Bard Blaster Help

[cupkeyk]

Anywho, my ranger is dead, as I have already posted. I made a 7th level Bard6/Lyric Thaumaturge1 with the interpretation that Sonic Might can be applied to any spell with the sonic descriptor, regardless of whether or not the spell deals damage originally or not. Thus a Nightmare lullaby with sonic might is save vs. confusion AND 2d6 sonic damage.

I have the basic equipment for the starting bard in the PHB and the equipment of a 8th level npc bard in the dmg(cloak of charisma +2, masterwork longsword, masterwork light crossbow, amulet of natural armor +1 and masterwork studded leather, 4000g of unspecified equipment, aside from the back pack and its phb based goodies of negligible worth and value)

My friend who plays the druid says that the build will take forever to complete.

I would appreciate some critiquing and suggestions.
Desert Half-Elf Bard6 Lyric Thaumaturge1 (Soothing Voice, Command)
Stats: str12, dex14, con14, int16, wis10, cha21
Feats: 1 Song of the heart, 3Melodic Casting, 6Doomspeak
Spells:

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0
Detect Magic
Read Magic
Songbird
Prestidigitation
Dancing Lights
Summon Instrument
1
ironthunder horn
inspirational boost
healthful rest
distort speech
2
nightmare lullaby
sonorous hum
summon elysian thrush
tactical precision
3
g'elsewhere chant
haste

This would be my build in 20 levels:

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Bard6, Lyric Thaumaturge5, Sublime Chord9

Feats: 1Song of the Heart, 3Melodic casting, 6Doomspeak, 8Captivating Song, 9Heighten Spell, 12Metamagic Spell Trigger, 15Empower Spell, 18Maximize Spell

Spell Known
0
Detect Magic
Read Magic
Songbird
Prestidigitation
Dancing Lights
Summon Instrument

1
ironthunder horn
inspirational boost
healthful rest
distort speech
2
nightmare lullaby
sonorous hum
summon elysian thrush
tactical precision
3
creaking cacophony
great thunderclap
g'elsewhere chant
haste
4
resonating bolt
cure critical wounsds
neutralize poison
voice of the dragon
fugue
haunting melody
celebration
5
cacophonic burst
greater enlarge person
mass fly
sonic rumble
6
dirge
dirge of dischord
heroes feast
mass cure moderate wounds
7
greater arcane sight
modenkainen's magnificent mansion
greater teleport
vision
8
discern location
mind blank
greater prying eyes
9
foresight

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[Chronicled]

To get this out of the way: what books are allowed?

[cupkeyk]

Everything wotc. we are in FR but some feats from ebberon are allowed with DM's permission.

[nerulean]

If you want to go damage output as well as blasting through spells, take a look at the feat Dragonfire Inspiration, which I believe is in Dragon Magic. If you boost your inspire courage through Inspirational boost, the badge of valour (MIC), and the vest of legends (DMGII) as well as perhaps song of the heart (Eberron) and the masterwork mandolin (CAd), you can quite easily get up to granting your friends 7d6 extra damage at 8th level without using Words of Creation cheese.

I would also recommend the spell Miser's envy to anyone who can get it, ever. At 2nd level, a failed save makes an opponent attack anyone you choose, quite neatly removing two combatants from any fight. Don't overlook the use of Otto's irresistible dance as a 6th level spell, either; no, it's not a blasting spell, but damn is it good.

Also, once you hit Sublime Chord 2, there's really no reason to stick with the prestige class. Try Abjurant Champ to reduce your squishiness, or Initiate of the Sevenfold Cheese, or pretty much anything with full casting that takes your fancy. Shadowcraft Mage might be fun, but I don't have that book on hand to check how well it synergises with SC.

[cupkeyk]

The feat drain for Dragonfire Inspiration is way too huge. That dragontouched or something, right? aside from dragon fire inspiration. I can't take words of creation because I am incapable of playing good characters anyway. I am taking note of the Inspire Courage boosting items though.

