Help making Gnome Bard Illusionist or Enchanter

[lylsyly]

Calling on the infinite wisdom and experience of the playground.

I am looking at making a Gnome Bard/Illusionist or Enchanter (actually a married couple).

I am looking for a way (short of home brewing a feat) to take 1 level of Bard then flip to Illusionist/Enchanter and have the levels stack for the purpose of gaining the Bardic Song Abilities (NOT the Bard Spell Casting, I figure that losing the casting would be a high enough cost for stacking the levels for the Bardic Music Abilities).

Of course, one is a prepared caster and the other spontaneous so perhaps a Sorcerer who just specialized in illusion/enchantment spells known would be a better fit.

Another consideration is getting Perform as a class skill for the Wiz/Sorc.

I know about the Bard Prestige Class, but was hoping to avoid losing 4 caster levels (I know I am losing 1 CL by taking the 1st Bard level but don’t want to lose 4 more if I can help it).

One concept for the characters to be able to do is to go into a town with a corrupt (whatever) government and use their magic to really influence the people who watch their performances. That is the type of thing I would like to do with the characters (along with charming the pants of audiences while travelling. Hey, gotta earn a living right?)

It has only been 3 months since I started dealing with 3.5 and I am still not fully into all the supplements (although as a group we have them all except Sons of Gruumsh, Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave, Sinister Spire, and City of Stormreach).

Basically all of 3.5 is open to use incl. Dragon magazine, FR, DL, EB, and maybe 3rd party as well.

LA +1 or +2 can be bought off, any LA higher requires taking levels in a racial class.

Help me playground.

[sleepyphoenixx]

If dragon magazine is allowed Heartfire Fanner (#314) is probably your best bet, although you'll have to wait until level 8.
It has reasonably easy requirements (10 ranks in diplomacy and perform, skill focus:perform and negotiator), it advances casting at all levels, it gives you the full music abilities of a 5th level bard at the first level and it has some powerful abilities too.
It's also the only class i know of that lets a wizard get bardic music while keeping full spell progression. I mean, there are feats to stack that kind of thing, but they all apply to paladins, clerics, crusaders, druids or warblades afaik.

If you don't mind one essentially dead level there's a bunch of others. Spellsinger from Races of Faerun grants full bardic music and casting advancement if you already have it.
There's a requirement to have at least 1/8th elven blood (which afaik has no mechanical effect), but i don't know if gnomes can have half-elven grandparents. Ask your DM.

The other bard PrCs i recall only advance music uses or only Inspire Courage, don't grant full casting or even worse.

As for getting perform as a class skill, there's feats for that. Have a list. (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=15jh818m275iplkbtcuqgcd1o5&topic=9691)

[lylsyly]

Actually, advancing Inspire Courage in and of it self is not a bad thing.

I have pretty much settled on Sorcerer as the casting class because of the flexibility it allows. just have to "know" the right spells.

Found the divine inspiration feat (DR #333 p.85) that allows Bard/Cleric levels to stack the way I am looking for my bard/Arcane caster with a prereq of bardic music ability and turning undead ability. I may have to try to homebrew a similar feat or maybe a simple ACF (give up familiar maybe?).

[gorfnab]

How about using Beguiler as a base?
Beguiler 5/Prestige Bard 2/Beguiler 2/ Heartfire Fanner 5/ Virtuoso 6

[lylsyly]

How about using Beguiler as a base? Beguiler 5/Prestige Bard 2/Beguiler 2/ Heartfire Fanner 5/ Virtuoso 6

That is a good build, and it accomplishes pretty much every thing I want but I would like to see the bard abilities come online as early as possible.

So far, I have done this:


Arcane Inspiration: (homebrew feat)
Your musical aptitude grants you the ability to aid your friends to a level beyond your natural skills.
Prerequisites: Bardic music ability, arcane casting as Sorcerer.
Benefit: Your Bard and Sorcerer levels stack for the purpose of determining your bardic music ability. For example, a human 1st-level Bard/1st-level Sorcerer with 9 ranks in a Perform skill could use the Suggestion bardic music ability. In addition, Perform is always a class skill for you.
Special: You lose any Bard Spellcasting Ability.




Arcane Performer (Gnome Sorcerer Alternative Class Feature): Not all Gnomes that love performing for an audience want to live the life of a bard, but through practice and patience they learn to mimic certain bard abilities.
Class: Sorcerer
Level: 1st
Special Requirement: Knowledge (Arcana) 1 rank, Perform (any) 1 rank.
Replaces: You lose the ability to summon a familiar.
Benefit: You gain the Bardic Music Ability. You gain the various bardic music abilities at the same level a Bard would. You must meet the Perform skill requirements of the various abilities. Perform becomes a class skill for you.
Special: Please note that you DO NOT gain Bard Spellcasting.


Arcane Performer (Gnome Arcane Caster Alternative Class Feature): Not all Gnomes that love performing for an audience want to live the life of a bard, but through practice and patience they learn to mimic certain bard abilities.
Class: See Special Requirements
Level: 2nd Character Level
Special Requirement: Must have taken Bard as your first class level. Must take your 1st level of Arcane Spellcaster as your 2nd character level.
Replaces: You lose the ability to summon a familiar.
Benefit: Your Bard and Arcane Caster levels stack for the purpose of determining your bardic music abilities. You gain the various bardic music abilities at the same level a Bard would. You must meet the Perform skill requirements of the various abilities. Perform becomes a class skill for you.
Special: Please note that you LOSE any Bard Spellcasting you gained from your level of BARD and you DO NOT gain any further bardic spellcasting.