Build my Bard

[Kiljori]

Greetings,

I play in a recently converted from 4e to 3.5e campaign, and my bard did not convert well at all. This problem is compounded by the group that I play with - they optimize every aspect of their characters, whereas I just sort of pick and choose and enjoy the ride.

So, I am not going to spend a lot of time reading every rule book to find the best possible build for my bard, as that is just not enjoyable for me.

But, I am hoping that one of you who enjoy optimizing characters can help me out.

This bard MUST buff the party.

This bard MAY have some ability to throw a mean celebration.

Thanks in advance to anyone that can help me out here. I would like the campaign that I am in to continue to be fun, and believe that it can be again if I just get over this optimization hurdle.

[ATHATH]

How optimized is your party? What are they playing (not just their classes, but what roles they are trying to fill as well)?

Have you heard of the Dragonfire Inspiration and Words of Creation feats?

[Togo]

What level?
Any restrictions on material?

[Kiljori]

Asking the important questions.

Level 16.

Regarding Character Creation:


Character Creation

Ability Scores
Characters will be made using the point by system in the Dungeon Master’s Guide on page 169 using 32-point buy.

Skills
Skills and skill point allocation works as per the rules in the Player’s Handbook PLUS two (2) extra skill points per level (and this is x4 at first). Relm has always had a strong out-of-combat setting and I've often made skill checks part of combat encounters. Having +2 skill points ensures that the skill base remains robust.

Feats
Feats can be selected from any allowed book. The list of allowed books includes any limitations on specific feats are later in this document. You get to choose one regional feat from the Forgotten Realms setting for FREE. You have to obey racial requirements (can't choose an outsider feat if you're an elf). Make this a character background chioce fitting your history.

Gear
I'm still figuring this out - going with a lower magic world, and that gest tricky with 3.5. Stay tuned for updates later.

Prestige Classes and Multiclassing
Prestige classes and multiclassing are valid options. I do ask that you keep your total number of classes to under 3 to 4 classes and that you take time to ensure the classes you take levels in have meaning for your character’s progression. If there's something specific in your existing build that you want to try to keep in 3.5, let me know and we can see what we can do.

Allowed Books
Core Books
Book of Exalted Deeds
Cityscape
Complete Adventurer
Complete Arcane
Complete Champion
Complete Divine
Complete Mage
Complete Psionic
Complete Scoundrel
Complete Warrior
Drow of the Underdark
Dungeon Master’s Guide
Dungeon Master’s Guide 2
Dungeonscape
Expanded Psionics Handbook
Frostburn
Heroes of Battle
Heroes of Horror
Magic Item Compendium
Miniatures Handbook
Planar Handbook
Player’s Handbook
Player’s Handbook 2
Races of Destiny
Races of Stone
Races of the Dragon
Races of the Wild
Sandstorm
Spell Compendium
Stormwrack
Tome of Battle


Forgotten Realms 3.5 Books

Champions of Ruin
Champions of Valor
City of Splendors – Waterdeep
Dragons of Faerun
Lose Empires of Faerun
Mysteries of Moonsea
Player’s Guide to Faerun
Power of Faerun
Races of Faerun
Serpent Kingdoms
Shining South
The Grand History of the Realms
Unapproachable East
Underdark


Forgotten Realms 3.0 Books (material allowed listed below)
For any Prestige Class
• Remove Animal Empathy, Innuendo, Intuit Direction, Read Lips, and Scry from any class skill list that has it.
• Replace Alchemy with Craft [Alchemy], Pick Pocket with Sleight of Hand, and Intuit Direction / Wilderness Lore with Survival for any class skill list that has it or any entry requirements.

Faiths and Pantheons
Feats

Divine Vengeance
Heighten Turning
Lycanthropic Spell

Prestige Classes

Arachne
Auspician
Doomguide
Dreadmaster
Elemental Archon
Forest Master
Goldeye
Heartwarder
Horned Harbinger
Nightcloak
Ocular Adept
Silverstar
Strifeleader
Sword Dancer
Techsmith
Wave Servant
Windwalker


Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
Feats
Create Portal
Magic of Faerun
Feats

Attune Gem
Spell Girding

Prestige Classes

Gnome Artificer
Guild Wizard of Waterdeep
Mage-Killer
Master Alchemist
Mystic Wanderer
War Wizard of Cormyr

Silver Marshes
Prestige Classes

Giant-Killer
Hordebreaker
Knight-Errant of Silverymoon
Orc Scout
Peerless Archer
Wild Scout

[ATHATH]

Okay... But you still haven't told us about what the rest of the party is making/has made.

[gorfnab]

The Bard build I usually recommend is: Bard 8/ Virtuoso 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Virtuoso 8.
The last 8 levels of Virtuoso can advance the Sublime Chord casting since the spellcasting advancement for Virtuoso is selected every level.

For feats I recommend Melodic Casting, Dragonfire Inspiration, Song of the Heart, Words of Creation, Doomspeak, and Snowflake Wardance.

These handbooks might be able to help you out with feats and other Bard stuff.
Bard's Handbook (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=8686)
New Bard Handbook (http://www.joshuad.net/new-bard-handbook/)
Inspire Courage Handbook (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=8936)

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

You don't have Dragon Magic listed in the allowed books, so Dragonfire Inspiration is off the table. You can't use Song of the Heart if you're not able to use Eberron feats, which is a big setback. You also don't have Unearthed Arcana listed, so class variants like Savage Bard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#bardVariantSavageBard) are off the table unless core includes the SRD.

What alignment is your character? Are you goody-two-shoes exalted and can take exalted feats? Are you nongood and can dip Mindbender?

What race is your character, or can that be repicked when rebuilding? What race would you prefer?

I'd go with a Strongheart Halfling from Amn, for your regional feat take Mercantile Background. Say his family was originally from Luiren (where strongheart halflings are commonly found) and were traveling merchants for a few generations, his parents settled in Athkatla while his uncles continue to travel and carry on the family business.

Go Bard 8/ [two one-level dips discussed below] 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Spellcasting PrC 8 for your final build. If that last prestige class is Incantatrix you'll be able to use cooperative metamagic on your party's personal buffs to make them persistent, but that takes a lot of Spellcraft skill optimization. Feel free to take any full casting progression prestige class you think fits your character at that point, or just keep taking Sublime Chord if you prefer. Say you visited the Otyugh Hole in Complete Scoundrel to get Iron Will without spending a feat on it if going Incantatrix.

Between Bard and Sublime Chord you'll want to dip one level in each of two classes, and there are a lot of options here. If you're not good aligned, Mindbender is by far one of the best choices, and thematically appropriate. Otherwise I would dip both Sorcerer and Dragon Devotee in Races of the Dragon. Sorcerer is a great choice for some low level utility spells (Benign Transposition), it allows you to use wands of any Sorcerer spells, and you can choose to prohibit a school of magic from that class instead of from Bard when you start taking Incantatrix. The first level of Dragon Devotee gives +2 Cha, just say the draconic blood is too thin in your veins to continue along that path.

Your goal is to buff the party, and it should be easy to do. If you're exalted, you'll want to take Words of Creation. In any case get the spell Inspirational Boost in SC, get a Badge of Valor in MIC, and take Melodic Casting in CM. Your inspire courage is +2, Inspirational Boost increases that to +3, Words of Creation doubles it when you start inspiring for +6, and the Badge of Valor is added on afterward, making it +7. Without Words of Creation it's still +4, or if you could also get Song of the Heart it could be +9. There may be specific instruments that give a higher bonus as well, but it depends on what type of performance you want to do. Melodic Casting allows you to cast spells and use wands without interrupting your inspire courage, and you don't need to spend skill points on Concentration.

Get some crowd control spells like Glitterdust and Black Tentacles, pick up some party buffs like Haste, and a smattering of utility spells. If you're good aligned you can get Ancestral Relic (BoED) for a custom Runestaff (MIC p224), which almost completely negates the limited number of spells known and is borderline broken. Make that an Elvencraft Composite Longbow (RotW) so it counts as both a quarterstaff and a composite longbow, you'll need to buy Masterwork three times for it but you can also put three wand chambers in it. Choice wands include Wings of Cover (RotD), Command Undead, and Nerveskitter. Per the Rules Compendium, any spell trigger or spell completion item takes the same action to activate as the casting time of the spell being used, so a Wand of Wings of Cover is still an immediate action as long as you're currently holding it (or the weapon it's contained in). Make all three portions of that weapon +1 Defending and put (Extended) Greater Magic Weapon +4 on each of them every day, you can always put all three +4's toward your AC since Defending stacks with all other bonuses including other defending bonuses.

If you go with Incantatrix be sure to pick up Persistent Spell. Get a custom magic item (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm) that gives a +30 to Spellcraft (90,000 gp, or 67,500 gp with Mercantile Background), max ranks would be 19, and assuming at least +1 Int that's a +50, so you can take ten to beat a DC 60. At 19th level you'll have 9th level spells and three more ranks, so you'll be able to beat a DC 63 which is exactly what it takes to use Metamagic Effect to put Persistent Spell on a 9th level spell. Every day you can persist Ruin Delver's Fortune (SC) three times, Sirine's Grace (SC), Greater Invisibility, etc. up to a number of spells equal to 3+ your Int bonus. You can use Cooperative Metamagic to do the same thing for your allies' spells, as long as they're personal or fixed range (touch range doesn't qualify). If there's a Cleric in the party you can have them use Righteous Wrath of the Faithful (SC) and Mass Lesser Vigor (SC) on the party and use Cooperative Metamagic to make those last 24 hours, same thing for Elation (BoED). You can persist someone's Magic Circle Against Evil, so anyone within 10 ft. of them gains the benefits of that spell all day.

For your gear, you should easily be able to cover all of the Necessary Magic Item (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?187851-3-5-Lists-of-Necessary-Magic-Items) categories with the books available. A shoulder-mounted Banner of the Storm's Eye (MIC) is a great benefit to your party. Get a +1 Mithral Buckler, and consider putting Reflecting on it.

[gkathellar]

Other than party-buffing, what do you want to do?

Bards in 3.5 can do a little bit of everything by default, and have numerous specialized options with which to build off of. In general, a bard can be, in addition to party-buffer, one of the following: a highly effective close combatant, a capable spellcaster, or a solid ranged attacker (they also have one uniquely good theurge option, meant to ape the old 1e druid-thief-warrior bard).