Drow Bard 3.5 - Want Advice for Future Levels

[Ghost Nappa]

I have only played as an 'obbit Rogue before and so I'm looking for mainly feat and spell-advice - especially for the future, but I by and large have finished building this character and we're going to be starting soon...ish. Mostly because I don't know where I could take or would want to take the character. I think I would rather take it in a spell-casting direction than a melee-character. The only information I have on the rest of the party is that there will be a half-elf scout.

Known House Rules:
1) They're 'obbits, not halflings. (This is out of consideration to one of the newer players being extremely and hopelessly confused between half-elves and halflings.)
2) Ignoring Weight.

STR: 11
DEX: 16
CON: 11
INT: 16
WIS: 8
CHA: 17 (Should I dump all Attribute +'s here? Or Put 1 in CHA, STR, CON...)

Feats: Melodic Casting
Bonus Languages: Draconic, Aquan, Goblin

Skills w/ Ranks: (Focusing on Synergies for Next Level)
Bolded Skills are skills I plan to keep maxed.

Bluff: 4
Decipher Script: 1
Diplomacy: 4
Gather Information: 2
Knowledge (History): 4
Knowledge (Local): 4
Perform (Wind Instrument): 4
Sense Motive: 4
Sleight of Hand: 1
Spellcraft: 2
Tumble: 2
Use Magic Device: 4


0-Level Spells:

Summon Instrument
Detect Magic
Prestidigatation
Songbird


Other Goodies: Rapier, Leather Armor, Backpack, Bedroll, Scroll Case, Parchment (5), Rope (50'), Rations (10), Ink (1 oz.), Inkpen, Common Trumpet

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Obligatory Bard Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=1utc6r67h6bjvnftgv6e581ol4&topic=8284.0) link.

Use Level Adjustment Buyoff (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm) unless you go with Lesser Drow from PGtF.

I'd go with the Deepwyrm Drow variety, which works with both Lesser Drow and the level adjusted version. They're Drow who had a Deep Dragon + Drow half-dragon ancestor, and while the dragon blood is thin they still get the dragonblood subtype necessary to qualify for feats like Dragonfire Inspiration. Get two flaws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) (more here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=258440#30)) to start out with two extra feats, which should be Dragonfire Inspiration and possibly Wild Cohort (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) (war trained riding dog). Read the handbook.

[Ghost Nappa]

I already rolled up as a Normal Drow and I can't find anything on a "Deepwyrm" variant anyway. :smallfrown:

[Lostbutseeking]

I already rolled up as a Normal Drow and I can't find anything on a "Deepwyrm" variant anyway. :smallfrown:

Deepwyrm drow are in Dragon Magic, like alot of other [Dragonblood] humanoids.

There is a little shuffling of the SLA's, you gain the [Dragonblood] subtype you shift the skill bonus from diplomacy to bluff and lose the +2 to will saves vs spells and SLA's.

[Ghost Nappa]

Deepwyrm drow are in Dragon Magic, like alot of other [Dragonblood] humanoids.

There is a little shuffling of the SLA's, you gain the [Dragonblood] subtype you shift the skill bonus from diplomacy to bluff and lose the +2 to will saves vs spells and SLA's.

I don't think Drow get +2 to Diplomacy. Isn't that Half-Elf?

[Lostbutseeking]

I don't think Drow get +2 to Diplomacy. Isn't that Half-Elf?

Ah quite right, losing the diplomacy bonus is for Deepwyrm half-drow.

[Ghost Nappa]

I'm not sure I want a +5 ECL...even with buy-off.

[Karnith]

I'm not sure I want a +5 ECL...even with buy-off.
Deepwyrm Drow (and Deepwyrm Half-Drow) add no additional LA, so I'm not sure where the ECL+5 is coming from.

[Ghost Nappa]

Deepwyrm Drow (and Deepwyrm Half-Drow) add no additional LA, so I'm not sure where the ECL+5 is coming from.

The closest thing I can find is the Half-Dragon Template which is a +3 ECL on top of Drow's +2. I can't find these sub-races on the SRD (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:System_Reference_Document) or from here (http://dndtools.eu/) so I'm not sure what I would actually be looking at.

Am I looking at the Draconic Heritage feat?

I have some knowledge of D&D but I'm not an expert.

[Karnith]

The closest thing I can find is the Half-Dragon Template which is a +3 ECL on top of Drow's +2. I can't find these sub-races on the SRD (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:System_Reference_Document) or from here (http://dndtools.eu/) so I'm not sure what I would actually be looking at.

Am I looking at the Draconic Heritage feat?

I have some knowledge of D&D but I'm not an expert.
As explained in an earlier post, Deepwyrm Drow is a specific, dragon-descended Drow subrace (a counterpart also exists for Deepwyrm Half-Drow). They share most traits of normal Drow, with a few differences. You can find a more detailed explanation, as well as other dragon-descended subraces, in the book Dragon Magic.

If you're already locked into playing a standard Drow, there's no way (well, no easy way) to become a Deepwyrm Drow - they are a separate subrace, much as Aquatic Elves (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/elf.htm#aquaticElf) and Wood Elves (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/elf.htm#woodElf) are separate elf subraces.

Draconic Heritage offers a flavorfully similar, but mechanically very different, manner of expressing some amount of dragon blood in your character's veins. Being a Half-Dragon would entail being much, much more closely related to a dragon ancestor than would being a Deepwyrm Drow, with the former having a true dragon as a parent and the latter being many generations removed.