Build Check

[Chilingsworth]

Ok, so after his party refused to surrender, my wizard became a demon's snack. I've replaced him with a bard/paladin.

Current Build:

Bard 4/Paladin (of Asmodeus) 2

Cultural Bonus Feats: Able Learner, Second Wind, Heroic Destiny

Feats:

1st: Melodic Casting
HB: Lingering Song
3rd: Song of the Heart
6th: Snowflake Wardance

Spells:

0th:

Detect Magic
ghost sound
message
Prestidigitation
Light
Mending

1st:
Undetectable Alignment
Inspirational Boost
Grease

2nd:
Glitterdust
Mirror Image


Current Gear:
+1 Mithril Chain Shirt, +1 scimitar, cloak of +1 Cha and +1 resistance, belt of healing, gloves of UMD +4, Rod of Viscid Globs, wands of nerveskitter, shield, and lesser vigor, 2 potions of faith healing, varrious mundane and class related items.

My dm has finally realised (after our previous undergeared party got our heads handed to us by the demons that ate my wizard) that WBL is important. He agreed to distribute more treasure, and allow put more items in the shops for us to buy. He also let the new characters come in with their proper WBL. (But he limmited us to buying items of no higher than our level (as per MIC rules), prohibited us from spending more than 50% of our gold on a single item, and required us to spend at least 10% of our gold on consumables.)

Final Build:

Bard 8/Paladin (of Asmodeus) 2/Sublime Chord 2/ Abjurant Champion 5/Lyrical Thaumaturge 3 (or other PrC that loses no more than 1 caster level and 1 BaB)

Cultural Bonus Feats: Able Learner, Second Wind, Heroic Destiny

Regular Feats:

1st: Melodic Casting
HB: Lingering Song
3rd: Song of the Heart
6th: Snowflake Wardance
9th: ???
12th: Combat Casting
15th: Lyric Spell (I'm not sure I'll actually have enough bardic music uses to make this worthwhile.)
18th: ???

Spells Known:
Bard:
0th:
Detect Magic
ghost sound
message
Prestidigitation
Light
Mending

1st:
Undetectable Alignment
Inspirational Boost
Grease
Amplify
Shield (B)

2nd:
Suggestion
Mirror Image
Glitterdust
Invisibility
Kelore's Grave Mist (B)

3rd:
Haste
Charm Monster
Glibness

Sublime Chord:

4th:
Dominate Person
Dimension Door
Greater Mirror Image
Clerity

5th:
Cloudkill
Wall of Force
Greater Dispel Magic
Draconic Vision

6th:
Irresitable Dance
Greater Scrying
Mass Charm Monster
Greater Anticipate Teleportation

7th:
Greater Teleport
Mage's Magnificent Mansion
Simaculrum


8th:
Mind Blank
Greater Shadow Evocation
Discern Location

9th:
Effulgent Epuration
Shades


The listed bonus spells known are if my dm will allow lyrical thematurge to advance sublime chord casting.

Otherwise, my best bet is probably cloaked dancer (at least I wont lose any caster levels from it, or at least my DM's version of it.)

The current party now consists of:
a cleric (survivor of the demon battle, still undergeared, though less so than the others)
a swordsage (another survivor undergeared)
a crusader
a dread necromancer (a player's former character recently returned to life and leveled up, undergeared)
and my Bardadin.

All level 6.

So, how does the situation look to you guys?

EDIT:

Current Stats:


Str: 14
Dex: 12
Con: 14
Int: 13
Wis: 8 (9-1 racial)
Cha: 19 (16+1 racial+1 levelup+1 item)

[Keld Denar]

Don't you need Devoted Performer to multiclass between Pally and Bard? I'm guessing that you are a CE Pally variant, since you venerate Asmodeus, who is a demon lord, right?) Then you probably wouldn't.