The two spells you noted are neither sonic nor blast-y. I am still looking for PRC's that give bardic music uses per day without caster level losses.

I failed to note that I have a FR regional feat, Harem Trained and a flaw, Pathetic(factored in already) and the feat it grants, Martial Study: Vanguard Strike, in case anyone is questioning how I qualify for Doomspeak a level 6.

[nerulean]

Yeah, dragonfire requires the dragonblood subtype, which isn't hard to get hold of, but it really is somewhat daftly powerful and I avoid it in most bard builds too. WoC is just... cheesy.

While the spells I mentioned aren't sonic or blasty, using solely damage is a risky business and quite likely to get you killed. Even Mr Splode-a-lot Sorcerer would be wise to pack one or two alternatives, and Otto's especially could save your life if some big smashy barbarian gets too close to you. If your character concept is all out offence then definitely stick to the concept, but make sure you're friendly with your cleric if you want to survive long .

There are also quite a lot of spells out there that really ought to be sonic and aren't. One that springs to mind instantly is Body harmonic (SpC) which is absolutely lethal in conjunction with Sonorous hum, as is Bonefiddle. How lenient is your DM with that kind of thing?

The Spellsinger PrC from Races of Faerun will progress spellcasting and bardic music, but I'm not sure the feat requirements are worth it. Are you doing anything special with your bardic music attempts? I don't recognise some of your feats. I generally figure on four encounters a day and six uses of any ability, so once you've hit ten bard songs a day it wouldn't be too much of a loss to lose increased numbers there.

Other items that are fun are the belt of battle (MIC - really the only plausible way to get yourself a quickened spell), the slippers of battledancing (DMGII), and the harmonising weapon property and crystal echoblade specific weapon (both MIC). Melodic casting probably makes the last two less relevant, but they might be worth a look.

[Person_Man]

Everything wotc. we are in FR but some feats from ebberon are allowed with DM's permission.

FR opens up a ton of options.

Gold Dwarf Dweomersmith: Adds some great spells to your spell list. The most important are Flame Blade (touch attacks!) and Holy Sword (so you can make your Flame Blade, or any other weapon, +5 Holy Weapon, at 10th level). But it requires that you be a Gold Dwarf. Races of Faerun.

Reactive Counterspell: You can counter spell even if you haven't readied an action (though it uses up your next available action). This is huge for any spontaneous caster with access to Dispel Magic. Player's Guide to Faerun.

Mercantile Background: When you sell items, you get 75% of the listed price, instead of 50%, and once a month you can buy an item for 75% of the listed price. This is a wonderful feat to have if your DM follows standard wealth by level guidelines. If he doesn't, skip it. Player's Guide to Faerun.

Talfirian Song: Spend bardic music uses to increase the caster level of any illusion spell. (Like Shadow Conjuration or Shadow Evocation). Requires that you be human. Races of Faerun.


Other feats:

Sociable Personality: Re-roll any Diplomacy or Gather Information Check. Requires that you be a Half Elf (also, the only crunch reason why anyone would be a Half Elf). Races of Destiny. I personally love Diplomacy heavy campaigns. Instead of killing the random encounter orcs, why not convince them to help you go kill the dragon?

Doomspeak: You can spend one of your bardic music uses to curse an enemy. Save or take a -10 penalty to attacks, Saves, and checks for one round. If the only other player is a Druid, you might not want to take this. But it works wonders if another player uses blasts or enchantment magic. Champions of Ruin.

Metamagic Song: Spend bardic music uses to power metamagic. Races of Stone.

[cupkeyk]

There are also quite a lot of spells out there that really ought to be sonic and aren't. One that springs to mind instantly is Body harmonic (SpC) which is absolutely lethal in conjunction with Sonorous hum, as is Bonefiddle. How lenient is your DM with that kind of thing?

Body Harmonic allows a save each round, as does bone fiddle. But yes, both are awesome spells. I have convinced my DM that Body Harmonic has the sonic descriptor but digging out that goblet from my back pack AND filling it with water, he ruled is a full round action, at least.

