The Survivor: Bard(5), Shadowdancer(16), Pale Master(19)

Playable from level 1 - 40 ..PvM...PvP

Aim of this character, unsurprisingly, is to create someone who can still be standing when the fan gets hit by miscellaneous flying objects.
Someone you might create as a first character on a fast levelling PW to test the water, or in a PvP scenario to explain to that Dev-critter that no his build isn't that good.

In terms of other similar builds - there don't seem to be any Bard/PM/SD, it's understandable given the likely BAB and spellcasting outcome, but let's see how it goes:

The Survivor: Bard(5), Shadowdancer(16), Pale Master(19)

Race: Elf
Alignment: Any non-lawful non-good
STR: 8
DEX: 20 (32)
CON: 10
WIS: 8
INT: 14
CHA: 12

01: Bard(1): Dodge
02: Bard(2)
03: Bard(3): Weapon Finesse
04: Pale Master(1): DEX+1, (DEX=21)
05: Pale Master(2)
06: Pale Master(3): Mobility, PM: (Darkvision)
07: Pale Master(4)
08: Shadowdancer(1): DEX+1, SD: (Hide in Plain Sight), (DEX=22)
09: Shadowdancer(2): Weapon Focus: Rapier, SD: (Evasion, Uncanny Dodge I)
10: Shadowdancer(3)
11: Shadowdancer(4)
12: Shadowdancer(5): DEX+1, Toughness, SD: (Defensive Roll), (DEX=23)
13: Shadowdancer(6)
14: Shadowdancer(7): SD: (Slippery Mind)
15: Shadowdancer(8): Improved Critical: Rapier
16: Pale Master(5): DEX+1, (DEX=24)
17: Pale Master(6)
18: Pale Master(7): Blind Fight
19: Pale Master(8)
20: Bard(4): DEX+1, (DEX=25)
21: Pale Master(9): Great Dexterity I, (DEX=26)
22: Pale Master(10)
23: Shadowdancer(9)
24: Pale Master(11): DEX+1, Great Dexterity II, (DEX=28)
25: Pale Master(12)
26: Pale Master(13): Epic Energy Resistance: Cold I
27: Shadowdancer(10): Epic Dodge, SD: (Improved Evasion)
28: Pale Master(14): DEX+1, (DEX=29)
29: Pale Master(15)
30: Pale Master(16): Armor Skin, Epic Spell: Epic Mage Armor
31: Pale Master(17)
32: Pale Master(18): DEX+1, (DEX=30)
33: Pale Master(19): Self Concealment I, Epic Spell: Epic Warding
34: Shadowdancer(11)
35: Shadowdancer(12)
36: Shadowdancer(13): DEX+1, Self Concealment II, Self Concealment III, (DEX=31)
37: Shadowdancer(14)
38: Shadowdancer(15)
39: Shadowdancer(16): Self Concealment IV, Self Concealment V
40: Bard(5): DEX+1, (DEX=32)

Skills:
02: Discipline(5), Perform(5), Spellcraft(5), Tumble(5), UMD(5),
07: Hide(10), Move Silently(10), Spellcraft(5),
08: Tumble(5),
12: Hide(5), Move Silently(5), Tumble(5),
17: Hide(5), Move Silently(5), Spellcraft(10),
20: Discipline(15), Perform(3), Tumble(5), UMD(18),
22: Hide(5), Move Silently(5), Spellcraft(5),
23: Tumble(5),
27: Hide(5), Move Silently(5), Tumble(5)
28: Spellcraft(5),
32: Hide(5), Move Silently(5), Spellcraft(5),
34: Tumble(5),
37: Hide(5), Move Silently(3),
40: Discipline(23), Spellcraft(5), Tumble(5), UMD(20),

Stats:
Hitpoints: 335
Skillpoints: 252
Saving Throws (Fortitude/Will/Reflex): 19(27)/21(29)/33(41)
BAB: 23
AB (max, naked): 35 (melee), 34 (ranged)
AC (naked/mundane armor/shield only): 41/44
Spell Casting: Bard(2)

Discipline 43(42),
Hide 40(51),
Move Silently 38(49),
Perform 8(9),
Spellcraft 40(42),
Tumble 40(51),
UMD 43(44)

Advantages:

Epic Dodge
Self Concealment 5
Immunity to Crits/Sneaks
Epic Warding
High AC (using a shield, MA, EMA, Cat's Grace, Shadow Evade = 70 minimum)
Uncanny Dodge III
Temporary Dmg reduction from SD Evade 12/+4
Some small buffs like Cat's Grace and Bull's Strength as well as Bard Song
HiPS
max UMD

Disadvantages:

Low Fort and Will saves (slippery mind negates the latter to a reasonable extent)
BAB ofc. But considering, 35 AB was nowhere near as bad as I was expecting.
Factor in spells like Magic Weapon and CG and Bard Song(= +3 AB at least)...
Hell maybe I'm just kidding myself, but with HiPS to catch them flat footed it might work.

Comments:
Swap out Blind Fight for Expertise for higher AC.
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Stupidity and laziness annoy me. If my tone seems acerbic then examine your post.
If you can find no examples of either, then the conclusion should be obvious. I used the search engine for Bard/SD/PM and found no matches. I posted one such build in october, so there must be something with the search engine.
That means there could be more such builds out there, not showing up when making a search.

I didn't take all the PM lvls you need to get Epic Warding, so our builds are quite different, despite several similarities.

What I'd like to see in a defensive build like this is (like you suggest) expertise and improved expertise to further improve your tanking abilities in a party, especially when Epic Warding wears off.
As you say, the will save can be a weakness even with slippery mind. You get the Protection from alignment spell with mindspell immunity from good or evil, but with so few bard lvls it has a limited duration and is easily dispelled.
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I generally avoid temptation, unless I can't resist it... Nice build. But I wouldn't worry too much about saving throws or armor class. I mean, why should anyone bother to attack you. Probably a regeneration item is enough to disable your offensive capabilities

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Edited By Kamiryn on 12/05/05 13:08

spam cast wail of the banshee scrolls, I guess. or creeping doom. taking 35 levels of two primarily defensive prestige classes does limit your offense.

Quote: Posted 12/05/05 13:07:54 (GMT) -- Kamiryn
Nice build. But I wouldn't worry too much about saving throws or armor class. I mean, why should anyone bother to attack you. Probably a regeneration item is enough to disable your offensive capabilities .

Stand in the doorway with a level 40 caster behind you

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Quote: Posted 08/12/05 19:24:50 (GMT) by TheMageTeclis
I wouldn't buy health insurance...we have the nhs