[3.5] Building Bards

[D4rkh0rus]

Hey GitP, Was wondering, what are some fun (and powerful) builds based around the bard class?

I heard to the Dragonfire inspiration bard, the sword dance bard and the one hander bard... but I have no idea how those builds work.

Can anyone give out any tips and stuff?

[gorfnab]

Some reading material:
Bard Handbook (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=8686)
Inspire Courage Optimization Handbook (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=8936) - Dragonfire Inspiration info is in this handbook

The "one-hander" "sword dance" Bard makes use of the feat Snowflake Wardance and the magic items Slippers of Battledancing, Crystal Echoblade, and Gauntlets of Heartfelt Blows.

One Bard build I like is Bard 8/ Virtuoso 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Virtuoso 8. 9th level spells, decent skills, almost full Inspire Courage.

[Red Fel]

Biff came up with a nicely obscene fear!Bard using Bard, Sublime Chord, and Nightmare Spinner and Dread Witch advancing SC casting. The result is musical terror. Let me see if I can dig it up...

Okay, found it:

A high Cha score is perfect for a Fear build (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3809.0), something like Bard 8/ Dread Witch 1/ Nightmare Spinner 1/ Sublime Chord 2/ Dread Witch 4/ Nightmare Spinner 4, using Inspire Awe (DM), Healing Hymn (CC), and Spellbreaker Song (CM) for Bard, plus you can trade your Suggestion song for Haunting Melody (ECS). Use the Half-Humans variant in Races of Destiny p150, especially since a Lesser Aasimar is already a Humanoid instead of Outsider, and you can get the feat Dreadful Wrath (PGtF). I've suggested this type of build before (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=252815#4), though this one won't get the Inimidate bonus that comes with Half-Orc. I'd still use Unseelie Fey if possible with the Winter aspect so adjacent opponents take a penalty to saves equal to your Cha bonus.

[jiriku]

If you have exotic races available, it can be fun to challenge yourself by building a gloura bard.