Post by arek on Feb 28, 2013 23:57:54 GMT
Introduction: Ghost Sound is a wraith-based bard that I designed to get full-sized epics plus good defenses. It is a party/support bard, meaning that its primary role is to keep epics up as needed, buff party members, and generally just keep the run going. It is not primarily an offensive caster, although its Charisma is high enough that it can land some spells.
Please note that this bard kinda relies on Wraith for some of its abilities. If you're going to use any other subrace (XRs notwithstanding), please have a look at other bard builds - there are a lot of good ones out there.
Getting Wraith:
Now the build:
Race/Subrace:
Gnome/Wraith
Starting Abilities (at creation/after subrace):
STR: 7/4
DEX: 14/17
CON: 14/14
INT: 11/12
WIS: 8/8
CHA: 18/18
ALL level-up ability points go into Charisma
Pre-LL feats: (*=bard bonus feat)
Pre-LL: Skills (max them all, in order, whenever possible):
Legendary feats: At level 41, eat a Enchantment tome. Alternatively, you can take Enchantment instead of either Necromancy or Transmutation and eat one of those tomes instead.
Legendary Skills (max all but lore):
Paragon feats:
Paragon skills: Very simple - get Appraise - more Lore will do you little good, since bards get an outside-the-cap bonus for being bards, and having Good appraise will get you better prices in many stores. If you're really smart, you'll put 3 points into Appraise in LLs, too.
At level 60 with +14 items, this build should get 128 AC with light armor, a large shield, and no Girding, plus full-sized UUU and HMR auras, and 4 possums/rest. Unchanged, you'll eventually get up to 136 AC with Girding, 2x Demi, +16 items, and Level 80 Paragon bonuses, while still having EV-level conceal (75% for this build iirc) from Displacement and a low save (pre-demi) of 76 (82 at 2x/80).
For spells, you want to go for all the buffing-type spells you can, skipping anything needing a DC check except for Bestow Curse (you want that in the event you need to be lowering SR).
Gearing up: First of all, you'll want STR so you can carry stuff, tho it doesn't need to be +14 (even +10 is probably enough until you've maxed other more important stats). Without STR, you'll probably be overweight with just the gear you wear and the inventory items that you can't drop (saving pen, pc scry, survival rings, autocaster, etc). Even with STR, make sure you're using the Bags of Holding from the Old Lady or the Demi store. Once you've got that taken care of, CHA is your most important stat at 60, and if you have to choose, it should be the first stat you give +14 to. After that, Dexterity is next, for your AC, then CON, WIS, and STR over +10. INT is the last stat you need to max, since there are very few INT checks in the game, tho one early LL area has some that you'll want to be able to pass.
Now, once you get Demi, you'll probably be wondering which artifact to use. That's pretty easy: Styxwalkers. The spellslots are nice, but what you're really after is the immunity to Amnesia. This only holds true until you get a Prince Win, tho, since you don't get any AC from those boots. Once you have a Prince Win on your bard, you'll want the Caster Helm vestige, which replaces the boots for amni immunity, and the asmo shield for its unslaggability, immunities, and resists.
Speaking of Gear, I recommend the CON artifact on this build. The reason? The CHA artifact is difficult to get and better-used on a sorc, and this build doesn't need it to hit 60 CHA pre-demi. If you have one to burn, you could use it to be able to squeeze in DotD pre-demi (see below for how to do this), but then you'd miss out on the nice poison immunity the CON arti provides. The Speed arti is another possibility, but beyond the speed boost it provides, it's next to worthless.
When playing, your priority is to have epics up and around your party members whenever they're needed, and to buff your party on an as-needed basis. Once you've gotten enough paragon levels to have the Army and/or Cacaphony, those are good ways to do some damage. Once you have it, don't be afraid to get in there and pop Cacaphony for damage - you ARE very capable of standing up in a fight. Just make sure you're doing something at all times, not just standing there, even if it means trying to bop something in the head with your harp/drum.
EDIT: Added Necromancy to the main build, in exchange for Blind-Fight, Toughness, and Armor Skin. You lose 2 AC and up to 80 HP, but gain the DotD epic, which is extremely nice. Thanks for the comments, folks
As always, comments and constructive criticism are very welcome.
--Arek
Please note that this bard kinda relies on Wraith for some of its abilities. If you're going to use any other subrace (XRs notwithstanding), please have a look at other bard builds - there are a lot of good ones out there.
Getting Wraith:
Wraith is a Secret subrace that you need to do a few things in-game to get. It does not come from a book, which means that you must personally take the final step to get the subrace.
To get started you will need one Blood of Dach'xilith'az'ichityl (Dachy) and one Glasdir. Both of these items are available in the same area where you actually get the subrace, so if you don't already have them don't sweat it. Also, make sure you don't have the blood of any other dragon in your inventory, just in case.
Now that you know about the items you need, you need to get on a Dachy or Sphinx run, which involves going to the Maze of the Ancients. Make sure you get someone who knows his/her way around to guide you in there - it's very easy to get lost. Also, if you need Dachy's blood and/or a Glasdir, make sure your guide knows this, since it will change the path you use to get through the Maze (i.e. make it longer - the items needed spawn randomly in a set of locations). Your eventual target, once you have Blood and a Glasdir, is the Sphinx.
Once you're at the Sphinx with your party, use the glasdir. This will take you to the "real" sphinx that you talk to to get Wraith. Talk to it and select Wraith from the list and you're done. The teleporter in there will take you back to the entrance of the Maze.
To get started you will need one Blood of Dach'xilith'az'ichityl (Dachy) and one Glasdir. Both of these items are available in the same area where you actually get the subrace, so if you don't already have them don't sweat it. Also, make sure you don't have the blood of any other dragon in your inventory, just in case.
