I am playin a bard

[DUSUCK]

Because my DM is making me and I have never played a spell caster or a thing with a average base attack bonus I am running into 2 problems: I don't know what feats to take and I don't know how to spend my cash.

I have access to a few books but one thing I want to have is a horn of blasting

My bard preforms brass, I am human, I have 88000 gold

Like I said spells feats and spending are what I need help on so ya know any help would be appreciated

[Solo]

Because my DM is making me and I have never played a spell caster or a thing with a average base attack bonus I am running into 2 problems: I don't know what feats to take and I don't know how to spend my cash.

I have accsess to many books but one thing I want to have is a horn of blasting

My bard preforms brass, I am human, I have 88000 gold

Like I said spells feats and spending are what I need help on so ya know any help would be appreciated

All too easy
Just don't put skill points into Iaijutsu Focus. Most DM's don't allow 3.0 Oriental Adventures stuff.

Bardic Knack gives you a number of half your character level rounded up you ccan use inplace of your ranks (even if you have 0 ranks) in any skill you can use untrained, and in a trained only skill if you have 1 rank in it.

Explainations for all abilities given at bottom of sheet.

[SilverClawShift]

Because my DM is making me

[Mushroom Ninja]

Or, if your DM has no house rule, (and don't mind being a little cheesey) you could play a Diplomancer Bard

Also, Glibness has got to be one of the most broken and all around stupidly powerful bard spells in the core books. Convince the BBEG and his dragon that you are a god! Many lulz ensue!

[Temp.]

I don't know what feats to take and I don't know how to spend my cash.

There are a number of ways to take the Bard, depending on what you want to accomplish with the character.

Since you don't specify the sources available, I'm just going to pile a bunch of options in here. Take what you want, leave what you don't.

To boost your inspire courage, here are the standard options:

• The Song of the Heart Feat (Eberron Campaign Setting) boosts your Inspire Courage by one point.
• The Words of Creation Feat (Book of Exalted Deeds) doubles your Inspire Courage bonus. Its downsides are that you need to play an Exalted character (ew) and it has high stat requirements.
• The Badge of Valor (MIC p.208) boosts your IC by 1 3 times per day. 1,200 gp.
• The Vest of Legends (DMG 2) lets you Inspire Courage as a Bard 5 levels higher. It also gives Perform and Diplomacy Bonuses. 16,000 gp.
• Harmonizing Weapons (MIC) allow your weapon to concentrate on Bardic Music while you do other stuff. +1 enhancement.
• Dragonfire Inspiration (Dragon Magic) allows you to swap Inspire Courage bonuses for +1d6 fire damage per hit. I don't like this option as much as most posters here seem to, but it's available.

To boost your skills:

• The Bardic Knack variant (PHB2) trades Bardic Lore for a bonus to all skills equal to 1/2 your class level, rounded up.
• The Jack of all Trades feat (CAdv) lets you make checks in all skills as if you had ranks in each. It combines brilliantly with Bardic Knack.
• Nymph's Kiss (Book of Exalted Deeds) gives bonuses on all Charisma checks and gives an extra skill point per level. It's incredible, but you need to be Exalted (again, ew).

To boost your melee combat:

• Crystal Echoblades (MIC) add half your Bard level to your damage while you use Inspire Courage. 4,000 gp
• Weapons of Sudden Stunning (DMG 2) are absolutely brilliant for melee characters with high Charisma. +2000 gp.
• Knowledge Devotion (CChamp) turns Knowledge ranks into attack and damage boosts against the appropriate enemies.
• A lot of posters here love Snowflake Wardance (Frostburn). It exchanges a Bardic Music use for an attack bonus equal to your Charisma bonus. This only applies when you're fighting with a one-handed slashing weapon. I prefer Power Attacking with a 2-handed Echoblade, but this works too, I guess.
• And Power Attack is required if you want melee damage.

To boost your Spellcasting:

• Melodic Casting (CMage) lets you use Bardic Music while casting Spells
• Versatile Spellcaster (RotD) allows a bit more flexability in your spells (you can exchange two lower-level slots for one higher-level slot). It's not a power-house feat, but I like having it.
• (Greater) Spell Penetration can be worth it--as well as improving your spells, it helps with your Suggestion class ability, which is a good thing.
• (Greater) Spell Focus--Enchantment or Illusion can be nice, given your reduced spell level compared to other casters and the Bard spell list's massive number of save-allowing spells from these two schools.
• Metamagic Song (Races of Stone) lets you use Bardic Music to fuel metamagic feats. Given the Bard's weak use of Metamagic (with only 7 total spell levels and the extended casting time for spontaneous casters), this isn't all that great.
• Lyric Spell (CAdv) ets you use Bardic Music to cast spells. This is incredible.

