Making a Badass Buffing Bard

[Nettlekid]

So my friend is starting a pretty high level campaign (actual level tentative) with a good number of people. I think I'd fancy my hand at making a Bard. Because among our group (as in most groups) we tease Bards for being lame. I was a level 1 Bard in a campaign that lasted about two meetings, and didn't enjoy it very much, but that's because of the low level and ineffective abilities. When actually built for it, I know Bards can be strong.

So, how do I do it? What's a good build? I'm thinking that I want to primarily optimize Inspire Courage, to an obscene degree. Make other party members almost guaranteed to hit whatever they're going for. I'd also like to slot in Dragonfire Inspiration, because I know that while the attack roll bonus from Inspire Courage is formidable, the damage bonus is a little lackluster. With Dragonfire Inspiration, you lose the attack bonus for a pretty substantial damage boost. I don't think I'd need Snowflake Wardance if I have Slippers of Battledancing, right?

Another thing is, I don't understand why Inspire Greatness is so good. You get a little more HP, a little boost to attack, and protection from some spells like Sleep...which isn't a threat. Is there something about it that I'm missing?

[gorfnab]

Breaking Down Inspire Courage Optimization, Handbook Edition (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=9830)
Bard Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=8284)

Usually for Bard I recommend Bard 8/ Virtuoso 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Virtuoso 8.

[Vaz]

Warforged Bard 14/Reforged 3/Incantatrix 3

Pick up the fight feats laid out, and items, and with Emerald Dragon Heritage you can Persist DFI, AND the Morale Bonus (so 2H power attack returns are looking at +45 Damage and +15d6 Sonic Energy Damage.

[Piggy Knowles]

Another thing is, I don't understand why Inspire Greatness is so good. You get a little more HP, a little boost to attack, and protection from some spells like Sleep...which isn't a threat. Is there something about it that I'm missing?

Inspire Greatness on its own is a bit lackluster (unless it's being used for early entry shenanigans), although you'll have so many bardic music uses by the time you get it that it's more or less a free boost, and it stacks with all your IC stuff.

With Words of Creation it gets a little nicer, since you're talking +4 effective HD and +4 competence bonus to attack rolls. A level 12 bard appropriately kitted out, with Words of Creation and Inspirational Boost, can have regular IC, DFI and Inspire Greatness going simultaneously for +14 attack, +10d6+10 damage and four bonus HD... and that's only 1/4 of her bardic music uses for the day.

[Nettlekid]

How do you get Dragonfire Inspiration to do Sonic damage on those builds if you need Sorcerer 1 to take Draconic Heritage, to make your dragon parent based in Sonic damage?

[Vaz]

Dragontouched/Dragon Heritage.