Useless Low-level Bard

[AppleChips]

I'm a bard in a level 3 group of new players, including me. Most of the players just like beating things down, so we have 2 fighters, a barbarian, a melee ranger, a melee cleric, a 2 rogue/1 wizard, and a gnome bard (me.) Most of the players are more combat-oriented, as you might guess, so I find myself doing... nothing, most of the time. I have 1 combat oriented spell (Tasha's Hideous Laughter,) so basically every fight, I find myself using Inspire Courage, and standing there. This itself would not be so bad, except the Wizard/Rogue built himself with some character build no one else knows about, and has ended up with a modifier about 3 more than me in every skill he has, so he is doing all the skill-related work.

Any suggestions to make my bard more interesting, or useful? As I'm new, I gave him the Extra Songs feat, and haven't decided on the other.

[Stupendous_Man]

Some things I like to do with my bards:

Alter Self into:

Asabi +2NA 50ft, 20ft Burrow Bite attack(1d4), Combat Reflexes, Jump Lengths Increased

Avarial 30ft, 50ft Fly +4 Spot, +4 Jump, , +2 Listen, +2 Search

Skulk, +8 hide, +15 move silently in light or no armor

Crucian +8NA 20ft Iron Will, Weapon Focus (Warhammer)

Lizardfolk: +5NA +4 Balance, +4 Jump, +4 Swim, Claw and Bite attacks (1d4 each)

Locathah +3NA 10ft, 60ft Swim, +8 Swim (take 10)

Spirit Folk, Mountain 30ft, 30ft Climb +2 Balance, +2 Jump, +2 Tumble, +8 Climb (Take 10)

Trog: 30 ft +6 NA, +4 Hide (+8 underground), Multiattack, Claw and Bite attacks (1d4 each)

Tren: 30 ft 40 ft swim, +8 swim, +3 Hide (+8 underground or rocky), +8 NA Multiattack, Claw and Bite attacks (1d4 each)
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x...040613a&page=4


Song Of The Heart

Your bardic music reaches the depths of its listeners' hearts.

Prerequisite: Bardic music class feature, inspire competence ability, Perform 6 ranks.
Benefit: When you use inspire courage, inspire competence, inspire greatness, or inspire heroics, any bonus granted by your music increases by +1. Thus, a 15th-level bard with this feat grants his allies a +4 bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws against fear when he uses inspire courage, rather than the +3 he would normally grant. If he uses inspire greatness, the same bard grants up to three allies 3 bonus Hit Dice, a +3 bonus on attack rolls, and a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves.
Also, when you use fascinate, suggestion, or mass suggestion, the saving throw DC increases by 1. If you have the Haunting Melody feat, the saving throw DC for that effect also increases by 1.


Snowflake Wardance

Type: General
Source: Frostburn

You have mastered the snowflake wardance, a mystical style of fighting with slashing weapons that allows you to leap and almost seem to float haphazardly across the battlefield like a whirling, razor-edged snowflake.

Prerequisite: Bardic music ability, Perform (dance) 6 ranks.
Benefit: By expending one of your daily uses of bardic music, you may perform a deadly style of combat known as the snowflake wardance. Activating a snowflake wardance is a free action, and once activated, you add your Charisma modifier to your attack rolls with any slashing melee weapon you wield in one hand. This bonus to hit stacks with any bonuses you get from a high Strength score (or Dexterity score, if you are using Weapon Finesse).
You cannot use this feat if you are carrying a shield, wearing medium or heavy armor, or carrying a medium or heavy load.
A snowflake wardance lasts for a number of rounds equal to your ranks in Perform (dance). Performing a snowflake wardance is physically tiresome - when the snowflake wardance ends, you become fatigued for the next 10 minutes.


Melodic Casting

Prerequisite: Perform 4 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks, bardic music class feature.
Benefit: Whenever a Concentration check would be required to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability (such as when you cast defensively or are distracted or injured while casting), you can make a Perform check instead.
In addition, you can cast spells and activate magic items by command word or spell completion while using a bardic music ability. Bardic music abilities that requite concentration still take a standard action to perform.
Normal: A bard can't cast spells or activate magic items by command word or spell completion while using bardic music.

