Help on Bard Build - It's a matter of pride, folks.

[Synthetik Fish]

Like this idea, but as long as you're at it, I'd recommend adding a Flaming, or Shocking effect to the gloves, in addition to the normal plus to hit and damage. The extra damage from the energy effect helps (in many cases) to mitigate the fact that daggers don't pack a lot of punch.

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. Obviously, making them +1 would be the first step towards this. You could literally add almost any ability to these that you would a (ranged) weapon (in the instance for throwing daggers.) Some sort of bandoleer with the "Returning" ability could also prove to be useful...
Too bad they changed Heward's Handy Haversack in 3.5. You used to be able to draw things as a free action = great for throwing daggers.

 

[Synthetik Fish]

True, but if he wants to be fighting he probably won't be casting spells in combat. Prepping for combat, or out of combat, the shield is easy to put down and pick up.

Ben

That and, a buckler is only 5% chance of failure. Again, I stress that you are a bard and NOT a mage. You won't be casting the high volume of spells that a mage would- probably 2 SPELLS per encounter max... and more than likely only one, paired with your perform (unless teh scuffle lasts a long time, I find that self-boosting spells can be hard to get off as every spell you cast means one less round of fighting.)

 

[Synthetik Fish]

No, it doesn't.

You can draw a weapon as a free action as part of a normal move - not as part of a 5-foot step.

Anyone who wants to use throwing daggers needs to pick up the quickdraw feat.

Point condeded.

As a side note, I think Quick Draw is stupid- stupid in the sense that you need to have it or some other means to draw daggers to use if you have more than one attack a round. You don't need a feat to use a bow more than once a round, or to shoot a sling-- and with a sling you are retrieving bullets from a pouch, which could arguably take MORE time than drawing a dagger. Drawing a dagger requires a feat because to balance daggers, you say? Well... considering that sling's have a (much) farther range, do the same damage AND that you can also add your strength to damage (and keeping in mind that you don't need a feat) no, I don't think daggers are any more powerful at all. At the very least, let someone draw daggers from a bandoleer as a free action... I would even be willing to be compromising and say that this "free draw" of the daggers only applies to when you are throwing them in combat, meaning that you couldnt just walk up to soemone, quick draw a dagger as a free action and stab someone... it would only work if you are taking a full-round action and have ALREADY attacked with a thrown dagger once that round.

On second thought, consider using a sling instead of daggers for the Jester (if the DM isn't willing to compromise with drawing the daggers.)

Personally though, I'd go with daggers if you can... they're just damn cool

 

[kanithardm]

Go for Diplomacy coupled with speak language. Now that you can speak to everyone, diplomacy is virtually mind-control with no save. All those synergy skills, and so few skill points. Sigh....

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

You don't need a feat to use a bow more than once a round, or to shoot a sling-- and with a sling you are retrieving bullets from a pouch, which could arguably take MORE time than drawing a dagger.

Hmmm?

Sling: Your Strength modifier applies to damage rolls when you use a sling, just as it does for thrown weapons. You can fire, but not load, a sling with one hand. Loading a sling is a move action that requires two hands and provokes attacks of opportunity.

You can hurl ordinary stones with a sling, but stones are not as dense or as round as bullets. Thus, such an attack deals damage as if the weapon were designed for a creature one size category smaller than you and you take a –1 penalty on attack rolls.

 

[Synthetik Fish]

Hmmm?

Huh. Didn't know that. Guess I never looked into slings that much LoL. Was that changed from 3.0, do you know?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Possibly. It's not mentioned in the 3.0 SRD, at any rate.

 

[Synthetik Fish]

You still don't need a feat to fire a bow more than once a round

I think as long as you are throwing daggers as part of a full round action, and have already thrown one that turn, that you should be able to draw the rest that turn automaticly as a free action, assuming that they are somewhere easily accessible like in a bandoleer across your chest or on your belt. ESPECIALLY if they are "throwing" daggers (ie. can't really be used in melee)

 

[SelcSilverhand]

I try to collect good bard tactic threads when they come up, so here are two of the better ones you could look at. They might give you some inspiration.

http://www.buckbd.com/games/bards.html

http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6830179&postcount=11

 

[diaglo]

You still don't need a feat to fire a bow more than once a round

I think as long as you are throwing daggers as part of a full round action, and have already thrown one that turn, that you should be able to draw the rest that turn automaticly as a free action, assuming that they are somewhere easily accessible like in a bandoleer across your chest or on your belt. ESPECIALLY if they are "throwing" daggers (ie. can't really be used in melee)

look at the shuriken for example.


i think what you are trying to do is Rapid Reload or TWF...


under the 2000ed rules it was on pg 100 of the PHB under the crossbow....