Character Optimization

[aielman]

I have to get either Dodge, Spell(Focus Illusion) or Combat Casting in one lvl in order to get a special class enhancement (Career Path - Tactician).

Currently I am playing a singing/spell using bard, so anything that would increase my spell lvl or song lvl is preferable. I am planning on taking a fighter variant lvl (FOP) which has the bonus of giving me the Weapon Finesse(Rapier) feat, to get Dodge, but if someone has a better way I would love to hear it.

Character plan: 9 Bard/1 Fighter(FOP)/10 Virtuoso

Which Gives me:
19 lvls of Bardic Music
19 lvls of Spell Casting

But if I could do it without hurting my spell casting that would rock.

[Kurald Galain]

I have to get either Dodge, Spell(Focus Illusion) or Combat Casting in one lvl in order to get a special class enhancement (Career Path - Tactician).
If you have to get "either" of those, go for the Spell Focus. Dodge isn't worth all that much, and Combat Casting is a known It's A Trap.

[Keld Denar]

2 level dip into Sublime Chord is very common for Bardic types. This gives you better spell casting than before. Use your Virtuoso levels to advance your SC casting for all of the juicy wiz/sorc spells with none of the loss of music or casting.

I'd not take the fighter level....then again, there are worse things you can do.

[aielman]

its not a question of what feats to get as much as how to get a bonus feat that allows me to take one of those 3.


Dodge is a fighter feat so by taking 1 lvl of fighter you get a bonus feat - thus I can get Dodge for cheap.

Combat casting and Spell Focus both require me to use one of my standard feats which I really dont want to do.

I considered taking the two lvls of sublime chord - but I am mainly a Song user and need the levels of Bardic music more then any other requirement. (My dm is allowing me to attach one power performance from Quint Bard II to each perform skill - I will have about 40 songs in my repertoire at bard lvl 18)

[Indon]

Combat Casting is a known It's A Trap.

Combat Casting is a perfectly fine feat... it's just that Skill Focus : Concentration is a bit better.

Combat Casting is a good option for you, aielman, if you want most of the benefits of having a better concentration score without taking the Skill Focus feat later. I'd say it's a tossup between Combat Casting and Illusion Focus.