Skald build advice

[Prismatic Spray Elemental]

I'm working up a skald build for an upcoming game — hasn't started yet but I do like to plan my builds out in advance.

I'm not looking to make the most optimized skald ever, just to optimize my concept: A smashy, northern warrior-poet who is also a competent buff-bot and has a helpful furry friend. I realize that can (arguably) be done even better with a hunter, but I've played one before and want to give the skald a go.

Going human so won't be using Amplified Rage, although I still like a Bloodrager dip for early damage and expanded spell list (useful with wands, ring/pages of spell knowledge, etc.).

I really like the idea of a mauler-archetype familiar (arctic fox) -- mostly for simple for Rule of Cool -- which I believe I can pick up as a Bloodline Familiar.

For traits, I'm thinking Auspicious Tattoo and Reactionary or maybe Highlander to grab stealth as a class skill. Magical Knack and Focused Mind would both be obviously useful as well.

Lv 1 -- BR 1: Power Attack, Furious Focus (Bonus)
Lv 2 -- SK 1: Scribe Scroll (Bonus)
Lv 3 -- SK 2: Skald's Vigor
Lv 5 -- SK 4: Boon Companion
Lv 7 -- SK 6: Cornugon Smash
Lv 9 -- SK 8: Intimidating Prowess
Lv 11 -- SK 10: Hurtful
Lv 13 -- SK 12: Spirit's Gift
Lv 15 -- SK 14: Arcane Strike

I'm fairly happy with this build so far -- it just feels so feat-starved that a lot of it doesn't come online until late. How important are things like discordant voice, lingering song, extra performance? Am I giving up too much for my fun familiar or Hurtful shenanigans?

Also, would the Ancestor Spirit Animal ability allow my otherwise voiceless mauler to speak? Specific > general but in this case I'm not sure which is which.

Would 2 levels of Eldritch Guardian be a better dip? What about BR 1/EG 2/SK X?

Help me boards, you're my only hope!

Addendum: I rarely see anything on the boards about skalds — unless the "words amplified rage" appear in the post somewhere. Do they seem underplayed for some reason?

[ekibus]

One of the downsides is the fact you give a str bonus and a lot of classes don't use str or need to be able to cast spells. Amplified rage with a valet means you could get+8 sr/con reliably at level 3. That is huge.

[avr]

If the familiar is purely rule of cool then maybe the figment archetype would suit you better? You could drop boon companion that way. Also if you take the battle scion archetype you could get sharable feats rather than sharable rage powers if you want.

Skalds are bards poor cousins in terms of support. Many concepts that you can make with a skald you can do with a bard, but not vice versa.

[Grandlounge]

I'm not saying avr is wrong but I would like to give the counter view. I think skald provide better support but more limited offence. Consider what you get from a default bard song attack, damage saves against fear.

A skald give a bump to the 2 most important saves, hit points, attack / damage to fewer people, the song is auto accepted when people go down so they often pop right back up again, Dr-, fast healing (for many builds), plus several rage powers. They also get access to flexible fury to give ghost touch on mass, of align weapons with good making there casting more versatile. Along with, better reach weapons, and armour to help with battle field control better.

They are a little weaker in skills fewer versatile performances, 2 less skill points.

[Prismatic Spray Elemental]

ekibus wrote:

One of the downsides is the fact you give a str bonus and a lot of classes don't use str or need to be able to cast spells. Amplified rage with a valet means you could get+8 sr/con reliably at level 3. That is huge.

Oh, I'm well aware of how good it is, I'm just not interested in using that build for this character. I'm just surprised that seems to be the ONLY skald build I ever see. Nearly as ubiquitous as dervish-dancing magi.

As to bards, they both have their strengths. I've just played bards before (6th level casters are my favorite characters) and felt like trying something different.

I actually really like the figment archetype and have wavered back and forth between that and mauler. Both are good and the familiar is there for fun not optimization — but I do like to try and make even my fun builds effective and mauler goes so well with Inspired Rage. Tough call. I'll give it some more thought.

