Need opinions and tips for a Bard build (3.5 D&D)

[MrAwesomeCube]

Hi guys, any help would be greatly appreciated. At the moment I am making a Bard build for a campaign starting up in august. I can use all 3.5 books excluding the Tome of Battle. No 3.0 stuff at all.

I was just wondering what you thought of my character build, and if there were any possible ways of improving it (technically or for roleplaying purposes). I tried to format it so it's as easy as possible to follow.

Character Description:
Race: Gnome
Level Starting: Level 1
Personality: A mix of quirky bard who loves to play childish pranks on the other characters, but has massive amounts of diplomacy. He's pretty friendly and comedic like elan (ie not much common sense), but he's really skilled in what he does (play music and "make friends"). He's easily scared though, and hides a lot when things don't go his (or the party's) way. He hates using melee weapons (prefers magic and his diplomacy to get him out of trouble) and only carries a rapier because he feels it makes him dashing (his hometown basically bred swashbucklers).

I know it's really hard to give a good image of him on a message board (atleast in my opinion), but I hope this helps to allow you guys to help me, because i feel like i need it.

Again sorry that my thoughts are so spread out. Any help would be great!

Str: 12
Dex: 16
Con: 12
Int: 16
Wis: 8
Cha: 18


1st
Bard
BAB: +0
Saves:+0 +2 +2
Feat Choice: Improved Initiative
Special: Bardic Music, Bardic Knowledge, Countersong, Fascinate, InspireCourage +1

2nd
Bard
BAB: +1
Saves: +0 +3 +3

3rd
Bard
BAB: +2
Saves: +1 +3 +3
Feat:Melodic Casting
Special:Inspire Competence

4th
Bard
BAB: +3
Saves: +1 +4 +4
Stat Bonus: +1 Cha

5th
Bard
BAB: +4
Saves: +1 +4 +4

6th
Bard
BAB: +4
Saves: +2 +5 +5
Feat: Words of Creation
Special: Suggestion

7th
Bard
BAB: +5
Saves: +2 +5 +5

8th
Bard
BAB: +6/+1
Saves:+2 +6 +6
Stat Bonus: +1 Cha
Special: Inspire Courage +2

9th
Bard
BAB: +6/+1
Saves: +3 +6 +6
Feat: Master Manipulator
Special: Inspire Greatness

10th
Shadow Dancer
BAB: +6/+1
Saves: +3 +8 +6
Special: Hide In Plain Sight

11th
Sublime Chord
BAB: +6/+1
Saves: +3 +8 +8
Special: Bardic Lore, Bardic Music

12th
Sublime Chord
BAB: +7/+2
Saves: +3 +8 +9
Feat: Subsonics
Stat Bonus: +1 Str
Special: Song of Arcane Power

13th
Sublime Chord
BAB: +7/+2
Saves: +4 +9 +9

14th
Sublime Chord
BAB: +8/+3
Saves: +4 +9 +10

15th
Sublime Chord
BAB: +8/+3
Saves:+4 +9 +10
Feat: Versatile Performer

16th
Sublime Chord
BAB: +9/+4
Saves:+5 +10 +11
Stat Bonus:+1 Cha
Special: Song of Timelessness

17th
Sublime Chord
BAB: +9/+4
Saves:+5 +10 +11

18th
Sublime Chord
BAB: +10/+5
Saves:+5 +10 +12
Feat: Lyric Spell

19th
Sublime Chord
BAB: +10/+5
Saves: +6 +11 +12

20th
Sublime Chord
BAB: +11/+6/+1
Saves: +6 +11 +13
Stat Bonus: +1 Cha
Special: Song of Cosmic Fire

Any spell suggestions, skills to focus on, changes to the build, or (constructive) criticism is welcome.

It's my first time playing and I really could use the help. Thank you!

[JeminiZero]

My Humble Opinion:

1) Dump Improved Initiative. Move Melodic Casting to level 1, and then you can dump concentration and pump Perform instead.

2) Since you are multiclassing, you might want to include Chaos Music somewhere in there. Song of Heart may help as well.

3) For stats, your Cha seem overly high if you are using Pointbuy. Consider lowering Cha a little to boost Con (if those numbers were rolled than this doesn't apply).

4) Subsonics is largely redundant, if you can use Message to perform the same function.

5) You seem to have Shadowdancer without the feat prerequisites. (Not sure of prerequisites for Sublime Chord)

Skill wise, you should aim to max out Perform, UMD. If you plan to sneak around much (the shadowdancer levels suggests that you do) then obviously max out Hide and Move. If you are the party face, max out Convo skills as well. And if you have the spare points, get Tumble, Listen, and Escape Artist.

I'm personally more partial to Emerald Dragonfire Inspire Bards (works best if your party members can crank out many attacks), but thats just me.

[Covered In Bees]

all 3.5 books excluding the Tome of Battle
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i245/mgorinev/RAGE.jpg


I was just wondering what you thought of my character build, and if there were any possible ways of improving it (technically or for roleplaying purposes). I tried to format it so it's as easy as possible to follow.

Shadowdancer isn't worth it for you.

Use the Inspirational Boost spell. At level 3 take the Song of the Heart feat (Eberron Campaign Setting, feat isn't setting-specific).

You may as well have two levels of Lyric Thaumaturge (CMage) before going into Sublime Chord. There's a CMage feat that LT requires that lets you cast while singing and use Perform instead of Concentration for spellcasting, and you want it anyway.

After Sublime Chord 2, you might as well jump into any full-casting PrC; pick one you like.

[quotemyname]

by level three you can have like a +20 to diplomacy if you take advantage of the skill synergies. i would HIGHLY recommend this. i played a half elf bard once with this build and he could diplomacize anything (even with the -10 to fast talking during combat)

level1
bard

level2
marshal (miniatures handbook)

level3
marshal (miniatures handbook)

take advantage of the marshal's diplomacy bump aura. it can be always active and adds a static plus two. just max your perform and diplomacy and with the power of suggestion, nothing will be able to touch you.

after those two marshal levels that class becomes less useful. just go back to bard. you take a hit to your spell progression, but its nothing that your diplomacy won't be able to make up for. pm me if you want me to actually number crunch this.

[Dresil]

Max out Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, and Knowledge Nobility, then take Skill Focus Diplomacy and Bluff. By 8th level you will have this:

Diplomacy 5-11-9 = +25
Bluff 5-11-3-30 (Glibness) = +48

You can talk your way out of or into anything. Don't forget Eagle's Splendor either!

[Vortling]

Pick up the spell "Improvisation" as soon as you can. It gives you a luck pool equal to twice your caster level that can be spent on attack rolls, ability checks, and most importantly, skill checks.

[CASTLEMIKE]

A half-elf or elf or a gnome who is 1/8th elven (similar to those tallfellow halflings) could be a Spell Singer from Races of Faerun one benefit is they get to cast all their spell list enchantment spells spontaneously by singing.

If all feats are open something like the Nexus method that allows some spontaneous summoning.

[crazedloon]

since everyone is telling you to drop the shadowdancer level (and I agree) if you want to emulate those ability without the class level and you are starting past level 1 or your dm will let you play it (and maybe even buy it off later) I would suggest the dark creature template

its a +1 lvl adjustment

+8 hide
+6 move silently
10 cold resist
+10 ft base land speed
and hide in plain sight as long as you are not in direct sunlight
superior lowlight vision
dark vision 60ft


it pretty much gives you the benefit of the one level dip without the need for any prereques and you have it from level 1 :smallwink:

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Alternatively, there is the Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis. Dark Template for 10 minutes per day. 10,800 GP. Working backwards, a continuous item of it would only be 22,000 GP. Why use a level when you can use a necklace?