RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
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Hey all! I'm thinking about making an Arcane Duelist Bard for my next PFS character, using my Ifrit boon. I have some general build ideas, but I would love some input on what options I should consider.
The general idea is to act as melee support, buffing the party with my bard spells and abilities while also wielding a longspear (eventually, perhaps, picking a Banner of the Ancient Kings) and using reach tactics.
Race: Ifrit
For the Ifrit racial abilities, I was planning on replacing the fire resistance with Wildfire Heart for the +4 to initiative.
I want to replace Fire Affinity (useless on a bard), and Hypnotic seems appropriate for a bard.
As for the SLA, I'm not sure. Burning hands would add some AoE utility that I would otherwise lack without buying splash weapons, but the Efreeti Magic trait is versatile since it can cast either Enlarge or Reduce Person, and is a reliable way to increase my reach (which would ostensibly be good for a build that already has a reach weapon, but I don't know if that's what I should focus on).
Stats:
STR 16
DEX 14
CON 14
INT 12
WIS 6
CHA 15
Feats (in no particular order): Lingering Performance, Power Attack, Combat Reflexes, Battle Cry (depends on whether the re-roll applies to any save or just fear effects; I'm not certain which way I would interpret it myself), Flagbearer, Lunge, Spear Dancer
This is all very rough draft, so feel free to make suggestions!
Your BAB is too low for Power Attack, in my opinion, and you'd be better suited taking Step Up or that +5 reach feat since you're going with the reach melee bard. Step Up would work well with the extra feats Arcana Duelists get versus spellcasters, too.
Your BAB is not low for Power Attack, but I do recommend pairing it with Furious Focus so there's no problem with your accuracy.
Other than that, it looks fine. I'm not sure Spear Dancer will pull it's own weight.
Battle Cry probably does not apply to anything other than fear effects because it really makes no sense that a war cry could remove poison or disease. Perhaps consider replacing it with Riving Strike?