Eternal Voice (38 bard, 1 pal, 1 monk)

[zerragon]

In test chamber at lvl 40:


Description:
This build takes advantage of the new bard epic spells included in HG, going
for 7 epic spells !, as well as perfect curses, songs and bard buffs,debuffs and heals.

Im using Half-Celestial which works very good for this build.

Base race: Human

(HC adjustment) (Siren adjustment)

Stat	Lvl 1	Lvl 40	Lvl 60
Dex	8 (8) (10)	(8) (10)	(8) (10)
Str	8 (8) (6)	(8) (6)	(8) (6)
Con	16 (16) (14)	(26) (22)	(26) (22)
Int	16	16	16
Wis	8 (14) (8)	(14) (8)	(14) (8)
Cha	16 (20) (18)	22	32

Level Breakdown:
12 Bard, 1 Paladin, 5 Bard, 1 Monk, 21 Bard

Skills:
You can max concentration, discipline, heal, lore, perform, umd and tumble whenever you want.
After this you will have 41 skill points left in lvl 40, split them up in pick pocket and spellcraft.

Stats:
(Half celestial) All stat points to Con
(Siren) 8 points to con, 2 to cha

Level	Feat (Half-Celestial)	Feat (Siren)
1	Toughness, Curse song	Same
3	Spell focus: Enchantment	Same
6	Greater sf: Enchantment	Same
9	Extend spell	Same
12	Silent spell	Same
15	Spell focus: Trans	Same
18	Greater sf: Trans	Same
21	Combat casting	Same
24	Lasting Inspiration	Spell focus: Evocation
25	(Bonus) Imp. combat casting	Same
27	Spell focus: Illusion	Same
28	(Bonus)Lingering song	Lasting Inspiration
30	Spell focus: Divination	Same
31	(Bonus) Greater sf: Illusion	Same
33	Spell focus: Conjuration	Same
34	(Bonus) Greater sf: Divination	Same
36	Greater sf: Conjuration	Same
37	(Bonus) Great Charisma 1	Same
39	Epic skill focus: Perform	Greater sf: Evocation
40	(Bonus) Great Charisma 2	Same

Book: Necromancy
(Half Celestial) Gets Greater focus Evocation for free.

Legendary levels:
6 x Epic spell focuses
LL enchantment @ lvl 60
All stat points to Charisma

Final saves:
Fort: 75
Reflex: 70
Will: 73

Final HP: 1251

Pros:
Extremely high saves
High hp (1251)
Master of epics, 7 powerful epics to use each rest
Excellent song capabilities
Can gmw +14 and keen anything
High heal skill gives very nice healing circles.
Good party buffs from spells and bard abilities.
SR 70 and levitation
Can use any scroll

Cons:
No meelee capability
Crappy ac, depends on buffs to survive, should carry a bunch of GS scrolls for emergencies.
No epics until lvl 57.

Alternative:
* If you want the 8th epic, skip Great Cha 1+2 for Greater spell focus: Abjuration.
In LL take Epic spell focis: Abjuration instead of LL enchantment.
I decided to go without as the Soaking ability wont be that fantastic wih charisma of 42. (16/+20).
With several epic warding sources available, the 50/+20 will often be active anyway.

* Epic sf: perform, lingering song, great cha1 and great cha2 can be replaced
without destroying the essence of the build. You could in fact get 4 Great cons instead for additional 120 HP, its a matter of preference and both options will yield decent results, but the one Ive chosen makes it more
flexible in terms of items. As well as I like the fact that you can start your Hells fun at lvl 57 instead of 60.

* You can also focus more on Charisma, it will yield a better effect for the abjuration epic, but the changes elsewhere are minimal, and better saves are definatly not needed.


Any improvement inputs are most welcome.

[phalthallus]

The only thing I would caution/mention is that the charisma modifier IS useful past 30 CHA, for 3 things (that I see): duration of the stoning effect of the Divination epic, the DR capabilities of the Abjuration epic, and the DC for all of the effects of the Evocation epic. Of those 3, the only one you are taking in this build is Divination, so it probably isn't a big deal. You'll simply be stoning for 3-5 fewer rounds or so, I would guess. A difference, to be sure, but perhaps not a huge deal.

I definitely agree that Con > Dex for bards now, especially given their great EV features. I've begun thinking along the same lines as what you mention here, and dropping Armor Skin on some of my caster builds, simply because 2 AC difference isn't going to matter at all in the Hells (and desert, etc).

One other note: you have Extra Music in there twice currently, at 28 and 39. I don't *think* this can be taken multiple times (though the wiki could be wrong here).

My wife and I have been talking about a new bard build, as she has what we believe to be the first true caster bard on HG, so we have seen it in action quite a bit (up through Phleg). She does not have a level of Monk, and doesn't really seem to miss the Evasion. But the only difference in a 58 and a 59 song is +1 will save (could be important) and +2 hp's. And yes, GS scrolls are your friend! Neither Curse Song nor Healing Circle "breaks" GS, so it's a wonderful scroll to use, and she chews through them pretty regularly. It's a wonderful, wonderful spell for bards.