I'd definitely swap either Mirror Image or Glitterdust in your current build for Whirling Blade. Seriously. Look it up. It is the gish gunblade. You get to attack with your scimitar (with all of the bonuses there-in) at range. Upgrade your Scimitar to +1 Spellstoring at some point and you can deliver your spellstored spells at a distance, as the need suits you. You might want to look at getting Power Attack as one of your feats so you can siphon off some of that extra IC bonus to hit into pure 2:1 damage.

No Anklets of Translocation. They are pretty awesome, and only 1400g. Nerveskitter is incompatable with casting Insp Boost in the opening round of combat, so I'd drop that. Also, no Badge of Valor, which is 3/day +1 boost on your IC.

You might consider trying to squeeze in Pally4 under your SC entry. Pally4 gives you Turn Undead, which is very useful for powering a lot of really awesome feats like Divine Might (hit people with your Cha score) or Law/Chaos Devotion. I'm pretty sure you get 3rd level spells with Bard6, and with Able Learner, you shouldn't have THAT hard of a time with the ridiculous SC skill reqs. Just a thought. It'll cut into your mid level casting, but won't impact your SC casting at all.

[Chilingsworth]

I'm LE. Bards can be lawful in my dm's world.

Unfortunately, bards don't get 3rd level spells until level 7. :smallfrown: If I gave up the chance to learn haste, my party wouldn't be pleased.

So, that means no Pal 4, which means no channel energy (we use that instead of turn/rebuke) without nerfing my SC casting. Pitty that, since paladins in my dm's world cast off of charisma, so I'd even get some spells.

As for power attack: I can't use a weapon two handed and use snowflake wardance at the same time. If I could, I'd use a greatsword. Especially since it's my DM's version of Asmodeus' favored weapon. A one handed power attack is worth less. That reminds me: might going with twf be worthwhile? I'm thinking of aquiring a set of gloves of the balanced hand if I go that route.

I wasn't thinking enough about the nerveskitter wand, though the badge of valor also conflicts with the use of inspirational boost. In any case, it's part of a set, and those can only be aquired from treasure, Or by being crafted... which requires possession of another piece of the set, which has to be aquired from treasure.

You know, I don't remember why I didn't pick up an anklet of translocation. :smallconfused:
(Ok, just checked the MIC-- I didn't because it's listed as a 7th level item, and I'm limited to items of 6th level or lower.)

Whirling Blade does look like a good idea, though. Will I actually be able to trade one of my 2nd level spells out for it, though? If I can, I'll definately trade out Mirror image. I'm planing to get the greater version, anyway.
What would be good spells to cast into it? I'm thinking Charm Monster might be amusing.:smallamused:

Oh, and thanks for responding! I was about to give up hoping anyone would. :smallbiggrin:

[Chilingsworth]

Something that might also be worth mentioning: my dm has insituted an improvement to the varrious weapon abilities that have low fixed save DC's (blinding, everbright, disruption, etc.) a wielder can add his/her charisma bonus to the DC's.

[Chilingsworth]

Ok, just realised: I'll be getting more 2nd level spells known (d'oh!) So, I can get whirling blade as soon as next level, actually.

The question becomes: Which spell is better to drop for it: invisibility or suggestion?

I'm leaning towards suggestion, since I'll eventually have the suggestion bardic music ability anyway, plus the charm monster and dominate person spells. On the other hand, It might be nice to have a suggestion spell I can use as a standard action, in combat, rather than requiring a minute of bardic performance. Also, I already have inspire courage and snowflake wardance vying for my relatively limited bardic music uses.

Also, if these matter:

Current Stats:


Str: 14
Dex: 12
Con: 14
Int: 13
Wis: 8 (9-1 racial)
Cha: 19 (16+1 racial+1 levelup+1 item)

[Gwendol]

You want a wand of Whirling blade, and a wand chamber on your weapon. It will totally be worth it!

Hymn of fortification will fit with your paladin, as will healing hymn. Spellbreaker song is generally better than countersong.

I like the 0-level spell songbird, especially if you plan to keep fascinate. Also, no hideous laghter? You sure have high CHA to make the DC relevant.

