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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 2669957" data-attributes="member: 35788">Wow.  Alot of questions.  Let's see.As far as making the bard a fighter - go ranged.  But if you're using a buckler you probably already know that.  The bard and the cleric may have the same BAB progression ... but the clerics spell list and armor usage gives them the staying power to melee if they want.  bards ... not so much.Personally, if it were me, If there are 5 party members (including yourself) or more, I'd forget the combat thing altogether.  If there are at least 4 other people that you'll be fighting beside ... you'll more than likely get better use out of inspiring others than trying to do it yourself.  Keep a crossbow around just in case, but your instrument should be primary.Go for skills.  Half-elf or human are my favorite races to do a bard with.  Human because it grants you an early feat and a skillpoint ... half-elf because the bonus to Gather Info is nice for a bard.  Look for each and every Synergy bonus you can get for Diplomacy.  With the right build, your bard will more than make up for their lack of offense by simply "negotiating through" encounters that ordinarily would have led to combat - or at the very least spell usage and heals.  If your DM is doing things right, your diplomatic solution should earn the party just as much XP as swords and Magic Missles would have.  If you are starting at level one (and therefore can't get Synergies yet) take skills that will get you the bonuses at level-up.As far as Complete Adventurer goes ... if you follow my advice and are in a party of 5 or more - yes.  If you are in a party of 4 or fewer ... uh ... go something other than bard.  And that would also mean the Complete Adventurer won't help you out on your bard build.  [Yes, I state the obvious!]  But, if you continue with the bard build ... I love Versatile Performer as an early pick-up, but you need five ranks so it can't be 1st level.  Lingering Song is alright ... but at early levels the combat doesn't usually last too long anyway unless things are going badly.  Force of Personality can be nice - lets you not care about WIS score at all, essentially.  If you are following my suggestion, Extra Music is a must.  If you are thinking about multiclassing, some of the options in the Complete Adventurer are nice.  But personally I am not a fan of combining paladin and Bard because that tends to make the bard a frontline fighter (don't know why, but it does in most people's minds) so I stay away from that.  Ironskin Chant is alright, but the best DR is to stay off the front line, personally!  Obscure Lore is a decent midlevel feat if you have enough party members that you don't need to focus on staying alive in combat.In general, yeah - you can pull off a great bard.  But seriously, if you're in a small party go for something else.  If you don't you'll just be trying to compensate for whatever is missing ... and the bard isn't meant to compensate for missing skills.  The bard is meant to enhance existing skills.Hope this helps!Edit: Oh, if you are allowed Book of Exhalted Deeds material, try and convince your DM to let you take Nymph's Kiss - the feat.  As a bard, you should be able to squeeze it into your backstory ... and that feat is cool for CHA based characters.</blockquote>

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