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Message: <blockquote data-quote="The Souljourner" data-source="post: 2309414" data-attributes="member: 1622">If you build a bard correctly, you can be just as useful as one of the four main classes.  You will never beat any of them at what they do best, but you will be 2/3 as good as any of them most of the time.The problem is that it's very easy to build a bard incorrectly.  The minute you start thinking about maxing out one part of your skillset, you're shooting yourself in the foot.  "I know, I'll max out my enchantment spells... bards are good at those, right?"  BZZZZ Wrong.  You have to do your best to balance all aspects of a bard's abilities.  That means spellcasting, fighting, and skills.  Healing... well, bards aren't ever going to be main healer or even secondary healer, but they can be a last resort healer.So here's what you need to do - first and foremost, make sure you have decent strength, 14 minimum.  You have BAB equal to a monk, rogue, or cleric... they can fight and so can you.  Don't gimp yourself by thinking you don't need to melee.  You do.  It'll be one of the main ways you help the party during combat.  Second - make sure you don't waste too many resources getting high Charisma.  Believe it or not, you really only need to start with a 14.  16 would be good, but is not strictly necessary.  You are not a blaster mage, where all your abilities depend on the opponent failing his saving throw.  Basically, an ideal bard has a 14 in everything (except wisdom, which is their only true dump stat).  14 14 14 12 10 14... there's a 30 point bard who will do pretty well.  You might be able to squeeze out a 16 charisma, but I don't think it would be worth the sacrifice.  Long before you get to 5th level spells, you should have a +2 charisma item, so casting them won't be a problem.I played a bard, and I was a big help to the party.  We were 8th-ish, and my +2 to hit and damage was huge... add haste to that, and you're really increasing the party's damage output.  You really just need to play a bard like a rogue who gets spells instead of sneak attack.-The Souljourner</blockquote>

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