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Skjaldbakka
2005-07-15, 10:47 PM
So I am working on a character I am going to playing this fall. Its a new DM, so I am wanting to play a very DM and plot-friendly character. Heroic, chivalrous, and very likely to be reeled in by pretty much any plot hook that gets dangled in front of the party. I also like bards (and rangers also, but I play them far too much).

What I am wanting to do with this build, from a game-mechanics view, is to be a bard +. The trick with bards is that they can do everything, just not as well as the specialist. Bards are generalists. So the idea is to build the character to be better at the stuff that he isn't quite as good at as the main class by taking feats and skills to accomadate for his lack of focus.

Straight up human bard.

H I. Initiative
1 Combat Expertise
3 Weapon Finesse
6 Augment Healing
9 Arcane Strike
12 Quickdraw
15 First Strike or Ritual Combat
18 First Strike or Ritual Combat

Skills (all maxed ranks)
hide, move silently, heal, diplomacy, bluff, sense motive, gather information, perform (one type per point of int mod)

Stat priorities
Cha, Dex, Int, Con, Str, Wis

Weird Feats
Arcane strike-
requires 3rd level spells, and +4BAB
you may expend a spell slot to imbue a melee weapon with magical energy for 1 round (free action). It gains a +1 bonus to hit per spell level expended, and + 1d4 dmg per spell level expended.

Augment Healing
Prereq- heal 4 ranks
increases damage cured by the various cure spells by 2xspell level.

First Strike
Can be taken three times, gives +1d6 sneak attack damage against a flatfooted opponent in the first round of combat.

Ritual Combat
Gives 3 level one combat rites. If taken enough, can give higher level rites. Probably over-simplifyied analogy, but like spells for fighters. Requires wisdom of 11, and DM has not decided if ceremonial feats such as ritual combat will be in the game or not, and if they are, access to them will be via roleplaying and plot development.


Equipment focus-
1. Ring of Wizardry Type I
2. Magiced up defending rapier
3. Other AC buff items
4. Stat buff items (physical)

roleplaying-

I was watching the Last Unicorn, which is a great movie and I highly recommend it. In the movie there are many refences to immortality via the love, hate, or respect of an immortal being (that will remember your name when humans are fairy tales in books written by rabbits). i thought it would be an interesting character goal to become immortal in this manner, to be obsessed even, that his name not be forgotten, his memory not be destroyed by the vagaries of time and chance. It is not enough to be fabled in song and story by mere men, as they are mortal, and even the mightiest of empires collapse and are forgotten in time. But to have your name remembered by an immortal creature, that is immortality for us men.

On a completely unrelated sidenote, I still don't have a name for this character yet.

No seroiusly, I am trying to come up with a sutably heroic, dramatic-sounding name, that the DM will remember. If you have any ideas in this vector, or in the build for the character, or in his concept idea, any input would be appreciatied.

Umael
2005-07-15, 11:50 PM
I know it was not your intent, but your character actually sounds kinda... well... bland.

What you have is a D&D poster child. I expect to see him smiling with pearly whites and a massive dimple in his chin.

And honestly, I would not go with just "heroic" or "dramatic" sounding. Look first at the culture of the character and match it with the closest culture here on Earth. Find a few names that you like and try to say them with a dramatic flair.

If it sounds like a name that could make maidens swoon, minions flee, children cheer, and arch-villains curse their foulest oaths, then use it.

If you start putting "Mister" in front of the name or "the Magnificent" after the name, you might want to reconsider it.

Kulatu
2005-07-16, 12:37 AM
I know it was not your intent, but your character actually sounds kinda... well... bland.

What you have is a D&D poster child. I expect to see him smiling with pearly whites and a massive dimple in his chin.

And honestly, I would not go with just "heroic" or "dramatic" sounding. Look first at the culture of the character and match it with the closest culture here on Earth. Find a few names that you like and try to say them with a dramatic flair.

If it sounds like a name that could make maidens swoon, minions flee, children cheer, and arch-villains curse their foulest oaths, then use it.

If you start putting "Mister" in front of the name or "the Magnificent" after the name, you might want to reconsider it.

Well, he did say it was supposed to be DM and plot friendly because of their new DM.

As for a name...Umael has right idea.

CaptainSam
2005-07-17, 01:08 PM
Good for you, Skjaldbakka! As anyone who's DM'ed knows, it's hard enough to get the players to go along with your carefully laid plans as it is. Having a player that goes out of their way to move the plot along is a godsend.

I do think you may have missed the point of the Bard here. I've a couple of hints as a long-time Bard player, if you don't mind.

First of all, it looks like you're trying to usurp the positions of the other characters in the party. The Bard is not meant to be the better fighter, healer or spellcaster. More, he plays the part of Face in the A-Team. The Bard is the first point of non-combat contact with the party. He is the person who NPC's go to with a rumour, job or threat of death.

So, onto the build.

Race:
Human is a good start for the extra feat and points, but how about considering the Half-Elf? As well as the bonuses to Search, Listen and Spot, they also get +2 to Diplomacy and Sense Motive. Very useful to determine if the bloke who's just approached you on the street with the map of a dragon's lair is on the level or lieing through his teeth. At first level, with 18 CHA and diplomacy maxed out, the Half-Elf Bard can have a Diplomacy modifier of +14! If you want some real fun, try playing a Half-Orc Bard.

