A Spellscale Bardic-Warblade?

['Grasshopper']

Some of you may have seen my previous post, I'm trying to put together my first-multiclass, a BardBlade. I want to be a combat focused bard essentially, but I'd love to be a Bloodstorm Blade as I'm a fan of thrown weapons.

I finally found a +Cha race I could use -the Spellscale. Carefree and a Cha Bonus suits both my character, and the class. Although the -2 Con is a shame. I was also looking at the Magic-Blooded template for a similar effect. I am known for playing characters opposed to mages and wizards, so I quite like the irony of being infused with so much magic.

The character concept is a Highwayman figure who has an array of swords and daggers to throw, if they resist the charm of his bardic influences. His instrument would be whistling, but a flute for more difficult spells. He'd be armed with a Bastard Sword, a Rapier or two, a Saber (Saber 20 gp 1d8 19-20/x2 - 4 lb. Slashing and piercing, Complete Warrior) and several daggers. He's getting kinda Zoro from 'One Piece' crossed with Sanji in my head now :P

I was just wondering if anyone has some suggestions on how to build and effective fighting bard? I'm not sure whether a Bard/Bloodstorm Blade should focus on Str or Dex, because I think they can use either?

[Greenish]

Bloodstorm Blade is easier to understand if you think of it not as a thrower, but as a melee who just happens to melee at range, so to say.

[true_shinken]

Bastard sword? Why?

[Keld Denar]

Really though, Bardblades are NOT Cha focused at all. You need at least an 11 Cha, sure, to cast Inspirational Boost, and a 12 will give you a bonus 1st level spell and a 14 will give you a bonus 2nd level spell, but most Bardblade builds don't have more than 4 levels of Bard, meaning that you'd have to get all the way to 20 Cha to get another bonus 1st level spell. Thats frankly not worth it. You'd be better off focusing on Str or Con. That makes Spellscale doubly ungood, since they have a Con penalty.

Note that your BSB levels aren't going to stack with your Warblade levels for IL or for advancing your Inspire Courage, which is your power song. I'd wait until level 8 (combined Bard + Warblade) levels to take BSB levels, otherwise you'll be delaying your IC progression further. Also, a Vest of Legends will effectively allow you to make up for up to 5 lost levels, which is nice for covering up your BSB levels. 4 BSB is typically a good break point if you do that, as 4 gives you the best throwing ability.

[Brock Samson]

Oh! Oh! Can you go Dragonborn?!?!

['Grasshopper']

Bastard sword? Why?

Because it does 1d10 damage, and besides, I'd be throwing a Bastard sword at people's faces:smallwink:


Really though, Bardblades are NOT Cha focused at all

That's good to note, I wasn't sure how much Cha a Bard needs, I just got the impression "a lot". But bear in mind I roll terribly (I rolled for height on a Goliath and he came out 5'10" somehow, he was a midget-Goliath!) so a Cha bonus means I can get at least Cha 12 for the bonus 1st level spell, no problem. But yeah the Con loss is a shame, but hopefully that wouldn't matter too much with a Tank in the party, and by the time he's high enough to start including the BSB levels he'd effectively be a ranged fighter at that point.


a Vest of Legends will effectively allow you to make up for up to 5 lost levels

I didn't know that. How so?

[Keld Denar]

Well, there is no progression for the advancement of bardic music past level 20. Thus, if you have at least 15 levels of normal progression, and the vest gives you 5 levels of virtual progression, you end up with 20 levels of effective bardic progression. As long as the sum of your Bard + Warblade levels is 15 or greater, you'll have full progression. Since BSB4 is the cutoff point you'd be looking for, that seems an excellent fit.

[Warlawk]

Eberron is a great tool for bards. It has Song of the Heart for a bonus to your IC and it also has an alternate feature of sorts for bards that allows you to trade music types you don't want for music feats. So if theres a music type you don't think you will ever use you can junk it and get a bardic feat out of the deal.

Most of the other stuff I could recommend has already been covered to death in the various bard threads.

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19870498/The_Bards_Handbook

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=9830.0

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=183708

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19869994/Bard_Inspire_Courage_Optimization

And a thread that links a ton of various handbooks.

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?board=22.0

['Grasshopper']

Thanks Warlawk! I'll have a look through all that.