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jcsw
2008-11-06, 05:39 AM
Well I'm starting a new PbP campaign, and decided to play a bard ('cause the last time I played bard I screwed up...)
It's a Silverbrow Human Bard 9/Virtuoso 1/Sublime Chord 2/Virtuoso 9. (Level 21!!)

Anyway I've got most of it done... But I've no idea what to pick for spells.
Bearing in mind that I can select any Bard Spell from level one to six and any Sor/Wiz spell from level four to nine...

What are good spells to fit the role of a support/buffer bard?

Current Spell List

LEVEL 0
Light
Detect Magic
Caltrops
Prestidigitation
Mending
Summon Instrument

LEVEL 1
Inspirational Boost (CAdv)
Silent Image
Improvisation

LEVEL 2
Alter Self
Mirror Image
Harmonic Chorus (SpC)
Glitterdust

LEVEL 3
Phantom Battle (PHBII)
Haste
Dispel Magic
Glibness

Level 4
Ruin Delver's Fortune (SpC)
Sirine's Grace (SpC)

Level 5

Level 6
Irresistable Dance
Snow Song (Frostburn)

Level 7
Body outside Body (CArc, From feats)

Level 8
Minute Form (CArc, From feats)

Level 9
Time Stop


Note: I'm Chaotic Good and have exalted feats, so evil spells or spells with questionable ethics are not recommended.

goram.browncoat
2008-11-06, 05:56 AM
Depends on the sort of party, but if you have a heavy melee presence in the party brilliant blade/aura (SpC) and greater magic weapon (Core) are likely to make people happy. Snakes swiftness line of spells (SpC) can also be fun.

Eldariel
2008-11-06, 06:12 AM
Take some defensive tools. Greater Mirror Image (PHBII, I think) is level 4 and an excellent defense spell. I'd also take Greater Dispel Magic, Contingency and Teleport (Greater Dispel Magic is awesomely enough level 5 for Bard).

Level 7, you definitely should pick up Limited Wish. It allows you to pretty much do whatever you want for a negligible XP cost (it's big enough so you don't want to cast it constantly, but low enough that you want it around when you need healing/revival/blasting/protection/control/mobility/whatever you don't happen to have, or simply if you need to lower opponent's SR).

For a handy offensive spell, I'd take Solid Fog at 4, along with perhaps Enervation or Orb of Force/Fire (depending on whether you intend on learning to change elements). Also, Prismatic Sphere on 9 would be nice. Shapechange is automatic if you're allowed to use it. Also, Gate kicks ass. Mass Avasculate and the non-Mass version would round out the higher level picks for me. Oh yeah, and Simulacrums are cool. And if Celerity is game, go Celerity.


But yea, much depends on whether there're other casters in the party, which areas you need to cover and so on.

Heliomance
2008-11-06, 06:58 AM
Wings of flurry at 4th level. (Dragon Magic or Races Of The Dragon, I forget which) Seriously. 1d6 force damage per caster level to all designated targets within 30 ft of you. Also anyone who fails the save gets dazed. Also also, THE DAMAGE IS UNCAPPED.

goram.browncoat
2008-11-06, 07:04 AM
Ooh also good: Polymorph any object. Can be both a buff aswell as a debuff.

Glimbur
2008-11-06, 12:27 PM
You can get Irresistible Dance at the level bards get it. It's nice, the only problems are it's range:touch and single target. So if you can reach and chain it...

Adumbration
2008-11-06, 12:32 PM
I think I'm missing something. How do you get 9th level spells with just 2 levels of Sublime Chord?

Raging Gene Ray
2008-11-06, 12:36 PM
At 9th level, I'd personally go with Wish, Sphere of Ultimate Destruction (Spell Compendium), or Shapechange.

Oh, wait, you're going for support...well, Shapechange and Time Stop only target yourself, and SoUD is more of an flying ball of Disintegrate...

Replicate Casting (Spell Compendium) could be good depending on what you're facing.

Also, if your bard plays an instrument, you should take the Second Level spell from Complete Scoundrel: Animate Instrument. An instrument maintains your bardic music for 1 min per caster level. Aside from looking cool, you are now free to do other things, like enchant some more instruments for multiple Bard/Virtuoso songs.

Now that I think about it, Time Stop is probably what you use to get multiple buffs on your allies in the first round. You still might want to consider Wish, if not Limited Wish. So many things can only be removed with one of those.

tyckspoon
2008-11-06, 12:48 PM
I think I'm missing something. How do you get 9th level spells with just 2 levels of Sublime Chord?

Sublime Chord has it's own spellcasting progression (when people say it 'extends the bard's list to 9th level', that actually means 'it adds an entirely new spellcaster progression that starts at 3rd and goes up to 9th and stacks with Bard levels to determine caster level.) That makes it an eligible target for any other PrCs that say "+1 level of existing casting class". Like Virtuoso, in this case.