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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Stormrunner" data-source="post: 2535193" data-attributes="member: 13471">Spell-wise, there are a number of good spells that are either available only to bards, or that bards get early.  Tasha's Hideous Laughter can be highly effective - I'd take that and Inspirational Boost as your 1st-level spells.You get 5 cantrips - and your choices include two bard-exclusive ones, Lullaby and Summon Instrument.  Most power-players remove the need for Summon Instrument by taking Oratory, Poetics, or the like as their Perform choice, which seems mildly cheesy to me, but oh well.  Lullaby can be useful for sneaking past guards and the like - the rogue will be your friend, but the rest of the party might prefer to just attack and who cares if they sound the alarm.I always take Mage Hand and Prestidigitation, they are the most flexible cantrips.  The ability to "twiddle" things at a distance, or levitate small objects, has a thousand and one uses.  As for Presti, it may not be flashy in combat, but you can: provide the party with hot food/drink without the need for a smoky and visible fire, dye everyone's clothes/armor appropriate colors for the terrain to gain a circumstance bonus of Hide (or appropriate colors for members of the enemy army if you're doing a little spying), fool someone into thinking you are a powerful wizard (e.g., sparks jumping off your fingers then threaten to "shocking grasp" them unless they do as you say), etc. - it's the Swiss Army Knife of cantrips.  Daze is good at low levels, especially if you can raise the DC with a feat or something.And carry a whip, even if ti's not your primary attack form.  You can automatically use one as a bard, while everyone else has to spend an Exotic Weapon feat, so you might as well carry one.  The 15' reach comes in handy.  A masterwork buckler is a must - +1 to AC, no skill check penalty, and it doesn't tie up a hand.  If you can afford the extra 1,000 gp for a mithral one, no spell failure chance either - if not, 5% isn't bad, especially since your spells are unlikely to be of the "This spell must go off or we all die" type.</blockquote>

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