A few questions about Multiclassing Bards

[Talbot]

1) Is there a way to make Perform permanently a class skill?

2) I want to multiclass into some sort of melee class... currently leaning towards Crusader. Is there something else with better synergy?

3) Besides Snowflake Wardance (which I'll take), and Dragonfire Inspiration (which I can't), are there any good feats for Bard/Melee multiclassing?

[Greenish]

1. Able Learner.
2. Not really.
3. Song of the White Raven is handy for progressing Inspire Courage.

[Talbot]

I can't take Able Learner for racial reasons (Hellbred). Anything else? I want my character to remain an epic musician while taking most of his levels in Crusader...

[Kantolin]

Able le... oh.

I believe one of the apprentice feats from the DMG does that. ^_^

[IdleMuse]

1. Aereni Focus, Apprentice: Entertainer

2. War Chanter is a good melee bard PrC, but for base classes... a Marshal dip is worthwhile, but not very melee. Of full-BAB classes, Knight probably has the most synergy. Or Harmonious Knight, obviously (CoV WE, basically a paladin that replaces smite evil with bardic music).

3. Song of the Heart boosts IC... If you're Fey, there's some useful stuff here
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fey/20030815a

[Greenish]

Able le... oh.

I believe one of the apprentice feats from the DMG does that. ^_^

Apprentice feats don't grant the skill as a permanent class skill, merely for five first levels.

You could ask your DM for a homebrew "Guerrilla Performer" feat.

[Keld Denar]

Warblade DOES have Perform as a class skill (for Perform: Weapon Drill) IIRC. Don't remember if Crusader does too.

Once its been made a class skill, the cap is forever that of a class skill. You just have to dump 2 skill points per level into it to get the 1 rank you crave.

[IdleMuse]

I can't take Able Learner for racial reasons (Hellbred). Anything else? I want my character to remain an epic musician while taking most of his levels in Crusader...

Ahh, if you're wanting to do that, I suggest taking Apprentice: Entertainer to get Perform in class, and then take a level of Warrior Skald when and if you qualify for it; the first level gives you ALL of the Bard's music abilities as long as you meet the Perform skill rank prerequisites for each one. It's also full-BAB. You don't even need any levels of Bard (although you do need Power Attack and Cleave), and you may be a bit screwed for actual uses of Bardic Music (Extra Music maybe?).

[TooManyBadgers]

1.
--Nymph's Kiss (BoED)? Put the extra skill points in Perform, apply the Charisma-skill bonus and you'll even come out slightly ahead.

--There might be an Apprentice feat in the DMG2.

--Both the DMG and PHB recommend customizing skill lists for your characters. Maybe follow those recommendations?

--Homebrew a feat? It would be a pretty blatant waste of a feat, even if it gave a significant Perform boost.


2.
--Warblade, Cleric and Paladin are the only classes that are even comparable. Crusader's free-action recovery makes it my preference, though.


3.
Snowflake Wardance isn't really good here. You're limiting your daily Bardic Music uses anyway by multiclassing and generating damage with a one-handed weapon sucks, even with maneuvers. Song of the Heart (ECS) [or Words of Creation, if you can qualify] will typically be more useful.

So will most of your typical combat feats, especially those that increase your attacks/round, like TWF or archery feats (though these require particularly selective maneuver choices).

[ericgrau]

1. Simplest method is to buy as many ranks as you can while you're a bard, then don't buy ranks while you're w/e else. Your max ranks is equal to your character level + 3 if any of your classes has perform as a class skill. Taking another class doesn't give you less max ranks than a pure bard. So if you go back and forth between classes you can max it out for normal price each time you take a bard level.