Talfirian Song: Spend bardic music uses to increase the caster level of any illusion spell. (Like Shadow Conjuration or Shadow Evocation). Requires that you be human. Races of Faerun.

Sociable Personality: Re-roll any Diplomacy or Gather Information Check. Requires that you be a Half Elf (also, the only crunch reason why anyone would be a Half Elf). Races of Destiny. I personally love Diplomacy heavy campaigns. Instead of killing the random encounter orcs, why not convince them to help you go kill the dragon?

Doomspeak: You can spend one of your bardic music uses to curse an enemy. Save or take a -10 penalty to attacks, Saves, and checks for one round. If the only other player is a Druid, you might not want to take this. But it works wonders if another player uses blasts or enchantment magic. Champions of Ruin.

Thanks to Races of Destiny, Half Elves are now humanoid (human, elf) so the half-elf qualifies for both Sociable Personality and Talfirian Song. Too bad I have already chosen Calimshan as my region. Since I got Soothing Voice, and am considering Urban Tracking, getting Sociable Personality may be a good idea. I got Doomspeak; I love it, too bad it burned up a feat.

[Person_Man]

Thanks to Races of Destiny, Half Elves are now humanoid (human, elf) so the half-elf qualifies for both Sociable Personality and Talfirian Song.

A Half Elf only counts as Humanoid (Elf). You have to waste a feat on Human Heritage to count as Humanoid (Human and Elf).

[cupkeyk]

LOLz, I am just pimping how beautiful my spells known and spells per day tables are. I basically followed the Chronocross element tables. Now I can see when I get a specific slot (? if its through a high charisma) and ability to cast which spell at which level. I can also see which spell I trade in at which even after fourth level (marked by a >].

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Per Day
0//1//2//3///4///5///6///7///8///9
+//2?/4?/7?/10?/12?/14?/16?/18?/20?
1//3//5//8//10//12//14//16//18//20
1//4//6//9//11//13//15//17//19
2//5//7/10//12//15//17//19
-//7//8/10//12//18//20
-//-//-/--//14
-//-//-/--//17

Spell Known
0
1Detect Magic
1Read Magic
1Songbird
1Prestidigitation
2Dancing Lights
3Summon Instrument

1
2ironthunder horn
2inspirational boost
3healthful rest
5Cure Light wounds>8distort speech
9Comprehend Languages

2
4nightmare lullaby
4sonorous hum
5summon elysian thrush
7tactical precision
9reveille

3
7haste
7fly>12great thunderclap
8g'elsewhere chant
10creaking cacophony

4
10cure critical wounds
10fugue
11neutralize poison
12voice of the dragon
12break enchantment
12celebration
13resonating bolt

5
12mass fly
13greater enlarge person
15cacophonic burst
17sonic rumble

6
14heroes feast
15dirge of dischord
17mass cure moderate wounds
19Otto's Irresistable Dance

7
16greater arcane sight
17greater scrying
19greater teleport

8
18discern location
19mind blank

9
20foresight

Okay on to the suggestions:

I would appreciate some critiquing and suggestions.
Desert Half-Elf Bard6 Lyric Thaumaturge1 (Soothing Voice, Command)
Stats: str12, dex14, con14, int16, wis10, cha21
Bard6, Lyric Thaumaturge5, Sublime Chord9

Feats: (Flaw) Pathetic, 1Martial Study(Vanguard Strike), (Regional)Harem Trained, 1Heighten Spell, 3Melodic casting, 6Doomspeak, 8Captivating Song, 9Heighten Spell, 12Metamagic Spell Trigger, 15Empower Spell, 18Maximize Spell
Should I get Artist and be a daleland half elf or stay in calimshan as harem trained?

Arg I wanted Reactive Counterspell but I can't spare any more feats for Improved initiative. T_T

The two Item Creation Feats can go, what can I get?