Idea needed for crowd controller/party face

[Lathund]

Hello lads and ladies,

My current D&D party lacks two things: a leader and crowd control. My current character is a chaotic dwarf fighter with 6 Cha, so hardly the type to be a leader or to keep a mass of enemies in check. But... I could leave the party and come back as a crowd-controlling sociomancer. Question is: what class would be suitable for that? We're playing Forgotten Realms, lvl 8 atm (unlikely to ever reach lvl 15, let alone something higher) and anything outside PHB/PHB2/Completes is usually not allowed (although exceptions can be made if it's not about something too powerful).

I'd kind of like to play a bard, because I'd like to see Glibness in action. But as a bard, what would my good crowd control spells be? And what other good options are there?

I don't need a full build, let alone an optimized one. The class itself needn't even be strong; we're playing at a mediocre power level. I mostly need a class, some useful spells/feats and maybe a plot hook.

[Socratov]

well, you could be a bard, as you say, and use your illusions to crowd control, if you want you can take Sublime Chord at lvl 10 and gain more (and higher level) spells like Black tentacles of forced intrusion. Another option is Warlock, they have beguiling influence, some CC invocations, and save or suck blast essences. Another option is beguiler/duskblade (i forget which) who makes illuions and battlefield control a thing. And hten there is shadowcaster form HoH who casts mysteris which have often some nice tricks...

[GreenETC]

A Bard is pretty much exactly what you want, with a bit of skill monkeying and damage boosting thrown in. If you can be a Silverbrow Human, grab Dragonfire Inspiration and add Xd6 fire damage to all your allies' attacks.

For BFC spells, you have Grease, Glitterdust, Pyrotechnics, Slow; and that's just core. Add in splats and Bards start getting some amazing spells.

[Studoku]

Beguiler (PHB2).

You spontaneously cast off a (fairly large) fixed list which includes all the best social, illusion, control and utility spells. This list includes glibness, for bluff funtimes. You also get 6+int skill points (on an int based caster), allowing you to keep your social skills maxed.

Put your highest stat into int and your second or third into cha. Don't worry about spell selection because you get your entire list, put skills in everything you need and you're sorted.

[Lathund]

Thanks for the ideas. Other than the core spells, what spells and feats might be interesting for me?

Studoku: I've noticed Beguiler, but most of its spells seem to give will saves. It seems too easy for a DM to render me useless.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Illumian (Krau/anything) Beguiler 1/ Wizard (Focused Conjurer) 4/ Ultimate Magus with Practiced Spellcaster: Beguiler and Able Learner. That gets to add all ten UM levels toward Wizard, gets all those Beguiler class skills for his entire career, and plenty of spells for any situation.

[XmonkTad]

Bard by far has the most splat support. Spell compendium has two "must haves" at level one: Amplify and Inspirational Boost. Amplify is a first level spell that counters and dispells scilence as well as having a lot of roleplaying applications. Inspirational boost synergizes well with Dragonfire Inspiration, giving you an extra d6 of damage.

If you make a Bard+warblade, Song of the White Raven lets you use bardic music as a swift action.

[Gwendol]

Bard/crusader synergizes even better thanks to CHA.

However, for your crew I recommend straight bard, and for a more elaborate version go bard/sublime chord 1/virtuoso X in order to advance both casting and bardic music.

[Lathund]

Thanks for the suggestions :smallredface: