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Nevermore
2008-10-17, 10:57 AM
Well, a round robin Aberration themed D&D game has begun. Unfortunately, as tends to be the case, we have 2 Fighter types and 1 semi fighter type :smalleek: . Thus once again we have a party more or less thrown to the wolves.

Leaving me to pick up all the slack. We have a Catfolk Ranger 1, a Kobold Barbarian 3, and an Elven Swashbuckler 3. I don't want to play yet another druid... with these guys I ALWAYS end up playing a druid. How else can I buff, debuff, heal, do some magic damage, scout, and use mobility oriented abilities while the fighters and archers swing?

Well, I've decided to go the way of the bard! Specifically a Changeling
(MM3) Bard with plenty of Use Magic Device so I can use any scrolls or wands we find.

Bard 3

Hp 19

Alignment Chaotic Good

Str 14
Dex 13
Con 14
Int 12
Wis 8
Char 17

Disguse 7 ranks (+20)
Bluff 7 ranks (+12)
Diplomacy 7 ranks (+10)
Use Magic Device (+10)
Sense Motive (+8)
Gather Information (+10)
Perform Comedy (+10)

Feats
Iron Will (Its an Aberration game, I need high will defense)
Shield Specialization

Spells
-0 lvl Resistance, Prestidigitation, Dancing Lights, Ghost Sounds, Light, Read magic
-1st lvl Cure Light Wounds, Charm Person, Grease

Gear:
Rapier
Buckler
+1 Chain shirt
Wand of 3rd lvl magic missiles w/ 50 charges
2 potions CLW
2 Antitoxins
90 gold for other stuff

C&C much required, as well as advice as long as its in good taste; nothing to broken, no Book of 9 swords, No Complete Scoundrel, No Complete Champion.

Stupendous_Man
2008-10-17, 10:58 AM
Feats
Iron Will (Its an Aberration game, I need high will defense)
Shield Specialization
Replace with

Song of the Heart
Snowflake Wardance

For will saves, try getting a wand of Protection from Alignment.

Stupendous_Man
2008-10-17, 11:04 AM
There's a bard thread too http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93859

Keld Denar
2008-10-17, 11:21 AM
Um, first off, a little optimization. Take the 3rd level bard ACF to replace Inspire Compentance with Song of the Heart. IComp is pretty blah, so get a free feat out of it.

Next, change your first level feat from Iron Will to Melodic Casting. This negates the need to put ranks in Concentration, essentially giving your +2 int with respect to # of skill points. It also allows you to keep your Inspire Courage running out of combat, since you can still cast spells while performing. Your 3rd level feat should probably be something like Point Blank Shot leading into Rapid Shot at 6th. This'll keep you out of melee range. You already have 3 melee characters, stay in the back, its safer there! Maybe focus your actions to disrupt casters or something, while your melee melees.

Swap Charm Person with Inspirational Boost from Spell Compendium. This'll pump your IC up to +3 at only 3rd level (1 base, 1 SotH, 1 Insp Boost). ASAP, see if you can get a Badge of Valor. Its cheap, and will increase your song by another +1 for 3x a day, which is plenty of you keep the same song up for multiple encounters.

Stupendous_Man
2008-10-17, 11:25 AM
Take the 3rd level bard ACF to replace Inspire Compentance with Song of the Heart. IComp is pretty blah, so get a free feat out of it.

Which one is this, and can you link to it?

Person_Man
2008-10-17, 11:30 AM
Leaving me to pick up all the slack. We have a Catfolk Ranger 1, a Kobold Barbarian 3, and an Elven Swashbuckler 3.

Aren't Catfolk LA +1? Shouldn't it be Catfolk Ranger 2? Also, you should note that the Catfolk Pounce feat is a trap - it only applies to Flat Footed enemies. But I guess in a party with a (non-variant) Kobold and an Elf, he'll be fine.

Also, how far will this game go? There are some feats that are great at low level that suck at higher level. So what we suggest may depend on how far you go.

Stupendous_Man
2008-10-17, 11:33 AM
Aren't Catfolk LA +1? Shouldn't it be Catfolk Ranger 2? Also, you should note that the Catfolk Pounce feat is a trap - it only applies to Flat Footed enemies.
Grease!
But yeah, it's kinda limiting.

Keld Denar
2008-10-17, 12:54 PM
Which one is this, and can you link to it?

Its in the Ebberon Campaign Setting or the Ebberon Players Guide, I always get those 2 mixed up. There are a number of other ACFs in it for Bards, but most of them are crap. This one is solid gold though, as you cut nearly dead weight for a tremendous passive bonus.

Also, I'd recommend against SFWD, especially this early in the game. You don't have PA to gain benefit from the extra hit, and only 3 uses of BM per day, limits you to using it only about once per day for fear of running out of IC, which is a more solid bonus. If he follows my suggestion, then IC is granting a +3 hit AND damage, whereas SFWD would only be granting a +4 to hit if he starts with an 18 cha, which isn't garunteed. Later in the game, it may be more practical, depending on his chosen path, but quite possibly not.

Personally, I actually don't really like SFWD. Its too needy on Bardsongs per day, when the best melee bard builds (Bardsader, Bardblade, and Bardadin) are very limited on music uses/day. For a pure bard, its ok, but since it doesn't synergize well with PA or arguably TWF (I've seen a lot of debate on whether or not you can use an offhand, I personally don't think you can since the text is singular) it only adds a marginal benefit. It just doesn't stack up to something like a Tiger Claw Dragonfire Bardblade or a 2handed PA Bardsader/Bardadin for adding extra damage that make it worth the feat and the BM uses per day. Again, this is my opinion. If it wasn't for the whole 1hand caveat, this would probably be one of the best bard feats around.

Fax Celestis
2008-10-17, 01:02 PM
Its in the Ebberon Campaign Setting or the Ebberon Players Guide, I always get those 2 mixed up. There are a number of other ACFs in it for Bards, but most of them are crap. This one is solid gold though, as you cut nearly dead weight for a tremendous passive bonus.

Also, I'd recommend against SFWD, especially this early in the game. You don't have PA to gain benefit from the extra hit, and only 3 uses of BM per day, limits you to using it only about once per day for fear of running out of IC, which is a more solid bonus. If he follows my suggestion, then IC is granting a +3 hit AND damage, whereas SFWD would only be granting a +4 to hit if he starts with an 18 cha, which isn't garunteed. Later in the game, it may be more practical, depending on his chosen path, but quite possibly not.

Personally, I actually don't really like SFWD. Its too needy on Bardsongs per day, when the best melee bard builds (Bardsader, Bardblade, and Bardadin) are very limited on music uses/day. For a pure bard, its ok, but since it doesn't synergize well with PA or arguably TWF (I've seen a lot of debate on whether or not you can use an offhand, I personally don't think you can since the text is singular) it only adds a marginal benefit. It just doesn't stack up to something like a Tiger Claw Dragonfire Bardblade or a 2handed PA Bardsader/Bardadin for adding extra damage that make it worth the feat and the BM uses per day. Again, this is my opinion. If it wasn't for the whole 1hand caveat, this would probably be one of the best bard feats around.

Slippers of Battledancing from DMG-II replicate the same effect, IIRC.

Raging Gene Ray
2008-10-17, 01:05 PM
Take the 3rd level bard ACF to replace Inspire Compentance with Song of the Heart. IComp is pretty blah, so get a free feat out of it.

Isn't Inspire Comptetence a Prerequisite to Song of the Heart?
I thought those ACFs were basically, once you reach the level where you would normally gain a new Bardic Music abilitiy from the PHB, you can choose to trade that for any free Bardic Music feat that you normally qualify for.

Temp.
2008-10-17, 02:12 PM
How else can I buff, debuff, heal, do some magic damage, scout, and use mobility oriented abilities while the fighters and archers swing?
Buffing: Inspire Courage is probably your best bet at low levels, spells like Haste at later levels.
Also, wands. Everyone loves wands.

Obligatory Inspire Courage Link (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14082576&postcount=45).
Spoilered to save the trouble of annoying link-chasing:

Inspire Courage (Su)
A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the bard sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and +4 at 20th). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.

Feats

Direct Improvements to Inspire Courage

Song of the Heart (ECS, pg. 60): Bonus granted by your music increases by +1.

