Necro-Bard advice?

[Russell'sTeapot]

I'm planning necromancer bard who has undead horde. She is Chaotic Good and necrosocialistwant to improve lives of people by undead labor. Yes, it's Hollowfaust. But our campaign setting is not it. So I decide to make one in our campaign.

First, we use 3.5 but the master allows PCs to have PF classes, like gunslinger, PF fighter, PF wizard with 3.5 spells. Surely, our druid didn't take PF druid......
So I'll take Dirge bard(bard archtype).
Second, the master is generous to reinforce houserule and I'm bard. So I think I can make Dance of the Dead(Dirge bard's animate dead) to eternal(originally, as long as the dirge bard continues the performance).

I'm thinking about Human or Star elf Dirge bard 10/Sublime Chord 1/Lyric Thaumaturge 9 because Chord's spell is different from bard's, so Lyric Thaumaturge can increase Chord's, not bard's spell casting level.

Good feats are Melodic Casting, Lyric Spell, Eschew Materials, Undead leadership(surely, undead horde), Extra Followers(MORE Zombies and Skeletons), Improved Cohort(Vampire!), I think.

Can you give me some advice about races, classes, feats and others?

[Sgt. Cookie]

First off, I should point out that Sublime Chord is NOT Bard Spell casting, so Lyric Thurmaturge won't advance it.

Secondly, the best "Necro-Bard" would be Prestige Bard advancing Dread Necromancer. You have to eat a -2 caster level, though. But Practiced Spellcaster can eliviate that issue. Make sure you have Dirge? (Or whatever that feat is that let's undead be affected), or your horde won't be that good.

[Russell'sTeapot]

First off, I should point out that Sublime Chord is NOT Bard Spell casting, so Lyric Thurmaturge won't advance it.

Secondly, the best "Necro-Bard" would be Prestige Bard advancing Dread Necromancer. You have to eat a -2 caster level, though. But Practiced Spellcaster can eliviate that issue. Make sure you have Dirge? (Or whatever that feat is that let's undead be affected), or your horde won't be that good.

Oh, It wasn`t `+1 level of arcane spellcasting ability`?
Hmm...... Dread Necromancer/Prestige Bard? I think Dread Necromancer is good necromancer, but How about PF Socerer?

[Daftendirekt]

The feat that makes bardic music affect undead is called "Requiem", and is found in Libris Mortis.

[Sgt. Cookie]

Oh, It wasn`t `+1 level of arcane spellcasting ability`?

No, it explicitly advances Bard spellcasting. You can get round that by using Prestige Bard, but you can't directly advance Sublime Chord through Lyric Thurmagturge.


Hmm...... Dread Necromancer/Prestige Bard? I think Dread Necromancer is good necromancer, but How about PF Socerer?

Dread Necromancer is better for one simple reason. You also gain access to the ENTIRE Bard Spell list, spontaneously. PF Sorcerer has a spells known, which is less useful.

Also, Dread Necro can't qualify on it's own, you need a 1 level Beguiler dip to qualify.



The feat that makes bardic music affect undead is called "Requiem", and is found in Libris Mortis.

Ah, thanks. Yeah, Requiem, you want, no, require this feat.

[gorfnab]

Dread Necromancer 8/ Heartfire Fanner (Drg #314) 1/ Vitruoso 1/ Sublime Chord 2/ Virtuoso 8 - Requires the Apprentice: Entertainer (DMG II) feat

[Fouredged Sword]

I am also a fan of PRC bard from dread necro. There is a feat that lets you burn music uses to power metamagic. It makes Fell Animate a lot more practical for free undead and you can take fell frighten for the daily combat stuff and max out your fear aura with an extra level of fear when they fail their save.

Now read the text on PRC bard carefully. All class features are gain at 1st level, except more inspire courage. Text trumps table, you get all your music abilities based on RANKS in preform, not based on levels in PRC bard. Only take two levels of PRC bard, so you only loose one caster level to it. Then go into a bard PRC that advances bard casting at every level.

You can hit 9ths through dread necromancer even with a lost caster level.

If your DM allows LA buy off I would be very tempted to suggest grave touched ghoul. That +a bunch cha and undead type would be so tempting.