Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Blas de Lezo 11-11-05, 08:05 AM	Ok, this thread has to deal with 2 topics: 1) CORE CLASSES AND BARDS In my opinion (you may agree or not) each core class has main three fields of action: one general, one specialized, and a support field, usually secondary but also important. A General field is considered something that the character is good at in all the ways. IE, a barbarian, a paladin and a fighter have all good BAB, good HD and martial weapon proficiency, so their General field is combat. A Specialized field is the main resource inside the General field. IE, a barbarian is specialized in dealing melee damage thanks to his rage ability. A Support field is a secondary field that helps the character from time to time, although it's not his main field of action. IE, a paladin has access to minor spellcasting. If we consider that core classes are going to follow their stereotypical role, we could make the following classification: Barbarian: General field: combat; Specialized field: dealing melee damage; Support field: skills/defense (due to damage reduction). Fighter: General field: combat; Specialized field: combat tactics; Support field: defense (due to heavy armor proficiency). Wizard: General field: arcane magic; Specialized field: utility/blasting; Support field: versatility (due to unlimited spells known). Sorcerer: General field: arcane magic; Specialized field: blasting; Support field: resources (due to huge amount of spells per day). Cleric: General field: divine magic; Specialized field: healing/buffing; Support field: defense (due to heavy armor proficiency). Rogue: General field: skills; Specialized field: traps/sneak attacks; Support field: UMD. Paladin: General field: combat; Specialized field: fighting evil; Support field: minor spellcasting/defense (due to armor proficiency). Ranger: General field: combat; Specialized field: wilderness/tracking; Support field: minor spellcasting/skills. Druid: General field: divine magic; Specialized field: wilderness; Support field: wildshape/skills. Monk: General field: combat; Specialized field: battlefield control; Support field: special abilities/skills. Having this in mind, I don't agree with the usual "bards are jack-of-all-trades". Bards also follow this pattern, but with a slight difference: Bard: General field: social situations; Specialized field: bardic music; Support field: skills/arcane magic/divine magic What some peopole usually consider "jack-of-all-trades" is just that bards have the most powerful Support field of all core classes, but we must have in mind that his best feature it's his bardic music. Then, a well-optimized character usually focus in his Specialized field, in order to maximize his strenghts. IE, a barbarian chooses feats and PrCs in order to improve his Specialized field: damage at melee (Power Attack, Combat Brute, Frenzied Berserker, etc). Another example, a well-optimized fighter chooses feats and PrCs in order to improve his Specialized field: combat tactics (EWP: Spiked Chain, Improved Trip, Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Master, etc). So the bard should also choose feats and PrCs that improves his Specialized field: bardic music, as it's his most powerful feature. I wouldn't recommend a bard burning more than one feat in other fields, except, maybe, one feat to manage in combat (Power Attack or Weapon Finesse or Arcane Strike). Good bard feats just improve your music, such as Song of the Heart, Disguise Spell, Subsonics, Lingering Song, etc, or your Perform checks. Fascinate and Disguise Spell are two powerful features every bard should have maximized, and that leds us to the following topic: 2) MAXIMIZING PERFORM (HELP REQUIRED) OK, it doesn't matter if you don't agree with me; now is when I need your help. If you don't agree with 1), just give your opinion or ignore it, but give me a hand with this. ;) I know the proper feats and PrCs to maximize the bardic music, but I don't know how to maximize the Perform skill. I've just come to: Feats Skill Focus (Perform): +3 Versatile Perfomance (CAdv): +2 Nymph's Kiss (BoED): +2 Epic Skill Focus (Perform): +10 Item Familiar: +23 Equipment Masterwork instrument: +2 Songblade (CAdv): +4 (+2 from masterwork and +2 from special properties) Circlet of Persuasion: +3 Cloack of Charisma +2/+4/+6: +1/+2/+3 Tome of Leadership and Influence +5: +2 Stone of Good Luck: +1 Necklace of ? (I don't remember the exact name, it's from CAdv): +5/+10 to Perform (Sing) Classes and PrCs 1 level dip in Marshall (+Charisma bonus to all Charisma skills) 2 level dip in Half-Elf Paragon (+2 on all Charisma-based skills) Ok, that's my limit. And here's the big question: Is there any other way of improving your Perform checks? I want it as high as heaven. All official books allowed.
Blade2718 11-11-05, 11:35 AM	Look for the the CO Board of World Records, which has the world record Perform check. It's somewhere around 150.
Blas de Lezo 11-11-05, 01:30 PM	Look for the the CO Board of World Records, which has the world record Perform check. It's somewhere around 150. Hum... interesting, but that build uses Dragon Magazine material, I don't consider that "official". I forgot about Item Familiar, I'm adding it now. By the way, what's Perfomance (Weapon Drill)? It looks interesting. And there are many feats I'm not familiar with: Way of the Sparrow, Hymnist, Dragonsong and Sooth the Beast, does anybody know where are they from?
Blade2718 11-11-05, 02:06 PM	Dragonsong I believe is from Draconomicon. The rest I am unfamiliar with as well. Even if you drop the magazine material, your perform check is still far more than you could achieve with just core books.
Blas de Lezo 11-12-05, 12:18 PM	Dragonsong I believe is from Draconomicon. The rest I am unfamiliar with as well. Even if you drop the magazine material, your perform check is still far more than you could achieve with just core books. Thanks! I got it, very cool feat indeed! Anyone one knows about the others?