Help with a 3.x Undead-killing Bard

[Dozen]

Hello everyone! This is my first post here on EN World, hopefully I did everything as I was supposed to.

There is this Bard NPC I had in mind for quite some time. The idea behind her reason for adventuring would be that she was haunted by undead in her early years, a certain weaker ghost in particular, who terrorized her for selfish reasons until she snapped both mentally and at the ghost, which she "killed" and then set on the road to find and roast all dead who can't help but or willingly mess with people.

So far so good, but Bards aren't exactly up for the whole crusade against unnatural monstrosities thing, and all anything I have decided about her before I began optimizing just doesn't fit. Multiclassing into Cleric or Hunter of The Dead isn't a viable option with her sub-par trauma-ridden Wisdom score, and frankly the way I picture her, she'd look ridiculous in heavy armor. Divine/Favored Soul doesn't make much sense with this backstory either.

So I chewed through all my books and... found nothing:/. I'm not looking for some overpowered build, mind you, but I just can't find viable ways for her to pose more than a moderate threat to undead. I know bards weren't made for combat in the first place, but you see that defied a lot, and I'm only looking for an anti-undead char, not an all-around killing machine.

Here are a few things I already established and not willing to change unless there is a good reason:
Stats at first level: Str 8-10, Dex 12-14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 8-10, Cha 16-18
Alignment: True Neutral(Evil)
Tier(If you think it matters): 2-4
Perform checks: String instruments
Anything that allows for some Light spells(aside from Shadow Evocation) is a bonus. Extend Spell List from the Netbook of Feats maybe?

This is very limiting, I'm aware. And also desperate enough to use material from any splashbook and even some web sources worth their salt, at least as a base if nothing else. Does anybody have ideas to make this work? Should I come up with a new class/sub levels/alternative class features instead?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Some good stuff to be found in this similar thread: http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-legacy-discussion/327058-help-bard-ravenloft-3-5-a.html

If you multiclass into Battle Sorcerer, you open up some options. It will expand your spell options to incoude more direct attack spells while letting you still cast in armor, for one. In addition, you can get access to more feats and more use out of certain feats*:

1) take Celestial Sorcerer Heritage and then CS Lance: Celestial Sorcerer Lance Feat

2) Reserve feats like Blade of a Force or Invisible Needle will give you options against incorporeal undead, as will Transdimensional Spell and Ghost-Touch Spell.












* this tool will help you sort things out Feats Finder

 

[Dozen]

Hmm... I haven't considered Reserve feats. Yeah, I think I might make use of at least one of those, thank you! I'm not sure about a sorcerer though, especially not the Battle variant. Fighting in the front lines with a Con of ten is a bad idea; might as well go for a normal sorcerer, and I already scratched that, for the same reasons I did with Favored Soul. If you have innate casting abilities and a ghost terrorized you, your self-preservance would go all "I've got this" and you'd be spamming Disrupt Undead at it in a week. I let players get away with b*t like that, but my NPCs stay clean. Maybe there is a PrC that gives you spells from other lists while you keep advancing your slots? That'd be the kicker.

On spells.... do you think the Cure Wounds group would be viable? Maybe if I combined Reach Spell with Easy Metamagic and Arcane Thesis? Or are there other positive energy spells for bards, some that are ranged?

Still, I think my best shots are the light spells. If I could just get my hands on the Glory or Sun domain somehow, without wasting a feat for each... I think I saw a PrC for druids that lets you use those 3 times a day, but I'm not sure if that's something I'd invest into. Divine Soul's out, for the above reasons, and the party's Eldrich Disciple already sports levels in it; I'd feel renduntant, or a copycat even.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Solutions for being on the front line:

1) wear better armor- in your case, this means the Battle Caster feat & some Mithril...

2) use a reach weapon.

3) don't go to the front line.

4) boost your Dex and/or use defensive spells, like Mage Armor or Mirror Image.

Any combo of those will mitigate the need for a big Con- I usually play my Monks as Dex/Wis/Con builds, so they don't necessarily have a lot of HP.

As for other stuff...

