Blackguard 45/Bard 5/BBD 10 (Please give me feedba

[blksabbath74]

Okay, this is a reworking of my COT/Bard/BDD.

I didn't see anything in Blackguard that required it to go over beyond 41 to get all the effects, and his Smite will work on anything. I had to shed some feats, but overall, I think I accomplished everything I set out for...However, PLEASE let me know what I have inevitably missed here...

Thanks in advance...
Blackguard Version

"Nymphkin"
- FCs: Highest Class, Bard
- CHA +2, DEX -1, WIS -1, speaks Animal, speaks Sylvan
Strength at least 13
Charisma 18

1) Bard 1 (Blooded)
2) Bard 2
3) Bard 3 (Power Attack)
4) Bard 4 (Cha +1)
5) Bard 5
6) BDD 1 (Cleave)
7) BDD 2
8) BDD 3 (Cha +1)
9) Blackguard 1 (Great Cleave)
10) BDD 4
11) BDD 5
12) Blackguard 2 (Cha +1, Extra Smiting)
13) BDD 6
14) BDD 7
15) BDD 8 (Weapon Focus: Longsword)
16) BDD 9 (Str +1)
17) BDD 10
18) Blackguard 3 (Improved Criticals)
19) Blackguard 4
20) Blackguard 5 (Str +1)
21) Blackguard 6 (Great Smiting I)
22) Blackguard 7
23) Blackguard 8
24) Blackguard 9 (Great Smiting II, Str +1)
25) Blackguard 10
26) Blackguard 11
27) Blackguard 12 (Great Smiting III)
28) Blackguard 13 (Great Smiting IV, Str +1)
29) Blackguard 14
30) Blackguard 15 (Great Smiting V)
31) Blackguard 16 (Great Smiting VI)
32) Blackguard 17 (Str +1)
33) Blackguard 18 (Great Smiting VII)
34) Blackguard 19 (Great Smiting VIII)
35) Blackguard 20
36) Blackguard 21 (Great Smiting IX, Str +1)
37) Blackguard 22 (Great Smiting X)
38) Blackguard 23
39) Blackguard 24 (Toughness)
40) Blackguard 25 (Str +1)

Legendary Levels

41) Blackguard 26
42) Blackguard 27 (Overwhelming Critical), Str +1)
43) Blackguard 28
44) Blackguard 29 (Str +1)
45) Blackguard 30 (Devastating Critical)
46) Blackguard 31 (Str +1)
47) Blackguard 32
48) Blackguard 33 (Great Strength I, Str +1)
49) Blackguard 34
50) Blackguard 35 (Str +1)
51) Blackguard 36 (Great Strength II)
52) Blackguard 37 (Str +1)
53) Blackguard 38
54) Blackguard 39 (Great Strength III, Str +1)
55) Blackguard 40
56) Blackguard 41 (Str +1)
57) Blackguard 42 (Great Strength IV)
58) Blackguard 43 (Str +1)
59) Blackguard 44
60) Blackguard 45 (Great Strength V, Str +1)

Final
Strength 44
Charisma 25

[starlandra]

I still don't understand the fascination with a bard/xdd splash. Your stat gains are minimum, and you are losing some bab.

Paladin splash = fear immune (really important in hell.. gear fear immune does not work there)
WM splash = more ab, and better crit ranges and damage mods
Harper = 2 bonus attacks and a nice %25 to all elements.
Fighter = get some bonus feats which is usually needed on open subby builds
Monk = free cleave feat, great skill splash, and if you go robes for some reason, nice bonus ac
Ranger = if you go dual weap with light armor you would get +4 ac bonus and take 9 ranger you can get free 2 hand weap feats

just some ideas or options for you to mull over

[gandoron]

Keep in mind.
- Legendary Blackguards gain +1 per 5 legendary levels to Strength and Charisma.
highergroundpoa.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=info&action=display&thread=6668

so you lose 1 cha, 1 str, not a big deal just keep it in mind. BG doesn't get punished near as much as CoT for 45 vs 50, however keep in mind BG and CoT are very different builds. A BG build will almost always be a Sword+Shield, unless you have pretty high cha for div shield , shield ac (1/2 cha mod, ie 50 cha gives you 10 ac).

-G

[blksabbath74]

Thanks, seriously, I am looking for some ideas to mull over...so this is very helpful.

This build started off as Bard 16/CoT 14/RDD 10 for Epic, and I am having a hard time letting go. I may try an actual Bard build...

But yeah, I will probably just suck it up and do Paladin 5, WM 5, CoT 50 or something like that...

[bort]

May 7, 2010 20:23:12 GMT starlandra said:

Paladin splash = fear immune (really important in hell.. gear fear immune does not work there)

Actually item based Fear immunity does work in hell, but not against certain monsters in the abyss. Even so, specific Fear immunity (rather than mind immunity) is required in the hells, and several other places, so it does help quite a lot not having to find a piece of gear with it on.

[starlandra]

edit

[bort]

I've got a BG/bard/BDD and he's very sturdy - was tricker to work out than a fighter/monk/BG would have been with all the free feats and with extra skill points from taking monk at level 1 (and hide as a class skill for BG prereqs), but complete immunity to one element (if you go 15 BDD) is great for helping cover all immunities for the tougher areas.

[starlandra]

doh I knew that lol... sorry

[jonuhey]

May 7, 2010 20:25:54 GMT gandoron said:

Keep in mind.
- Legendary Blackguards gain +1 per 5 legendary levels to Strength and Charisma.
highergroundpoa.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=info&action=display&thread=6668

so you lose 1 cha, 1 str, not a big deal just keep it in mind.

-G

That actually isnt true. You dont count pre-LL levels towards LL. So even a 18BG/12 bard/10 rdd would get that +4 bonus to strength and charisma a Blackguard CC does.

[Yojimbo]

Another reason you see 29 or 30 Pre LL BG levels is a piece of set loot in Hells that is a nice armor for BGs. Each level of BG, and PLD if you have any, increases the caster level of spells and the damage for smites.

I skimmed your build you don't have Epic Weapon Focus, Legendary Weapon Focus, Epic Prowess, or Greater Weapon Focus. The bard levels will put a dent in your AB and those there are a total of 7 AB I believe so your likely going to have 90 or less AB at level 60 without them which will make landing hits difficult.

[tomaan]

I agree with Yojimbo.

I would consider sacrificing 4 GR STR feats and taking EWF (+2 ab), LWF (+3 ab w/EProw), EProw (+1 ab) and either Div Might (irresistable divine damage) or GWF (+1 ab).

That way, you still get crit immunity and you get a net ab gain of +4 (+5 WITH GWF).

imho of course.

T