's simply not much use. I think I should also check some difficulties for some items. My wizard in a different campaign can't really fail at it, but my Bard is probably a lot less good at it, considering his Int is 8 points lower.
Here's the description of the Imperious bloodline abilities:
Student of Humanity (Ex): At 1st level, you gain Diplomacy, Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility), and Linguistics as class skills. In addition, when using these skills to learn, study, or gather information about humans, you add an insight bonus equal to your Charisma bonus on such checks.
Heroic Echo (Su): At 3rd level, when you receive a morale bonus from any spell, spell-like ability, or magic item, including those you cast on yourself, that bonus increases by +1. At 9th level, this ability also applies to competence bonuses. If you receive a morale effect (or a competence effect at 9th level) that affects an area or multiple targets, as an immediate action you can share your increased bonus with all other recipients. This increase to other participants lasts a number of rounds equal to your Charisma bonus. You can use this ability once per day, plus one time per three levels after 3rd.
Take Your Best Shot (Su): At 9th level, if you are targeted by a harmful spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability and suffer no harm from it, whether because of a successful saving throw, spell resistance, the attack missing, or some other protection, as an immediate action you can make an Intimidate check to demoralize the creature that produced the effect, but only if the creature that used the harmful effect is within 30 feet and can clearly see and hear you. At 13th level, you can use this ability after succeeding at a saving throw to reduce the effects of an attack (if no save is allowed, you cannot use this ability).
Heroic Legends (Su): At 15th level, you may inspire greatness or inspire heroics as a bard of your sorcerer level by sacrificing a spell slot as a swift or move action. The effect lasts a number of rounds equal to the sacrificed spell's level; this duration is doubled for human recipients.
heroic echo could certainly help bards be better at buffing, which is their main role. Greater heroism and inspire courage on a boss fight would kick a lot of butt with that enhancement.
Oh! if you go that route, pick up a courageous weapon.
Well, since it seems that wondrous won't be as good for you yet, I'd probably suggest combat casting then. From my experience (which could be different from yours of course) a lot of the things you face will try to get in your face.
As for the nets, I meant more about the feats that tend to go with the nets outside of exotic weapon proficiency.
I haven't really played a bard, so Trogdar's suggestions might be better.
What does a courageous weapon do?
Heroic Echo definitely looks cool. But I can only get that at level 11, I think. So I could get Student of Humanity at level 9 and still be on time.
But is Student of Humanity by itself worth taking earlier? All these skills are class skills already. Getting a +4 (later a +5) only to gather information about people, that seems awfully specific, and I suspect that whether it's useful at all is very campaign specific.
So I guess that means I shouldn't take Eldritch Heritage right now, but reconsider when I reach level 9.
There's one major downside to taking Improved Eldritch Heritage at level 11, though: Discordant Voice is also a level 11 feat. I'll have a tough choice if we ever get that far.
So to plan out my feats a bit:
lvl 1: Lingering Performance (perhaps not the best choice, but seemed cool at the time)
lvl 3: ?
lvl 5: Craft Wondrous Item
lvl 7: Leadership
lvl 9: Eldritch Heritage?
lvl 11: Discordant Voice or Improved Eldritch Heritage?
lvl 13: Improved Eldritch Heritage? or Discordant Voice
So I guess the choice is now between Combat Casting and Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Net. And whichever one I don't take, I'll probably never take. At least not for a long, long time. So my idea of getting a net to play with and deciding on the feat later is useless. I need to decide now. (Or I get Wondrous Item now and take one of these at level 5.)
The interesting part is that both Combat Casting and EWP: Net both give a +4 to something. So which will I be doing more often: casting in melee, or throwing a net? I'm leaning towards the net, actually. It's a weird weapon, but it's an easy debuff, Combat Casting is something I'll only use when the situation has already gone sour (I'm in melee). It makes it easier for me to contribute when things have gone bad, but I'd rather prevent that situation in the first place.
But by itself, casting is more important to me than throwing a net.
generally speaking, its better to improve your chance to hit rather than add energy damage. It looks like heroic echo buffs all morale and competence bonuses you have on you, so it would be granting more than dischordant voice if you are buffing everybody. you should certainly take dischordant voice after that though.
Alright, so if I go the Eldritch Heritage route, Heroic Echo is the big one and I want it as soon as possible (which is level 11 at the earliest). But Student Of Humanity is barely more than a feat tax to get to Heroic Echo.
I really want Craft Wondrous Item, but it can wait until level 5.
That still leaves Combat Casting and EWP: Net. I'm leaning towards Net, but it's rather exotic, and not really central to my character concept. Is there something better I could get, that I'm currently overlooking?
If I really don't know, I could also get Craft Wondrous Item now, because I'll want it anyway, and then postpone the decision between Combat Casting and Net for two more levels. Buy a net, play around with it at -4 to see if I like it, and make the decision when I reach level 5.