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View Full Version : Song, Silence and Stabby - Make my Bard Rock!



Shadowdagger213
2013-01-14, 10:31 PM
Hello to all!

I've been trying to come up with a 12th level build that can go solo through a campaign and survive, fight and be fun at the same time, and have been all over these forums wracking people's brains for ideas.

This is not carved in concrete; at least the concrete hasn't dried...

Choices were narrowed down to:

Human Paragon 3/Rogue 3/Swashbuckler 3/Bard 3
Bard 9/Swashbuckler 3
Human Paragon 3/Bard 9
Rogue 10/Shadowdancer 2
Bard 7/ Shadowdancer 5


I have decided to go with Human Paragon 3/ Bard 9 (Bard 9/Swashbuckler 3 was a CLOSE 2nd!)

11th level caster, free martial weapon proficiency with one weapon, extra feat and 10 skills of my choice as class skills! Just gonna take the skills that the rogue would get that the bard lacks (like spot for one!)

Just need to figure out how to get a little more damage from physical attacks, arcane strike is one I guess, but this build is about flavor and fun, not fatality (though fatality would be awesome!!)

Thanks to Rich Berlew for Order of the Stick. I've read almost all 800+ in the better part of 2 weeks! This character is inspired by "what if Elan was Bruce Wayne?" Where the "Elan" character is the face you actually see, but when sh** gets real, you see his true skill! LOL

Now just trying to figure out how to get as much damage out of him as possible. The other question is this: Bards are proficient with the Longsword, Shortword and Rapier. Extra damage would be basically "Crit-Fishing", Human Paragon gets Martial Weapon Proficiency with one weapon. It would be so cool to give this character an Asian feel to it... almost like this:

http://paizo.com/image/content/JadeRegent/PZO9049_Ameiko.jpg

Thinking twin scimitars, but first, my numbers (all rolled): 18,17,16,16,15,14

Finesse seems to be the key here, but why not a deceivingly strong, small Asian girl? LOL

So, would you go with the "Graceful Fencer" as archtype, or the "Hard Bard" and give her a Greatsword? LOL

(Or just go with Swashbuckler instead, and trade away my 4th level spells for consistent INT to damage?)

Ready Set GO :elan:

silverwolfer
2013-01-15, 02:59 AM
bagpipes and bladed flutes

Juntao112
2013-01-15, 03:03 AM
How do you feel about pirates? (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?327699-Shiver-Me-Timbers-It-s-Black-Jack-Wellesley!)

Alternatively, how do you feel about harlequins? (http://www.thetangledweb.net/forums/profiler/view_char.php?cid=17445)

avr
2013-01-15, 03:03 AM
Ridiculously large sword. Being able to move without losing all offensive ability is nice.

Anime has 'em, should work fine with your asian image. I think the name to keep in mind is 'no-dashi'.

Flickerdart
2013-01-15, 03:04 AM
Take a ride through the beautiful land of Talfirian Song (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8595585), where Persist Spell is usable and buffs are aplenty. You'll want to max out Bard levels for this though, potentially with a Cleric dip.

The other power option is Sublime Chord, but that takes you in a more casterly direction...

If all you want to do is sing and stab and not care about spells too much, check out Dragonfire Inspiration. Take those bonuses, and turn them into handfuls of fire damage! Use stuff like Song of the White Raven and Harmonize to drop multiple songs per round, giving yourself both the + to hit and damage, and the fire dice. Badge of Courage, Inspirational Boost, and Song of the Heart all boost your Inspire Courage numbers, and then Words of Creation doubles them, so you can be a really scary fighter if you want to be.

Shadowdagger213
2013-01-15, 05:13 AM
I will admit, I have a bad habit of making characters around really cool artwork...

I was looking for an idea to build around Ameiko Kaijitsu, the Paizo iconic bard. She just looks like she'd sing like a angel and still kick your ass! I would play a female character if I could make her fight like a demon without needing 7 books to do it! LOL

That was this pic...
http://paizo.com/image/content/JadeRegent/PZO9049_Ameiko.jpg

Then I found this one....
http://paizo.com/image/content/PathfinderTales/PZO8500-Salim.jpg

THIS is what I want! Is this the Rogue/Shadowdancer? Or the Daring Outlaw?
Does he need to be a spellcaster?

This screams Rogue 4/Swashbuckler 3/Shadowdancer 5 to me...

What do you think? If "yes", then I'm done. Remember, I don't need Uber, just fun to play! "I picked the name Shadowdagger for a reason..." LOL

akahdrin
2013-01-15, 06:30 AM
Stop worrying about what is the best and worry about what you'll enjoy the most.

Having a seriously flawed and interesting character makes you like them more anyways.

Flickerdart
2013-01-15, 11:18 AM
Stop worrying about what is the best and worry about what you'll enjoy the most.

Having a seriously flawed and interesting character makes you like them more anyways.
Flaws don't automatically make characters interesting, and characters don't have to be flawed to be interesting. Considering that the OP asked for a build and not a character, this is completely irrelevant.

Shadowdagger213
2013-01-16, 01:04 AM
Well, after reading some of the other posts here I have discovered that there is no love for the Shadowdancer.

I have therefore decided to go with two out of three of the Thread Title requisites for my new character, and have removed the "Song" portion.

So just going with Silence and Stabby, but mostly Stabby, I have gone with a combination Rogue, Swashbuckler, Duelist. Therefore adding the formidable intelligence (20) of my new character to both his damage (Swash) and his AC (Duelist). DM-Ruled "Skills are Skills" so any class can add points to any skill you already possess from other classes as class skills.

Both the Duelist and the Swashbuckler gain "Grace" bonuses but they stack (eventually...swashbuckler starts with "Grace +1", Duelist gets "additional +2 to reflex saves" called "Grace". Since it's "additional", it should stack with the Swashbuckler. When the Swash gets to "Grace +2" he just adds the difference from his previous bonus, for an additional +1 to saves)

And it just gets better, or at least it seems to... good enough for me!

Just have to buy a crap ton of potions or hope that my UMD from my Rogue levels is good enough and buy a few wands and I'm golden!

Back soon with stats!

Hopefully with Uber-Elan! :elan: