Upgrading the Bard

[Zhure]

So far I've only seen one Bard played, so perhaps I've a misconception, but it seems to me that the Bard is a tad underwhelming.

For most classes, there are a number of "paths to power." For the bard, there seems to be only one or two. High DEX and become a missile specialist (i.e., archer, slinger, knife-thrower) or an interacter (High CHA and lots of social skills).

What other paths to power exist for the bard without multiclassing?

Greg

 

[Crothian]

I'm playing a bard with a minor tweak to the core class. I get 6 skill points a level instead of 4. I went with a whip as my primary weapon. However, to be truthful it's the Bard Music that is my main weapon. It helps out in every battle. With Song and Silence there is a feat, Subharmonics, that allows me to use bardic music quietly. That feat saves my life. Spell casting is also useful. I have cure light wounds to help the Druid with healing (we have no cleric in our party). Grease and Slow are my two big combat spells. Haste I use on the Monk. It's disgusting how good he is with that spell on him. Use Magic Device is a great skill. Add that with five ranks from Spellcraft and Decipher Script (each gives +2 synergy to use magic device: Scrolls) and I can use any scroll with ease. Scrolls are great!! To help in combat I have taken levels in the Lasher, but only two. I'm not going to max out that class unless we go well above 20th level, which we might.

I shine out of combat. Perform skill is maxed and I have Skill Emphasis Perform. Another feat from Song and Silence, Disguise Spell, allows me to cast spells while performing with no one realizing I'm casting a spell.

The biggest problem I've seen with people playing Bards is they try to make the Bard do what he's not good at. Bards are best helping out the other people. Bard Music is very cool, and Song and Silence did a great job with the musical instruments. Now I just wish someone would come up with a few Bard prestige Classes.

Edit: Spelling

 

[Galfridus]

So far I've only seen one Bard played, so perhaps I've a misconception, but it seems to me that the Bard is a tad underwhelming.

For most classes, there are a number of "paths to power." For the bard, there seems to be only one or two. High DEX and become a missile specialist (i.e., archer, slinger, knife-thrower) or an interacter (High CHA and lots of social skills).

What other paths to power exist for the bard without multiclassing?

Greg

The Bard is not really a "path to power" kind of class. Bards are good at a lot of different things, which makes it hard for them to be very good at just one thing.

 

[Umbran]

Outright power is not the bard's strongest suit. You notice how if you multiclass broadly, you get a lot of versatility without much raw power? Well, the bard has a similar modus operandi.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

As already pointed out, the bard is not a path to power but more of a utility character.

Your best assets are a good selection of class skills, and an excellent spell list. You weaknesses are you will never be great at combat (although you can help out other effectively) and very few spells both known and per day.

I recommend building up a library of of scrolls and think about picking up a wand or two. Spell completion items are reasonably priced. Stress flexibility.

 

[Ravellion]

I myself am going to try a Barbarian/Bard battlerager (devout follower of The Red in Kalamar) - you could use the bard class as a surrogate cleric class (cleric wouldn't have fit for the character)

Rav

 

[hong]

Has anyone here tried a bard/bladesinger? If so, how did it go?

 

[kenjib]

My bard is an information broker, and there's not another class that can do it better. They've got all of the social and knowledge skills (the only class who has both of these groups as class skills), useful spells like charm person, detect thoughts, legend lore, scrying, etc., and on top of all that they have bardic lore, which no other class can get.

After that they still have some more versatility left in them. I do all of the group healing right now, for instance, and the songs come in handy as well.

 

[MythandLore]

Outright power is not the bard's strongest suit. You notice how if you multiclass broadly, you get a lot of versatility without much raw power? Well, the bard has a similar modus operandi.

Similar, maybe, but why not just make a multiclass character then?

The Bard has the Lore and Perform abilities.
So it really isn't like a multiclass character, it's just a weak character that needs upgrading.

 

[Ravellion]

I did!

Has anyone here tried a bard/bladesinger? If so, how did it go?

I did, and it's flavour was nice. You lose some of the benefits from the bard though: You can't spellcast when singing. But I must say, I was a Fighter/Bard, since otherwise, it would have been too hard to qualify.

Rav