Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Funny Slaughter 12-10-03, 04:38 AM	target: a cohort that provides maximum benefits for the whole party reading through the complete warrior i thougt about the cool combine-song-ability the war chanter has. bard3/ marshal3/warrior skald2/war chanter5/virtuoso3 with every class beside marshal stacking for bardic music you get quite some uses. minor marshal auras: art of war (cha to trip etc), determined caster (cha to casterlevel for SR-breaching) major marshal auras: resilent troops (+1 on all saves) one can also go for marshal7, but i think 3 is all you need and bard gives some extra benefits as well as qualifying for virtuoso. nad jarring song seemed like a cool add-on. anyhow, these are only 16 levels and i am not sure how to continue. one can take more levels in any of these classes, but eventually somebody has a good idea or, with the bard-dragon# can bring something better. open for ideas and comments, gs Funny
Boondoggle 12-10-03, 08:14 AM	Back when the Mystic Theurge was just released, I suggested it as a very useful cohort and someone (I think it was snow) posted a build involving some virtuoso levels. Unfortunately, we've since discovered the bard's music depends on level (correctly, IMO), so that build was nixed. However, I still think the idea has merit (a very diverse support caster with songs/auras) and could be built in some fasion. I'm too tired to do it right now, and I don't have all my books, so I'll leave it to someone else to contruct.
Funny Slaughter 12-10-03, 08:30 AM	i think with warrior skald and the virtuoso specifically stating that it grants all bardic music effects it would be logic to continue bards song-progression then. war chanter specifically states that it does not continue this progression which brings us to, assuming that you take the last 4 levels as virtuoso or skald, to bard song lvl 12. enough for inspire courage +2, inspire greatness and even song of freedom. would be also reasonable to say there are no rules and you stick wih bard songs at lvl3, but with the strict ruling of said 3.0-PrCs i think the stacking above is a good compromise. concerning the mystic theurge: thats a completely different cohort, not a bad one, but i wanted to make a passive helping one that can stay invisible, for example. using subsonic and similar feats no enemy will get the existance of this character, but all the allies will feel much stronger :) (personally i hate the hit to the leadership-score for dead cohorts) gs Funny
HoshiAdam 12-10-03, 08:38 AM	While it might seem a little silly, but a bard cohort could be useful on missions where you don't want him along - to sing about your adventures in the nearest town. If he does it enough, you will probably get the bonus to leadership score from being famous, which would cancel out the penalty if the bard died.
Funny Slaughter 12-10-03, 08:40 AM	which would cancel out the penalty if the bard died :king: you mean anybody would believe a dead bard? :rofl: gs Funny
HoshiAdam 12-10-03, 09:10 AM	If I were evil and looking to follow a necromancer, heck yeah I'd believe a dead bard that could still sing well. That takes some talent to raise a bard and keep thier singing talents intact. :devil: I just hope the necromancer would be nice enough to gentle repose him every once in a while.
Amalia Moonblade 12-10-03, 09:36 AM	Originally posted by Funny Slaughter :king: you mean anybody would believe a dead bard? :rofl: gs Funny You wanna know the really scary thing? There's a template for dead bards in Ghostwalk... :) One of the characters in my Epic campaign (an Egyptian follower of Set, the uber mystic theurge :)) is sinking his next five levels into Thaumaturgist. He's gonna have a Half-fiendish feral Androsphinx rogue 11 as a cohort (I know Feral is breaking the rules, but I'm willing to extend it to Magical Beasts as well). Just thought I'd share. :) -Amalia
Stoned Golem 12-10-03, 01:46 PM	Heartfire Fanner from Dragon 314 is just crazy as a cohort. You can give your allies up to three free feats of their choice, either ones you have or from the fighter list. And since pretty much everything in CW and a good chunk of the MiniHB is on the fighter bonus list that's a lot to choose from. As if that wasn't enough you can give the casters free usage of metamagic feats, boost the bonus from Inspire Courage (great with words of creation) and prolong rage and the like. It's only a five-level class, and it's arguably better than virtuoso. If you're talking cohort you'll never reach level 20, but in general you can pick up a bit of both. The reqs are only a bit tougher than Virtuoso, so if you go Heartfire Fanner first you can go Virtuoso at any point later.
