[3.5] Building Bards

[D4rkh0rus]

Hey GitP, Was wondering, what are some fun (and powerful) builds based around the bard class?

I heard to the Dragonfire inspiration bard, the sword dance bard and the one hander bard... but I have no idea how those builds work.

Can anyone give out any tips and stuff?

[gorfnab]

Some reading material:
Bard Handbook
Inspire Courage Optimization Handbook - Dragonfire Inspiration info is in this handbook

The "one-hander" "sword dance" Bard makes use of the feat Snowflake Wardance and the magic items Slippers of Battledancing, Crystal Echoblade, and Gauntlets of Heartfelt Blows.

One Bard build I like is Bard 8/ Virtuoso 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Virtuoso 8. 9th level spells, decent skills, almost full Inspire Courage.

[Red Fel]

Biff came up with a nicely obscene fear!Bard using Bard, Sublime Chord, and Nightmare Spinner and Dread Witch advancing SC casting. The result is musical terror. Let me see if I can dig it up...

Okay, found it:

A high Cha score is perfect for a Fear build, something like Bard 8/ Dread Witch 1/ Nightmare Spinner 1/ Sublime Chord 2/ Dread Witch 4/ Nightmare Spinner 4, using Inspire Awe (DM), Healing Hymn (CC), and Spellbreaker Song (CM) for Bard, plus you can trade your Suggestion song for Haunting Melody (ECS). Use the Half-Humans variant in Races of Destiny p150, especially since a Lesser Aasimar is already a Humanoid instead of Outsider, and you can get the feat Dreadful Wrath (PGtF). I've suggested this type of build before, though this one won't get the Inimidate bonus that comes with Half-Orc. I'd still use Unseelie Fey if possible with the Winter aspect so adjacent opponents take a penalty to saves equal to your Cha bonus.

[jiriku]

If you have exotic races available, it can be fun to challenge yourself by building a gloura bard.