Advice on a Fochlucan Lyrist

[Leekos]

Howdy Playground.

I've always been interested in the Fochlucan Lyrist so I wanted to get some advice on a build. I know this PrC is not viewed as the best of options, but the people I play with tend to be a bit lower on the optimization spectrum (VoP monks and evoking wizards), so I figure it shouldn't be too bad. That said, I would still like it to be playable.

The proposed build is:

Neutral Good Human
Bard 2/Druid 1/Rogue 2/Green Whisperer 5/Sublime Chord 1/Fochlucan Lyrist 9

ACFs:
Bard - Trade Inspire Competence for Song of the Heart (if I can convince the DM to use the feat) Countersong and Healing Hymn(the way the DM does encounters, fascinate is almost a complete waste)
Druid - Totem Druid

Feats:
Human: Able Learner
1st: Combat Expertise
3rd: Lingering Song
6th: Natural Bond
9th: Words of Creation
12th: Open
15th: Open
18th: Open

I was thinking of making one of the feats Warning Shout (since I'll have evasion). Also considering Extra Music/Lyric Spell, or Extend, Persist, and Metamagic Song. I'm not allowed flaws, but during the course of the character, there are chances for additional feats (good chances, but they are random). Also, Able Learner may not be necessary because there are chances to get additional skill points through the course of the character. (Every gaming session, we roll a percentage: 1-25 we get additional skill points, 26-50, is a magic item, 51-75, is a feat, and 76-100 is an ability point)

I prefer bard casting over druid casting, but will keep an open mind. I will probably take an eagle as my totem companion. Totem druid along with Natural Bond should beef it up a little for survivability.

This would be a character for an upcoming group that hasn't started yet, so I have not yet rolled for stats. Also, I don't know the make up of the group, and I still won't know until after the character is made and we actually start playing, so this is irrelevant.


The character will start at level 1, so it will need to be playable at all levels.

Because the groups are typically underpowered, I want to stay away from anything too broken, and (despite being completely legal) would have a hard time of convincing the DM of early entry tricks or any other tricks like Practiced Spellcaster to get a caster level higher than your character level. (It took me a year to convince him that Attacks of Opportunity also happen when somebody is approaching you while you have reach, and he still has each group vote on whether or not that's how it will work with their particular group, so tricks like these would be near impossible to convince him of.)

Also, even if the DM allowed a ring of evasion to allow access to the PrC, there are no guarantees that I would actually get one. (Getting specific magic items can be onerous it seems) So I would prefer to enter the PrC via guaranteed methods.

So I ask the playground, do you have any advice on this character?
Also, do you think this character should be a pure caster, standing on the back lines, should he take some archery, or should he be wading into melee? (Since I haven't rolled stats yet, I can still allocate as necessary)

And again - NO ToB and NO early entrance tricks.

Thanks for your help!



The following books are allowed (spoilered for length):

PHB
DMG
PHB2
DMG2
Complete Adventurer
Complete Arcane
Complete Champion
Complete Divine
Complete Mage
Complete Scoundrel
Complete Warrior
Races of Stone
Races of Destiny
Races of the Wild
Races of the Dragon
Dragon Magic
Draconomicon
Dragon Magazines
XPH
Complete Psionics
Sandstorm
Stormwrack
Frostburn
Drow of the Underdark
Book of Exalted Deeds
Book of Vile Darkness
Planar Handbook
Dungeonscape
Cityscape

NO ToB :-(

AEG feats compendium and a couple 3.0 books of feats are allowed

TL:DR - Core, Completes, Races, most 3.5, some 3.0, Dragon Mags, keep the campaign specific to a minimum (will probably have to ask the DM on a case by case basis) and unfortunately, NO ToB (DM thinks it's overpowered :-( )

House Rules of note:

Groups vote on how Attacks of Opportunity work; whether or not approaching an enemy with reach will provoke
Clerics and Druids do not automatically know all of their spells; they have to choose spells known as they level up
Roll percentage at beginning of every play session to determine if you get additional skill points, a magic item, an additional feat, or an ability point increase (25% each)
Max HP when you level

[Darrin]

The proposed build is:

Neutral Good Human
Bard 2/Druid 1/Rogue 2/Green Whisperer 5/Sublime Chord 1/Fochlucan Lyrist 9


The klunkiest part of Fochlucan Lyrist is the "evasion" requirement. Remove it, and the prereqs look almost reasonable. (Apparently the evasion/Rogue requirement is a hold-over from 1st edition bards, which had even more insanely bizarre prereqs.)

