My GM has decided to run a couple of low-level short campaigns as an offshoot to our main module. The theme is a trading caravan moving across a newly-settled wilderness so I thought playing a wandering bard might be fun. I have no idea what the rest of the party will be though.
I've had a read around and seen some very interesting ideas. Fiznab's "Buffer Bard" guide throws up the idea of using the Flagbearer feat, and I can see my GM permitting me (at low levels) to use a normal flag attached to a Longspear as per the Banner of Ancient Kings. And if my weapon of choice is going to be a Longspear why not go the whole hog and take inspiration from the Reach Cleric?
The general aim is to be a buffer/debuffer/melee support. Buff the party with Inspire Courage, Flagbearer and spells, debuff the enemy with spells & (eventually) Dazzling Display and get AOOs to boot. Mix in skills and a bit of healing potential and he'll be a true Jack-of-all-Trades.
Likely feats in no real order:
Flagbearer
Combat Reflexes
Power Attack
Arcane Strike
Weapon Focus (Longspear)
Dazzling Display
Lunge
I did see a thread about nine months old about a similar build, but wondered if anyone had experience playing a Reach Bard. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
Since you are taking Combat Reflexes, one of the ways you can support your teammates is with the Bodyguard feat using Aid Another. The feat says as long as you're adjacent to the ally, you can use an AoO to make the Aid Another action to AC whenever an enemy tries to attack them.
Making it a Halfling with the Helpful character trait and a +5 Benevolent armor allows you to give your allies a +9 to AC against certain attacks (or a +7 if you don't want to go Halfling). You can circumvent that race requirement by being a Human (or an Aasimar with Scion of Humanity) and taking the Racial Heritage (Halfling) feat, though that stymies you out of at least 2 feats and you're plenty feat-intensive as it is with your list.
Reviewing the Aid Another rules:
In melee combat, you can help a friend attack or defend by distracting or interfering with an opponent. If you're in position to make a melee attack on an opponent that is engaging a friend in melee combat, you can attempt to aid your friend as a standard action. You make an attack roll against AC 10. If you succeed, your friend gains either a +2 bonus on his next attack roll against that opponent or a +2 bonus to AC against that opponent's next attack (your choice), as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn. Multiple characters can aid the same friend, and similar bonuses stack.
According to the bolded part, all you need to do is to be able to make attacks against an enemy who has an ally in his melee reach. Since you have a reach of 10 feet, you can stand behind your friend, allowing you to Bodyguard attacks he takes, and make attacks against that enemy at the same time.
If you are considering archetypes, Arcane Duelist is perhaps my most favorite Bard Archetype, since it replaces several useless features, grants you bonus feats (ones you would really appreciate, would not normally be able to get, and already want anyway, freeing up your feat slots for other important feats), an Arcane Bond item that allows you to cast spells with Somatic components even with it equipped/wielded and enhance it as if you possess the relevant craft feat (Craft Magic Arms and Armor), and eventually grants you proficiency (and ability to cast in) Medium and Heavy armor, meaning you can practically be a walking tank while able to be a buffer and debuffer simultaneously. You still get 6 skill ranks/level, assuming you don't dump Intelligence, so you can have maxed Use Magic Device, Diplomacy, Bluff, Perception, Sense Motive, and 1 Perform of your choice. (Hint, I'd select Perform (Oratory) for this very awesome Bard feat.
I wasn't aware of Discordant Voice, thanks Darksol. Unfortunately it's going to be a pretty low-level campaign, so this bard is unlikely to hit level 10 or get many magic items. Human seems to be the best choice for him at low levels too, to cram in the extra feat. I'm not really willing to trade out Versatile Performance either, which rules out Arcane Duellist.
From an RP point of view I dislike Arcane Duelist due to the arcane bond, because you have to hold your weapon to cast a spell. I also don't like giving up versatile performance since that let's you dump wisdom and still have sky high sense motive.
The core bard is actually pretty good but you might consider the Chelish Diva archetype. It gains regional bonuses to intimidate and deplomacy, a pretty potent debuff and armour proficiency in exchange for bardic knowledge, lore master, well versed and dirge of doom. Pagent of the peacock makes this hardly any loss at all so as long as your GM allows that masterpiece I recommend Chelish Diva...
Here's what that might look like at level 7.
With Heroism pre-cast in round 1 you can move action inspire courage and standard action haste (later good hope too, when you can afford a lesser metamagic rod of quickness). In round two you probably need to charge something but when you can full attack it'll be +14/+14 doing 1d8+18 dmg. You have a decent acrobatics score which gives you a good chance to avoid AOOs when getting in position.
