Savage Bard gish

[Blackhawk748]

I will be playing in a game where all the PCs are landed nobility. Everyone has several clans under them and have their territory based on how many clans they have. I have decided to play a Savage Barblade gish.

Current plan is: Savage Bard 4/ Warblade 2/ Abjurant Champ 5/ Savage Bard 9

I'd use items to increase my Inspire Courage (which im open to trading out for Dragonfire Inspiration) The advantage here is 18th level Bard casting and +16 BaB, though my skills suffer for awhile.

Feat wise he needs Imperious Command, Frightful Presence, Snowflake Wardance, Song of the White Raven, and Melodic Casting. I will also be getting the Skill Trick Never outnumbered.

So any suggestions?

[Hiro Quester]

Every bard needs melodic casting, too. Then you don't have to dump skill points into concentration, but use a perform check instead. Plus you can cast in the round after you start using bardic music, without having to stop singing.

The spell Harmonize (RoS, as I recall min/level duration) enables you to begin bardic music as a move action. Make a custom magic item of this spell, continuously activated.


Edit: Thus you can begin a bardic music effect and cast a spell in the same round. My previous bard began every combat by singing inspire courage and casting haste in the first round; everyone knew to delay until after I did that.

Lingering song is nice, if you want to be able to start a different bardic music effect each round, and have each one last the full ten rounds after you stop. (a harmonizing weapon will also do this, but switches with you as you start a new song, as opposed to continuing the one you began last round.

If you are going to do Snowflake Wardance, get a wand of lesser restoration, to be able to immediately remove fatigue afterwards.

And make sure you learn Sirine's Grace spell at 4th level, to get your CHA bonus (buffed) as a deflection bonus to AC and buff you dex at the same time.


Further Edit:
Person man has a good fear bard build here. You might get some options on fear-stacking from there: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?67232-Fear-the-Bard!!!

And you should probably consider Doomspeak as another feat. It's oner of the best debuts in the game. Burn a bardic music to reduce all a target's saves skill checks, attack rolls, and ability checks by 10 until the beginning of your next turn. (With Harmonize running you can use this as your move action, so make the target fail their save to one of your own spells, too.)

[Blackhawk748]

All good advice that i will most likely follow, Lingering Song is a maybe currently.

[Hiro Quester]

ooh. Haunting melody is worth considering, too, if you are going the frightful route.

Any time you are using Bardic music you also cause enemies within 30 feet to be shaken for a number of rounds equal to your ranks in perform. So you get a twofer: you can use it every time you use other bardic musics. So your IC can be a buff and a debuff at the same time.

[Blackhawk748]

ooh. Haunting melody is worth considering, too, if you are going the frightful route.

Any time you are using Bardic music you also cause enemies within 30 feet to be shaken for a number of rounds equal to your ranks in perform. So you get a twofer: you can use it every time you use other bardic musics. So your IC can be a buff and a debuff at the same time.

And that makes it to, as that meshes beautifully with Imperious Command

Edit: and just looked up Doom Speak, wow thats nasty.

Edit 2 The Reckoning: Heres an actual Build

Silverbrow Human Bardic Knack Savage Bard 2/Warblade2/Savage Bard 1/Abjuant Champ 5/Savage Bard 10

Feats:
1: Melodic Casting, Combat Casting, Flaw: Dragonfire Inspiration
3: Song Of the White Raven
6: Snowflake Wardance
9: Frightful Presence
12: Haunting Melody
15: Imperious Command
18: Doomspeak

[GreyBlack]

First of all, Dragonfire Inspiration makes a ridiculous amount of sense from a character perspective. A warrior who lives and rules his clan from the edge of what many call society, invoking his draconic bloodright as proof of his ability to rule? Yes, please.

Also, if you're devoted to doing something like freeing the world from slavery, you can go Exalted and grab Words of Creation, which doubles your Inspire Courage bonus.

[Blackhawk748]

First of all, Dragonfire Inspiration makes a ridiculous amount of sense from a character perspective. A warrior who lives and rules his clan from the edge of what many call society, invoking his draconic bloodright as proof of his ability to rule? Yes, please.

Also, if you're devoted to doing something like freeing the world from slavery, you can go Exalted and grab Words of Creation, which doubles your Inspire Courage bonus.

True, changing that now.

Also, while i would love to use WoC, i dont have the open feats

[GreyBlack]

True, changing that now.

Also, while i would love to use WoC, i dont have the open feats

Is it possible to fudge your build at all? By my math, you won't get full benefit from the Abjurant Champion capstone, so are you able to pull one level from there to get +1 Savage Bard? That should net you a higher caster level (17 vs 16), the same BAB, and an extra +1 to Inspire Courage, all of which are extremely helpful.

[Xethik]

I'm not sure Song of the White Raven is really needed for your build. The only time it is really worthwhile is if it would give you an Inspire +1 that you wouldn't otherwise get. I think Song of the Heart is just going to be better.

Starting an Inspiration as a swift action sounds great, but you probably want to use your Swift to cast Inspirational Boost (SpC) to buff your Bardic music which you start as a Standard.

[Blackhawk748]

I'm not sure Song of the White Raven is really needed for your build. The only time it is really worthwhile is if it would give you an Inspire +1 that you wouldn't otherwise get. I think Song of the Heart is just going to be better.

Starting an Inspiration as a swift action sounds great, but you probably want to use your Swift to cast Inspirational Boost (SpC) to buff your Bardic music which you start as a Standard.

