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I have just started my first full support character based around bard bonuses and having all the skill checks.
In theory the amount of bonuses I should be giving should make up for my essentially 0 actual combat ability.
BUT! I as the "wise old helper" character he is I would like to have a "trump card" in case everything goes to crap.
As of about level 6 I will be able to cast any 1 spell off a scroll without fail, but I have to pick one. Originally I was going to use a Summon Monster IX scroll as the parties safety button, but I was informed about the limit on 7th level and higher scroll purchases.
So with that I am looking to you all for a new suggestion, the only good one I jave thought of so far is teleport, but at scrolls level I could only bring 3 people with me and since I intend to mostly play this character with high party count groups to make my bonuses worth more that can't save everyone.
Any good ideas?
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I have breath of life as part of the plan (so much so that I inyend to have a familiar who can fly off and scroll cast it on people without me), though that saves 1 person at a time, but I am more thinking along the lines of "the party walked in the room and the 3 bad guys nuked the party with 3 fireballs and now I am the only one still standing because I was still in the hallway around the corner" type of bad.
Interdimensional storage could work, but I would need a way to clear the bad guys and/or not get killed while collecting my friends.
Venture-Agent, Netherlands—Utrecht
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In your particular example, there's no spell that can save you from that. By that point, Mass Cure spells maybe, but other than that, you're too late. I'll list several spells that I saw being particularly useful:
- As said, Breath of Life.
- In a similar vein, Heal.
- Invisibility (or Vanish) for you to get out.
- Dimension Door.
- Obscuring Mist is incredibly good against ranged attackers. Hiding in or behind your mist and regrouping/healing is very smart while the archers get closer, or waste their turns waiting.
In general, being a Bard is good enough. Bards have great spells in general and great utility; maxing UMD shouldn't be an issue. Carry several wands or scrolls with you and choose which is appropriate. I won't necessarily discourage specialising in a specific spell, as I've seen those builds work,but it's generally easier to just give blanket boosts.
Also note that if you're casting from a scroll, you need to have the necessary mental stat, or make a pretty tough UMD check, so you might not want to dump any mental stats if you intend to cast off of many other spell lists.
Also, it's pricey, but if you can afford to use it often from a scroll, Bard's Escape is an amazing spell. I've seen people teleport out of a jam, or suddenly teleport into ideal formation out of nowhere. That spell is a lifesaver. You don't have to hold hands, just be in a 30 foot bubble, targets an insane amount of people, and you can position them however you want. It can turn an ugly situation into an amazing one.
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In your particular example, there's no spell that can save you from that. By that point, Mass Cure spells maybe, but other than that, you're too late. I'll list several spells that I saw being particularly useful:
- As said, Breath of Life.
- In a similar vein, Heal.
- Invisibility (or Vanish) for you to get out.
- Dimension Door.
- Obscuring Mist is incredibly good against ranged attackers. Hiding in or behind your mist and regrouping/healing is very smart while the archers get closer, or waste their turns waiting.In general, being a Bard is good enough. Bards have great spells in general and great utility; maxing UMD shouldn't be an issue. Carry several wands or scrolls with you and choose which is appropriate. I won't necessarily discourage specialising in a specific spell, as I've seen those builds work,but it's generally easier to just give blanket boosts.
Also note that if you're casting from a scroll, you need to have the necessary mental stat, or make a pretty tough UMD check, so you might not want to dump any mental stats if you intend to cast off of many other spell lists.Also, it's pricey, but if you can afford to use it often from a scroll, Bard's Escape is an amazing spell. I've seen people teleport out of a jam, or suddenly teleport into ideal formation out of nowhere. That spell is a lifesaver. You don't have to hold hands, just be in a 30 foot bubble, targets an insane amount of people, and you can position them however you want. It can turn an ugly situation into an amazing one.
I think Bards Escape will actually serve exactly the purpose I was looking for. I may have to combine it with a next turn teleport, but if I can Bard's escape myself and 4 allies to on top of the 5th person (assuming we aren't a 7 person party) then either next turn or my familiar could use teleport to get us actually out of there.
I am not actually going straight bard, it is a multi-classed monstrosity of bard, impericist investigator, pathfinder savant, and pathfinder delver, but I am using flagbearer and aiming for a banner of the ancient kings ASAP, my familiar is also goig to spend most of its time once I get to level 7 for it using a wand of moment of greatness every round, soooo yeah not traditional, but I be buffin'.
