a half-giant twf tripping bard?

[alexi]

I've been playing around with this a bit in my head, how would you go about building a half-giant twf tripping bard using a whip and long sword? this would be an e6 game. How would YOU build each lv to 6?

[Coidzor]

Well, you'll need combat reflexes and improved trip. I'm not sure how useful the longsword'd be as opposed to the five-foot step.

I'm having trouble seeing situations where you would actually be using the twf rules rather than having a weapon you're not using in your offhand though. What's your plan for the longsword anyway?

Whip dagger would be a better investment. Same range, same tripping, but can do lethal damage on the free hit. Whips get disarm benefits?

[9mm]

the whip's problem is that it can't do damage to anything armored or +3 nat armor. seriously if you want to go TWF tripper with a long sword, drop the whip for an axe, and work toward "high sword low axe." But your best bet is to drop TWF, and go Experties > Improved Trip > Knock down.

[Keld Denar]

I'd do something like Bard3/Warblade3 or Bard4/Warblade2 or even Bard3/Marshall1/Warblade2. Stat prioritization would be Str > Con > Int > Cha > Dex > Wis with Cha moving up in the 3rd build, although that leaves you really MAD. You don't need more than a 12 or so Cha othewise to cast your couple 1st level spells per day, which will be exclusively be used on Inspirational Boost. Other than that, you'll want Combat Expertise at 1st, Improved Trip at 3rd, and probably Song of the Heart at 6. If you nab a Badge of Valor, your Inspire Courage will be 1 + 1 for Insp Boost, +1 for Badge of Valor +1 for Song of the Heart = +4. That +4 goes a long way, although it doesn't work for your opposed Trip checks, it does add to opposed Disarm checks. If you initiate Steel Wind, you could attack 2 nearby opponents up to 15' away, trip them, and take your followup attacks to disarm them. Thats pretty awesome at the E6 level on a Bard chasis.