Good Bard Feats? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Good Bard Feats? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Fox Reeveheart
11-27-07, 09:28 PM I been itching to play a bard for my first time despite playing this game for 7 years o_o but my main thoughts are what kind of feats I would be taking?

Of the prestige classes the best bard prestige class I have seen is the Lyric Thaumaturge since it sticks closest to the bard class but gives you some extra arcane power depending on what spells you take.

So I'm thinking, what feats would just fit well with a bard do you think?

My guess is arcane strike
If you take certain spells like fireball or w/e if you go to the prestige class you can end up going with reserve feats which seem to be pretty cool.
Captivating Melody (CM)
Melodic Casting (CM)
Medium armor prof + battle caster? Who DOESN'T need more AC?
The versatile spellcaster feat from RotD? I think thats what it's called, too lazy to check the book myself in the next room O_o

Anything else ya'll can think of? I could have sworn there was some feat that could let you substitute your spell words for anything vocal and so you could cast a spell with nobody knowing (besides waving your hands around as a somatic component)
MareltEkiran
11-27-07, 09:45 PM Bard / Lyric Thaumaturgist / Sublime Chord is a pretty classic bard build. It's also pretty much the only way to be a bard with 9th level spells at the end, which is pretty important.

I believe that the feat you are talking about is Disguise Spell, which can be found in Complete Adventurer.

As for the other feats, Arcane Strike is probably a bad idea. Bards don't have much melee power and shouldn't go into melee. Also, you are going to have far fewer spells per day than most other casters, so you won't have any to spare for Arcane Strike... Unless you have ways to boost your number of attacks, the bonuses you get for it aren't all that great anyway.

Reserve feats are not that good of an idea, unless you continiously retrain it. Reason being that you'd have to take a spell with the right type every level or have the feat lose value. When you take Fiery Burst, you need to know Fire spells at a given level. You may take Fireball at 3rd level, which gives you a 3d6 burst of fire... However, using a standard action for 3d6 damage becomes a very poor use of your time after a few levels, so you need higher level Fire spells to make it worthwhile (and even then... by 20th level, even 9d6 is peanuts). Reserve feats are far better for classes like Wizards or Clerics, who just need to prepare the right spell in their highest slot on a given day.

Medium Armor proficiency... what's the point, given that you can just get Mithril Breastplate? Just make sure you have a half-decent Dexterity.

The other Complete Mage feats are a good choice for a Bard, though. Subsonics, from Complete Adventurer is also a good one. It allows you to use bardic music unnoticed (which combines very well with Melodic Casting).
Jaxgaret
11-27-07, 11:50 PM Some of the best feats for Bards are the excellent IC quartet of Song of the Heart + Words of Creation + Dragonfire Inspiration + Lingering Song; Melodic Casting, which is almost a no brainer and is one of the requirements anyway for the classic Bard6/LT4/SC10 build; and Subsonics for stealth purposes.
CrimsonDeath
11-28-07, 12:27 AM Bard / Lyric Thaumaturgist / Sublime Chord is a pretty classic bard build. It's also pretty much the only way to be a bard with 9th level spells at the end, which is pretty important.

Bard/Lyric Thaumaturgist/Sublime Chord will get more low-level spells, but Bard/Virtuoso Sublime Chord will get better Inspire Courage.

Also note that Lyric Thaumaturgist can only advance Bard casting. It cannot advance Sublime Chord casting.
Krusk
11-28-07, 12:53 AM I am a huge fan of lingering song. Now instead of worring about maintaining your song all of every combat you can do it round 1 and then whatever you please the rest.

Its in complete adventurer, and basically it lets you extend a song.
Jaxgaret
11-28-07, 01:07 PM I forgot about another great feat for Bards: Song of the White Raven, from ToB.
Fox Reeveheart
11-28-07, 04:23 PM Some of the best feats for Bards are the excellent IC quartet of Song of the Heart + Words of Creation + Dragonfire Inspiration + Lingering Song; Melodic Casting, which is almost a no brainer and is one of the requirements anyway for the classic Bard6/LT4/SC10 build; and Subsonics for stealth purposes.

Where is song of the heart, words of creation, and dragonfire inspiration?
Jaxgaret
11-28-07, 04:29 PM Where is song of the heart, words of creation, and dragonfire inspiration?

