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

[Zebster]

Paladin Bard

This is a good melee build that I have played variations of....

LG human bard 1 / paladin 1

Level Feats
1 Power Attack, Song of the Heart (Eberron CS)
3 Devoted Performer (CV) to make it legal
6 Words of Creation (BoED)
9 Snowflake Wardance (Frostburn)
12 Arcane Strike (CW)
15 Practiced Caster (Bard) (CA)
18 Craft Magic Arms & Armor

(my GM allowed Devoted Performer at 1st, so you might inquire, if allowed then move Power Attack down to lvl 3)

Alternatively, drop PA and Divine Might and go for Lingering Song and a feat of your choice (maybe Lyric Spell)....or pick a flaw from UA that you can live with and pick it up at lvl 1.

Build
-----
Paladin 4 / Bard 16

Str 16
Dex 15
Con 14
Int 15
Wis 4
Cha 17

lvl
4 cha
8 dex
12 cha
16 cha
20 cha

Read +5 tome of charisma, +6 cloak of charisma, +5 tome of wisdom, +6 periapt of wisdom, wearing a +6 belt of str

Str 22
Dex 16
Con 14
Int 15
Wis 15
Cha 32

saves
F 5 4 11 2 = 22 +5 = +27
R 10 1 11 3 = 25 +5 = +30
W 10 1 11 2 = 24 +5 = +29


Spells:
1st Inspirational boost (CV)

So at level 6, you would have +2 (1 class x2) +1 feat and +1 spell = +4 to inspire courage to your party
[Some do it another way (+1 class +1feat+1 spell x2 = +6)]
At level 20:
+3 class + 1 feat + 1 spell
either +8 or +10 with words depending on how GM rules the doubling

Magic items
weapon of choice (two handed best) with harmonizing from Waterdeep, let the sword keep singing your Inspire Courage! and the above mentioned tomes & ability modifiying equipment. magical mithral breastplate. ring of wizardry III or IV. Ring of Evasion 'cause of your great reflex saving throw. vest of resistance +5


So at lvl 20, with the conservative inspire courage, while hasted, dancing and activating Divine Might and Arcane Strike, say with a +5greatsword:
BAB +16 +6 str +5 wpn +8 inspire + 11 charisma +6 arcane strike +1 haste = +53/+53/+48/+43/+38
Dmg 2d6 +5 + 9 str + 11 cha +8 inspire +6d4 courage = 2d6 +33 +6d4

Even without the arcane strike & haste, you are looking at +46/+41/+36/+31 and 2d6+33


The great thing is that this isn't just at 20th, you will be doing steadily more damage as you increase in levels, plus the + for inspire will be given to your party as well. I had a Sublime Fochlucan Lyrist doing almost as much damage at 20th lvl (while burning a 9th lvl spell slot) that put a hurtin' on a balor the party fought.

If you are hitting stuff easily, burn some BAB into PA, especially with a two handed weapon, for even greater damage output. If nothing else, you could take the + from inspire and convert the like amount to damage.

Your party won't be laughing at bards after that.


Other cool options, depending on how relaxed your group is for PrCs...

Bard 8 / Paladin 2 / Sublime Chord 2 / Sacred Exorcist 8

 

[Scratched_back]

I'd give back the MW instrument and take the MW weapon, personally.

... unless you're using the instruments from, say, Complete Adventurer, which allow you to shift around your bonuses when using your bardic abilities...

That's exactly what I'm using Mr Elvenshae. Upon first inspection the Trumpet, Drum and Horn all look live viable options.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

That's exactly what I'm using Mr Elvenshae. Upon first inspection the Trumpet, Drum and Horn all look live viable options.

Ahah!

That makes more sense, then! Keep in mind that, in 3.5, all your perform skills are separate. I can't recall if those instruments have separate Perform requirements to benefit from them or not, but using more than one or two will become prohibitively skill-point intensive.

 

[irdeggman]

This is a good melee build that I have played variations of....
Build
-----
Paladin 4 / Bard 16

Your party won't be laughing at bards after that.


Other cool options, depending on how relaxed your group is for PrCs...

Bard 8 / Paladin 2 / Sublime Chord 2 / Sacred Exorcist 8

You wouldn't be able to advance as a bard if you switched to paladin (bards's are forbidden from being lawful) or as a bard if you were a paladin (both the alignment restriction and the fact that multiclassing is prohibitted for a paladin). Paladins must be LG while bards can't be Lawful.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Paladins must be LG while bards can't be Lawful.

You'll note he specified the "Devoted Performer (CV) to make it legal" feat.

That's a feat in CV that allows you to fully multiclass Bard and Paladin, stack their levels for some effects, and ignore the nonLawful restriction on bards.

 

[irdeggman]

You'll note he specified the "Devoted Performer (CV) to make it legal" feat.

That's a feat in CV that allows you to fully multiclass Bard and Paladin, stack their levels for some effects, and ignore the nonLawful restriction on bards.

Yes, I lost that it the loong write up. True enough and legal too.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Yes, I lost that it the loong write up.

I did, too. I had to go back and check!

 

[Zebster]

I did, too. I had to go back and check!

Heh, guess I got carried away typing it all up.

 

[Scratched_back]

Keep in mind that, in 3.5, all your perform skills are separate. I can't recall if those instruments have separate Perform requirements to benefit from them or not, but using more than one or two will become prohibitively skill-point intensive.

I don't have the book in front of me this second, but I'm pretty sure they require a category of instrument to be specified. I.e. "Perform (Percussion)" or "Perform (Stringed)".

I also noted another spell in Player's Guide to Faerun (Or PGF or whatever you crazy kids are calling it nowadays ) called Harmony which is another +1 to Inspire Courage effects.

So, unless I'm very much mistaken, all of these un-named bonuses stack and at 3rd level a Bard can give his entire party +5 to hit for an entire combat. Now that's fruity.

 

[Synthetik Fish]

Since you're playing Forgotten Realms...

Spellcasting Prodigy is probably the single BEST feat out there...

>>NOTE<< this is an awesome feat for spellcasters whose PRIMARY CONCERN is casting spells. If you want to be an enchanter, take it. If you want to work off boosting your party with Inspire Courage & Co., it's not as crucial (I'd say stick with Inspire Courage, but was just throwing out another option for ya.)