I never noticed how nice Battle Scion is before. I had planned on Fated Champion but will have to give the scion a second look!

Anyone have thoughts on other aspects of the build?
Traits, feats? For rage powers I like the Spirit line but things like Knockback and Intimidating Glare seem handy as well.

[avr]

Not what I meant Grandlounge. I was referring to support from Paizo in terms of options, not the ability of the skald to offer support.

[Grandlounge]

Oh, my bad, sorry. Thought those were separate paragraphs. On that I 100% agree. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

[*Khan*]

The ragepowers are where the skjald shines. Being able to share those with his allies are fantastic.
I would recommend Spell Warrior skjald as it support casters better- beast totem line (for a melee group)or spirit totem line (caster or archer group)

[Markov Spiked Chain]

I've had a ton of fun with a (now) Eldritch Guardian 2/ Skald 13 for PFS. I started off Amplified Rage-y but gave up because it was too much of a hassle. I started with Bloodrager 1, then retrained that level somewhere around level 10 into Eldritch Guardian fighter, then took a second level of Eldritch Guardian.

Quick rundown:
As Khan says, Rage Powers make the Skald. They're great and a vital part of your build. You should be thinking about them and listing them above. Lesser Spirit Totem is a lot of fun/power early on although it tapers of later. Strength Surge is okay early, and then gets crazy good later. I've used Savage Dirty Trick extensively, and it's great party-wide if you can teach your group how to use it. Unexpected Strike is awesome for a whole party. Since this is a home game, Lesser Celestial Totem has some crazy healing tricks. You could have a very defensive Skald with Lesser Celestial, Guarded Life and Greater Guarded Life. Or the Villain Codex Rage Powers that keeps everyone alive an extra round after damage that would kill them. Or go for generic Beast Totem Pounce.

Around the point where you get Unexpected Strike, you should be thinking about "Rage Cycling" by stopping your song and then starting it as a move action to reset once per rage powers. Because of this, Lingering Performance is less important.

Consider the Community Minded trait. It'll extend your Str/Con/Will bonuses for two rounds, giving you both a mini-Lingering Performance and a mini-Raging Vitality.

You *really* want to get Greater Skald's Vigor at 11 (or 10 if you can retrain.) It's a big boost to your party. It's particularly handy with Exquisite Accompaniment and a Lesser Extend rod. Turning a 3rd level spell into a (slow) 80 point group heal at 10th is nice.

You want to get to ~Skald 9/10 quickly, so I wouldn't spend a second level on Eldritch Guardian until then if retraining is an option. After then, sharing your combat feats is nice and go a long way towards making your buddy effective. Teamwork feats like Outflank are particularly handy.

I would consider taking Improved Familiar instead of Boon Companion. You can have a fox-shaped Earth Elemental that will be an ass kicking buddy for the same feat. I have a Fire Mephit, and a second target for Rage Song, plus Teamwork Feats and combat stuff is great. Make sure your GM is okay with the RAW that Skald levels count as "Arcane Spellcaster Levels" to qualify.

Take the Masterpiece Battle Song of the People's Revolt, for Improved Spell Sharing. You'll want to give your buddy Mirror Image, Echolocation, Freedom of Movement, Delay Poison, etc out of combat for a round of Rage.

Personally, I've never had trouble with Performance rounds, so I wouldn't worry about Extra Performance or Lingering Performance. There's a lot to be said for Harmonic Spell though. You can activate Song of Marching for an hour, then cast Haste/some other spell and switch to Raging Song as a swift, without spending a round of performance. Which will help your action economy at lot level 3-7, and somewhat 7-13.

Discordant voice is great. Not mandatory, but I'd definitely take it over Furious Focus.

Grab some Fervor Juice and drink it liberally. Skald's Vigor means you really want to be conscious enough to maintain your song.

That's what jumps to mind, I'll post more later.