Now that you know about the items you need, you need to get on a Dachy or Sphinx run, which involves going to the Maze of the Ancients. Make sure you get someone who knows his/her way around to guide you in there - it's very easy to get lost. Also, if you need Dachy's blood and/or a Glasdir, make sure your guide knows this, since it will change the path you use to get through the Maze (i.e. make it longer - the items needed spawn randomly in a set of locations). Your eventual target, once you have Blood and a Glasdir, is the Sphinx.
Once you're at the Sphinx with your party, use the glasdir. This will take you to the "real" sphinx that you talk to to get Wraith. Talk to it and select Wraith from the list and you're done. The teleporter in there will take you back to the entrance of the Maze.
Now the build:
Race/Subrace:
Gnome/Wraith
Starting Abilities (at creation/after subrace):
STR: 7/4
DEX: 14/17
CON: 14/14
INT: 11/12
WIS: 8/8
CHA: 18/18
ALL level-up ability points go into Charisma
Pre-LL feats: (*=bard bonus feat)
- 1. Artist
- 3. Curse Song
- 6. SF: Necromancy
- 9. GSF: Necromancy
- 12. Lingering Song
- 15. GSF: Illusion
- 18. SF: Transmutation
- 21. GSF: Transmutation
- 23*. Lasting Inspiration
- 24. Great Dexterity
- 26*. Great Charisma
- 27. Great Dexterity
- 29*. Great Charisma
- 30. Great Charisma
- 32*. Great Charisma
- 33. Great Charisma
- 35*. Great Charisma
- 36. Great Charisma
- 38*. Great Charisma
- 39. ESF: Perform
- 40: Paladin Level (be sure to change alignment to LG first - ask in-game if you don't know where to do this).
Pre-LL: Skills (max them all, in order, whenever possible):
- Tumble
- Concentration
- Perform
- Discipline
Legendary feats: At level 41, eat a Enchantment tome. Alternatively, you can take Enchantment instead of either Necromancy or Transmutation and eat one of those tomes instead.
- 42. ESF: Transmutation
- 45. ESF: Illusion
- 48. LSF: Illusion
- 51. ESF: Necromancy
- 54. Legendary Artist
- 57. Great Dexterity
- 69. LSF: Enchantment
Legendary Skills (max all but lore):
- Tumble
- Concentration
- Perform
- Discipline
- Parry
- Craft Armor
- UMD
- Dump whatever you have left over into Lore
Paragon feats:
- 63. PSF: Illusion
- 66. PSK: Illusion
- 69. PSF: Enchantment
- 72. PSK: Enchantment
- 75. Paragon Levitation
- 78. Paragon Waterbreathing
Paragon skills: Very simple - get Appraise - more Lore will do you little good, since bards get an outside-the-cap bonus for being bards, and having Good appraise will get you better prices in many stores. If you're really smart, you'll put 3 points into Appraise in LLs, too.
At level 60 with +14 items, this build should get 128 AC with light armor, a large shield, and no Girding, plus full-sized UUU and HMR auras, and 4 possums/rest. Unchanged, you'll eventually get up to 136 AC with Girding, 2x Demi, +16 items, and Level 80 Paragon bonuses, while still having EV-level conceal (75% for this build iirc) from Displacement and a low save (pre-demi) of 76 (82 at 2x/80).
For spells, you want to go for all the buffing-type spells you can, skipping anything needing a DC check except for Bestow Curse (you want that in the event you need to be lowering SR).
Gearing up: First of all, you'll want STR so you can carry stuff, tho it doesn't need to be +14 (even +10 is probably enough until you've maxed other more important stats). Without STR, you'll probably be overweight with just the gear you wear and the inventory items that you can't drop (saving pen, pc scry, survival rings, autocaster, etc). Even with STR, make sure you're using the Bags of Holding from the Old Lady or the Demi store. Once you've got that taken care of, CHA is your most important stat at 60, and if you have to choose, it should be the first stat you give +14 to. After that, Dexterity is next, for your AC, then CON, WIS, and STR over +10. INT is the last stat you need to max, since there are very few INT checks in the game, tho one early LL area has some that you'll want to be able to pass.
Now, once you get Demi, you'll probably be wondering which artifact to use. That's pretty easy: Styxwalkers. The spellslots are nice, but what you're really after is the immunity to Amnesia. This only holds true until you get a Prince Win, tho, since you don't get any AC from those boots. Once you have a Prince Win on your bard, you'll want the Caster Helm vestige, which replaces the boots for amni immunity, and the asmo shield for its unslaggability, immunities, and resists.
Speaking of Gear, I recommend the CON artifact on this build. The reason? The CHA artifact is difficult to get and better-used on a sorc, and this build doesn't need it to hit 60 CHA pre-demi. If you have one to burn, you could use it to be able to squeeze in DotD pre-demi (see below for how to do this), but then you'd miss out on the nice poison immunity the CON arti provides. The Speed arti is another possibility, but beyond the speed boost it provides, it's next to worthless.
When playing, your priority is to have epics up and around your party members whenever they're needed, and to buff your party on an as-needed basis. Once you've gotten enough paragon levels to have the Army and/or Cacaphony, those are good ways to do some damage. Once you have it, don't be afraid to get in there and pop Cacaphony for damage - you ARE very capable of standing up in a fight. Just make sure you're doing something at all times, not just standing there, even if it means trying to bop something in the head with your harp/drum.
EDIT: Added Necromancy to the main build, in exchange for Blind-Fight, Toughness, and Armor Skin. You lose 2 AC and up to 80 HP, but gain the DotD epic, which is extremely nice. Thanks for the comments, folks
As always, comments and constructive criticism are very welcome.
--Arek