1) check out the Divine Bard variant (SRD/Unearthed Arcana). It may help you out.

 

[Dozen]

I think I'll go with the third. I've already thought of Divine Bard; sadly, it's no use.

Also, not much good I have to say about monks, but they are damn hard to kill compared to bards with those saves and AC. Make it the Pathfinder version and I'd be terrified of 'em. Not the best example.

About the PrC, apparently all I needed to figure something out is to whine about it: Incantantrix! The bonus Meta feats fill in for those used up for Extend Spell List early on, it lets her see/hit Ethereals like it's ain't no thing, and after a while she'll have a non-stop Supernatural Death Ward on! That's a good start, at least. I'm still looking for ideas, come spread the word!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My point about Monks is that ther are lots of ways to boost your AC, and that is a non-ablative defensive resource; HP are ablative. That is, AC helps every time your opponent tries to hit you, but HP only help when you get hit, and decrease each time.

If you boost your AC enough, having onky a few HP isn't that big of an issue.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm not sure about a sorcerer though, especially not the Battle variant.

I want to clarify my reasons for suggesting multiclassing in some Battle Sorcerer levels:

1) as already pointed out, you get access to Sorcerer-only heritage feats, some of which are pretty nifty. While I already suggested the Celestial Heritage line, the Infernal line is just as fun in its own way- Infernal Sorcerer Shout is a conic-AoE sonic attack. How much does that scream (*ahem*) "Evil Bard"?

2) the class gives more HP than bard (d8HD), adds proficiency in a one-handed martial weapon, has armored spellcasting, and will open up more spells, faster, and of a wider variety. That will make it easier for you get the most use out of the Reserve or Metamagic feats. And the martial weapon? Might I suggest Flail or Warhammer for fighting those pesky undead who take less damage from slashing or piercing weapons.

3) you will get a familiar. Depending on your DM, this can be a blessing or a curse. Most of my DMs hate "pets", but I don't know your guy.

 

[Dandu]

Don't you gain power over undead by becoming a Dirgesinger?

 

[Dozen]

Power as in controlling them, not kicking their arse. And does it horribly. I could just take Song of The Dead(P.S.: I will), an enchantment spell and do the exact same thing better than the poor guy.

My point about Monks is that ther are lots of ways to boost your AC, and that is a non-ablative defensive resource; HP are ablative. That is, AC helps every time your opponent tries to hit you, but HP only help when you get hit, and decrease each time.

If you boost your AC enough, having onky a few HP isn't that big of an issue.

Of course, I want to max out AC just like everyone else! A mithral Breastplate with some fancy anti-undead enchantments will be just right enough. I already worked out the tank/defense buffer for the group, and... okay I will admit I made it pretty much unkillable Don't judge me!

1) ...How much does that scream (*ahem*) "Evil Bard"?

This bard is not evil.

2) the class gives more HP than bard (d8HD), adds proficiency in a one-handed martial weapon, has armored spellcasting, and will open up more spells, faster, and of a wider variety... And the martial weapon? Might I suggest Flail or Warhammer for fighting those pesky undead who take less damage from slashing or piercing weapons.

While I thought I might just allow everyone to play it safe with 1/2 or 3/4 HD if they don't want to take risks, in my experience, it barely matters even then. As you said, AC is more important.

Most of my DMs hate "pets", but I don't know your guy.

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm the DM, and being the histrionic idiot I am, I just let players get away with everything that isn't broken to hell and back for a couple o' metaphorical or literal hugs. I find it fun to just let the things flow as long as the party wants to play instead of ruining your game with a breaker combo on a see-if-I-can basis anyway. Maybe I should run a game for you and your pals for a change of pace? I won't have the time to run another campaign for a while though.

Again, this is an NPC and an ally of the party. The goal here is to take a Bard and make a decent undead hunter out of it so she won't be a bother and fits in her own backstory, not to come up with the best Charisma-based undead hunter build possible. Nobody wants a character around that only exists to show off how cool the DM thinks he is while the rest of the party just watches like it was a cutscene.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

This bard is not evil.

Well...yes & no. How did you mean:

Alignment: True Neutral(Evil)