[3.5] Battle Bard Building

[arkynfox]

Salutations all, appealing to those who have greater character building skills than I. The character idea i've got in mind would be a mostly front-line half-orc bard. (Yes, i'm aware it's not an optimal build, but the idea grew on me, and what's a good game without an odd character for flavor?)

Character level is 13, standard starting gold (110,000 gp), any source books allowable, to my knowledge. Leaning towards dual wielding heavy maces or morning stars. "Thog bard. Thog do percussion." Something along those lines, but i'm open to ideas. Moreso, anything that could boost damage, and specifically, advice when it comes to gear/magic items. Any help would be appreciated!

[Tyger]

Snowflake Wardance feat from Frostburn. Best feat for "battle bard" bar none. In essence, add your CHA modifier to your to-hit rolls in addition to your normal STR or DEX rolls. You'll need at least 6 ranks in Perform Dance, but that can be tied in with your percussion pretty easily.

Think about Power Attack obviously as well, as it will allow you to do additional damage to use up the bonuses you got from the Wardance.

As far as a weapon goes, the Crystal Echoblade from MIC gives you additional damage equal to half your bard level (so +6 for you), and its a +1 weapon. But its a longsword. Might be able to talk your DM into modding that for you, depending on their intentions.

[ZeroNumerous]

You could try high Strength, Dragonfire Inspiration, just enough Charisma to cast your spells and use mostly buffs plus Lightning Maces? You only need to hit a flat Perform DC for DFI, it boosts your dual-wielding with bonus damage and Lightning Maces gives you a reason to use maces over something else.

Bard 8/Lyric Thaumaturge 5? Gives you enough spells and adds 1d6 per spell level to any [Sonic] spells you cast. Downside: You don't have full BAB so you'll be swinging a few points low. Upside: +3d6 Fire Damage+5d6 Sonic Damage per mace with a badge of courage and 2 Heightened(to 4th level) Sonic Weapon buffs.

Sure, the Rogue is dealing 6d6 Sneak+3d6 Fire per knife, but you're about on par with him.

EDIT:
Snowflake Wardance feat from Frostburn. Best feat for "battle bard" bar none. In essence, add your CHA modifier to your to-hit rolls in addition to your normal STR or DEX rolls. You'll need at least 6 ranks in Perform Dance, but that can be tied in with your percussion pretty easily.

Except: Snowflake Wardance only works with longswords. He wants maces. :smalltongue:

[RagnaroksChosen]

EDIT:

Except: Snowflake Wardance only works with longswords. He wants maces. :smalltongue:

Actualy its just one hand slashing weapons.. though he could take that enchant for TOB to make it work.

[ZeroNumerous]

Actualy its just one hand slashing weapons.. though he could take that enchant for TOB to make it work.

The best one-handed slashing weapon that doesn't require a feat is a toss between the scimitar and the longsword anyway. So it may as well only work with longswords. The point is moot either way since he wants to uses maces, not longswords that act like maces.

[arkynfox]

Well, I don't -need- maces, as I said, i'm open to suggestions, but swords would be a bit hard to do as percussion, I suppose. I -could- switch to dance, but... it seems a bit off to have a half-orc dancing about in my head, I suppose.

[wadledo]

Type in "Tribal war dances" into youtube.

Then, understand why snowflake wardance is awesome.

As for actual suggestions, try using Desert Half-Orc (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm#desertHalfOrcs), as they don't have a penalty to Cha. Go with Crystal Echoblade Scimitar (as the cost is 4000 +310 for the masterwork, and a +1 weapon is 2000, meaning that the enhancement costs 2000 gold), add snowflake wardance, power attack, and perhaps leadership.
Consider playing a deep orc, from races of faerun, if you DM allows LA buyoff.

[ErrantX]

Could do something like this:

Bard 7 / Barbarian 1 / Eldritch Knight 1/ Bard +1 / Sublime Cord 2 / Abjurant Champion 5 / Eldritch Knight +3.

Take Lightning Maces and the requisite two-weapon fighting feats, some dragonfire inspiration, Song of the Heart (from Eberron Campaign Setting), and there ya go. You could replace the Barbarian level with a fighter level (half-orc made me think Bard-arian) and get another extra bonus feat.

Just a thought.

-X

Edit: You'd probably be better as a high strength character to take advantage of being a half-orc and go with one big weapon, but I understand Rule of Cool trumps optimization.

[Dimers]

There's a nice combination of feats if you dual-wield heavy maces in particular. Look at Three Mountains Style (Complete Warrior p. 114) and Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting (Complete Adventurer p. 111). You can dual-wield the one-handed heavy mace as if it were a light weapon, and if you hit the same enemy twice in one round, it could be nauseated for one round (save DC is Strength-based).