Dragonfire Inspiration (Dragon Magic). Convert inspire courage bonuses to elemental damage depending on dragon type.

Words of Creation (BoED, pg. 48). Get DM approval. Doubles bonus from bardic music effects, but you take subdual damage.

Other feats for bardic music

Music of Growth (ECS): Kind of like Augment Summoning but with singing.

Melodic Casting (CM, pg. 44): Replace Concentration with Perform. Cast spells/use items while maintaining bardic music.

Song of the White Raven (ToB) Activate Bardic Music as a swift action. (Doesn't work well with the spell Inspirational Boost).

Lingering Song (CA, pg. 111): Bardic Music lasts 1 minute after you stop playing.

Snowflake Wardance (Frostburn): Expend Bardic music to get Charisma to damage.

Spells

Inspirational Boost (Spell Compendium, pg. 124): +1 to inspire courage. Can be used during the start of bardic music for longer lasting effect.

Equipment

Vest of Legends (DMG II, pg. 272). Bonus to Diplomacy and Perform. Treated as a bard of higher level for bardic music bonuses.

Badge of Valor (MIC, pg. 208). Bonus on Charm or Fear saves. Or +1 to inspire courage. Either 3/day.

Crystal Echoblade (MIC). Bonus Sonic Damage while using bardic music.

Harmonizing Weapon (MIC). Bonus on Perform checks and the weapon maintains the bardic music, allowing you to cast spells or activate items.

Gaulents of Heartfelt Blows (Dragon#314, p20) Fire Damage bonus to your weapon equal to charisma bonus.

Prestige Classes
Dread Pirate (CA)- Improves Inspire Courage faster than standard bard.

Battle Howler of Gruumsh (Dragon#311) stacks with bard for bardic music uses per day and affects, bardic spells and the 4th lvl ability increases the bonus of inspire courage by 1 as well as make the radius 60 feet.

Heartfire Fanner (Dragon#314) grants bonus feats, free metamagic up to +2 and increase the duration of spells and ex abilities by your Cha Modifier in rounds. Gives full spellcasting, bardic music per day, and teachers the bard all the bardic music affects of a normal bard, but inspire courage is not advanced.

Tips

1) If you have both inspirational boost and a badge of valor, activate them in this order inspirational boost->inspire courage->badge of valor. This uses your swift/immediate actions for the first 2 rounds of the inspire courage, but gives you the full benefit for the duration of the song.

2) A harmonizing weapon helps negate the need for the melodic casting feat, but melodic casting does have additional benefit of freeing up some skill points.


Debuffing: At low levels you don't have many good options. Most blow a spell slot to affect only one enemy. I would recommend wands for this--rays and other no-save effects are the most useful.

Healing: Wands of Lessor Vigor are your friends.


...I'm starting to feel a bit like Giacomo.

Its in the Ebberon Campaign Setting or the Ebberon Players Guide, I always get those 2 mixed up.ECS pg. 34-ish. And Like RGR says, you can't make that substitution.


Slippers of Battledancing from DMG-II replicate the same effect, IIRC. With a couple limits like a huge price tag and a 10 ft move requirement. They're not bad, but they pretty much require Travel Devotion to work right.

Also, I think they stack... if you're into that sort of thing.

Stupendous_Man
2008-10-17, 02:34 PM
SFWD is good with a whip (+2 disarm) if you want to do a bit of control.

You deal less damage if you PA with SFWD, but you do hit more often.

Against low AC opponents, PA makes more sense, since you'll be able to land hits and hurt them, but if the opponent's AC is too high, you don't want to keep PAing. You want to actually hit first.

Uses up bardic music, but you may not get through all your uses of bardic music per day anyways.

Cuddly
2008-10-17, 02:55 PM
SFWD is good with a whip (+2 disarm) if you want to do a bit of control.

Don't aberrations tend towards tentacles, not swords?

Stupendous_Man
2008-10-17, 02:56 PM
Don't aberrations tend towards tentacles, not swords?

True.

I guess it would be somewhat less useful given the campaign.



ECS pg. 34-ish. And Like RGR says, you can't make that substitution.
Why now? (And who is RGR?)