Build a Brilliant Bard

[EastbySoutheast]

After looking at the 'why bards are awesome' thread I wondered what kind of builds we're talking about to make the Brilliant Bard.
Granted suggestions will be in various handbooks but I'm interested in what the playgrounders say as I have no experience playing a bard...

So yeah how would you build a brilliant bard?
Any 3.5 books would be allowed in this case and it can possibly make people with a lactose intolerance have a adverse reaction but not as much that they keel over and die

[nedz]

Here are some builds I collected previously on the Playground

Beguiler 6 / Prestige Bard 2 / Beguiler +X
8 ranks of perform which is tricky with Beguiler but is available as a class skill with Draconic Heritage (see Races of the Dragon p102). You should take two levels of this after level 6 returning to Beguiler to pick up Shadow Conjuration via Advanced learning.
Draconic Flight is a good level 6 feat.
Beguiler gives you Trapfinding and Silent Spell, also you can take Extra Music.
Also: Battle Dragon, Sonic breath weapon, Perform as a class skill.

Gorfnab
Bardadin
Bard 8/ Paladin of Freedom 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Abjurant Champion 5/ Sacred Exorcist 3

Bardsader
Bard 6/ Crusader 2/ Jade Phoenix Mage 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Jade Phoenix Mage 8

Basic Warchanter
Bard/Warchanter

Talya's Melee Monkey
Use the Savage Bard variant from UA.
Pump Charisma as high as is humanly (or any other LA+0 race) possible. Silverbrow Human is the best race (as you can instantly qualify for Dragonfire Inspiration, and get that bonus feat)
Add the "Spark: Magic Blooded" template to pump it even higher.
Swap Bardic Knowledge for Bardic Knack.
Swap Countersong for Spellbreaker Song.
Swap Fascinate for Hymn of Healing (just because)
Swap Suggestion for Song of the Heart (Feat, eberron ACF, but not setting specific)
Take Jack of All Trades (to enable bardic knack across trained-only skills), Snowflake Wardance, Dragonfire Inspiration, and a heritage feat to move you to some sonic or force dragon. Also consider Martial Study (Devoted Spirt maneuver of your choice - we're going for intimidate as a class skill here) and Doomspeak. If you're going very, very good-aligned, Words of Creation is godlike. Melodic Casting is a good idea too, so you're feat starved. If you can take flaws, do it.
Spell: Inspirational Boost.
Ensure you have a Crystal Echoblade and a Badge of Valor.
Human Beguiler gives you the skills and Illusion magic.

Take the Dragontouched ( Dragon Magic p18) feat and the Draconic Heritage ( Complete Arcane p77) feat. At 3rd level take Draconic Breath ( Complete Arcane p77) and you have a blast effect.

If you want the Bardic music then take Prestige Bard (Unearthed Arcana p69) if allowed. You will need

Bardadin

Bard 2 / Paladin 2 / Bard +2 / Lyric Thaumaturge 4 / Sublime Chord 2 / Abjurant Champion 4 / Unseen Seer 4

Or Bard 2 / Paladin 2 / Bard +2 / Lyric Thaumaturge 4 / Sublime Chord 2 / Unseen Seer 8

Alternatively: Bard 2 / Paladin 2 / Bard +2 / Lyric Thaumaturge 3/ Divine Crusader 1 / Comtemplative 1 / Sublime Chord 1 / Fochlucan Lyrist 8

[Fuzzy McCoy]

One of my favorite bard builds that I've seen is Ruby Rhod (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?301445-Ruby-Rhod-Divine-Impetus-plus-IC-optimization). The idea at its most basic is Divine Bard 4/Crusader 8/Cloistered Cleric 1/Ruby Knight Vindicator 7 (not in that order) to increase bard casting and maneuvers, as well as be able to activate multiple songs in a turn while still being able to cast a spell or use a maneuver. Pretty fun stuff!

[Grod_The_Giant]

The classic is Bard/Virtuoso/Sublime Chord/Virtuoso (advancing Sublime Chord casting), I believe. Strong music and magic alike.

[Flickerdart]

I put together a bardzilla (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?154326-3-5-quot-Bardzilla-quot) build back in the day, based around Talfirian Song/Metamagic Song Persist.