EDIT: Sorry, this'd work for a pair of morningstars too; I was just assuming that you wouldn't want to use spike-covered weapons on actual drums, so I left them out. 'Three Mountains' also works for greatclubs, but those aren't one-handers.

[Gerrtt]

I'd just use light maces...is it really worth a feat to get upped to a d8? Granted, the morningstars get you a second damage type...I'd still use light maces.

Much like a rogue, it seems like all your damage comes from other sources than your weapon's base damage, so unless you like the d8 weapons for flavor purposes can't really see burning a feat.

[KitTheOdd]

I'm currently deciding what to take for level 13 for a similar character. Mine is a human Bard 4/Warblade 6/Jade Phoenix Mage 2. He smashes enemies while chanting war songs.

With the feats Song of the White Raven and Song of the Heart (ToB and ECS) his Inspire Courage is +3, add the spell Inspirational Boost and the Badge of Valor (MIC) and he can give everyone in the party +5/+5 by the end of the 1st round.

He is not very optimized but LOTS of fun. The other party members appreciate the help. More Power Attack from the other meatshield, more damage from the arrowstorm archer, etc.

If you can use the Tome of Battle I cannot suggest Crusader or Warblade with the Song of the White Raven too strongly. The biggest thing is to make sure you have enough uses of Bardic Music. At 13th level a Bard 1/Cru or WB 12 could give an IC of +2, but only once per day. The Extra Music feat gives 4 more uses or more levels of Bard.



Additional details - sword and board, Battle Caster feat for no spell failure in Med. Armor, and a really fun cohort. His cohort is a Magebred Warbeast Riding Dog - with 4 levels of Monk.

LOTS of fun.

[Roc Ness]

All I can say is, needs more Swiftblade

[Saintheart]

If you're playing in Forgotten Realms, how about building a truly grotesque Bardadin? A friend once recommended it to me, though I honestly haven't used it. Start with a level in Bard, then take levels in Paladin including the following options:

Harmonious Knight substitution levels at 1 and 6
Initiate of Milil (the main reason for FR; Milil doesn't exist outside Faerun)
Devoted Performer
Melodic Casting
Song of the Heart
Snowflake Wardance
If you want to go mounted, charging smite from PHB II.

Gives you (eventually) bardic music as well as turn undead uses to power divine feats once you get that far...?

[Dimers]

I'd just use light maces...it seems like all your damage comes from other sources than your weapon's base damage, so unless you like the d8 weapons for flavor purposes can't really see burning a feat.

And if you like light maces, see Lightning Mace on page 113 of Complete Warrior. If you're dual-wielding light maces and roll a threat -- even if you're only making one attack that round -- you get another attack at the same attack bonus.

Incidentally, I agree about the die type. d6 to d8 means an average difference of only one HP per successful hit. But this character is clearly about the flavor, so do whatever looks right in your mind's eye.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Your inspire courage could be a performance of you drumming on the heads of your enemies.

[ZeroNumerous]

Honestly, every gishy non-charger type Bard should take Heighten spell and 5 levels of Lyric Thaumaturge. +1d6 per spell level to the damage of any [Sonic] spell is a huge boost to the Sonic Weapon spell, a 2nd level bard spell(+1d6 base, +2d6 without Heighten, up to a maximum of +6d6 with Heighten). Combining it with DFI can boost everyone else's damage as well as your own.

[Adumbration]

I would actually suggest you a combination of the Savage Bard UA alternate class and the prestige class War Chanter from Complete Warrior.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Warchanter... eh...

[Adumbration]

Warchanter... eh...

What? What's wrong with a War chanter? Good HD, full BaB, the ability to use two songs at once and several useful songs?

Actually, here's something I once made for an ECL 13:
Spirit lion Barbarian 1/Bard 1/Warblade 3/War chanter 8.

1st: Power attack
Flaw: Improved Bullrush
Flaw: Combat expertise
3rd: Weapon focus
6th: Song of the White raven
9th: Shock trooper
12th: Extra music

BAB 12.

Stats: Str 16, Dex 8, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8.


EDIT: If you have better point-buy than I did, you should probably pump up Cha more and perhaps change some feats around. I didn't.

[gorfnab]

ToB + Bard is not too bad, as some have previously stated. I'm kinda partial to Bard 6/ Crusader or Warblade 2/ Jade Phoenix Mage 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Jade Phoenix Mage 8. BAB 17, 9th level spells, and a decent amount of maneuvers.