Beautiful char that dances and sings - class/feat/ability/item suggestions

[Shin]

Hey everyone!

As my old character left the group I'm currently building a new character. I did ask for opinions on how to optimize a bard shortly ago, yet the new goal is to not try to optimize the char this time but build a character solely based around a (with everything bending to that) certain theme.

The "theme" now is a male/female catfolk / half-nymph / other that got gifted with awesome beauty + aesthetic movement (+ an enticing voice) that gifts the world with beautiful dancing and...well, physical beauty (and singing).

Currently I aim for a bard (for fascinate + suggestion) and virtuoso (for the diplomacy music and mindbending melody), with snowflake wardance (+TWF) and finishing with heartwarder to become even more beautiful, get heart of passion + lips of rapture (that ability...just lol), and maybe voice of a siren if the DM is nice to me and will give it to me at lvl 21. I'd also like to add my dexterity score to the dancing and bardic music. I know of lost tradition, yet I think charisma is fine too as my casting stat. Will probably be a divine bard (fits catfolk better I think).
Bard 7/Virtuoso 9/Heartwarder 4

Optimizing or getting a strong character is just unimportant, if somehow I end up with higher spell lvls or anything, be it, but I mainly ask you to help me find even more feats or abilities that are gameplay ways to dance and be beautiful (not just saying I am or do in game). I will listen to different build suggestions.

I hope I did express myself well and made my point clear, otherwise, feel free to ask!
Thank you in advance.

[Greenish]

For dancing, there's Cloaked Dance from EPH, and Dancing with Shadows from RoE, if you can get the race requirement fiated.

For lookin' good, I dunno, you could go with some of the "really gets around" feats like Nymph-kissed or Lich-loved.

[Heliomance]

BoEF adds an Appearance stat. Just sayin'.

[Greenish]

Really poor implementation, though (even by standards of such stats). Appearance in BoEF doesn't affect anything except… Disguise. Because it's easier to disguise yourself as an ogre if you're beautiful, except there's a penalty that applies when the target is of different race, unless you're "universally beautiful" like an elf (why pointy ears turn human beauty into something that appeals equally to aboleths and mariliths is never explained).

Not that that'd be surprising, BoEF is poor show through and through. So, yeah, you don't want to use that.

[Shin]

Will definitely not be implemented in our game, as charisma does a fine job of being the stat for not only charisma but also...yes, physical beauty :smallwink:

Have to check the options you did suggest, yet "lich-loved" sounds like a threat :smallbiggrin:

[ILM]

In terms of feats that fit thematically:
- Cloaked Dance (or its lesser cousin, the skill trick Shrouded Dance)
- Dancing with Shadows tactical feat (Races of Eberron), which I like a lot but requires you to be Kalashtar - see if your DM will make an exception
- Stormguard Warrior (ToB): I always imagine Channel the Storm and Combat Rhythm as being dance-like choreography
- Desert Wind Dodge (ToB) is very dance-inspired to me as well
- Battle Dancer (PHB2)

I guess there's also the Cloaked Dancer class in CS but you're all set with classes anyway.

[Shin]

As said, I'm certainly not set with classes - bard, virtuoso and heartwarder just are the classes that I found so far that fit best to the theme, in my opinion. But I don't know every single base/prestige class 3.5 has to offer. :smallwink:
Spelldancer, swanmay, celebrant of sharess, contemplative, celestial mystic - all kind of playing with the "beauty" theme but just not the right flair.

[Sian]

Battle Dancer (class) from Dragon Compendium might be worth a look, gains ChaMod to AC together with a couple of other things

[Troacctid]

In this case the obvious choice for your class is also the best choice--you should be a Bard. Charisma-based, with Perform as a key skill that is also used in combat. That's everything you need right there, and the class itself is also quite good.

[Solaris]

My fiancee's playing with a Battle Dancer 1/ Paladin of Freedom 2/ Bard 7/ Heartwarder 10 build. They're at level three-four, so it's Bard 1/ Battle Dancer 1/ Paladin 2; she gets her Charisma to both AC and saving throws, on top of the lay-on-hands. After that she'll be going Bard to pick up spellcasting, but at level four she was outperforming the Fighter and Cleric in combat simply by being pretty.

[kalasulmar]

Celebrant of Sharess. Gets a flirtation ability that scales.