Haunting Melody

Type: General
Sources: Eberron Campaign Setting
Heroes of Horror

You can use your music to inspire fear.

Prerequisite: Bardic music, Perform 9 ranks.
Benefit: When you sing or use some other Perform skill, you can inspire fear in enemies within 30 feet of you. Any opponent in range must succeed on a Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your bard level + your Cha modifier) or become shaken for a number of rounds equal to your ranks in the Perform skill. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
Special: Using this ability counts as one of your daily uses of bardic music


Inspirational Boost
SPC
Bard
Level 1
Action: Swift
Range: Personal
Effect: Increase bonus of Inspire Courage by 1


Improvisation
Transmutation
Level: Bard 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
You gain access to a floating "pool" of luck, which manifests as bonus points you can use as desired to improve your odds of success at various tasks. This bonus pool consists of 2 points per caster level, which you can spend as you like to improve attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks, although no single check can receive a bonus greater than one-half your caster level. You must declare any bonus point usage before the appropriate roll is made.

Used points disappear from the pool, and any points remaining when the spell ends are wasted.

These points count as luck bonuses for purposes of stacking.

For example, a 14th-level bard pauses while chasing a pickpocket to cast improvisation. At any time during the next 14 rounds, he could use the points to provide him a +7 luck bonus on a Spot check, a +7 luck bonus on a Climb check, and a +7 luck bonus on two of his attacks.

Material Component: A pair of dice.


Whirling Blade
Bard 2
Casting Time: one standard action
Effect: 60 foot line

You hurl a weapon at the time of casting. It makes one normal melee attack at your highest BAB at everyone in its path, though you can substitute your Intelligence or Charisma modifier for your Strength modifier.

The weapon deals damage just as if you had swung it in melee.


After attacking, it returns to your hand unerringly.

Focus: The slashing weapon which is thrown.


Ruin Delver's Fortune
Transmutation
Level: Bard 4
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1d4 rounds

Choose from one of the following effects when you cast the spell. Once chosen, the effect cannot be changed for the duration of the spell.

* Gain an insight bonus on Fortitude saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier; also gain immunity to poison.
* Gain an insight bonus on Reflex saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier; also gain the evasion class ability.
* Gain an insight bonus on Will saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier; also gain immunity to fear effects.
* Gain temporary hit points equal to 4d8 + Cha. modifier. These vanish at the end of the spell.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Don't bother with Extra Songs. Take Dragonfire Inspiration, Song of the Heart(ECS), Words of Creation(if you meet the prereqs, BoED), Inspirational Boost(spell, SpC), and, depending on stats, Snowflake Wardance(FB). Toss a bunch of d6 onto everyone else's weapons, then make the weapons better. As a Bard you don't do much, you make everyone else do the work, and you get the girls. Because you caused the victory, even if they don't know it. Bards can do combat, but not without a specific build, and without knowing your stats, I can't tell whether or not it's a good idea.

[MeklorIlavator]

Can you find out what the Cleric is doing? Because if he's a melee build then he shouldn't have the skill points, skills, or stats to out skill you except possibly in Diplomacy. As for making yourself useful, what books can you use and what are your current stats/feats/race/etc.

In any case, without lots of resources Bards aren't gonna be smaking stuff around. They are primarily party buffers, in that they help everyone else. If that doesn't appeal to you talk to your dm about changing characters.

[Stupendous_Man]

Don't bother with Extra Songs. Take Dragonfire Inspiration, Song of the Heart(ECS), Words of Creation(if you meet the prereqs, BoED), Inspirational Boost(spell, SpC), and, depending on stats, Snowflake Wardance(FB). Toss a bunch of d6 onto everyone else's weapons, then make the weapons better.

Toss a bunch of d6 energy damage on everyone's weapons, then TWF with Snowflake Wardance...

[AppleChips]

Ah, my bad. I meant Wizard/Rogue. Edited as such.

I don't mind being the buffer, but it just so happens that for the most part, when my turn comes, I say "I keep on singing."

Thanks for the suggestions, Stupendous Man. I can't use alter self until next level, though.

[Stupendous_Man]

Ah, my bad. I meant Wizard/Rogue. Edited as such.

I don't mind being the buffer, but it just so happens that for the most part, when my turn comes, I say "I keep on singing."

Grab a whip, start disarming.

You can attack while singing, you know.

[AppleChips]

Really? I didn't notice that. Can you use 2 standard actions in one turn? I'm not sure telling jokes requires "concentration" (I took comedy.)

Oh, I just noticed TallKids post. What book is dragonfire inspiration from?

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Then take the Lingering Song feat(or don't, I rarely have battles last 3 rounds, let alone 5), and take Dragonfire Inspiration. First Round:Start singing Dragonfire Inspire Courage, cast Inspirational Boost. Second Round:Stop current song(lasts for another 5 rounds, or one minute with Lingering Song), start Inspire Courage, cast swift action spell. Third round: Enter combat or cast a spell, depending on your stats and how tough the enemies still are.

[Temp.]

What feats and spells do you have so far? What sources are available? I cannot fathom a Bard being useless--whether you focus on skills, spells or combat, there are ways to make the Bard very competent.

Also, what would you rather be doing in combat than standing around Inspiring Courage? It's not going to help you much if all our advice is on how to develop your buffing/offensive casting/piebaking when all you really want to do is hit things with a big club.


[potential edit-war:]

Oh, I just noticed TallKids post. What book is dragonfire inspiration from?

Dragon Magic. It's sort of out of reach now if you don't have a dragon-blooded background or a lenient DM.

[Stupendous_Man]

Really? I didn't notice that. Can you use 2 standard actions in one turn? I'm not sure telling jokes requires "concentration" (I took comedy.)

No, you can sing one round, then keep it up the next round if it's just Inspire courage or heroics.

The next round, you disarm someone with your whip. Snowflake wardance applies to whips, as it is a slashing weapon.

First Round:Start singing Dragonfire Inspire Courage, cast Inspirational Boost. Second Round:Stop current song(lasts for another 5 rounds, or one minute with Lingering Song), start Inspire Courage, cast swift action spell. Third round: Enter combat or cast a spell, depending on your stats and how tough the enemies still are.

IIRC, you can't have Dragonfire Inspire Courage, and regular Inspire Courage on the same bard.

[AppleChips]

Well, I think the big problem is that I didn't realize that one could take other actions while using bardic music. That in itself solves a lot of my problems.

And pie-baking would be helpful.

[Person_Man]

Don't bother with Extra Songs. Take Dragonfire Inspiration, Song of the Heart(ECS), Words of Creation(if you meet the prereqs, BoED), Inspirational Boost(spell, SpC), and, depending on stats, Snowflake Wardance(FB). Toss a bunch of d6 onto everyone else's weapons, then make the weapons better. As a Bard you don't do much, you make everyone else do the work, and you get the girls. Because you caused the victory, even if they don't know it. Bards can do combat, but not without a specific build, and without knowing your stats, I can't tell whether or not it's a good idea.

Sstoopidtallkid beat me to it. Many consider Dragonfire Inspiration + Words of Creation the win combo for Bards. Here's the full thread on the subject. Trust me, your team will love you.

[Who_Da_Halfling]

You can take other actions, but only some. You cannot cast spells with a verbal component (obviously, you're singing). the PHB has a list of actions you can take while performing bardic music.

Personally, I go with the Whip + Disarm/Trip thing. It's worked pretty well. We defeated the main villain of a dungeon (lvl 7 Ninja when the rest of us were lvl 4) by me disarming him while everyone else surrounded him and attacked until someone rolled a 26.

-JM

[Stupendous_Man]

You can take other actions, but only some. You cannot cast spells with a verbal component (obviously, you're singing). the PHB has a list of actions you can take while performing bardic music.

Melodic Casting lets you cast while singing, and use your Perform check in place of your concentration check for casting spells.

[LibraryOgre]

Really? I didn't notice that. Can you use 2 standard actions in one turn? I'm not sure telling jokes requires "concentration" (I took comedy.)

