Help Me Optimize a Bard

[inexorabletruth]

TL;DR: I'm no good at this.
I'm going to come clean. I can not optimize... like at all. I rarely play as a PC, and as a DM, I just take the stats straight from the monster manual. All the number crunching, feat selection, tweaking and what-have-you... it's just not in me. So, I'm turning to the wisdom of the forum to fix up my bard so he can play with the rest of the kids.

Here are the requirements, straight from the DM:

32pt build
PHB 1 & 2, DMG, The completes and Expanded Psionics
No evil
No Exalted
Level 4 with WBL 5,400gp (no item over 50%)
Psionics are allowed
No messy builds (like 1 level of this and 2 levels of that), if you need more than 1 class for a Prc then ok.


TL;DR: Class (Bard), Race: (Medium sized any)
The quest is to find a singing/talking/storytelling sword, so Bard would be the perfect core class for this campaign. I might try to keep the sword once I find it, so I'd prefer a medium sized race for the role so I can actually use the sword once I get it. So... gnomes (my preferred race for Bards) is right out.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Con_Brio1993]

What exactly do you want to do with your bard? It is a flexible class with the right supplementary books, but you typically have to pick an area of focus.

[docnessuno]

Would a Bard / Warblade be an appealing option for you?

It would give you some very nice melee options, while letting you fully progress your inspire courage (thanks to the "song of the white raven" feat).

Hmm i should really read things twice, i don't know how i missed that.

[Con_Brio1993]

Would a Bard / Warblade be an appealing option for you?

It would give you some very nice melee options, while letting you fully progress your inspire courage (thanks to the "song of the white raven" feat).

PHB 1 & 2, DMG, The completes and Expanded Psionics

Sadly he cannot use TOB.

[gorfnab]

Bard 8/ Virtuoso 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Virtuoso 8
Feats: Melodic Casting,

Sadly, all the more fun/decent bard feats are in books you don't have listed.
Bard Handbook (http://www.ruleofcool.com/smf/index.php/topic,683.0.html)
Inspire Courage Optimization Handbook (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=9830)

[inexorabletruth]

What exactly do you want to do with your bard? It is a flexible class with the right supplementary books, but you typically have to pick an area of focus.

Um... that's a good question. Something to fill out the group, actually. I'm joining a game.

We've got an Illusionist, a Paladin, and a Monk already. Skill monkeys seem to be in demand, and I'd kind of like to do some buffing/defbuffing as well. I don't really want to be the face, since I'm an add on.

I kind of like the idea of the Military Historian or the Storyteller (as described in PHB2).

I was thinking about Extra Music so I can crank out one Bardic Song after another while the rest of the party charges in.

@ gorfnab:
That may be too many levels. I don't expect the campaign to get beyond mid-level, and I'm joining the group at lvl 4.

[Sgt. Cookie]

If you can convince your DM to use the SRD, and you don't mind waiting till level 6 before Bard-ing it up, Prestige Bard can give you quite a few options with what you have.

Here are a couple that are powerful/cool:

Bardlock, a build that uses two facts. 1. Warlock is advanced as though it were an Arcane caster and 2. Prestige Bard has no restriction on what Arcane caster it advances. You need a wizard/Beguiler dip to qualify, however.

Bardguiler: A straight up Beguiler going into Prestige Bard. Tell me you do not love 8ths all cast at a +2 caster level.


My guide, linked to in my sig, can give you a few other ideas for classes.

[DEMON]

While Sublime Chord is the Bard's best friend as far as spellcasting goes, it's not exactly the melee focused guy. Extra Music really isn't needed in my opinion as you get one daily use of the Music per Bard level and unless you plan on spamming it for non-combat purposes, you should be just fine with what you got.

Melodic Casting is really good, Snowflake Wardance might have been a good option for you, but it's from Frostburn, so you can't use it.

[Con_Brio1993]

Um... that's a good question. Something to fill out the group, actually. I'm joining a game.

We've got an Illusionist, a Paladin, and a Monk already. Skill monkeys seem to be in demand, and I'd kind of like to do some buffing/defbuffing as well. I don't really want to be the face, since I'm an add on.

I kind of like the idea of the Military Historian or the Storyteller (as described in PHB2).

I was thinking about Extra Music so I can crank out one Bardic Song after another while the rest of the party charges in.

@ gorfnab:
That may be too many levels. I don't expect the campaign to get beyond mid-level, and I'm joining the group at lvl 4.

If you can use Complete Mage (I assume "the completes") I'd also suggest taking up Melodic Casting which lets you use spells and anything with verbal components while maintaining a Bardic Music effect.


Bard 8/ Virtuoso 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Virtuoso 8
Feats: Melodic Casting,

Sadly, all the more fun/decent bard feats are in books you don't have listed.
Bard Handbook (http://www.ruleofcool.com/smf/index.php/topic,683.0.html)
Inspire Courage Optimization Handbook (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=9830)

Out of curiosity how can you take 2 levels of Sublime Chord when one of the class features requires you to take Sublime Chord for the full 10 levels?

[gorfnab]

Out of curiosity how can you take 2 levels of Sublime Chord when one of the class features requires you to take Sublime Chord for the full 10 levels?
What feature is that? :smallconfused:

[Con_Brio1993]

What feature is that? :smallconfused:

Ah I was misremembering something from a different site that added that stupid little rule to the class.

[Juntao112]

Here's a swordy bard. (http://www.thetangledweb.net/forums/profiler/view_char.php?cid=17445)

[inexorabletruth]

Wow! :smallcool:

This is all pretty helpful. Thanks everyone. I think I know what to do now.