Bard/Warblade help?

[JKTrickster]

Hi! I'm building a char for one of my games and decided to go Bard/Warblade. I heard that these are fun to build and can be quite effective, but I don't get how. What stats do I use, feats to consider, etc.? I'm starting at level 3, so I'm planning to take Bard2/Warblade 1. Or should it be the other way around?

[Haven]

Focus on the White Raven discipline. Crucial feats:

Song of the White Raven--lets your warblade and bard levels stack for inspire courage, as well as letting you use inspire courage as a swift action if you're in a White Raven stance

White Raven Defense--while in a White Raven stance & wielding a White Raven weapon, +1 to AC to yourself and adjacent allies. OK on its own, but it's a prerequisite for:

Clarion Commander--beastly tactical feat as long as you can make DC 20 Diplomacy and Intimidate checks, shouldn't be a problem right? (Not available until level 6 though)

[BenTheJester]

Search for Dragonfire Inspiration builds

If you have a Battle Dragon Heritage, you can add a bunch of d6 of sonic damage on every melee attack.

[Draz74]

Hi! I'm building a char for one of my games and decided to go Bard/Warblade. I heard that these are fun to build and can be quite effective, but I don't get how. What stats do I use, feats to consider, etc.? I'm starting at level 3, so I'm planning to take Bard2/Warblade 1. Or should it be the other way around?

Honestly the order shouldn't matter too much as long as you end up with Bard 4/Warblade 16 or so. Bard 2/Warblade 1 sounds fine to start. Make sure you take Bard first for the delicious skill points.

Song of the White Raven is the signature feat of this build. Note that Clarion Commander won't be available until Level 7. See if you can spare a feat to put into Extra Music.

[JKTrickster]

Oh okay! Besides White Raven, what other martial disciplines would help balance out my character? I was thinking of using Iron Heart mostly though, but oh well.

I'm also assuming for Clarion Commander, I'll be boosting my Diplomacy and Intimidate skills, right?

Ability point wise...wow it seems like I need Int, Cha, Dex, Str, and Con all at once! Or am I missing something?

[Mongoose87]

Don't forget to grab a couple Iron Heart Maneuvers as prerequisites for "Ironh Heart Surge."

[Haven]

Oh okay! Besides White Raven, what other martial disciplines would help balance out my character? I was thinking of using Iron Heart mostly though, but oh well.

I'm also assuming for Clarion Commander, I'll be boosting my Diplomacy and Intimidate skills, right?

Ability point wise...wow it seems like I need Int, Cha, Dex, Str, and Con all at once! Or am I missing something?

You can live without Dex, since your Intelligence boosts your Reflex save and it doesn't really matter for much else in this build. Int is pretty vital but it doesn't have to be great, likewise Strength. Your Warblade levels give you d12 HD and a good Fort progression so Con isn't a priority either. Even without a Cha bonus, by the time you can grab Clarion Commander you should be able to make its DCs half the time.

If you're doing 28 point buy I'd suggest something like Int 16, Cha 14, Str 12, Con 12, Dex 10, Wis 10, but it's flexible enough that you can change those numbers to your own taste.

(Also Draz is right--Clarion Commander requires +6 BAB so in this case it'd be available at level 7. Good catch)

[AdamSmasher]

You may want to try a Crusader/Bard to reduce the MAD. White Raven plus Devoted Spirit plus Bard would make for some great party buffing. Even better, you might take a one level marshal dip.

[Draz74]

Oh okay! Besides White Raven, what other martial disciplines would help balance out my character? I was thinking of using Iron Heart mostly though, but oh well.

Oh, don't worry. You'll have enough maneuvers for a healthy Iron Heart repertoire on top of strong White Raven. And that's a perfectly good option.