Post by fragment on Jan 1, 2008 17:06:39 GMT
Newcomer's bard
A caster bard is a good character type for a newbie to make. It will be useful for a very long time, does not depend on gear very much, and does not depend on excessive primary ability numbers either. You don't have to know much about enemies or areas as well. The downside is, caster bards are rather painful to play, at least until their caster level 55. Also, you can obviously not solo/explore anything, this is a group character.
Subrace considerations
Human race base is practically a must for the level 1 feat and the 1 skill. Bards *could* get by without the level 1 feat, since their skill list is quite copious and misses nothing important, but for the 1 more skill point it's a no-brainer. The subrace should not have -CHA, -INT, -CON and no vulnerabilities. Small size is, for once, not a problem.
"Fey - Satyr"
- STR -1, DEX +1, WIS -1, CHA +1, +6 perform, free feat: Low-Light Vision, free feat: Spell Focus Enchantment, speaks Sylvan
Humanoid - Yuan-Ti"
- CHA +2, INT +1, DEX +1, WIS-3, STR -1m +5 Spellcraft, sr5 +1/lvl, speaks Draconic, speaks Yuan-ti
The abilities on the Yuan-Ti and the spell resistance look nice, while the Satyr gets a feat. For me, it's a toss-up, I'll chose Satyr because you see so few around.
Build consideration
- Kremlin astrologists suggest that caster bards should have exactly 48 base charisma at level 60.
- Due to the open subrace, nothing fancy can be tried like getting dex to a value where it does matter, or getting spell penetration to make bard spells matter.
- Paladin splash since we can't afford not to, monk splash to slightly increase playability.
- Must have the epics for trans, illusion, enchantment (also for GMWs), necro is optional
- Must have ICC or casting healing circles all the time will get you killed.
Skills
concentration - need to cast all the time (healing circles)
dispipline - everybody needs discipline
heal - makes healing circles better
parry - less painful critical hits
perform - you're a bard
taunt - lower AC of enemies even more
tumble - AC
umd - use GS scrolls (and a few others)
8 skills is a lot, we're going to need int 16 to support that. You can alternatively drop taunt and go with con 16 and int 14.
Also invest 1 point each in disable trap and open lock so that you can open lowbie chests, because of our subrace choice we have a few skillpoints left.
Alignment
Start at neutral good. Become lawful good at level 38.
Abilities
Str 8 (7)
Dex 9 (10)
Con 14
Wis 8 (7)
Int 16
Cha 17 (18)
Level progression
- 38 bard, 1 pally, 1 monk
- all abilities go into CHA
You can build this with or without necromancy. Going with necro will tighten up your equipment choices, you will have to wear two items to give you perform skill.
1 artist, curse song
3 lingering song
6 gsf enchant (gmw your party!)
9 extra music OR spell focus necro
12 combat casting
15 silent spell
18 sf transmutation
21 gsf transmutation
23 *lasting inspiration
24 improved combat casting
26 *great cha 1
27 epic skill focus perform OR greater spell focus necro
29 *great cha 2
30 great cha 3
32 *great cha 4 (gain improved bard song!! )
33 great cha 5
35 *great cha 6
36 great cha 7
38 *great cha 8
39 Paladin toughness (need to be lawful good)
40 Monk
Find and read a book that gets you esf: illusion!
Legendary:
Epic spell focusses for: trans, enchantment
Legendary spell focusses for: enchantment, illu
Blind fight OR epic spell focus: necro
Great Cha 9, 10
Find the epic spells as you gain epic spell focusses!
All saves will end up in the 70s.
EDIT title ...
EDIT debugged, added necro option
A caster bard is a good character type for a newbie to make. It will be useful for a very long time, does not depend on gear very much, and does not depend on excessive primary ability numbers either. You don't have to know much about enemies or areas as well. The downside is, caster bards are rather painful to play, at least until their caster level 55. Also, you can obviously not solo/explore anything, this is a group character.
Subrace considerations
Human race base is practically a must for the level 1 feat and the 1 skill. Bards *could* get by without the level 1 feat, since their skill list is quite copious and misses nothing important, but for the 1 more skill point it's a no-brainer. The subrace should not have -CHA, -INT, -CON and no vulnerabilities. Small size is, for once, not a problem.
"Fey - Satyr"
- STR -1, DEX +1, WIS -1, CHA +1, +6 perform, free feat: Low-Light Vision, free feat: Spell Focus Enchantment, speaks Sylvan
Humanoid - Yuan-Ti"
- CHA +2, INT +1, DEX +1, WIS-3, STR -1m +5 Spellcraft, sr5 +1/lvl, speaks Draconic, speaks Yuan-ti
The abilities on the Yuan-Ti and the spell resistance look nice, while the Satyr gets a feat. For me, it's a toss-up, I'll chose Satyr because you see so few around.
Build consideration
- Kremlin astrologists suggest that caster bards should have exactly 48 base charisma at level 60.
- Due to the open subrace, nothing fancy can be tried like getting dex to a value where it does matter, or getting spell penetration to make bard spells matter.
- Paladin splash since we can't afford not to, monk splash to slightly increase playability.
- Must have the epics for trans, illusion, enchantment (also for GMWs), necro is optional
- Must have ICC or casting healing circles all the time will get you killed.
Skills
concentration - need to cast all the time (healing circles)
dispipline - everybody needs discipline
heal - makes healing circles better
parry - less painful critical hits
perform - you're a bard
taunt - lower AC of enemies even more
tumble - AC
umd - use GS scrolls (and a few others)
8 skills is a lot, we're going to need int 16 to support that. You can alternatively drop taunt and go with con 16 and int 14.
Also invest 1 point each in disable trap and open lock so that you can open lowbie chests, because of our subrace choice we have a few skillpoints left.
Alignment
Start at neutral good. Become lawful good at level 38.
Abilities
Str 8 (7)
Dex 9 (10)
Con 14
Wis 8 (7)
Int 16
Cha 17 (18)
Level progression
- 38 bard, 1 pally, 1 monk
- all abilities go into CHA
You can build this with or without necromancy. Going with necro will tighten up your equipment choices, you will have to wear two items to give you perform skill.
1 artist, curse song
3 lingering song
6 gsf enchant (gmw your party!)
9 extra music OR spell focus necro
12 combat casting
15 silent spell
18 sf transmutation
21 gsf transmutation
23 *lasting inspiration
24 improved combat casting
26 *great cha 1
27 epic skill focus perform OR greater spell focus necro
29 *great cha 2
30 great cha 3
32 *great cha 4 (gain improved bard song!! )
33 great cha 5
35 *great cha 6
36 great cha 7
38 *great cha 8
39 Paladin toughness (need to be lawful good)
40 Monk
Find and read a book that gets you esf: illusion!
Legendary:
Epic spell focusses for: trans, enchantment
Legendary spell focusses for: enchantment, illu
Blind fight OR epic spell focus: necro
Great Cha 9, 10
Find the epic spells as you gain epic spell focusses!
All saves will end up in the 70s.
EDIT title ...
EDIT debugged, added necro option