A Song in Spring, a Weapon in Winter

Bard 18 / WeaponMaster 22
PvM, playable lvls 1-40

Human
any Alignment except lawful

Str 14 (28)
Dex 14
Con 14
Int 14
Wis 8
Cha 14 (16)

1 Bard - Dodge, Expertise
2 Bard
3 Bard - Still Spell
4 Bard [Str 15]
5 Bard
6 Bard - Weapon Focus: Spear
7 Bard
8 Bard [Str 16]
9 Bard - Mobility
10 Bard
11 Bard
12 Bard - Spring Attack [Charisma 15]
13 Bard
14 Bard
15 Bard - Whirlwind Attack
16 WM [Charisma 16]
17 WM
18 Bard - Curse Song
19 WM
20 WM [Str 17]

21 WM - Improved Critical: Spear [+1 AB]
22 WM
23 WM
24 WM - Great Strength I [Str 19]
25 WM
26 WM
27 Bard- Great Strength II
28 WM [Str 21]
29 WM
30 WM - Great Strength III, [+1AB]
31 WM - Epic Weapon Focus: Spear
32 WM [Str 23]
33 WM - Great Strength IV, [+1 AB]
34 WM
35 WM - Armor Skin
36 WM - Great Strength V, [+1 AB] [Str 26]
37 Bard
38 WM
39 WM - Great Strength VI
40 WM - Epic Prowess, [Str 28], [+1AB]

Unbuffed:
AB - 44 [BAB 26 + Str 9 + WM 5 + WF 1 + EWF 2 + EP 1]
AC - 27 [Base 10 + Chainmail 5 + Dex 2 + Tumble 8 + Armor Skin 2]

Buffed:
AB - 55 [44 + Greater Magic Weapon 5 + Bard Song 2 + Bull Str. 2 + War Cry 2]
AC - 40 [27 + Mage Armor 4 + Bard Song 5 + Haste 4]

Fortitude 18
Reflex 26
Will 20
(with 40 in Spellcraft add +8 to saves against spells)

Max HP - 444

Skills: Discipline, Taunt, Tumble, Spellcraft, Concentration, UMD, Perform.
______________________________________

This build isn't terribly insprired or original as it is just a Bard that becomes a weaponmaster, but as I didn't see anything too close to it I figured I my as well post it.

It started out as a Bard-Fighter; but I was getting frustrated because if I put off my Bard levels to up my BAB, my Spells and Song would come at a point when they weren't nearly as important. And conversly, if I was Bard-heavy early on, I had good buffs, but my AB wasn't too good (especially in Epic).

I decided, therefore, to just eat the feats and make a Bard that becomes more and more martial in his life of adventuring. Perhaps becoming more jaded about the Heroes that he sings about; preferring to use his own weapon instead of trying to inspire others.

One of the things I like about the build is that you get all your buffs early, when you need them most. Haste, Improved Invisibility, Mage Armor. Then in Epic levels, you make up your AB with the Weapon Master AB boosts (lvls 5, 13, 16, 19, 22).

Advantages:
Bard spells
Bard Song
Taunt
Good Crit Damage
4 attacks per round
UMD
a Bard without flappy red wings!!!!!


Disadvantages:
Buffs can be dispelled fairly easily
Feat Starved
Low HP early on
No Knockdown
No Cleave
No Empower Spell
No Lingering Song
The saves aren't all that great, although with a high spellcraft, you can add +8 to saves against spells.

I ran it through its paces in the Novice to Epic Mod and it performed well using mundane Chanmail and a mundane Spear. Without buff's, though, it suffered. But I guess that's to be expected in a Bard build.

Cheers.

Edited By griphook on 12/02/05 23:31

a nice simple warrior bard. refreshing to find one that is not aiming to grab everything along with divine feats and etc. the lack of combat feats is lamentable, as are the saves, but the versatility makes it pretty strong. this seems to be a pretty good clas split. i could also see dropping one level of bard for a cleric or fighter level. you would pick up heavy armour, and with a cleric you could get some umpf on the healing and/or animal summons spells. also, you could pick up a domain power, but that seemed pointless with only 1 level. just some food for thought. not really important. the reason i mention it is that without a little more AC, either from heavier armour or a shield, you will get hit very often. without an amazing amoutn of hp, this can be a problem. just my two cents.