[Chilingsworth]

You want a wand of Whirling blade, and a wand chamber on your weapon. It will totally be worth it!

Hymn of fortification will fit with your paladin, as will healing hymn. Spellbreaker song is generally better than countersong.

I like the 0-level spell songbird, especially if you plan to keep fascinate. Also, no hideous laghter? You sure have high CHA to make the DC relevant.

My dm hasn't decided if he wants wand chambers to be available, yet. Also, 2nd level wands (regardless of the number of charges) are higher level items than I could start with.

as for the hymns: ACF's aren't allowed.:smallfrown:
(Although, hymn of fortification replaces inspire competence, which means no Song of the Heart feat.)

Hideous laghter... well, I suppose I could take it instead of amplify. But silence really screws bards, and I expect to fight alot of clerics- we're trying to take down a theocracy, afterall. (also a good reason to favor grease over it, since clerics have monster will saves.) I definately can't do without undetectable alignment: in addition to clerics, the country we're trying to take over is lousy with Tyr-worshiping paladins.

[Chilingsworth]

I'm still kinda concerned about my sublime chord spell choices. I'm assuming this character will be the party's only arcane caster (since that's the case at the moment.) So, I've included some utility spells, but have I included too many? And if I have, which should I get rid of, and what should I use to replace them?

As for Songbird: I'll be able to replace one of my 0's with it later. Not sure which one I should replace, though, if any.

And I'll definately try to get my dm to allow wand chambers and get a wand of whirling blade.

If I can, I'll get him to let me replace the wand of nerveskitter. I'll see if he'll let me upgrade my weapon (by using his homebrew rules for obsidian weapons- For 300 gp, I get a weapon that has a -25% cost to adding wounding and keen properties, and a -10% cost to adding any abilities that allow the weapon to overcome evil DR.) If possible, I'll also get that wand chamber. I can't get a wand of whirling blade yet, though. I'll probably spend my remaining gp for a wand of faith healing (partially charged). I'll also replace my potions of that spell for more charges.

[Gandariel]

It looks like you picked a LOt of utility spells. do you really think you'll use Discern location more than once a day?

get useful stuff like Polymorph any object and Timestop. and maybe a damaging spell, just to have one?

[Chilingsworth]

Polymorph, PoA, Shapechange, and all [Calling] spells (Planar Ally, Planar Binding (and their derivitives) and Gate) are all banned. Otherwise, I'd definately get Gate and/or Shapechange.

I'm not sure how much use I'd get out of timestop, since most of my buff abilities are group buffs. As for damaging spells, what do you think Greater Shadow Evocation and Shades will help me do? (Yeah, I'll mostly use both for other things, but I can use them for damage.) Also, that's what my weapons are for.

But for the sake of argument, what would be the best damaging spells from me to get?

[Keld Denar]

Something Sonic would be good, especially if your DM allows you to advance SC casting with LT. Sonic Might is pretty silly. I played a SC with Sonic Might, and I took Heighten Spell and put level 6 Sonic Weapons on my party's weapons for +7d6 sonic damage.

I'm a fan of Freezing Fog. Great control, and can single handedly win fights against most non-cold immune golems.

[Chilingsworth]

hmm, freezing fog would be nice. As would Acid Fog, now that I think of it.

As for sonic weapon... could you really highten it and cast it with a sublime chord spell slot? I doubt my dm would let that fly. Also, if I took more than three four levels of Lyrical Thematurge, I'd lose more BaB than I want to. Although, all I'd lose from not taking level 5 of abjurant champion would be the ability to quicken 3rd level abjuration spells (well, and one point of abjurant armor bonus, but if I can't get LT to advance SC casting that doesn't matter). Since I don't plan on having any of those, I lose nothing (my CL will be higher than my BaB regardless.) So, LT 4 is probably better than AC 5 for me.

For that matter, Cloaked Dancer 4 might be better than AC 5 for me.