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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Marimmar@Home" data-source="post: 1892365" data-attributes="member: 10099">Well, here's my take on a Bard:Bart the Bard, Human Bard 4thHP: 24Abilities: Str 14, Dex 16 (raised on 4th), Con 14, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 13Saves: Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +4 (modified for abilities and cloak of resistance)Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid ShotSkills: Diplomacy +5, Gather Information +10, Jump +8, Knowledge Local +4, Knowledge Nobility/Royalty +4, Perform Sing +7, Sense Motive +4, Tumble +11 (All skills modified for synergies, abilities and armor)Equipment: 5,400 gpArmor: +1 Chain Chirt (1,250 gp), masterwork buckler (165 gp)Weapons: +1 shortbow, composite (+2 Str bonus) (2,525 gp)Wondrous Items: +1 Cloak of Resistance (1,000 gp)Mundane: Longsword (15 gp), the usual stuff like arrows, rope, lantern, foodAC: 18 (+1 chainshirt, Dex), 19 with shield, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (we use a shield after all)Attack 10'-30': Shortbow +8 ranged (1d6+4/20x3); or shortbow +6/+6 ranged (1d6+4/20x3)Attack 30'-70': Shortbow +7 ranged (1d6+3/20x3); or shortbow +5/+5 ranged (1d6+3/20x3)Melee: We use Tumble to get away as far as possible and fire a shot, no 5' step since we will get pounded by a full attack.Spells: Known: 6/3; Cast: 3/30th--Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Resistance, Open/Close, Message, Dancing Lights1st--Cure Light Wounds, Identify, Detect Secret DoorsSince our Bard needs to be useful to the party I believe he should do the only thing that even a Wizard could be good at in combat - archery.Intelligence is not required as is Wisdom for a Bard, thus we remove them from the point buy list and concentrate on Strength to add some damage to our ranged attack and help us fight in melee when all else fails. Dexterity is needed for a high attack bonus, good Tumble skill and to compensate for weak armor. Constitution is needed for as many HPs as possible to compensate for a small HD. Our Charisma score doesn't need to be very high, it will only detract from putting points into more needed abilities. Along the way we will acquire a Charisma boosting item or two and if all fails we can still put some points into it at a later level. Having a 14 in Cha will give us a small bonus at 4th level but at 5th it's just another bonus spell and eventually you'll have to put up with not getting a new spell level immideately. We won't cast spells at enemies anyway and even if we did, our spells are always of a lower level than those of clerics and wizards, so 13 suffices right now.Our Will save will suffer for the Wis penalty but don't bother, your DM will think that as a Bard, this is your 'good' save and target someone else with Hold Person or other nasty Will save spells. Reflex is excellent helping to get some HPs through the fireballs to come next level and our Fortitude save is as good as it gets with 25 points to spend.As for Feats, we pick human to have an extra Feat to play with, allowing for good archery at 4th level. An elven Bard might be interesting as well but at 4th level he will miss a Feat so human is better.Skill selection is a mix of some social skills other characters are likely not to have and some survival stuff so that our bard isn't a liability and in constant need of saving. With some synergy use we can boost other skills we didn't even put a single rank into. Perform Sing at 6 ranks allows for all current songs to be played.Spell selection is no based on how can I be the most powerful guy in the party but chosen as to support the group by:- detecting magic and secret doors- identifying stuff- opening/handling chests and doors or other likely trapped things- lightening up the end of dark corridors or deep shafts- healingNot the munchkin guy but hopefully a member that the other party members think of as pulling his own weight.~Marimmar</blockquote>

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