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darthpower
2007-10-04, 12:20 PM
I have been invited to an Iron Kingdoms game and am wondering how to build a bard for it.

the game is level seven any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Also any warning/suggestion on what to expected

Dr. Weasel
2007-10-04, 09:36 PM
For your generic Bard, there are two normal Routes:
For Spellcasting, aim for Sublime Chord. I believe there's an active thread on that very subject going around somewhere.

For Party Buffing/Melee, Multiclass to Crusader at level 5, pick up Dragonfire Inspiration (Dragon Magic) and Words of Creation (BoED). Those are going to be the central feats your character is built around. Snag any further means of improving your Inspire Courage and stay Crusader for the rest of your career.

You can improve Inspire Courage via:
The Song of the Heart feat (Probably not available with your setting)
The Inspirational Boost spell (Spell Compendium. I don't remember its level)
Items from MIC and DMG 2. I believe they crank you up a few more notches.
There may be more, but I don't remember them and requests like this come often enough that you can probably look something up yerself.

For other vague requests like this, go to google.com and type something along the lines of "Level 7 Bard Optimization site:giantitp.com/forums" or the same at "site:forums.gleemax.com"; somebody's probably asked the same thing before and you might get some ideas about what specifically you want to do with your Bard. You'll usually find higher-powered builds on gleemax, but those are more likely to require a fairly complete library of books to execute.

BardicDuelist
2007-10-04, 09:54 PM
For level 7, Sublime Chord is out of your reach. If you have CMage, Lyric Thaumaturge works well as a substitute for mid level casting bards.

Kurobara
2007-10-04, 11:52 PM
For your generic Bard, there are two normal Routes:
For Spellcasting, aim for Sublime Chord. I believe there's an active thread on that very subject going around somewhere.

For Party Buffing/Melee, Multiclass to Crusader at level 5, pick up Dragonfire Inspiration (Dragon Magic) and Words of Creation (BoED). Those are going to be the central feats your character is built around. Snag any further means of improving your Inspire Courage and stay Crusader for the rest of your career.

You can improve Inspire Courage via:
The Song of the Heart feat (Probably not available with your setting)
The Inspirational Boost spell (Spell Compendium. I don't remember its level)
Items from MIC and DMG 2. I believe they crank you up a few more notches.
There may be more, but I don't remember them and requests like this come often enough that you can probably look something up yerself.

If you go with the Crusader multi-class, make sure to also get Song of the White Raven. It's what stops your Inspire Courage from stalling out at wherever you stop with Bard. Also, Draconic Heritage (either Battle or Emerald) is very useful there - sonic damage FTW.

Though honestly, unless you're planning on being on the front lines yourself, that works just as well with straight Bard. If you do like doing it with Crusader, the Thicket of Blades stance and the Defensive Rebuke maneuver can make for the beginnings of a fairly potent AoO build, so you might want to try pumping Dex and picking up Combat Reflexes as well.

Inspirational Boost is Bard 1.
Item-wise, definitely a Badge of Valor (MIC) and eventually probably a Vest of Legends (DMGII - almost certainly won't have one at level 7, it's 16k).

Leon
2007-10-05, 09:42 AM
First things is to find out if all the above "Splat Books" are are allowed in the Game that your DM is running

and then give us some more lines of what you'd like to do with your character

Be aware of what the differences from the normal standard of D&D are and how the War Bard differs from the PH Bard.


I have been invited to an Iron Kingdoms game and am wondering how to build a bard for it.
the game is level seven any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Also any warning/suggestion on what to expected

im assuming Human as race choice, but are the optional rules being used.
Be aware of Pain of healing and how it works, the limit on healing effects and what spells are not allowed from your list.

get a Greatcoat, they stack on light armour

Still bard in idea but different: play a Trollkin and be a Fellcaller, lose spells but gain Fellcalls (get better as you level and dependsing on your perform skill) and keep the various other bardic abilities


Unless you want to be radical, make sure you know who everyone else is worshiping and what their intended Alignment will be - Counts for the PoH rules (a Menite wont heal a Morrowan)

Take a look at the IKRPG Forums (http://www.privateerpressforums.com/index.php?showforum=46/) and see if thay have any hints on War Bards

In regard to the mentioned Magic items - once again check with your DM and Remember that Pure Magic items are harder to make in IK than Mechanika items.

Leon
2007-10-05, 10:21 AM
I'd Err away from using anything assioated with Dragons unless you plan on being a Blighted PC

Dragons in IK are Nothing Like D&D Dragons.

darthpower
2007-10-05, 01:00 PM
First things is to find out if all the above "Splat Books" are are allowed in the Game that your DM is running

and then give us some more lines of what you'd like to do with your character

Well the problem is that the DM has told me nothing about how IK works beyond that I have to play a bard for some reason that he will not explain.

As for splat book he is allowing / disallowing per request instead of by book for any feat, item, prestige class I have to check individually

Lastly the dm has ask that I play a criminal mastermind bard who run has own crew of criminals.


P.S. he told me all this today and we are playing the day after tomorrow so I need to create a concept inside these restrictions by then without know anything about the IK world :smalleek:

Leon
2007-10-05, 06:39 PM
Crikey, thats a bit incosiderate if the DM.

Unfourtuantly the one book that would help with a Criminal mastermind type is the one i dont have (Five Fingers: Port of Deciet)


I'll give it some though and see what i can come up with to help

Leon
2007-10-05, 07:37 PM
War Bard Rethinks from the IK Forums - http://www.privateerpressforums.com/index.php?showtopic=48812&st=0&p=796218&#entry796218

Leadership at 6th level is a given for a strong presence over a band of thugs - wth a Solid Cohort as a right hand man

i suggest being a Ryn with the optional Stat boosts (+2 Cha, - 2 Wis) or Caspian (-2 Dex, +2 Wis, +2 Cha)

for Classes: Bard 5 / War Chanter 1 (Complete Warrior)

buy a Armoured Greatcoat and wear it over your Chainshirt, get at least greatcoats for you "thugs"

Trollkin or Ogrun would make for a Imposing Cohort in a criminal group (both are +1 LA however)

As for magic items, im never been good at chosing those for myself so im less useful for helping someone else - but Mechanika allows for the construction of some interesting things so if you can think of something that would be useful to you you can most likley have it made

I'll add more to this as i think of stuff