Post/Author/DateTime	Post
boytbpc 12-08-04, 02:18 AM	I've been playing a bard for a while and I have kept progressing as a bard without really thinking about it. I would like some opinions on what to do next. I have a 8th level cleric cohort (she lost a level because of resserection). The campaign is Forgotten Realms and we are fighting Shades as the main bad guy. The party currently has, in addition to me and my cohort, 1 straight wizard, 1 wiz/Master of the Unseen Hand, 1 Hexblade/Dragon Disc, 1 straight Rogue. My DM hasn't done anything with my followers, but that is going to change this level. Here he is as stands Race: Gnome Class: Bard 11 Alignment: CG STR:10 Dex: 15 (17 Gloves of Dex) Con: 15 Int: 14 Wis: 11 Cha:19 (25 Cloak of Cha) Feats: Extra Music Spell Casting Prodigy Lingering Song Leadership Skills to Note: Bluff Concentration Decipher script 5 ranks for synergy Diplomacy Disguise Gather Info Knowledge (History) 5 ranks for Bardic Knowledge Syn Perform (String, Brass, Vocal) Sense Motive Spellcraft 5 ranks for synergy UMD Languages Important Gear MacFuriths Cithern Hewards Handy Haversack Chainmail +1 Ring of deflection Amu nat armor Cloak of Cha Gloves of Dex and a whole bunch of magic items that the group gives to me because no one else wants them. Any ideas would be killer. Thanks Boytbpc
mkuhne 12-08-04, 03:29 AM	Song of the heart (Erberron campaign setting) is a nice feat for bards. It increases the bonus for inspire *, notably inspire courage, by one. I'd ask permission to swap it out for extra music, which appears to lose its attractiveness with higher levels. Apart from that, what do you want to be? Spellcaster? Ranged fighter? Diplomat? Backup rogue? Dungeoneering expert?
Mommy was an Orc 12-08-04, 09:56 AM	Generally speaking, the real power of the Bard is in Bardic Music, so Bard 20 is a good thing. The problem as I see it with your character is that you're using your feats on things of little long-term value - Spellcasting Prodigy and Extra Music. Lingering Song and Leadership are good ones, but I find the best Bards are ones who pick a particular area of focus and then concentrate on it.
Eyeless Blond 12-08-04, 11:59 AM	One idea I had for a bard feat was Ability Focus in the Suggestion bardic music ability. Is this possible, or can you not take Ability Focus in class features? Or would it be even better: taking Ability Focus in Bardic Music?
boytbpc 12-08-04, 10:43 PM	Generally speaking, the real power of the Bard is in Bardic Music, so Bard 20 is a good thing. The problem as I see it with your character is that you're using your feats on things of little long-term value - Spellcasting Prodigy and Extra Music. Lingering Song and Leadership are good ones, but I find the best Bards are ones who pick a particular area of focus and then concentrate on it. I agree with extra music being a bad choice, but +2 on spellcasting DC's is always a good idea. The big problem I have now is that my group is so unorganized that I have got to fill all possible roles, because their characters always choose to do what they want to do, not what is best for the party. Any ideas on good feat choices? Boytbpc
mkuhne 12-09-04, 05:21 PM	I recently played a bard up to 12th, and found the versatility very useful up to 7th or 8th level. After that, if you have a specialist fighter, rogue and spellcasters in the party, those are going to outdistance you as they become more powerful. That would be the time for the bard to find an area to focus on, and start buying feats and equipment to support that role. I recommend not to multiclass the bard as it's already a multiclass upon itself.
boytbpc 12-14-04, 12:09 AM	Well, I leveled him as a bard. I took words of creation from BOED. My cohort and I fly out of range of the melee and I start playing so hard it hurts. Now I just have to be exalted all the time :) My party REALLY likes the new feat when I'm using it to inspire x, but they have started to complain about me fascinating and suggesting everything. Boytbpc :evillaugh