Optimal Archer Bard build help

[johannart]

Hey all,

My campaign is switching from 5e to pathfinder but we have to keep the same classes. As the bard I get the nerf hammer slammed right into my soft spots. I keep finding mentions and partial guides to a playable archer Bard build but can't find anything recent or comprehensive enough. Any suggestions?

[Elder_Basilisk]

Here are the basics. You can probably get a particular build optimized to the last skill point but you may not need or enjoy that level of optimization.

The general rule is: take the stats and feats that all archers want. You are already a bard so the standard bardic abilities (inspire courage, etc) are baked into your class choice.

1. Devote a good score to Dex.
2. Devote a decent score to strength
3. Take point blank shot and precise shot.
4. When you have the feat available take rapid shot.
5. If you want to get fancy, you can add arcane strike and deadly aim.
6. If you want to be more Archer and less spellcaster, you can take the arrowsong minstrel archetype.

7. Use your spells and abilities. Inspire courage helps everyone including you. Heroism is a second level bard spell and makes you awesome. Haste and good hope are third level bard spells that make your whole party awesome. All of your spells don't have to reinforce your chosen focus, but if you are focused on archery rather than (for example) enchantment spells, your spell use needs to reflect that.

[Darrin]

I keep finding mentions and partial guides to a playable archer Bard build but can't find anything recent or comprehensive enough. Any suggestions?

Most of the "Archer Bard" references I've seen are usually referring to a variation of janusjones' "Bardic Badass (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=17031287&postcount=32)" build. That particular link is a TWF BardBlade, but you can turn it into an archer by replacing the TWF feats with PB Shot/Rapid Shot/Precise Shot, etc. janusjones uses Bard 3/Warblade 17, although I'd recommend Bard 4/Warblade 16. If you're ok with just [fire] damage, then you can skip taking Dragontouched by using a Silverbrow human.

Race: Silverbrow Human
Build Stub: Bard 4/Warblade 16
Feats: PB Shot (1st), Dragonfire Inspiration (1st), Song of the Heart (3rd), Song of the White Raven (6th), Words of Creation (9th), White Raven Defense (9th), Rapid Shot (12th), Improved Initiative (13th), Precise Shot (15th), Combat Reflexes (17th), Woodland Archer (18th).

A couple of flaws or a Fighter dip could help move up some of those feats. If you want more exotic energy damage, such as [sonic], then you'll need to fit in Dragontouched + Draconic Heritage (Emerald). You could also squeeze in another feat by going Bard 6/Warblade 14, and swapping Suggestion for Song of the Heart via the "Music of Creation" rules in the Eberron Campaign Setting.

[Elder_Basilisk]

Op specified Pathfinder, so warblade, words of creation, etc are most likely not options.

To the OP, it might help if you specified what kind of ruleset you are working with--pathfinder core only, pathfinder with most paizo published materials, Pathfinder with paizo plus third party materials, or 3.p with Pathfinder, 3rd party materials, and WotC 3.5 materials. Also, it would help to know what you are looking for in an "optimized" bard. What level of optimization are we looking at? "Better than the iconics", "pun pun", or something in between those?

[Grod_The_Giant]

Unfortunately that's for 3.5, not Pathfinder. Not sure what the optimization path there is; I've not been impressed by the PF Bard too much.

[Darrin]

Op specified Pathfinder, so warblade, words of creation, etc are most likely not options.

Whoops. Sorry... I rolled a '1' on Decipher Script, or in this case Linguistics. Uh... take Deadly Aim and Clustered Shots? Sorry, I'm not much of a Pathfinder Guy.

[Peat]

The PF Bard Archer, insofar as I'm aware, is just basically as simple as being a Bard who takes Archery feats - Archery is about as powerful as it gets for a combat choice and the fragility of being a Bard is less of an issue. Arcane Strike is decent if doing nothing else with Swift Actions. Arcane Duelist might be a good archetype as well.

[johannart]

Everything paizo is fair game. Optimization wise I just want to be in a place where I'm not building myself into a coner.

[Buddy76]

I'm sorry to bring up 3.5 stuff again in this thread, but have a look at the "Charming the Arrow" feat in this article: http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fey/20030815a
It allows you to make bow and crossbow attacks using your charisma. It's also very bardic in flavor, as it says you convince the arrow to fly where you want. Ask your DM if you can adapt it to Pathfinder (maybe changing the prequisite to elf instead of fey).