Oh, I just noticed TallKids post. What book is dragonfire inspiration from?

Starting bardic music requires a standard action; continuing it does not.

As for the rest... you're a gnome bard.

1) Start throwing illusions. What's your other spell? Simple Image? Let yoru friends know you'll be throwing some fake darkness around as a tactic. Start "mentally" picking up and throwing illusionary boulders... miss, but make them come close enough to distract people. Throw in some fake psionic manifestations, too, so they know you're a psion. Disguise Self? Turn into a werewolf. Sure, it isn't actually real... but people will take your claws (knife pricks) seriously if they're afraid of lycanthropy.

2) Hide and snipe. You're small, and you get a +1 to hit. Hide and throw things at people, or shoot a crossbow. Crack jokes the entire time, so you can claim to be continuing your bardic music.

3) As others said, use a whip. It adds 5' to your reach, and you can trip or disarm people from out of AoO range. Better yet, combine it with the spell "Animate Rope" to touch someone, then "tie and knot" around their neck or arm. Tie two enemies together, or the end of your whip to a tree.

4) When all else fails, use fire. I'm not kidding. Use Mage hand to move a torch into range of your opponents. Bull rush them with a lit torch at a range of 30'. Use a thing of lantern oil on them, first. Nothing says lovin' like armor as an oven.

[AppleChips]

According to the thread off of that link, inspire courage requires "continued use or concentration," as when they were talking about the Crystal Echoblade. Although the continued use might mean you can attack, according the the PHB, concentrating counts as a standard action, and correct me if I'm wrong, you can only take 1 standard action per turn.

Edit: Ninja'd

Also, my Lv. 1 spells are Heal Light Wounds, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, and Simple Image. Should I change any to disguise self?

[Temp.]

And pie-baking would be helpful.

Okay, so Piebaking it is.

You're going to want the Improvisation feat from Spell Compendium. It's a 1st level spell that will add half your level to the Craft (Pie) check. I believe it provides a Luck bonus.

Then you'll want a brief Marshal dip (Miniatures handbook; also available at the wizards site.). Take Motivate Intelligence as your first level feat. This'll give a +Cha Circumstance bonus to your craft checks.

The Obtain Familiar feat will be useful because your familiar gains the same skill ranks you do. If you fail to make a Masterwork cheesecake, your Weasel buddy just might be able to succeed. At worst, it can assist with your attempt, providing another +2 circumstance bonus to your craft check.

A Masterwork Pie Tin will give you another +2.

Skill Focus is an obvious mention for +3 untyped.

Exemplar (Complete Adventurer) grants a +4 competence bonus at 1st level. It doesn't give much else past then, but I'd stick with it regardless--you eventually bake so well that you become an extraplanar being.

Unearthed Arcana's Item Familiar feat (preferably used on your custom Pie Tin of Intellect) effectively doubles your Craft ranks; very useful for the aspiring Gnome Piesmith.

At some point you'll need a power point reserve so you can take the Psicrystal Affinity feat. You'll want the Artist personality for an additional +2, an extra helper and an extra chance to succeed on a failed check.

...I'd go on, but I'm out of time. I hope this starts you on the path of Pie-baking victory.

[Stupendous_Man]

According to the thread off of that link, inspire courage requires "continued use or concentration," as when they were talking about the Crystal Echoblade. Although the continued use might mean you can attack, according the the PHB, concentrating counts as a standard action, and correct me if I'm wrong, you can only take 1 standard action per turn.

Bardic Music

Starting a bardic music effect is a standard action. Some bardic music abilities require concentration, which means the bard must take a standard action each round to maintain the ability. Even while using bardic music that doesn’t require concentration, a bard cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), spell trigger (such as wands), or command word. Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf bard has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use bardic music. If he fails, the attempt still counts against his daily limit.


Inspire Courage (Su)

A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the bard sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and +4 at 20th). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.

Inspire Competence (Su)

A bard of 3rd level or higher with 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to help an ally succeed at a task. The ally must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the bard. The bard must also be able to see the ally.