Feats:

Improved initiative: Can't argue with this, as it means that you would get to fire off your Bardic Music first.

Combat Expertise: Waste of a feat slot for a Bard. Bards don't get decent combat bonuses until about level 8. So taking something that ups your AC only as much as your BAB is not a good idea. Leave it to the fighter.

Weapon Finesse: Excellent choice for a Bard. With a high enough DEX, this means that all the class weapons become that bit more effective. At least to hit, if not damage.

Augment Healing: Where does this come from? Once again, this is another classes forte. Better to equip your Bard with a wand of Cure X Wounds.

Arcane Strike: Where does this come from? Not such a useful spell. Only one round? Sacrificing useful spells for a measly +1/spell level and +1d4 damage per spell level? Once again, leave the fighting to the Fighters.

Quickdraw: Another feat that is good for a fighter. Leave it to them. You don't really need quickdraw if you have Perform:Oratory or the spell Summon Instrument.

First Stike: At the level you have this pencilled in for, you should have a pretty kick-ass Rogue in the party. Doing a sneak attack in the first round of combat for only +1d6 will only result in the Rogue giggling at you as he does +8d6 per round from various advantageous positions during the fight. Also, this means you will not be able to initiate any Bardic Music, such as Inspire Heroics.

Ritual Combat: From the description, this is another one best left to the fighter.

Here is my suggestion for the Feat prgression, using the Human build:

Level 1:
Skill Focus: Perform (X)
Negotiator

Level 3:
Persuasive

Level 6:
Weapon Finesse

Level 9:
Leadership

Level 12:
Investigator

If you have access to other sources, I would also reccoment Feats such as Obscure Lore and Extra Music. I haven't bothered listing any further as I don't know myself what I would choose.

Skills:

Good choices with the skills. Don't forget to keep the Perform (X) skills maxed out. Also, you have forgotten the Knowledge skills. These are vital as Knowledge:History grants a synergy bonus to Bardic Knowledge.

Stats:

No arguement here, except maybe for STR. Not a high priority for Bards. Looking good is, naturally, all-important.

Equipment:

Where's your Bard's instrument? At least of masterwork quality, magical if you can get it.

Name:

You need something short, snappy and easy to remember....Kodak! No, that's copyrighted. Xerox! No, that sounds like a mage, oh, and it's also copyrighted. Anyway, keep at it, you'll come up with something. Make sure it's something you can live with, though. A bad name choice can haunt you forever. Fender Stratocaster, while very Bardic, is not really an in-character option, unless he's a goblin.

Anyway, I hope this helps you. Is you have any other questions, post away, and I'll help where I can.

Good luck, a Bards life is seldom an easy one, but it is infinately rewarding.

Captain Sam

Spuddly
2005-07-22, 12:45 AM
Try somethng short and non-fantasy. Nothing elfish, for the love of the gods!

Maybe Pope, or Bishop.

Leperflesh
2005-07-22, 06:01 PM
I love picking names. I can come up with random fantasy-sounding names all day long.

For your bard, I suggest a technique I sometimes use:
-start with an adjective which describes a positive character trait (example: Valiant)
-Change the word enough that it sounds like a name, but still recalls the adjective (Example: Valinor, Valimar, etc.)
-If you want an appellation (which might be normal for a renowned performer), add in the adjective (Example: Valinor the Valiant). It has the air of something a carnival barker would make up on the spot, based on your name.

Anyway, I usually just throw together syllables until something sounds good.

Here's some random names off the top of my head (assuming your bard will be male):

Chivalest
Brenthinor
Hansin
Berrimock
Dulcenth
Intrepil
Stalwin
Glorim
Charfid
Meb
Dilx
Prescothel
Paromie

I can just keep going and going.

Uthrac
2007-04-03, 08:40 AM
A great feat is Song of the Heart . . . all of your song abilities get an additional +1 . . . so your inspire courage, at +2 to hit and damage, is a great ability early on!

Skill Focus (Perform) isn't much of a feat, as the perform skill will only help in countersong and fascinate situations.

Most importantly, keep an eye on those synergy bonuses for skill selection! At level 2, 5 ranks in Bluff, Knowledge (Nobility), Sense Motive, etc. can really increase those diplomacy checks!

Telonius
2007-04-03, 08:53 AM
So I am working on a character I am going to playing this fall. Its a new DM, so I am wanting to play a very DM and plot-friendly character. Heroic, chivalrous, and very likely to be reeled in by pretty much any plot hook that gets dangled in front of the party. I also like bards (and rangers also, but I play them far too much).

What I am wanting to do with this build, from a game-mechanics view, is to be a bard +. The trick with bards is that they can do everything, just not as well as the specialist. Bards are generalists. So the idea is to build the character to be better at the stuff that he isn't quite as good at as the main class by taking feats and skills to accomadate for his lack of focus.

Will this DM allow Complete Scoundrel? There's a PrC there called "Master of Masks (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20070105a&page=3)" that might support mechanically what you're trying to do in the fluff. The prereqs aren't that terrible for a Bard - it's stuff you might well have taken anyway. Taking maybe a 3-level dip in it could get you what you're going for. Assassin and Gladiator sound like the two masks you would definitely want; pick two of Lord, Archmage, and High Priest to round it out.

EDIT: ...whatchama ... 2005?! Whoah, didn't mean to contribute to Necromancy. ::goes to seek out a Cleric for purification and atonement::