Lastly, I would be interested in seeing this with Siren, and actually Dragonblooded. That's the best class I currently have for this type of build I think, and what I was thinking of using for my bard, giving +2 to CHA, INT, and CON, and the new 10% elemental bonuses it gets to acid, cold, electrical, and fire. I think Dragonblooded would be pretty straightforward, but the Siren one would be interesting, and even Fey - Satyr, with its free feat SF: Enchant (and the fact that it's a non-secret subby that could work for this build).

[alandrian]

As you are human, you dont get xp penalty because the bard levels are ignored and pal and monk levels are equal.
Do you really need combat casting? I guess you will be in gs most of the time anyway?

[zerragon]

Fixed extra music bug and included lingering song.
Also removed xp penalty.

Heard with a friend, and he suggested to drop extra music and lasting impression.
(Bards allready got plenty of songs and lasts quite long at lvl 60)
Could either get 2 more great cons, or the 8th epic, but at the cost of LL enchantment.

Do you really need combat casting? I guess you will be in gs most of the time anyway?

I think so, as you need to cast GS from scrolls and youll often not have it active. A personal preference perhaps, I allways get ICC on my casters.

[bort]

alandrian said:

Do you really need combat casting? I guess you will be in gs most of the time anyway?

GS scrolls won't lost as long as the GS lock timer, so you won't be in GS the whole time (certainly not while casting spells).

[ekstroem]

zerragon said:

Heard with a friend, and he suggested to drop extra music and lasting impression.

I think lasting inspiration is the one you want to keep (10x duration). Lingering is nice but not quite as important.

Cheers,

Claus

[bort]

edit: yeah, what quickdraw claus said

You might want to take Lasting Inspiration earlier too, maybe level 25 or 28

[phalthallus]

Actually to quote from the changes thread:

Bard Song

Feats: The order in which feats are checked has been changed, so that lasting impression adds 5 rounds to duration BEFORE lingering song multiplies duration by 10. The song of bard with both feats now lasts 150 rounds, where it used to last only 105.

So it's not 5 rounds, it's 50 rounds, which is much more significant. Just something to consider before you drop it.

[Ommadawn]

As far as im aware curse song does break greater sanctuary because it is an offensive action. I'll have to test that at the weekend when i get the chance unless anyone else can verify this.

Im also in the process of building a 38 bard / 1 monk / 1 paladin with a radiance genasi which will have 7 epics.

Just out of curiosity how do you plan on getting your perform up to 116 for the lvl 58 bard song? Or are you planning to use the boost from your own song to get the extra skill points required, or simply use items.

EDIT: Just to clear up any potential confusion my build will have 116 perform with just +20 from the illithid bard helm.

[bort]

phalthallus said:

Actually to quote from the changes thread:

Bard Song

Feats: The order in which feats are checked has been changed, so that lasting impression adds 5 rounds to duration BEFORE lingering song multiplies duration by 10. The song of bard with both feats now lasts 150 rounds, where it used to last only 105.

So it's not 5 rounds, it's 50 rounds, which is much more significant. Just something to consider before you drop it.

Ah.

ommadawn said:

As far as im aware curse song does break greater sanctuary because it is an offensive action. I'll have to test that at the weekend when i get the chance unless anyone else can verify this.

Curse doesn't break GS, i've tested it.

[Ommadawn]

Interesting.... It broke GS for me when i did it before, and i just realised that i can take all 8 epics

[bort]

ommadawn said:

Interesting.... It broke GS for me when i did it before, and i just realised that i can take all 8 epics

Odd. I'd put it down to the general buginess of GS.

[zerragon]

I think lasting inspiration is the one you want to keep (10x duration). Lingering is nice but not quite as important.

Ah right, i misunderstood the description and thought it was opposite.
Also, this would debate the fact that Shard is the best choice for this build,
as they would have to sacrifice something else to reach the same amount of
epics as Half Celestial.

Just out of curiosity how do you plan on getting your perform up to 116 for the lvl 58 bard song? Or are you planning to use the boost from your own song to get the extra skill points required, or simply use items.

64 base+16 (cha modifier) + 36 from items = 120.
No problem there, still 14 more to get from items as well, and my own song will eliminate Hell penalties.

Interesting.... It broke GS for me when i did it before, and i just realised that i can take all 8 epics

Yeah, definatly possible, but I dont really see the big need for the Abjuration epic, unless you focus more on charisma. Though, 1 turn each lvl with x/+20 soaking can be nice.
As mentioned, could get it by dropping lingering song, extra music AND ll enchantment.

[Ommadawn]

My bard focuses more on charisma and a slightly different feat choice also. Out of curiosity what items are you using to boost perform?

[zerragon]

Bard UR armor, soul mirror, bard TIA equipment, and perhaps Bard bur equipment if I can get hold of that afterwards.