[3.5] A band of bards

[overduegalaxy]

My group and I have began to discuss our campaign for once next semester starts, and we've decided to make an entire party of bards, who are a wandering band. We're lobbying the DM to make it a gestalt game, but even if it is, everyone really wants to focus on the bardic half of their build (and just use the gestalt side to fill party roles a bit better). If gestalt isn't allowed, we'll just rely on ACFs.

How can we really abuse our combined power of four bards to maximum effect? There's always the standard stuff for bards (Snowflake Wardance, Dragonfire Inspiration, etc), but we could still use general ideas to increase our effectiveness as a team. The DM hasn't settled on a level yet, so just looking for general advice.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Primary Caster: Bard 8/Virtuoso 1/Sublime Chord 2/Virtuoso 9

[Eldariel]

It's quite simple: Focus the Bards on different things. You could give two Inspiration-focus, one focusing on Dragonfire Inspiration and the other one on standard Inspiration. The Dragonfire Inspirer could be a Silverbrow Human. Probably arcane caster as the secondary role; Sublime Chord, etc, you know the deal.

The Standard Inspirer could be anything, and would make for e.g. a good Archer as her secondary role, with of course spells to back it up.

Then you could make one focused around Snowflake Wardance and maybe TWF > Warblade.

The last one could be healer with Sublime Chord > Combat Medic (others handle skills fine enough) to pick up the Heal-spell with access to normal Cures and all that. Recaster Changeling is a reasonable alternative too, as long as the dead Recaster-level is fit before Sublime Chord. Could pick up Mass Heal eventually that way (actually, since it's a 9th level spell, that'd take some trickery; at least you can pick up Greater Restoration or Restoration or such).


But yeah, Bards can cover all the traditional roles in Divine Support, Arcane Support, Melee and Skill Monkery, out of which the Skill Monkery is ironically the hardest since they have trouble covering the Trapfinding-part of it.

Anyways, the guidelines: Use the different forms of Inspiration (they stack), focus the Bards on different aspects of Bardhood (make heavy use of Sublime Chord for the caster types) with likely multiclassing & feats and go to town with your synchronized band; everyone does something unique and adds to the whole making for a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

[Keld Denar]

Primary Caster: Bard 9/Virtuoso 1/Sublime Chord 2/Virtuoso 8

Fixt...you can't qualify for Sublime Chord1 before level 10, thusly, it must be your 11th level class. Also, a decent caster would probably drop in 1 level of Mindbender and possibly 3 levels of Lyric Thamaturge in there.

Then you could have 2 melee bards with the builds:

Bard3/Sorc1/Crusader16
and
Bard3/Sorc1/Warblade16

Each with Dragonfire Inspiration, and Draconic Heritage for 2 different flavored dragons.

Between the 3 of them, every hit will add like, 10d6 fire, 10d6 acid, and 10d6 sonic. Then you got the 4th bard who runs standard Inspire Courage that adds +10 to hit and damage making it nearly impossible for any of the above guys to miss.

You could also have like, a Bard5/CombatMedic5/SubChord10 or similar who can spontaneously cast Heal. Thats tasty.

[Ethdred]

Just max out the charm/diplomacy/persuading stuff and then you can get suckers to fill in any missing party roles while you guys concentrate on the important stuff like looking cool and pulling chicks! Seriously, this could be a great campaign, if the DM is up for it.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Three could take Dragonfire Inspiration, one stay with the default fire damage, one switch to sonic damage, and one switch to probably acid damage. The fourth can just use Inspire Courage normally for a set bonus on attack and damage rolls. You could even have a PHB Bard, a Bardic Sage, a Divine Bard, and a Savage Bard. Everyone should consider taking Wild Cohort and/or Obtain Familiar and Improved Familiar to get some capable combatants.

[Coidzor]

Minions! or gropuies if you prefer.

...I'm suddenly reminded of Dionysus....

[Learnedguy]

Please tell me you're going to pose as a wandering rock band!