About the paladin/bard builds [Archive] - Wizards Community

About the paladin/bard builds [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
CygnusDarius
10-17-06, 05:21 PM I've seen these for a while, and although I do like them (flavor-wise), they're a bit confusing, especially with the fact that the classes clash in some sense and you must have a good reason for doing something so contradictory (at least with the few DMs I've gamed with).

So, to the point: which PrCs that aren't Campaign-based are good for such a build? I guess the ones such as Virtuoso or bard-based ones are out because of the alignment.

Anyways, my ideal barladin (or would it be palabard?) build is this a human Paladin 4/Bard 6/Fist of Raziel 10, mostly bevause it's a melee masher with a bit of arcane and other stuff to boot, but I'm sure a lot would preffer less melee and more buffs.
Prominence
10-17-06, 06:27 PM You'd be better off with Divine Bard, in which case you'd be better off with prestige paladin. D.Bard 7 / Prestige Paladin 3 / Fist of Raziel 10.
FriendlyFrog
10-17-06, 06:59 PM They are so common here because you can get the best abilities of both Paladins and Bards. Two feats, Devoted performer and Initiate of Milil combined give you something like a double progression PrC without actually having to take a PrC.

A Bard 4/Paladin 16 has almost as good music capabilities as a Bard 20, and Smite evil as a 20th level Paladin. Presige classes will hurt either your music or your Paladin abilities.
X-Codes
10-17-06, 07:13 PM They are so common here because you can get the best abilities of both Paladins and Bards. Two feats, Devoted performer and Initiate of Milil combined give you something like a double progression PrC without actually having to take a PrC.

A Bard 4/Paladin 16 has almost as good music capabilities as a Bard 20, and Smite evil as a 20th level Paladin. Presige classes will hurt either your music or your Paladin abilities.
Thats the big thing. Prestige Classes will drop your Music and/or your Paladin abilities. Also, a Bard 4/Paladin 16 *does* have everything a Bard 20 has asaide from spellcasting, and it *does* have everything a Paladin 20 has asaide from 1 smite per day and one or two uses of Remove Disease.

Granted, Initiate of Milil is FR-Specific, but you can do something mostly the same as a Bard 4/Crusader 16 with the Song of the White Raven feat in ToB. If you are in a ToB-enabled Eberron campaign, then you should change it to Bard 6/Crusader 14 so you can pick up Song of the Heart for free by ditching Suggestion.
Kuroi Kenshi
10-17-06, 07:51 PM Maybe it's just me, but I always thought that Sacred Exorcist makes sense with a bard/paladin build. Being an exalted bard also goes along with the bard/paladin angle. Furthermore, a bard with words of creation would naturally be drawn to becoming a sublime chord. After all, they're obsessed with the song of creation, a divine event! A simplified version of one of my favorite builds is

Bard8/Paladin2/Sublime Chord2/Sacred Exorcist8
Basically an artistic, charismatic holy warrior who uses both arcane and divine energy to purge evil from the land. You don't have to be exalted, but it would fit.
GaffeR
10-17-06, 08:11 PM Or,
Bard 8/Pal 2/SC 2/SE 4/EK 4. Tis a nice build, to be sure. Sacrifices a level of SC casting for 16 BAB.
ninjarabbit
10-17-06, 08:16 PM monk2/bard1/paladin17 with the devoted performer, ascetic knight, and initate of milil feats, now you add some monk abilities to the mix including almost full unarmed strike, evasion, flurry of blows, and monk feats
Kuroi Kenshi
10-18-06, 12:29 PM Or,
Bard 8/Pal 2/SC 2/SE 4/EK 4. Tis a nice build, to be sure. Sacrifices a level of SC casting for 16 BAB.Now that abjurant champion is out, I'd probably go for that in place of EK. Sure you lose a net of 2 feats, but by that late in the game I think you'd want level 9 spells a level sooner. Way better HD and class abilities too.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
CygnusDarius 10-17-06, 05:21 PM	I've seen these for a while, and although I do like them (flavor-wise), they're a bit confusing, especially with the fact that the classes clash in some sense and you must have a good reason for doing something so contradictory (at least with the few DMs I've gamed with). So, to the point: which PrCs that aren't Campaign-based are good for such a build? I guess the ones such as Virtuoso or bard-based ones are out because of the alignment. Anyways, my ideal barladin (or would it be palabard?) build is this a human Paladin 4/Bard 6/Fist of Raziel 10, mostly bevause it's a melee masher with a bit of arcane and other stuff to boot, but I'm sure a lot would preffer less melee and more buffs.
Prominence 10-17-06, 06:27 PM	You'd be better off with Divine Bard, in which case you'd be better off with prestige paladin. D.Bard 7 / Prestige Paladin 3 / Fist of Raziel 10.
FriendlyFrog 10-17-06, 06:59 PM	They are so common here because you can get the best abilities of both Paladins and Bards. Two feats, Devoted performer and Initiate of Milil combined give you something like a double progression PrC without actually having to take a PrC. A Bard 4/Paladin 16 has almost as good music capabilities as a Bard 20, and Smite evil as a 20th level Paladin. Presige classes will hurt either your music or your Paladin abilities.
X-Codes 10-17-06, 07:13 PM	They are so common here because you can get the best abilities of both Paladins and Bards. Two feats, Devoted performer and Initiate of Milil combined give you something like a double progression PrC without actually having to take a PrC. A Bard 4/Paladin 16 has almost as good music capabilities as a Bard 20, and Smite evil as a 20th level Paladin. Presige classes will hurt either your music or your Paladin abilities. Thats the big thing. Prestige Classes will drop your Music and/or your Paladin abilities. Also, a Bard 4/Paladin 16 does have everything a Bard 20 has asaide from spellcasting, and it does have everything a Paladin 20 has asaide from 1 smite per day and one or two uses of Remove Disease. Granted, Initiate of Milil is FR-Specific, but you can do something mostly the same as a Bard 4/Crusader 16 with the Song of the White Raven feat in ToB. If you are in a ToB-enabled Eberron campaign, then you should change it to Bard 6/Crusader 14 so you can pick up Song of the Heart for free by ditching Suggestion.
Kuroi Kenshi 10-17-06, 07:51 PM	Maybe it's just me, but I always thought that Sacred Exorcist makes sense with a bard/paladin build. Being an exalted bard also goes along with the bard/paladin angle. Furthermore, a bard with words of creation would naturally be drawn to becoming a sublime chord. After all, they're obsessed with the song of creation, a divine event! A simplified version of one of my favorite builds is Bard8/Paladin2/Sublime Chord2/Sacred Exorcist8 Basically an artistic, charismatic holy warrior who uses both arcane and divine energy to purge evil from the land. You don't have to be exalted, but it would fit.
GaffeR 10-17-06, 08:11 PM	Or, Bard 8/Pal 2/SC 2/SE 4/EK 4. Tis a nice build, to be sure. Sacrifices a level of SC casting for 16 BAB.
ninjarabbit 10-17-06, 08:16 PM	monk2/bard1/paladin17 with the devoted performer, ascetic knight, and initate of milil feats, now you add some monk abilities to the mix including almost full unarmed strike, evasion, flurry of blows, and monk feats
Kuroi Kenshi 10-18-06, 12:29 PM	Or, Bard 8/Pal 2/SC 2/SE 4/EK 4. Tis a nice build, to be sure. Sacrifices a level of SC casting for 16 BAB.Now that abjurant champion is out, I'd probably go for that in place of EK. Sure you lose a net of 2 feats, but by that late in the game I think you'd want level 9 spells a level sooner. Way better HD and class abilities too.