-c
_________________
“If you bring a Ranger with you, it is well to pay attention to him...”
Quote: refreshing to find one that is not aiming to grab everything along with divine feats and etc.
Huh, you talking to me!?

Two Fighter levels sounds good (Bard 16/Fighter 2/WM 22).
_________________
Now is my day's work done;
I'll take good breath:
Rest, sword; thou hast thy fill of
blood and death.
Quote: Posted 11/28/05 14:11:23 (GMT) -- dmuzzy


Advantages:

a Bard without flappy red wings!!!!!


Huh?! You talking to me?!

For contrast, I think Bard 20 (and Lasting Inspiration), WM 19, and Fighter 1 is a nice split (extra Fighter feat but one less WM AB and epic WM feat). But I like lasting inspiration. I'd take the fighter feat in pre-epic and see if you could not get that WM AB back by taking only 9 pre-epic bard levels:

1 Bard 1- Dodge, Expertise
2 Fighter 1 WF: Greatsword or whatever you want, martial!
3 Bard 2- Mobility
4 Bard 3 [Str 15]
5 Bard 4
6 Bard 5 - Spring Attack
7 Bard 6
8 Bard 7 [Str 16]
9 Bard 8 - Whirlwind Attack
10 WM 1
11 WM 2
12 WM 3 - Still Spell [Charisma 15]
13 WM 4
14 WM 5
15 WM 6 - Improved Critical
16 WM 7 [Charisma 16]
17 WM 8
18 Bard 9 - Curse Song
19 WM 9
20 WM 10 [Str 17]

21 WM 11 - EWF: Spear

Or something like that. This way, you don't spend an epic feat on improved critical, so that takes care of the lost epic WM feat, and you get base AB of 27, which takes care of the Epic Superior WF you lose by ditching the three levels of WM. And you don't use a spear.

And you can take Lasting Inspiration, which will make your songs/curse songs last almost forever. AC +5 for you and your allies, -5 for them, AB +2 for you and your allies, -2 for the bad guys.

Anyway, cheers on a good build.

Edited By Ithacan on 11/28/05 15:55

Quote: Posted 11/28/05 15:45:26 (GMT) -- Ithacan

Quote: Posted 11/28/05 14:11:23 (GMT) -- dmuzzy


Advantages:

a Bard without flappy red wings!!!!!


Huh?! You talking to me?!

For contrast, I think Bard 20 (and Lasting Inspiration), WM 19, and Fighter 1 is a nice split (extra Fighter feat but one less WM AB and epic WM feat). But I like lasting inspiration. I'd take the fighter feat in pre-epic and see if you could not get that WM AB back by taking only 9 pre-epic bard levels:

1 Bard 1- Dodge, Expertise
2 Fighter 1 WF: Greatsword or whatever you want, martial!
3 Bard 2- Mobility
4 Bard 3 [Str 15]
5 Bard 4
6 Bard 5 - Spring Attack
7 Bard 6
8 Bard 7 [Str 16]
9 Bard 8 - Whirlwind Attack
10 WM 1
11 WM 2
12 WM 3 - Still Spell [Charisma 15]
13 WM 4
14 WM 5
15 WM 6 - Improved Critical
16 WM 7 [Charisma 16]
17 WM 8
18 Bard 9 - Curse Song
19 WM 9
20 WM 10 [Str 17]

21 WM 11 - EWF: Spear

Or something like that. This way, you don't spend an epic feat on improved critical, so that takes care of the lost epic WM feat, and you get base AB of 27, which takes care of the Epic Superior WF you lose by ditching the three levels of WM. And you don't use a spear.

And you can take Lasting Inspiration, which will make your songs/curse songs last almost forever. AC +5 for you and your allies, -5 for them, AB +2 for you and your allies, -2 for the bad guys.

Anyway, cheers on a good build.

