A question on bards

[Little Brother]

I was looking at the feat Requiem and saw the PrC Dirgesinger, which looks like crap to me, but I got thinking: Everyone knows the basic DFI bard as a cohort to the necromancer, but can the bard actually BE the necromancer? Do they have sufficient toys to do it passably? Well?

Yeah, any info'd be nice. Thanks.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Bards really don't have the spells for necromancy. Sublime Chords can, but, well, then you're basically playing an inferior (dread) necromancer.

[Cog]

Everyone knows the basic DFI bard as a cohort to the necromancer...
They do?

Inspire Courage is a mind-affecting ability, and DFI never states that it changes that. Undead, even ones that aren't mindless, are completely immune to such effects, and no exception is given for willingness.

Arguably, IC only got the mind-affecting tag because it's a morale bonus, and DFI isn't a morale bonus, so it maybe shouldn't have the tag. Still, DFI is good enough even without negating that weakness of IC, so I'd be hesitant to change the wording of it to make it stronger yet.

[Little Brother]

They do?

Inspire Courage is a mind-affecting ability, and DFI never states that it changes that. Undead, even ones that aren't mindless, are completely immune to such effects, and no exception is given for willingness.

Arguably, IC only got the mind-affecting tag because it's a morale bonus, and DFI isn't a morale bonus, so it maybe shouldn't have the tag. Still, DFI is good enough even without negating that weakness of IC, so I'd be hesitant to change the wording of it to make it stronger yet.The Requiem feat. Book of Bad Latin, I think.

[gorfnab]

Bard 8/ Pale Master 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Pale Master 8
Bard 7/ Diresinger 2/ Pale Master 1/ Sublime Chord 2/ Pale Master 8
Bard 7/ Diresinger 2/ Pale Master 1/ Sublime Chord 1/ Pale Master 9
Requires the feat Arcane Disciple (CD): Necromancer Domain (ECS page 107) to get the spells necessary for Pale Master.

Dread Necromancer 9/ Prestige Bard 1/ Virtuoso 10 - Requires Apprentice: Entertainer (for Perform skill), Arcane Disciple: Illusion Domain or Anarchic Bloodline (for Illusion spells). Take Requiem to affect your undead minions.

[Coidzor]

Yeah, someone posted a Dread Necro/Bard PrC (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129526) they homebrewed in response to when I brought up this topic in May. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=198155) Although I can only find one of the two threads it was discussed in.

One thing that simplifies things a fair bit is the Azun-Gund, especially if you can get two low head-count hydras and decapitate them enough to double their head count before offing them and bringing them back as zombies. It'll give you and every member of your party 2 zombies with minimal investment (it's like 1800 gp or so)

[hex0]

It would probably be easy to go in the back door

Dread Necromancer into Prestige Bard, that is.