Id rather not burn my Spell Slots on Inspirational Boost, and i have found that Swift Action Bardic Music is awesome


Is it possible to fudge your build at all? By my math, you won't get full benefit from the Abjurant Champion capstone, so are you able to pull one level from there to get +1 Savage Bard? That should net you a higher caster level (17 vs 16), the same BAB, and an extra +1 to Inspire Courage, all of which are extremely helpful.

This is true, gonna change that.

New Build


Silverbrow Human Bardic Knack Savage Bard 2/Warblade2/Savage Bard 1/Abjuant Champ 4/Savage Bard 11

Feats:
1: Melodic Casting, Combat Casting, Flaw: Dragonfire Inspiration
3: Song Of the White Raven
6: Snowflake Wardance
9: Frightful Presence
12: Haunting Melody
15: Imperious Command
18: Doomspeak

[Xethik]

Id rather not burn my Spell Slots on Inspirational Boost, and i have found that Swift Action Bardic Music is awesome


That's fair. Losing your first round buffing can be painful and may not be worth the +1. Even if you find yourself casting Inspirational Boost most of the time, you'll be glad to have the swift action start the times you do not.

[Hiro Quester]

If you are going to be draconic enough for DFI, you might as well ask take Awaken Frightful Presence, rather than the regular version.

It also activates when you fly overhead, as well as attacking or charging. Plus creatures 4HD or less are panicked rather than just frightened.

Or do you need to be full dragon type for that, rather than just dragon blooded?

[ZamielVanWeber]

Or do you need to be full dragon type for that, rather than just dragon blooded?

You need to have the dragon type.

[Darrin]

Silverbrow Human Bardic Knack Savage Bard 2/Warblade2/Savage Bard 1/Abjuant Champ 4/Savage Bard 11

Feats:
1: Melodic Casting, Combat Casting, Flaw: Dragonfire Inspiration
3: Song Of the White Raven
6: Snowflake Wardance
9: Frightful Presence
12: Haunting Melody
15: Imperious Command
18: Doomspeak

Do you have access to the Eberron Campaign Setting? You can use Music of Creation to swap out Suggestion for Song of the Heart.

Something else to consider... I'm not sure if Forgotten Realms is available (or if you can mix campaign worlds), but the Dreadful Wrath feat is better than Frightful Presence, although it's a regional feat and has to be taken at 1st level.

Not a big fan of Snowflake Wardance. I'd consider Arcane Strike instead. However, you've got bonus damage covered pretty well with Dragonfire Inspiration, so maybe Snowflake will work well here.

[Hiro Quester]

Talk to your DM about whether you need combat casting as well as melodic casting. MC is basically combat casting for bards. My (somewhat permissive) DM let me use MC instead of CC as the prerequisite for Abjurant Champion.

That would free up a feat.

[gawwy]

Have you considered adding some Jade Phoneix Mage in there?

full bab 8/10 casting and manuvers from Desert Wind or Devoted Spirit.

Arcane wrath is +4 to hit and +1d10 per spell level sacraficed. meaning you can sacrifice a level 0 spell for +4 to hit.

Mystic Phoenix Stance is amazing and gets you DR 10/evil.

[Blackhawk748]

Do you have access to the Eberron Campaign Setting? You can use Music of Creation to swap out Suggestion for Song of the Heart.

Something else to consider... I'm not sure if Forgotten Realms is available (or if you can mix campaign worlds), but the Dreadful Wrath feat is better than Frightful Presence, although it's a regional feat and has to be taken at 1st level.

Not a big fan of Snowflake Wardance. I'd consider Arcane Strike instead. However, you've got bonus damage covered pretty well with Dragonfire Inspiration, so maybe Snowflake will work well here.

Sadly i probably wont be able to use Campaign Specific stuff. And i figured Arcane Strike + DFI was excessive :smalltongue:


Have you considered adding some Jade Phoneix Mage in there?

full bab 8/10 casting and manuvers from Desert Wind or Devoted Spirit.

Arcane wrath is +4 to hit and +1d10 per spell level sacraficed. meaning you can sacrifice a level 0 spell for +4 to hit.

Mystic Phoenix Stance is amazing and gets you DR 10/evil.

I wont as it takes away to much Bard.

@Hiro: Ill bring it up to him.

[GreyBlack]

Have you considered adding some Jade Phoneix Mage in there?

full bab 8/10 casting and manuvers from Desert Wind or Devoted Spirit.

Arcane wrath is +4 to hit and +1d10 per spell level sacraficed. meaning you can sacrifice a level 0 spell for +4 to hit.

Mystic Phoenix Stance is amazing and gets you DR 10/evil.

He really doesn't have the room to splash a feat for a Devoted Spirit or Desert Wind maneuver. Besides, doing JPM kills his bard songs, which he obviously doesn't want to do.

[Blackhawk748]

Update

Silverbrow Human Bardic Knack Savage Bard 2/Warblade2/Savage Bard 2/Abjuant Champ 4/Savage Bard 10

Feats:
1: Melodic Casting, Jack of All Trades Flaw: Dragonfire Inspiration
3: Song Of the White Raven
6: Snowflake Wardance
9: Frightful Presence
12: Haunting Melody
15: Imperious Command
18: Doomspeak

My DM has given the go ahead on Melodic Casting counting as Combat Casting for Pre Reqs.

[Fouredged Sword]

Ok, so I am going to go out of a limb and suggest you take melodic casting but DON'T dump concentration. You want concentration to power diamond mind abilities. It is trivial to boost concentration checks and you can replace all your saves with varieties of concentration checks. With abjurant champion and DFI you won't be hurting for damage, so you are looking at a great opportunities to use lots of really nice warblade counters. You could rock all three save replacement counters on top of Wall of Blades and be fine.