Bards: do they even use feats?

[officeronin]

If you were an elf, you could work your way toward arcane archer.

The best success I've had is the archer route (PB shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot) -- sing and shoot while in combat. The extra arrows help, but the singing boosts everyone. Out of combat, heal and use skills. Beyond that level, I'd go for spell-based feats -- like spell focus enchantment and spell penetration. Craft Wonderous is not the worst choice in the world... Alternately, you could grab improved initiative, improved counterspelling, and reactive counterspell -- useful when you get dispel magic...

When you get high enough, you can do the clerical trick of greater magic weapon on both bow and arrow.

Bards will never be the heat of the party, but they can play a good support role.

OfficeRonin

 

[Harlock]

WotC has put out a monthly article on bards called Bardic Knowledge since January. The first article is here. It's worth a look see. I myself play an elven rogue/bard. If you're multiclassing, I think extra music is a must. I also have not gone the archery route preferring to stick with the more rogueish tumble-rapier route. Good luck!

EDIT: Oh, wand of cure light wounds runs 750 gp by the DMG. It's wonderful to supplement the cleric and feel useful.

750gp = 50d8+50hp That's one of the best deals in the game.

 

[Storminator]

I won't comment on feats, but here's a neat trick the bard I DM has used.

Fight defensively and aid other while singing.

You take the attack penalty to get the AC bonus, but you only have to beat a 10 to aid other. The fighter you're aiding can then put that +2 into Power Attack. Since you probably wouldn't have hit anyway, it's a pretty good deal.

If you have Expertise or tumble, it's even more effective.

And it fits in with the bardic persona, i.e. you're a support character, even in combat.

PS

 

[tarchon]

Re: Right...

A bbn1/brd1?! I don't see how that combination can be any good. You need too many good ability scores. A good str, dex, cha, and con. That's a lot.

Mine started with that combo too. It worked pretty well, even with average Con and Str.

 

[mooby]

Skill Focus: Perform sucks.

It doesn't add ranks to your Perform skill, so it won't help with your class abilities. Don't fall into that trap!

 

[MerakSpielman]

Some bard abilities have a DC equal to your perform check.

Also, it's great to get into the royal court and roll a 40 on your perform check. You can get oodles of money and build a great reputation! Contacts in the royal court are always nice.
That's if you do a social/role-playing emphasis game though (where bards, even as written, can actually shine).

 

[Glaurung]

This is a shameless plug for the upcoming Player's Guide to Bards, Sorcs, and Wizards by S&SS. It has plenty of new feats for bards as well as a new type of feat called the Tradition feat. Tradition feats are based on the character's musical background and training (as per the name ) and often create new uses for bardic music abilities. The book also has plenty of Bard-oriented PrCs-in fact you can find one (the Eroticist) at www.swordsorcery.com in the forums. The book is due out in July and was written by our own Piratecat, Ethan Skemp, and myself. (And as Nightfall will probably jump on to tell you, he contributed spells )

-Mike Gill

 

[fusangite]

Bards and feats. I only use the Players' Handbook; here's the list of feats I find especially useful:

1. Still Spell: Bards often wear light armour and sometimes need to get a spell off with no chance of failure; thus, Still Spell.
2. Spell Focus (Enchantment): A disproportionate number of Bardic combat spells are enchantments. This can be extremely helpful.
3. Weapon Finesse (Whatever): A Bard often has a much lower strength than dexterity. It therefore helps to have his main melee weapon keyed to dex not strength.
4. Spell Penetration: Any high level spell caster is well-advised to get this feat.
5. Dodge: I think the dodge suite is a good set of combat feats for bards, as is the archery suite depending on which martial weapon you've chosen.

 

[takyris]

Barbarian/Bard -- the original Skald. Perfectly viable character. Only downside is that you slow down the bardic spell progression, which is already a bit slowed down to begin with. Much more combat-effective, though.

If you're stuck with the PHB-feats alone, then I would suggest something that few if any other posters have suggested: Survival Feats.

I know, Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will, and Great Fortitude aren't glamourous, but there's just something about taking half damage on that fireball, shaking off that Hold Person, and not getting polymorphed into a goldfish that makes characters so much more fun to play.

In the game I DM, the party bard quickly gained the reputation of being "The Guy Left Standing". His player had gotten as many survival feats as possible. The guy didn't do a ton of damage to the bad guys, but he stayed on his feet.

Also, Skill Focus: Bluff or Sense Motive are great choices -- and if you can convince your DM to allow any of the Song & Silence feats, the ones that boost Bluff and something else are good instead. Basically, being the guy who might actually successfully make the lammasu bluff (the one that gives the target a +30 to his Sense Motive check) can come in REAL handy sometimes.

Other than that, Archery feats are a great idea. I once created a Bard/Ranger character just to tweak the noses of everyone who thought that both of the classes sucked. The archery route served my half-elven woodland minstrel quite well...

Although that's really another argument -- there are only a few classes that AREN'T good for bardic multiclassing. A bard with one or two levels of barbarian, fighter, ranger, or rogue gets a nice little boost wherever he's interested in getting it. Remember that Bard + Lightning Reflexes + 2 levels of Rogue = Evasion and Really Nice Save.

Oh, and Improved Initiative. Right up there with the Save Buffing Feats in terms of things that people overlook. Who doesn't like going first?

And Skill Focus: Use Magic Device. You're one of only two classes that get this. SF:UMD puts you on the road to being able to consistently use any wand or staff you find.

-Tacky

 

[Zaruthustran]

When picking feats, consider the future. Do you want to take this character into a prestige class? Then pick feats that are pre-reqs for that class.

Personally, I think the Shadow Dancer is a very cool, very useful Prc for a bard. It has prereqs of Dodge and Mobility. Those same feats are pre-reqs for Duelist, which is another good Prc for a bard.

Definitely consider Leadership. It puts your high Charisma to good use.

Speaking of high Cha, consider taking the feat Iron Will. It's a pre-req for the Holy Liberator prestige class, which gives you Divine Grace at 2nd level (that's the ability that gives you a bonus to all your saves = to your Cha bonus).

Last, Bard 7 / Holy Liberator 3 lets you qualify for the Geomancer prestige class. And that prestige class is pretty fun.

-z