Anyone out there good with bards?

[allonsy.alana]

I usually play fighter-types, but I'm trying my hand at a bard for a new campaign, so I need help. It's ninth level, and it's short, so there will not be very much, if any, character advancement. My current plan is Bard 5/Dirgesinger 4, and I'm looking for ways to boost that DC. I plan on taking Leadership, and I was wondering if there was a feat out there that would allow multiple bards' abilities to stack as far as determining DC, e.g. if I had a bard cohort. Does anyone know of a feat/feat tree that would do this? Any and all 3.5/Pathfinder books are fair game.

 

[Dandu]

Dirgesinger was rather mediocre from what I remember. Why are you taking it?

 

[allonsy.alana]

Flavor, mostly. Since it's such a short one- or two-shot adventure, I thought I'd do something a little goofy. It was either that or mother cyst. But if you have any other cool suggestions, I'm definitely up for hearing them.

 

[Eldritch_Lord]

You want Doomspeak, from Champions of Ruin (also on the Crystalkeep site, if you don't have CoR). Spend a bardic music use to grant a target within 120 feet a -10 to attacks, saves, and checks for a round, Will DC 10 + character level + Cha negates. The DC of that Will save will be at least 4 higher than the normal DC at your level, giving them a greater chance of failing it, and after that your next music has effectively +10 to its own DC. Combine that with Arcane Accompaniment (PHB2, spend an arcane slot of level X to increase duration of bardic music by X rounds) and given enough music uses you can lock down a whole group of baddies for a whole combat.

 

[Dandu]

Use Melodic Casting to be able to cast spells while using Bardic Music.

 

[allonsy.alana]

Definitely taking Doomspeak, and also Undertone of Heresy (Dragon Magazine #336) and Extra Music for all those uses I'll be burning (we're using Pathfinder rules, so I've got five feats to pick). I was just really hoping for some sort of rock band kind of feel with the two bards aiding each other and wrecking everyone - Metalocalypse was my inspiration, actually.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Use Melodic Casting to be able to cast spells while using Bardic Music.

Ever since MIC came out, I've preferred just getting a Harmonizing weapon (preferably a crystal echoblade) rather than spending a feat on Melodic Casting or Lingering Performance. 10 free rounds of carrying the tune for you is generally enough.

And...OP says it's PF rules, so he can perform and cast simultaneously anyway...

Definitely taking Doomspeak, and also Undertone of Heresy (Dragon Magazine #336) and Extra Music for all those uses I'll be burning (we're using Pathfinder rules, so I've got five feats to pick). I was just really hoping for some sort of rock band kind of feel with the two bards aiding each other and wrecking everyone - Metalocalypse was my inspiration, actually.

If you can get the 3E Lingering Song feat (+5 rounds of effects) instead of the much crappier PF version from the APG (only +2 rounds of effects), might be worth a feat. Starting as a move action, dropping the next round, and getting effectively 6 rounds of music for every 1 spent makes the bard's rounds/day ALMOST enough to last a real adventuring day.

As for your cohort, you or he should be a dragonblooded creature (preferably a sonic dragon or force or something equally unresistable) and get the Dragonfire Inspiration feat from Dragon Magic (or Races of the Dragon, I forget). Turns the +x inspire courage bonus into +xd6 energy damage to all allies' attacks, which will definitely stack with regular music, and be totally awesome. The reason to get a good parent dragon is because the energy damage matches that draconic lineage. If the DM restricts you to core dragons, get acid or lightning.

Never forget Song of the Heart feat (Eberron Campaign Setting) and Inspiration Boost spell (Spell Compendium), they're the heart of any good inspire courage optimization.

 

[Fajita McJones]

I have experience with a Bard, but I mainly play single-class characters. I can tell you this, Suggestion was THE reason why playing a Bard was fun for me. It's a very powerful ability with a Will Save that scales with your level and you have it available more times a day than you could hope for. That being said, if you see very little opportunity to use it in your short campaign then stick with just 5 levels of Bard. If you're wanting to get a bit goofy with your spell selection look into Bonefiddle from the Spell Compendium. It's not great, but it is basically the definition of a psycho-Bard.

 

[Dandu]

Ever since MIC came out, I've preferred just getting a Harmonizing weapon (preferably a crystal echoblade) rather than spending a feat on Melodic Casting or Lingering Performance.

Although being able to carry out multiple songs at the same time...