Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 tkdb Mar 19, 2011 3:27:55	I have a character concept in mind, purely hypothetical at this point, but I'd like to use it in a game someday, and since I have plenty of free time right now being on spring break I figured I may as well try to figure out a potential build for it. The idea I have is a guy who buffs allies with rousing, badass speeches about glory and honor and justice and all that jazz, and then is more than willing to dive into the thick of things himself and get his hands dirty after everyone's good and pumped. Not necessarily a pugilist type like the term "brawler" might suggest (I just saw the potential for alliteration and couldn't resist :P), but definitely one that can hold his own at the front lines. My first thought was a Paladin/Bard using the Devoted Performer feat and Perform (Oratory) to fuel my bardic "music", but I'm open to any sort of build that captures the concept of an idealistic warrior who inspires the group to acts of heroism with grandiose speeches. Here's what I've come up with. Since this is just a rough draft, and I don't know even who might be DM'ing in whatever campaign I ultimately use this idea in, let alone how the DM will rule various potential gray areas that may arise, I've kept it pretty simple. Bard 1/Paladin 5/Harmonious Knight 1/Bard 13 1: Dragontouched, Draconic Heritage (Battle) 3: Devoted Performer 5: Extra Smiting (Holy Warrior ACF) 6: Draconic Aura (Senses) 9: Words of Creation, Song of the Heart (swap Inspire Competence) 12: Dragonfire Inspiration, Lingering Song (swap Suggestion) 15: Arcane Strike 18: ???, ??? (swap Song of Freedom for a bardic music feat?) Starting Attributes (assuming 32-point buy) Str 15 Dex 10 Con 14 Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 15 If the DM in whatever campaign I end up using this character in allows the Devoted Performer feat and the swap-songs-for-feats rule from ECS to extend to bard-based PrCs, I'd probably do Virtuoso in there, but since this is a purely hypothetical build and those are kind of gray areas I went with the simple version. Of course, it doesn't even need to be a bard or paladin in the first place, as long as it can mechanically capture the feel of an idealistic warrior full of contagious badassery. So both tweaks to this particular build as well as suggestions for totally different builds that might be more effective are welcome.
#2 Tempest_Stormwind Mar 19, 2011 14:08:17	Your approach is solid - and good call on the Dragonfire Inspiration. There's also the White Raven approach - a warblade or crusader can do this round-by-round (i.e. hit an enemy, shout out an inspirational command, and everyone within reach hits him too, or let out a battle cry and charge as a single unit), and there's even a bardic music / White Raven synergy feat that lets you do bardic music much faster while in a White Raven stance. (I like this concept too, which is why I converted the Marshal into a martial adept, but that's a houserule and I don't wantto get into gray areas either. The marshal's been updated a few times since Blood's rescuing of it from archive limbo, too... I should repost it one of these days.)
#3 tkdb Mar 19, 2011 15:05:37	Yeah, I'd read about Dragonfire Inspiration as a good way to do buff-focused bards before, and looking up the fluff for battle dragons I felt that a battle dragon heritage was perfect for the character concept, so that was a shoo-in. I hadn't looked much at ToB stuff before, but looking at it now I do like the idea of the Crusader.