Blues Brothers Build

[FocusWolf413]

How would I go about making a bard/paladin or bsrd/cleric? I want a musician who's on a mission from god.

[AvatarVecna]

You don't need literal divine power to be religiously inspired. Best way to represent it is either straight Rogue (if they're not actually magic), or Bard (if they are).

[gorfnab]

What about the Divine Bard variant in Unearthed Arcana?

[FocusWolf413]

You don't need literal divine power to be religiously inspired. Best way to represent it is either straight Rogue (if they're not actually magic), or Bard (if they are).

I know how to roleplay. I just want a bardadin.


What about the Divine Bard variant in Unearthed Arcana?

That's going in the right direction, but it's missing something.

[Theodred theOld]

I see Elwood as a bard or just a rogue with perform and I see Jake as a bard-barian with ranks in dance. And I believe that by RAW bards have to be chaotic which would make them incompatible with paladins and their strict moral code. I suppose a greyguard might work but it seems like cleric would be more useful on a bard IMHO.

[Inevitability]

Bard/paladin would either require the Paladin of Slaughter/Freedom variant or the Devoted Performer feat.

[Nifft]

And I believe that by RAW bards have to be chaotic which would make them incompatible with paladins and their strict moral code The Devoted Performer feat takes that non-Lawful requirement away.

Bard / Crusader (+ Song of the White Raven) is another way to go, with some Paladin flavor but without the LG restriction.

[nedz]

Assuming you just want a build, here some are:

Bardadins

Bard 8/ Paladin of Freedom 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Abjurant Champion 5/ Sacred Exorcist 3
Bard 2 / Paladin 2 / Bard +2 / Lyric Thaumaturge 4 / Sublime Chord 2 / Abjurant Champion 4 / Unseen Seer 4
Bard 2 / Paladin 2 / Bard +2 / Lyric Thaumaturge 4 / Sublime Chord 2 / Unseen Seer 8
Bard 2 / Paladin 2 / Bard +2 / Lyric Thaumaturge 3/ Divine Crusader 1 / Comtemplative 1 / Sublime Chord 1 / Fochlucan Lyrist 8


Bardsader

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

[FocusWolf413]

I see Elwood as a bard or just a rogue with perform and I see Jake as a bard-barian with ranks in dance. And I believe that by RAW bards have to be chaotic which would make them incompatible with paladins and their strict moral code. I suppose a greyguard might work but it seems like cleric would be more useful on a bard IMHO.

I'll keep that in mind.


Assuming you just want a build, here some are:

Bardadins

Bard 8/ Paladin of Freedom 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Abjurant Champion 5/ Sacred Exorcist 3
Bard 2 / Paladin 2 / Bard +2 / Lyric Thaumaturge 4 / Sublime Chord 2 / Abjurant Champion 4 / Unseen Seer 4
Bard 2 / Paladin 2 / Bard +2 / Lyric Thaumaturge 4 / Sublime Chord 2 / Unseen Seer 8
Bard 2 / Paladin 2 / Bard +2 / Lyric Thaumaturge 3/ Divine Crusader 1 / Comtemplative 1 / Sublime Chord 1 / Fochlucan Lyrist 8


Bardsader

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



I'll use tweaked versions of these. Thanks!

[Zeruel]

Don't know if still useful, but since they are sended by god, you could ask the DM to make god "inspire" you, replicating an effect similar to that of the Helm of Opposite Alignment, which instead turns to Lawful Good (you're probably C.N. or Pure Neutral, and the original effect couldn't turn you L.G.). And from what I remember Bard PrC don't ask to be Chaotic or non-Lawful, so you could still dip into them. I rarely see good DMs refusing such flavorful twists in their players' characters... :smallwink:

[Sayt]

Isn't there a feat which allows Paladin's to sacrifice Smite Evil for Bardic Music/Inspire Courage? From Smite to Song, I think?

[nedz]

From Smite to Song ( Champions of Valor p29) indeed. By why not just take Extra Music, if your Bard is short of tunes ?

[Talionis]

From Smite to Song ( Champions of Valor p29) indeed. By why not just take Extra Music, if your Bard is short of tunes ?

It also lets Paladin levels stack with Bard levels for the types of Bardic Music you can use and adds Perform to Paladin class skills.

Works well with the Initiate of Milill feat, also in Champions of Valor.

If web material is allowed Harmonious Knight of Mililill alternate class feature for Paladin loses detect evil for Bardic Music only to fuel inspire courage. It's the web enhancement for Champioins of Valor as well.

[nedz]

It also lets Paladin levels stack with Bard levels for the types of Bardic Music you can use and adds Perform to Paladin class skills.

Are you sure about that ?
The version I'm reading says

You can spend a smite evil attempt to duplicate the effects of the inspire courage bardic music ability (see page 29 of the Player's Handbook). Your effective bard level (for the purpose of determining the value of the bonuses granted) is equal to your paladin level.
I hope the second sentence only applies to the inspire courage this feat gives you because on a typical Bardadin build that would be awful.

I think you may be confusing this feat with Devoted Performer (CAdv p107), but even that isn't quite so good as you claim ?

[FocusWolf413]

It also lets Paladin levels stack with Bard levels for the types of Bardic Music you can use and adds Perform to Paladin class skills.

Works well with the Initiate of Milill feat, also in Champions of Valor.

If web material is allowed Harmonious Knight of Mililill alternate class feature for Paladin loses detect evil for Bardic Music only to fuel inspire courage. It's the web enhancement for Champioins of Valor as well.

From Smite to Song ( Champions of Valor p29) indeed. By why not just take Extra Music, if your Bard is short of tunes ?

Both of these are beautiful.

I think I'm going to do some DFI, so I might do the totally unoptimized Bard/Pally/Crusader.

[Talionis]

Are you sure about that ?
The version I'm reading says

I hope the second sentence only applies to the inspire courage this feat gives you because on a typical Bardadin build that would be awful.

I think you may be confusing this feat with Devoted Performer (CAdv p107), but even that isn't quite so good as you claim ?

RAW, I guess you're right. We always read it to stack with Bard levels, thinking that it was assuming you wouldn't have Bard levels.

Initiate of Milili is still good and I think a playable version of Smite to Song would allow them to stack. Getting Perform as a class skill isn't nothing though.

[nedz]

RAW, I guess you're right. We always read it to stack with Bard levels, thinking that it was assuming you wouldn't have Bard levels.

Initiate of Milili is still good and I think a playable version of Smite to Song would allow them to stack. Getting Perform as a class skill isn't nothing though.

Well I think it's designed for Harmonious Order Paladins: a typical Bardadin will have ~10 class levels with Perform as a class skill already; which means that it's worth 10 skill points at most, probably less.

[Telonius]

They'd both need Goggles of Night (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/e-g/goggles-of-night), obviously.

[FocusWolf413]

They'd both need Goggles of Night (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/e-g/goggles-of-night), obviously.

Or just sundark goggles.

[The Viscount]

A really good writeup of doing the bard/paladin using just paladin and its ACFs is the A-Game Paladin (http://community.wizards.com/content/forum-topic/3407376). I've only seen it on the wizards boards, but someone may have already ported it over.

[Warrnan]

It's already been said but I second harmonious knight levels, smite to song, and initiate of milil.

If you want you can go Silverbrow human, words of creation, Dragonfire inspiration to become the "Burning Heavy Metal knight". Slap on some flaws so you can squeeze in battle blessing. See if your Dm will house rule access to vest of legends and badge of valor.

This type of build has always fascinated me.