Example Bard
Human Bard (Chelish Diva) 7 (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Magic 0)
Medium humanoid (human)
Init +8; Senses Perception +9
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Defense
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AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 18 (+7 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 48 (7d8+10)
Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +4
Defensive Abilities costume proficiency
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 longspear +11 (1d8+8/×3)
Special Attacks bardic performance 19 rounds/day (move action; countersong, devastating aria, distraction, fascinate, inspire courage +2, suggestion), prima donna
Bard (Chelish Diva) Spells Known (CL 7th; concentration +10):
. . 3rd (2/day)—good hope, haste
. . 2nd (4/day)—allegro[UM], blistering invective[UC] (DC 15), mirror image
. . 1st (5/day)—saving finale[APG] (DC 14), silent image (DC 14)
. . 0 (at will)—
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Statistics
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Str 20, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 17
Base Atk +5; CMB +10; CMD 23
Feats Arcane Strike, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Lingering Performance[APG], Power Attack
Traits reactionary, savant
Skills Acrobatics +16, Perception +9, Perform (comedy) +15, Perform (dance) +10, Perform (oratory) +13, Perform (wind instruments) +9, Spellcraft +10, Use Magic Device +13
Languages Common
SQ famous, masterpieces (triple time), versatile performance abilities (comedy, oratory)
Combat Gear jingasa of the fortunate soldier; Other Gear +1 mithral breastplate, +1 longspear, belt of giant strength +2, boots of elvenkind, headband of alluring charisma +2, 150 gp
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Special Abilities
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Arcane Strike As a swift action, add +1 damage, +1 per 5 caster levels and your weapons are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Bardic Performance (move action, 19 rounds/day) Your performances can create magical effects.
Combat Reflexes (3 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed.
Costume Proficiency (Medium) (Ex) Cast bard spells in medium armor without risk of arcane spell failure.
Famous +2 (????) With natives of selected region gain bonus to Bluff & Intimidate.
Jingasa of the fortunate soldier (1/day) Activate to negate a critical hit or sneak attack as an immediate action.
Lingering Performance Bardic Performances last 2 rds after you stop concentrating.
Power Attack -2/+4 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Prima Donna (Ex) Spend additional round of bardic performance to gain augment other performances.
Savant (Perform [comedy]) You gain a +2 trait bonus on all Perform checks made using that performance type. Perform is always a class skill for you.
Triple Time Your lively cadence puts a spring in the step of weary marchers.
Pageant of the Peacock Your elegant movements cause you to seem to be more than you are.
Versatile Performance (Comedy) +15 (Ex) You may substitute the final value of your Perform: Comedy skill for Bluff or Intimidate checks
Versatile Performance (Oratory) +13 (Ex) You may substitute the final value of your Perform: Oratory skill for Diplomacy or Sense Motive checks
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From an RP point of view I dislike Arcane Duelist due to the arcane bond, because you have to hold your weapon to cast a spell. I also don't like giving up versatile performance since that let's you dump wisdom and still have sky high sense motive.
The core bard is actually pretty good but you might consider the Chelish Diva archetype. It gains regional bonuses to intimidate and deplomacy, a pretty potent debuff and armour proficiency in exchange for bardic knowledge, lore master, well versed and dirge of doom. Pagent of the peacock makes this hardly any loss at all so as long as your GM allows that masterpiece I recommend Chelish Diva...
It's actually a pretty powerful ability, especially when you obtain a Locked Gauntlet on one hand to secure the item in place, allowing you to enhance it at cost, making it a much more powerful weapon early-on (and is something the OP was looking for, since he stated he doesn't expect the game to go on for longer than 10th level). As a Spiked Gauntlet, I could Arcane Bond it, use a Wand or Metamagic Rod and Heavy Shield, and still be able to cast spells without issue, since you fulfill somatic components as long as the weapon is equipped/wielded, not to mention I can still threaten 5' and punch people with the hand holding the Rod/Wand. Tack on a "Get out of Jail Free" spell you can pop 1/day, and you have yourself an amazing class feature.
That being said, if he wants to be a valuable Reach asset and focus primarily on buffs and debuffs, it's not gamebreaking to have that feature. However, exclusivity to Fighter-only feats (Penetrating Strike is very powerful to get) and getting feats he would otherwise normally take is pretty worthwhile, and getting proficiency (and being able to cast in) Medium and Heavy Armor later down the road seems to best fulfill what he's looking for.
But if he doesn't want to throw out skills, that's his prerogative. I think him having a base of 6 skill points per level is pretty solid to encompass a Party Face, and if he decides to increase his Intelligence, more power to him.
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@OP: This plan should work very well for you. Here's a similar approach. Your biggest problem will be feat starvation. Prioritize carefully. Have fun with it.
Thanks to everyone who posted advice. Now I just need to persuade my DM that sticking a regular flag on a longspear is legit.
Here's the RAW on the Flagbearer feat.
Hopefully your GM knows how to put 2 and 2 together, otherwise your build is in for a serious rework...
If he doesn't allow a spear (which is actually pretty reasonable as the flagbearer feat specifically calls for a free hand), just go for a whip which is one handed and has more reach then a spear anyway.