HoshiAdam 12-10-03, 02:52 PM	For the last 4 levels, you might consider the Dragonsong Lyrist from the Draconomicon. Doesn't add to bardic music, but adds 2 caster levels over the last 4 levels and Greater Dragonsong, which is kinda like bardic music but adds some other bonuses.
catharz 12-10-03, 06:50 PM	I did a similar build for the Gith thread a few days ago (Second post from the bottom) http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=119839&perpage=30&pagenumber=4 If you play one of these high-cha type pary aids as a primary character, there really isn't a reason not to take a Cleric/Wizard/Mystic theurge (and possibly up their caster levels with Determined caster). Of course, if you're playing a Sorceror/Shugenja/MT, why not boost your caster level with one of these cohorts?
LordShade 01-28-04, 07:18 PM	Heh, even a Sorc/Shugenja/MT could dip 1 level into marshal (not what I'd do, but still) and add his massive cha bonus to something.
Belldandy 01-30-04, 10:54 AM	(or for others who can find a helm of opposite alignment, dominate spells and the like or other ways to get around alignement) Try a cohort as an imp fiend of possession at level 2 in the prestige class he can upgrade your sword (to a max of a +16 non epic weapon, built on a +10) think bane and alignment here for a max +2enhancement (a +7weapon anyone?) and +6d6 damage (bane, lawful and evil for example) Or at level ?5? he can give you +4 to all stats! (or to one stat depending on how you read it) JUST MAKE SURE YOU CAN CONTROL OR TRUST HIM or he can mess you up good! Plus how many other intelligent weapons can fight over your unconcious body, protect you in your sleep, and carry loads of things (bags of holding!) Hell in order to get into it he needs a base will of +2 what imps get, bard anyone? A singing sowrd that helps you fight 1/day!!! kick ass!
P33KAJ3W 01-30-04, 11:50 AM	Originally posted by Boondoggle Back when the Mystic Theurge was just released, I suggested it as a very useful cohort Our groups cohort is a M.T. and he rocks! He is an item making machine!
Morka 01-30-04, 02:04 PM	With that high CHA, add some pally levels (Aura of Courage). Then have this pally take those feats: Extra Turning, Divine Cleansing, Divine Resistance. Before starting to sing, all the allies receive many bonuses. Yeah, there is an alignment conflict, but I can't think right now of a class or PrC not LG that could do the same... A cleric could be enough for the turn/rebuke undead prerequisite, but what for the Aura of Courage?
PhaedrusXY 01-30-04, 02:17 PM	Originally posted by Morka With that high CHA, add some pally levels (Aura of Courage). Then have this pally take those feats: Extra Turning, Divine Cleansing, Divine Resistance. Before starting to sing, all the allies receive many bonuses. Yeah, there is an alignment conflict, but I can't think right now of a class or PrC not LG that could do the same... A cleric could be enough for the turn/rebuke undead prerequisite, but what for the Aura of Courage? Holy Liberator?
Morka 01-30-04, 02:34 PM	I just tought about it; Virtuoso & Warrior Skald aren't restricted in alignment. We could start the build with a LG paladin, taking ranks in Perform with the Cosmopolitan feat, then 1 level of sorceror to qualify for Virtuoso, and complete this later with a Warrior Skald. No bard levels, since most of the bardic songs are available to the Virtuoso and/or Warrior Skald. Complete this with some levels of Purple Dragon Knight! Does the Holy Liberator has an Aura of Courage?
Belldandy 01-31-04, 09:31 AM	Dunno but lots of the knight classes do. Why not just get an angel? The ghale is my favourite, you can cast curelight wounds at will. (at about 10th level) Combining this with the ability to go incorporeal and a feat allowing you to quicken the CLW. We originally had a monk enter (with the angel inside him, regeneratiing him, hey 2D8+10 hp a round is NOTHING to scoff at. And lets not forget about all the other abilities and spells she can be casting!
Lucian Risk 02-01-04, 01:33 PM	Originally posted by Morka I just tought about it; Virtuoso & Warrior Skald aren't restricted in alignment. We could start the build with a LG paladin, taking ranks in Perform with the Cosmopolitan feat, then 1 level of sorceror to qualify for Virtuoso, and complete this later with a Warrior Skald. No bard levels, since most of the bardic songs are available to the Virtuoso and/or Warrior Skald. Complete this with some levels of Purple Dragon Knight! Does the Holy Liberator has an Aura of Courage? Go Gnome with int 10+... Then you don't need that level of Sorcerer. (I thinik) HL Doesn't have Aura.