If your DM finds the entire concept of really long stabby weapons getting to stab people *before* they start breathing down your neck (seriously, how exactly does he "defend" his position that *REACH* weapons don't let you threaten more spaces? It's litterally spelled out that way in the PHB, isn't it?), then I'm guessing that Magic of Incarnum and Soulmelds would cause his brain to implode. So that probably means Shape Soulmeld: Impulse Boots and Open Least Chakra: Feet is out of the question. Pity... that's my preferred way to get into Fochlucan Lyrist:

Bard 2/Druid 3/Green Whisperer 5/Sublime Chord 1/Fochlucan Lyrist 9

(Actually, I'd probably throw some Arcane Hierophant in there, too, for a little wildshape... maybe after Green Whisperer 2.)

I know it's FR-specific, but have you considered Spelldancer to get evasion?



Feats:
Human: Able Learner
1st: Combat Expertise


I'd ditch these two (for Shape Soulmeld, then maybe build towards Extend/Persist/Metamagic Song/Extra Music).

The only two skills you really need to max out at every level are Perform and Listen, and those are both class skills for bards and rogues. Ok, fine, so you have to spend 2 skill points on your Druid levels to keep up with Perform, but I don't really see a need for Able Learner here.

Combat Expertise... what exactly is this for? At best, it's an annoying and nearly useless prereq for an Improved Trip build. If your meatbags (summoned or otherwise) are doing their job correctly, you shouldn't need this feat. At worst, it completely wastes an action where you could have been doing something much more useful.



3rd: Lingering Song
6th: Natural Bond
9th: Words of Creation


I take it we're also not going to destroy this DM's campaign with firebombing chickens a la Dragonfire Inspiration? *sigh*



So I ask the playground, do you have any advice on this character?
Also, do you think this character should be a pure caster, standing on the back lines, should he take some archery, or should he be wading into melee? (Since I haven't rolled stats yet, I can still allocate as necessary)


The problem with Fochlucan Lyrist is while it was intended to turn a bard/druid into a melee gish powerhouse, you spend so much time dipping into oddball classes that it kind of ruins any hope of melee for you (both your BAB and HP wind up murderously low). By the time you have enough levels of Fochlucan Lyrist to actually survive some toe-to-toe melee, that's in the 15th-20th level range where the power curve in the game goes all wobbly and you start playing either rocket-tag or a roadrunner cartoon.

So, I'd avoid melee as much as possible. Archery is tough because it requires a bunch of feats to become slightly mediocre at it... and it just never delivers any significant damage. I think your best strategy is to be a REMF and focus on the Extend/Persist/Metamagic Song/Extra Music thing. There are enough low-level ranged touch attacks/rays that you should have something interesting to do every round: produce flame, ice darts, splinterbolt, blinding spittle, etc.

[Roguenewb]

I think IIRC that the best build for this out there was

Bard 2/Druid 3/Arcane Hierophant 3/Spelldancer 2/Lyrist 1/Sublime Chord 1/Lyrist 8

Both spelldancer levels feed Druid. In the end, you have Sublime Chord 9 casting as well as druid 16, so almost double 9ths. Plus, Wildshape. The only cheat in this is Precocious Apprentice. You can swap Hierophant for Whisperer, but it doesn't allow Dragonhide Fullplate and wild shaping.

If there's a sharper way to do it, I'd love to hear it, cause I've yet to see anyone hit double 9ths with Lyrist.