[Shin]

I did implement battle dancer 1 between bard 6 and virtuoso now, Cha to AC is nice!
The rest of the class as well as celebrant of sharess didn't really convince me to prefer them over the bard abilities, paladin I'm not so sure yet.
Solaris, I think there's a paladin lvl 2 sub lvl that gives Cha to AC instead of saves, for awesome double Cha to AC - at least the "X stat to Y bonus" tells me so. That's what I do consider too atm, as awesome dodge skills are yet another way to say "I'm fancy dancy!" :smallbiggrin:

Edit: The sub lvl has some tight restrictions, please read the post below that one.

Ofc still open to further suggestions!

[Sian]

what X to Y doesn't say is that the Paladin Sub level that changes Divine Grace from cha to saves to Cha to AC, also changes it from an 'always-on' to an ability that can be triggered as an immediate action for 1(!) round, ½*Class Level per day.

Not that good when it comes to it

[Shin]

Ah, I had feared something like that. Was about to check it myself - well, I guess I'll leave out the paladin levels.

[Rebel7284]

Saves are more important anyway!

Spelldancer for the incredible spelldance is an great option especially if you persist stuff.

Sublime Chord is also a musical prestige class that gives good casting in the latter levels.

[nedz]

Bard:
Be Good and learn Blinding Beauty (4th) — BoED

Also — if you really like this concept.


Go Sublime Chord
Worship Valarian
Take Arcane Disciple (Fey) for Unearthly Beauty (8th) — BoED

[Jackofalltrades]

how set are you on Divine Bard? you could try using the magic blooded template. its a +2 to Cha. -2 to Wis, gain low light vision, a few bonuses of magic related skills, and some 1\day spell like abilities. not sure if this fits your character design, but boosts your Cha.

[Crake]

The "theme" now is a female catfolk that got gifted with awesome beauty + aesthetic movement (+ an enticing voice) that gifts the world with beautiful dancing and...well, physical beauty (and singing).

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, don't expect everyone in the setting to be attracted to your catgirl-uh sorry catfolk just because you have high cha. Not everyone is into that you know.

[Shin]

Is that some hidden prejudice I smell here? :smalltongue:
Actually the character should be more of a natural when it comes to movement and aesthetics, know some mysterious battle dance techniques (in the direction of being a martial artist, mind: no ToB allowed in my group), enchanting dance performances and maybe know how to motivate and inspire others with rhythmic melodies. I intended her to sing in feline, not common, as the rhythm and the melody do the trick and not the message of the song.

I'm not sure to which degree the character should be about physical beauty. I certainly don't want to play the typical "hot girl" and am well aware of how lame it is to bring a man-eating whoring succubus to the table. Don't expect cat girl or furry flair, not into that myself :smallwink:
If beauty is a part of the concept than just plain physical beauty and aesthetics, and not "hotness" - a flawless body aside of flawless movement, so to speak. Turning the character into a male is actually an option, as is playing a half-nymph, 'cause I probably have to expect catfolk to get similar responses in my group. Things like the celebrant of sharess' inspire love ability or the nymph's blinding or unearthly beauty as well as the heartwarder's kiss not only would fit better to a succubus but don't really convince me either.

Hope this helps with finding fitting stuff :smallwink:

@ jackofalltrades: Quite set yet not set. The character I have in mind is quite close to nature, and being a divine caster just fits much more than being an arcane one. Will check the templates though, thanks much!

[Greenish]

Is that some hidden prejudice I smell here? :smalltongue:I think he's setting up for a joke about beholders.

[Troacctid]

Now I'm imagining your character singing on top of a fence in someone's backyard.

[Shin]

Now I'm imagining your character singing on top of a fence in someone's backyard.

As long as there are no boots flying around.

Got the beholder joke :smallbiggrin:

[Crake]

if you go bard you can get snowflake wardance which lets you add cha to your attack rolls made with one handed weapons?

[Platymus Pus]

Sudden stunning great flat cost enchantment.

[Telonius]

The Inner Beauty spell (from Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss) sounds like something you'd be interested in. Bard4, gives a Sacred bonus to Dex and Cha, and has a nice long duration. It can Stun things within 15 feet, as well. Not all that many things give Sacred bonuses, so it'll stack with most effects you're likely to have up (including a Cloak of Charisma, which gives and Enhancement bonus).