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Commander_Vimes
2010-02-22, 06:56 PM
I have a bard who is currently at level 8. I am planning to go into Sublime Cord once I meet the skill requirements at level 10, but for now I am looking for a prestige class that will advance my spell casting for my next two levels. Bard isn't going to give me anything I can use but skill points. What Prestige class could give me something useful in two levels?

Volos
2010-02-22, 07:04 PM
Theres a pretty good prestige class in Complete Mage, the Lyric Thaumaturge. For two levels it gives you an extra first and second level spell slot along with no loss of your bardic music ability. (it stacks with Bard levels for times per day) And at second level it gives you Captivating Melody as a bonus feat.

CAPTIVATING MELODY
You can expend some of your musical abilities to increase the
potency of your enchantment or illusion spells.
Prerequisites: Bardic music, ability to cast arcane
spells.
Benefit: As a swift action before casting a spell, you can
attempt a Perform check (DC 15 + the level of the spell you
intend to cast). If you succeed, you can sacrifice one of your
daily uses of bardic music to increase the save DC of the next
enchantment or illusion spell you cast in the same round by
2. If the Perform check fails, you still lose one daily use of
bardic music but gain no benefit.
You can apply Captivating Melody only to spells cast by
the same class that grants you your bardic music ability.
For instance, if you are a multiclass bard/wizard, you can
apply this feat to bard spells, but not to spells you cast as a
wizard.

All in all, it's the best class to take for a bard before going into a serious prestige class like Sumlime Cord or Seeker of the Song.

Thrice Dead Cat
2010-02-22, 07:05 PM
Ur-Priest, Virtuoso, Warblade for Concentration to saves, and Abjurant Champion are solid choices.

Tinydwarfman
2010-02-22, 11:02 PM
While Ur-priest + sublime chord into mystic theurge may be awesome, It's probably not what you are looking for. I reccomend crusader + song of the white raven. Swift action singing is very nice, and you get some nice maneuvers, as well as the all-powerful Thicket of Blades.

Pluto
2010-02-22, 11:18 PM
II am looking for a prestige class that will advance my spell casting for my next two levels.

What does your character look like now, in terms of skill ranks, feats, deity, etc.? What do you do with this bard? Without knowing that, advice is going to take a sort of shotgun approach.


I take it you haven't made any investment into Inspire Courage or other Bardic Music buffs.
(So Warblade, Crusader, Warchanter, et al. are right out?)

The safest advice is Lyric Thaumaturge, as mentioned above.

The next is probably a level in Mindbender (CAr) will give you telepathy, but only 1/2 BA and 2+Int skills. Non-good only. Add Lords of Madness's Mindsight feat for bonus points.

If you do much in terms of melee combat and don't specialize in Bardic Music, Abjurant Champion (CM) is a safe bet and can advance both Bard and SC casting.

I'm rather partial to Stormsinger, from Frostburn. It's only 1/2 BA and 4+Int skills, but it has a fun and flavorful song list, 10 casting levels and a few miscellaneous goodies like cold resistance and a couple bonus feats.

Malconvoker, Recaster, War Weaver, Nightmare Spinner, Wild Mage and Virtuoso each lose a caster level, but can make for very flavorful and powerful Bard builds, depending on what you want to do. (They can all make the Bard class eat the lost level and progress all 10 SC levels).

Sinfire Titan
2010-02-22, 11:24 PM
If you were a Divine Bard (CC), you would have the potential to enter Prestige Pally or Ranger.



Crusader/JPM with Dragonfire Inspiration is largely made of win.

Commander_Vimes
2010-02-23, 12:23 AM
More detailed explanation of the character: This is for a campaign that requires characters to have a minimum of 6 combined racial HD or level adjustment. This really screws casters, so nobody else is playing one. I want to challenge myself to use lower level spells creatively and give us some spell support and I found the Gloura, who's racial Hit Die count as bard casting levels.

Gloura
LA+2, 7 fey HD
+10 Dex, +6 Cha, +2 Wis, +4 Con
Charisma to saves and AC
60ft flight. Good Manueverability

Starting level is 10

As I read it I have 7 levels of Bard casting, but no Bardic Music. One level in Bard gets me the Bardic Music I need to get into Sublime Cord, to get some higher level spells to support the party with.

Would it be worth it to take Extra Music feats (using flaws) to gain entry to Lyric Thaumaturge?

I currently have the 3rd level spells I need to get into Sublime Cord, so I can afford to lose a caster level to get some cool abilities in the two levels before I can enter Sublime Cord.

Wings of Peace
2010-02-23, 12:29 AM
If you were a Divine Bard (CC), you would have the potential to enter Prestige Pally or Ranger.



Crusader/JPM with Dragonfire Inspiration is largely made of win.

That's not fair. Almost everything made with Dragonfire Inspiration is made of win.

Pluto
2010-02-23, 12:37 AM
I think you can take your first level in Virtuoso, which gives Bardic Music, 9/10 casting (can apply to Bard until SC entry, then SC casting until completion) and some much more level-appropriate abilities than the Bard class itself or most of its typical PrC's.
Use one of CS's locations for Skill Focus (Perform) to meet Virtuoso prerequisites (I remember a couple sites offered it, just not which).

Akal Saris
2010-02-23, 12:52 AM
You could take 2 levels of Ruathar from Races of the Wild: it fits the fey theme decently, gives you +2 to spot/listen/search and a free magic item, and is full casting w/a d6 HD and good ref/will and 4+int skills.

The best part is that the requirements are automatic: any skill at 8 ranks or more gets you in, IIRC. It's a solid option if you can't qualify for a more bard-specific PrC for those two levels - and given how few feats you'll have as a monster class, it might not be worth the effort to qualify for most of them.

By the way, very nice use of the gloura - I love your solution to the 6 HD/LA restriction! :smallbiggrin:

Mongoose87
2010-02-23, 12:58 AM
What book are the Gloura in?

absolmorph
2010-02-23, 01:03 AM
Remember to use the LA buyoff rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm) if you can. That puts you at ECL 7 before class levels.

Akal Saris
2010-02-23, 01:59 AM
They're in the Underdark book. I just looked them up :P

Draz74
2010-02-23, 02:15 AM
I believe Bard 8 / Virtuoso 2 / Sublime Chord 2 / Virtuoso +8 is indeed considered a pretty "standard" optimal caster-Bard build. Maybe with a level of Mindbender thrown in if you're not Good.

ShneekeyTheLost
2010-02-23, 02:41 AM
Mindbender can be cheesy as hell if you combine it with Mindsight. Always know where your foes are... yes, even then.