Rogue 2 / Bard 8 / Exemplar 10

[titans4ever]

I am trying to make a human PC or cohort that will focus on support with music and skills. I am going to introduce him to the group at level 7. He will weave in and out of the campaign with the group if I think they could use some extra support during an adventure or two. If someone wants to take the leadership feat, he could be a potential cohort.

I would do first two levels as rogue to gain the most for skills. Then go 8 bard to gain the singing and spells until level 10 when he can go exemplar. He will focus on spells that either help the party like haste, rage, sonic weapon and some healing. He will stay away from any kind of spell that will require a save against it since I want to use Int as the stat to increase.

I was wondering if you could help me with some help with feat ideas. I only need to have skill focus by level to for prestige class so I could do that at level 9.

I was thinking of this so far.

1 - able learner - to help max skills and skip half points
1 - jack of all trades - allows him to at least try his hand at just about any skill needed and you can always boost this with the bard spell improvisation
3 - Melodic casting - won't need concentration as a skill to open up points for other skills and other benefits while singing
6 - practiced spellcaster - gain those extra four level for CL so buff spells will last longer
9 - skill focus (whatever seems most helpful) qualify for exemplar prestige class

By level 6 he can take a shot at just about any skill or knowledge check. He can use improvisation to help with the skills he has not put any ranks in. Melodic casting helps by not needing to put ranks into concentration. Practiced Spellcaster will help with the boost spells that he can give to the party and how many points he can get with improvisation to boost skills.

Ideas on how to improve this build?

[Bavarian itP]

Rogue has tons of class skills, Bard has tons of class skills, Exemplar has, afair, all skills as class skills ... I've got the feeling that Able Learner isn't so useful for this build.

[Honest Tiefling]

May I ask what the party is comprised of?

[titans4ever]

The party is level 8:

crusader - tends to do as much healing maneuvers during combat as offensive attacks
scout - crossbow user
fighter - maxing on to hit and bonus damage
cleric - self buffing tripper
wizard - battlefield control

typical battle: The cleric heals when needed but likes to mix it up. The crusader tends to stay in the martial spirit stance and uses divine surge and revitalizing strike every chance he gets on someone. Fighter just gets in line or flanking and starts swinging. The wiz tends to throw control spells from a distance. The scout sits back and rapidshot or skirmish with he crossbow.

They are mostly missing rogue skills and a high gather info and someone with evocation spells. He can help with the skills they are missing. I would give him some equipment to help max out the inspire courage. He can sit back and sing and cast the bard spells during combat so he doesn't interfere with the pattern of attack they are use to. He could have some wands to help out with healing or other buffs.

[gorfnab]

It seems like you want to cast buff spells and use bardic music to buff the party. What are you trying to get out of Exemplar? A better buffer based bard build would be Bard 8/ Virtuoso 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Virtuoso 8 - 9th level spells and almost full Inspire Courage.

[Optimator]

As for Jack Of All Trades, it's not to useful here either. I'd just put a rank or two into the skills that can't be used untrained. Also, consider Bardic Knack for better skills.

There are lots and lots of amazing buff spells out there, in the Bard 5 and 6 range as well as the entire Wizard list, so Sublime Chord gets another nod from me. You also get Greater Dispel Magic, Otto's Irresistable Dance, and Hindsight early (as well as a few others). Advance the SC casting with Virtuoso to get six skill points per level as well as some neat buffing songs (although they come a little late when paired with SC).

Song Of The Heart will be useful here as well to keep Inspire Courage values up. I would stay away from Dragonfire Inspiration on a build like this.

[titans4ever]

Spell casting would not be his primary role. The wizard will cast haste and the cleric does use prayer or bless to help the party. With such a small spells per day for a bard he will burn through them quickly trying to buff everyone.

I was wanting this NPC/cohort to be more of a supportive role and not equal to the party members. He will be 2 levels behind the party so he could be a cohort if wanted. Giving him 2 levels of rogue gets him evasion and lots of skill points to start with. Switching to bard for 8 levels gives him some more versatility without losing to many skill points. He can use any wand on the bard spell list without a UMD check. He is not going to be great in combat due to classes and being 2 levels behind so he can sit back and inspire courage at a +3 (+1 class, +1 badge of valor, and +1 inspirational boost) right now and then wand whip or cast his limited spells during combat. Eventually as a exemplar he can even share his skills and boost the party's skills so they can shine more and he can sit in the background in a supportive roll.

With this extra info would this be a better feat list

1) able learner - that way he can easily keep disable device, search, open lock max easier
1) open minded - immediately gain 5 skill points just helps fill holes with all the skills wanted to be maxed
3) melodic casting - keeps from needing to keep concentration up and allows wands or spells while singing
6) open minded - again 5 points is better than the 4 points something like investigator, nimble finger gives.
9) skill focus - fills requirement for exemplar

after looking at spells, practiced spellcaster may be useful later especially if I wanted to take craft wand so he could start making his own. Most lower spells minus improvisation and rage have duration in minutes / lvl. Mirror image, invisiblity, sonic weapon, silent image are all min / lvl or concentration.

[Nihilarian]

Have you thought about injecting some Factotum in there? Factotum are good at skills.

Edit: There's also the Chameleon PrC, who can pick up every support spell, arcane or divine from any list. That may be going a bit far afield, though.

[Phelix-Mu]

If you go with Exemplar, houserule the bonus they grant to others with skills to be of a bonus type that stacks with items. I seem to recall it being a competence bonus, and many, many items grant competence bonuses to skills that will eclipse what the npc can offer. Making them stack keeps the npc relevant, which sounds like a goal (relevant to, but not competing with, the characters).

[titans4ever]

chameleon PrC looks really cool. I would be afraid he would be a cohort from hell with all the bookkeeping needed to track... an arcane spell list for his level, a divine spell list for his level, a decent melee weapon and armor if he wants to be a frontline fighter. He would be very hard to equip properly since cohorts don't get a full share of treasure if any. Not sure if that would make for a fun cohort, he would always be wanting.