I'd use the fighter lvl to grab WF in a decent weapon...forget spear! 20 lvls bard for lasting inspiration is a good idea. Personally I might go for Bard 17/ WM 19/ Fg 4 for WS/EWS (Bard 7/ Fg 3/ WM 10 pre-epic). But that's just me....
Cheers Interesting build. I tell ya, I'm bloody happy to see a strength-based Bard build without those floopy wings! I stopped reading all the RDD10 builds a week or two ago due to Floopy Wing-Induced Nausea

I like the suggestion to drop WM to 19 to grab some Fighter levels. Especially early to take a Martial weapon. And I like the idea to push for Bard 20, so I guess I'm supporting the Bard 20/Fighter 1/WM 19 version.

While you get points for a non-RDD bard, you get bonus points for the poetic Build Title

Nice job.

Kaliban.
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Intelligent design is neither. Science over superstition please. There's something wrong with the WM bonus feats. The WM gets a bonus feat at level 13,16,19 and 22 (and not at 14,18,22).

Actually I like the build as it is. Not every build needs fighter levels and spear is not that bad. Perhaps go for bard(21)/WM(19) to get Lasting Inspiration. But you would lose 2 Greater STR feats and 1 AB (= 2 AB,1 damage).
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Edited By Kamiryn on 11/29/05 06:26

Quote: Posted 11/29/05 06:11:37 (GMT) -- Kamiryn

There's something wrong with the WM bonus feats. The WM gets a bonus feat at level 13,16,19 and 22 (and not at 14,18,22).

Actually I like the build as it is. Not every build needs fighter levels and spear is not that bad. Perhaps go for bard(21)/WM(19) to get Lasting Inspiration. But you would lose 2 Greater STR feats and 1 AB (= 2 AB,1 damage).

Yeah, there's something wrong with feats...
I agree that not every build needs fighter, but in this build even just 1 lvl of fighter would give great benefit (heavy armor+martial weapons and 1 bonus feat) at little to no cost. And 2 lvls = 2 bonus feats. More FTR lvls would cost something but IMHO getting 4 FTR lvl to grab WS/EWS is worth it.
But, yeah, I guess it's a matter of setting personal preference
Cheers
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Dilegua notte
Tramontate stelle
Tramontate stelle
All'alba vincerò
Vincerò
Vincerò
Quote: Posted 11/29/05 06:11:37 (GMT) -- Kamiryn

There's something wrong with the WM bonus feats. The WM gets a bonus feat at level 13,16,19 and 22 (and not at 14,18,22).

That's why I always advocate putting the class level next to the character level in the character sheet. eg:

21 Ftr 12 EWF, EWS
22 WM 13 Epic Prowess
23 WM 14
24 WM 15 Great Strength I

Makes it much more readable. And it's easier to spot errors.

Kaliban.
_________________
Intelligent design is neither. Science over superstition please.
Quote: Posted 11/28/05 15:17:35 (GMT) -- FinneousPJ

Quote: refreshing to find one that is not aiming to grab everything along with divine feats and etc.
Huh, you talking to me!?

...

not specifically. i think that we are all guilty of bards with divine shield/might, at some point or another.


-c Thanks for the feedback and finding my feat placement mistake. I was trying a few different revisions and forgot to fix the Epic feats.

While I agree that a level of Fighter would make the build stronger (+2 AC due to Heavy Armor, and a better selection of weapons (Greatsword or Scimitar and Shield)), I actually steered away from that for stylistic reasons. It seems that a great many people run around with either a Greatsword, GreatAxe, Scimitar or Rapier. I was trying to not only stay away from the standard RDD build but also the standard Fighter-Bard Greatsword wielding build.

But yes, it would definately make it stronger. And if anyone where thinking of trying the build out, it would be an option they should consider.

When I have more than a few spare moments I will fix the WM Epic Feat. But first I need to mull over the suggestion of taking 20 Bard levels for Lasting Inspiration. I hate to lose the +1 AB from WM 22, but perhaps it is worth it in the long run.

Thanks again for the feedback and suggestions.

Cheers.