[PF]Dirge Bard...Ideas and Help

[Giegue]

As the title asks. The Dirge bard archtype just seems really cool to me. I mean, it's a NECROMANCER BARD.....thats something you never usually see. Thus, I have the urge to play one but want some help since I am fairly inexperenced with pathfinder's take on the bard. So, does anybody have any general optimization tips for the Dirge bard, such as what necromancy spells to pick up? I am quite fammilar with the 3.5e bard, but I know that the pathfinder one is a tad different and has less melee power but slightly better casting.(gets level 1 spells at level 1 instead of level 2.) So, does anybody have any ideas and optimization tips for playing a dirge bard?

[watchwood]

You can pretty much pick your favourite necromancy spells. Animate Dead is good for getting yourself mob support, either in the form of a horde of lower level mobs or a couple of select larger ones. If you're going to use larger skeletons, then Desecrate will be a helpful spell for you as well.

Ray of Enfeeblement/Exhaustion are both good debuffs, especially if you have your save DC's jacked up. The ability to use mind affecting spells on undead makes them even better for you then they are for normal bards, so don't forget to take a good selection of those as well. Good application of Dominate Person/Monster will solve a lot of problems, especially in campaigns with a lot of undead.

If you're using any spells that need DCs, take the Magic Reservist feat. If SR becomes a problem, take the spell penetration feats. Otherwise, it plays pretty similarly to a 3.5 Bard, that happens to have better necromancy abilities.