The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as he or she continues to hear the bard’s music. Certain uses of this ability are infeasible. The effect lasts as long as the bard concentrates, up to a maximum of 2 minutes. A bard can’t inspire competence in himself. Inspire competence is a mind-affecting ability.

One involves concentration, the other does not.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

One involves concentration, the other does not.

Beyond that, the effects of Bardic Music last for 5 rounds after you stop, so it is perfectly fine for you to drop one effect immediately after starting it to do something else, most fights will stop before 5 rounds is up.

[AppleChips]

Ok then. Glad that's cleared up.

I think that illusionist idea might be good. Also, should I take a flaw for another feat? My friend mentioned one that removes the racial spells of a gnome, though I'm not sure if it's worth it.

[Fri]

Wait, I don't know that there's a bard who don't take lingering song. I thought it was like natural spell for druids... Maybe it's just me though.

[Stupendous_Man]

Ok then. Glad that's cleared up.

I think that illusionist idea might be good. Also, should I take a flaw for another feat? My friend mentioned one that removes the racial spells of a gnome, though I'm not sure if it's worth it.

The racial spells are things you'd get as a bard anyways, right?

[GrassyGnoll]

Multi-class into Chameleon.

It'll be fun.

[Raging Gene Ray]

Ok then. Glad that's cleared up.

I think that illusionist idea might be good. Also, should I take a flaw for another feat? My friend mentioned one that removes the racial spells of a gnome, though I'm not sure if it's worth it.

Those racial spells...are they those lousy cantrips that you can probably do as a bard anyway? That's all? That's pretty nice for a flaw. I say snap the offer up before the DM realizes they're getting the worse end of the deal.

But does this flaw also remove the bonus to the DCs for your illusion spells? If so, I'd think about it.

[LibraryOgre]

Ok then. Glad that's cleared up.

I think that illusionist idea might be good. Also, should I take a flaw for another feat? My friend mentioned one that removes the racial spells of a gnome, though I'm not sure if it's worth it.

That flaw might be worth it, since the racial spells don't get you a heck of a lot. You don't need to get rid of Tasha's, Cure Light Wounds (CLW), or Simple Image to use Disguise Self... it's an idea, not a requirement. The point of playing an illusionist is to think creatively, and take advantage of the fact that people don't have a chance to think about things that much.

As an example, I was running a 1st edition game; one of the characters was an Illusionist/Thief. His one spell for the day was Audible Glamer (the equivalent of Ghost Sound). That's it.

They came across a group of human bandits, operating near a keep on the borderlands. Earlier that day, they'd captured 3 of the bandits, and the monk in the party had stripped them bare (the corpses and the one guy with a broken leg). When they see 10 bandits (to their human monk, elven fighter/mage, and gnome illusionist/thief... and if people think monks are useless in 3e, they should've seen them in 1e), they come up with a plan. They quickly make scarecrows, put the captured clothes and armor on them, set them up outside the ring of firelight and hide. The gnome casts Audible Glamer, making the sounds of several men approaching, muttering about bandits, clanking in armor.

The human bandits see human-sized and shaped figures in the darkness. They hear them coming. They rush to attack... and are slaughtered when the party steps out from behind them. Before they can act, the gnome has stabbed two in the back, the elf has shot four, and the monk has stunned the leader. TPK on the bad guys, with only one spell cast.

Gnomes are illusionists. They aren't strong, they're clever. Be clever. Use your illusion and as a player... you could be mine.

;)

[LibraryOgre]

Multi-class into Chameleon.

It'll be fun.

Humans, dopplegangers, and changelings.

[GrassyGnoll]

Humans, dopplegangers, and changelings.

gnome bard (me.)

Oops. Anyone remember the abilities of Virtuoso? I remember seeing them and thinking 'mega-bard'. Seeing as how melee heavy your group is War Chanter may be a nice choice too.

[Flickerdart]

Or just go into Sublime Chord once you get the levels, and get full casting for the winsauce.

[LibraryOgre]

Or just go into Sublime Chord once you get the levels, and get full casting for the winsauce.

Great when you get the levels, and something to move towards, but it's one of those "When you get the levels" things.