A Bard with Necromancy

[Angry Bob]

If one wanted to make a very dark bard with abilities and spells relating to the dead, and secondarily as a debuffer, how would you go about it?

What possibilities I've got so far are:
Dirgesinger(Which apparently blows but could be useful with an appropriate caster level progression fix)
Arcane Disciple(Death or some related domain)
Lyric Thaumaturge or Sublime Chord, picking new spells from necromancy
Multiclass with Dread Necromancer
Multiclass with Necromancy Wizard, go Ultimate Magus
Feats like Requiem and Haunting Melody?
Various intimidate feats?

What am I missing? How would I optimize the stranger class combinations(Bard/Wizard or Bard/Dread Necro) if I really wanted to use them? Assume standard WBL and all official sources allowed.

[Optimystik]

Sublime Chord with a bunch of necro spells from the sorc list

[Darius Rae]

THIS!

Spoiler

Show

I like dergesinger for the flavor, but you could also pick a PrC that gives you full casting an sorcerer spells and then go for necromancy. I actually had a thread about a necro-bard before, let me find it.

Also, be necropolitan.

Edit: Its more of a thread about role playing the bard, but there is some talk about the feats and classes I used
here it is: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=138310

All in all, Lord Najib was a very fun bard to play.

[DragoonWraith]

Crystal Keep lists a Harbinger Bard-variant, which replaces pretty much all of the Bardic Songs with new versions that apply similar penalties on enemies rather than bonuses on allies. Inspire Courage +X becomes Instill Fear -X, Inspire Competence becomes Encourage Failure, Inspire Greatness becomes Dishearten, Song of Freedom becomes Dirge of Binding, and Inspire Heroics is lost for Drain Prowess (but 2 levels delayed for no apparent reason). Might be fitting...

[Pluto]

I would just play with the Bard's spell list, along the lines of the DMG's Witch, and call it a day.

But if you want to use the explicit rules and stuff, either a Harbinger Bard (variant from Dragon, you can find it on crystalkeep) or a Lyric Thaumaturge/Sublime Chord with Requiem, Haunting Melody and Doomspeak (CoR) would work pretty well.

If it were Gestalt, I'd totally use Dirgesinger. Because the level 5 ability is just cool. The rest is pretty lackluster though.

[Optimator]

I personally find the Dirgesinger's songs to be both flavorful and useful. THe DCs on the sadness, confusion, and dex +str damage songs are pretty high and only continue rising, plus their last song is so damn good. Kill an enemy caster last round? Revive his ass and dish out some pain! Kill a efreeti or pit fiend? Wishes all around!

It is a shame that they don't get spellcasting progression though, which can hurt. Ask your DM if you could play an improved Dirgesinger with partial or even, if he's generous, full casting progression. You can get into Dirgesinger at level 5 (thus taking it at 6th), so conceivably you could do Bard5 dirgesinger 5 sublime chord 10 (for the Wizard necromancy spells). Maybe that doesn't work, I dunno. Or bard 5 dirgesinger 5 then the rest is bard for giga-party buffing. Two levels of seeker of the song would get you double songs, and adding in a Harmonizing weapon for a third song and you're made in the shade. Buff your allies, hinder your foes, and revive the last thing that dropped, and all the while you could be casting with Melodic Casting.

[Optimator]

Also, Sublime Chord Ur-Priests get all sorts of necromancy. Like, all the necromancy. They lose out on mass harm but there's little else that cheesy--but glorious-- build cannot do.

I don't remember the exact way to advance a sublime chord ur-priest. Seems fairly straight-forward. Using Savage Bard for the saves would be an elegant step.

[nedz]

Several more options to consider:

Mystic Thurge(Bard/Cleric)
or Mystic Thurge(Bard/Favoured Soul)
and use the Devine Necromantic spells

Ultimate Magus(Bard/Wizard<Necromancer>)
But your music will be very poor since UM only advances spellcasting.

Consider using Warlock for the Dark stuff (if this gives you enough darkness)
Then use Eldritch Theurge

[Thurbane]

Dread Necromancer into Prestige Bard?

Two problems - Perform (8 ranks)...there is an apprentice feat in DMG II which gets you Perform as a permanent class skill.

Second problem - able to cast a 1st level spell from each of Ench, Illusion & Divination school. DN has Divination covered, but not the other two. One of the Bloodline feats from Dragon Compendium might cover one of the other schools.

Alternatively, entry through Beguiler, and take the Necromantic Bloodline feat from DC.

Also, DC has the feat Song of the Dead, which allows your mind affecting spells to affect non-midless undead.