Song of the Heart: Eberron Campaign Setting

Words of Creation: Book of Exalted Deeds

Dragonfire Inspiration: Dragon Magic

Try using google.com (http://www.google.com/ig?hl=en) in the future if you need to find what book a certain feat is in.
El_Shawno
12-01-07, 02:05 AM Don't forget about Improved Initiative. The sooner you can start buffing, the better.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Fox Reeveheart 11-27-07, 09:28 PM	I been itching to play a bard for my first time despite playing this game for 7 years o_o but my main thoughts are what kind of feats I would be taking? Of the prestige classes the best bard prestige class I have seen is the Lyric Thaumaturge since it sticks closest to the bard class but gives you some extra arcane power depending on what spells you take. So I'm thinking, what feats would just fit well with a bard do you think? My guess is arcane strike If you take certain spells like fireball or w/e if you go to the prestige class you can end up going with reserve feats which seem to be pretty cool. Captivating Melody (CM) Melodic Casting (CM) Medium armor prof + battle caster? Who DOESN'T need more AC? The versatile spellcaster feat from RotD? I think thats what it's called, too lazy to check the book myself in the next room O_o Anything else ya'll can think of? I could have sworn there was some feat that could let you substitute your spell words for anything vocal and so you could cast a spell with nobody knowing (besides waving your hands around as a somatic component)
MareltEkiran 11-27-07, 09:45 PM	Bard / Lyric Thaumaturgist / Sublime Chord is a pretty classic bard build. It's also pretty much the only way to be a bard with 9th level spells at the end, which is pretty important. I believe that the feat you are talking about is Disguise Spell, which can be found in Complete Adventurer. As for the other feats, Arcane Strike is probably a bad idea. Bards don't have much melee power and shouldn't go into melee. Also, you are going to have far fewer spells per day than most other casters, so you won't have any to spare for Arcane Strike... Unless you have ways to boost your number of attacks, the bonuses you get for it aren't all that great anyway. Reserve feats are not that good of an idea, unless you continiously retrain it. Reason being that you'd have to take a spell with the right type every level or have the feat lose value. When you take Fiery Burst, you need to know Fire spells at a given level. You may take Fireball at 3rd level, which gives you a 3d6 burst of fire... However, using a standard action for 3d6 damage becomes a very poor use of your time after a few levels, so you need higher level Fire spells to make it worthwhile (and even then... by 20th level, even 9d6 is peanuts). Reserve feats are far better for classes like Wizards or Clerics, who just need to prepare the right spell in their highest slot on a given day. Medium Armor proficiency... what's the point, given that you can just get Mithril Breastplate? Just make sure you have a half-decent Dexterity. The other Complete Mage feats are a good choice for a Bard, though. Subsonics, from Complete Adventurer is also a good one. It allows you to use bardic music unnoticed (which combines very well with Melodic Casting).
Jaxgaret 11-27-07, 11:50 PM	Some of the best feats for Bards are the excellent IC quartet of Song of the Heart + Words of Creation + Dragonfire Inspiration + Lingering Song; Melodic Casting, which is almost a no brainer and is one of the requirements anyway for the classic Bard6/LT4/SC10 build; and Subsonics for stealth purposes.
CrimsonDeath 11-28-07, 12:27 AM	Bard / Lyric Thaumaturgist / Sublime Chord is a pretty classic bard build. It's also pretty much the only way to be a bard with 9th level spells at the end, which is pretty important. Bard/Lyric Thaumaturgist/Sublime Chord will get more low-level spells, but Bard/Virtuoso Sublime Chord will get better Inspire Courage. Also note that Lyric Thaumaturgist can only advance Bard casting. It cannot advance Sublime Chord casting.
Krusk 11-28-07, 12:53 AM	I am a huge fan of lingering song. Now instead of worring about maintaining your song all of every combat you can do it round 1 and then whatever you please the rest. Its in complete adventurer, and basically it lets you extend a song.
Jaxgaret 11-28-07, 01:07 PM	I forgot about another great feat for Bards: Song of the White Raven, from ToB.
Fox Reeveheart 11-28-07, 04:23 PM	Some of the best feats for Bards are the excellent IC quartet of Song of the Heart + Words of Creation + Dragonfire Inspiration + Lingering Song; Melodic Casting, which is almost a no brainer and is one of the requirements anyway for the classic Bard6/LT4/SC10 build; and Subsonics for stealth purposes. Where is song of the heart, words of creation, and dragonfire inspiration?
Jaxgaret 11-28-07, 04:29 PM	Where is song of the heart, words of creation, and dragonfire inspiration? Song of the Heart: Eberron Campaign Setting Words of Creation: Book of Exalted Deeds Dragonfire Inspiration: Dragon Magic Try using google.com (http://www.google.com/ig?hl=en) in the future if you need to find what book a certain feat is in.
El_Shawno 12-01-07, 02:05 AM	Don't forget about Improved Initiative. The sooner you can start buffing, the better.