And here are some common multiclass and prestige class options:

• For melee, Warblade and Crusader (Tome of Battle). With the Song of the White Raven Feat, they stack with Bard levels for the purpose of Inspire Courage.
• For spellcasting, Lyric Thaumaturge (CMage) and Sublime Chord (CArc) give more spells and access to the Wizard spell list. Neither advances Bardic Music in any meaningful way.
• For Bardic Music, there are a few options available. Virtuoso is my favorite; loses one feat and one caster level in exchange for a handful of new BM options.
• Seeker of the Song does not advance spellcasting (ew); its shtick is using Bardic Music to deal damage. I'm not really a fan (just use Lyric Spell and Sublime Chord if you want to do this).
• Warchanter is a full BAB class that gives a few combat-related uses for Bardic Music. It doesn't advance spellcasting, but it might be interesting for a combat Bard.

I might check some other threads later to see if there are any interesting options I didn't think of.

[edit]
The Bard's Handbook had a couple choices that slipped my mind:

• Combat Panache (PHB2) is a Bluff- and Intimidate-based tactical feat that gives a bunch of defensive options for a melee Bard. If that's your thing, give this a look.
• Dragonsong (Draconomicon) gives a +2 bonus to your vocal perform skills and increases the DC of song- or speech-based Mind effects (meaning Suggestion; I'm not clear whether or not this would affect your spells).
• Darkstalker (Lords of Madness) is almost required for any stealth-based character. I don't know what you want to do with your Bard, but this would let you sneak up on creatures with improved senses.

[edit. again.]

• For a Core-only game, these are the choices I'd look at:
• Spell Focuses/Penetration--These improve the chances of your spells working. That's a very good thing.
• Skill Focus (Perform)--Improves the chances of Fascinating
• Ability Focus (Suggestion)--Improves the chances of successfully Suggestion a Fascinated target
• Power Attack--Required for all serious melee characters.
• Improved Initiative--It's a solid bet. Going first means you're more likely to have more actions than the opponents, which means you're more likely to win a fight.
• Cleave--Eh. If you have Power Attack, this is a decent follow-up. Not great, but it will probably see use once or twice per combat.
• Extend Spell--This can save spell slots, which is a good thing.

[Ned the undead]

Because my DM is making me

First punch your Dm for making you a play a class you don't want to play.
If he complains say you saw a bright yellow dire slug. No punchbacks.

Then erase bard from your sheet.

Then put down class the class you want to play.

[DUSUCK]

First punch your Dm for making you a play a class you don't want to play.
If he complains say you saw a bright yellow dire slug. No punchbacks.

Then erase bard from your sheet.

Then put down class the class you want to play.

My DM would beat me up....further more I have burned through like 4 guys in like 8 weeks (Mostly cus I was bored and I went to get in bar fights and, my guys died in encounters)........

Ok so now that I can get back to this I will.....

For those of you who suggested bardic knack I can't because my DM won't let me cus I have to be the one who knows **** about waterdeep and such citys.(Even though we have a wizard who has like every knowledge other than local)
The books I have are:
The 3 core books
The complete Warrior
The complete Champion
The complete Arcane
RoS
RotW
RoD
The Planer handbook
The complete Divine

I should not be a diplomancer because I will get to do very little talking to people of importance cus the head of the party is a asshat I mean diplo would be cool but you know......

Also I am playing age of worms if that helps were in magepoint. Anyway thats enough for one post so thanks for all the advice for now.


P.S. Oh and I am a level 10 barb level 2 sublime chord that way I can be level 12 instead of 11 since if I did it some other way I would only be level 11

[Siosilvar]

Because my DM is making me...
My DM would beat me up...
my DM won't let me...
I have to be the one who knows...

Seems like you need a new DM.

Short of that, everyone else here has suggested everything I can think of.

[DUSUCK]

Seems like you need a new DM.

Short of that, everyone else here has suggested everything I can think of.

Yeah I know but I got my brother and my best bro in the campaign so even though my brother is a wuss my friend makes it fun

[Ned the undead]

Your DM hits you!?! He doesn't need to be DM much less in the same group as you or anyone. KICK HIM OUT. Then go down to Local Hobby Store inc. and find yourself a new DM.

[DUSUCK]

Your DM hits you!?! He doesn't need to be DM much less in the same group as you or anyone. KICK HIM OUT. Then go down to Local Hobby Store inc. and find yourself a new DM.

he does not look I just need help with my bard

[Talya]

i love bards, and lots of good suggestions here already.

I just want to say, bard was the first spellcaster I ever played, it's a good one to cut your teeth on. I don't like playing casters much, never did. But I'll play any spontaneous caster now, thanks to playing a bard. (Then sorcerer. Someday I really want to try a beguiler.)

[vegetalss4]

Your DM hits you!?! He doesn't need to be DM much less in the same group as you or anyone. KICK HIM OUT. Then go down to Local Hobby Store inc. and find yourself a new DM.

i belive that the hitting part would be what the DM would do if the OP punched him