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Chosen of Bane
Senior Scribe
USA
552 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Jan 2006 : 02:37:46
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My new character for our upcoming campaign will be a Bard/Druid/Rogue Fochlucan Lyricist. No, I'm not a powergamer, you need those base classes in order to take the Fochlucan Lyricist.
I am having trouble deciding on a feat to take for this character at level 1. He is a human bard at level 1 and being based out of the Western Heartlands he will be taking the regional feat Artist as one of his first level feats. The other feat is where I'm having trouble.
So, now I'm officially fielding recommendations.
The group will have plenty of melee and ranged combatants as well as a Warmage and a Cleric. This character will mostly be focused on social skills and utility spells.
I'm considering Dodge because our DM has house ruled that the Dodge bonus functions against all opponents, not just a selected opponent, but I really can't see this guy being in melee to much.
Thanks in advance for the help.
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Mystery_Man
Senior Scribe
USA
455 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2006 : 03:08:05
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| When I play a bard (when I actually get to play) I use the bard song ability all the time. Believe me, your players will love you for it. The best thing you can do for the bard to maximize the usefullness of bardsong IMO is to take the Improved Initiative feat. When you can get your bardsong off right away it benefits the group. |
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warlockco
Master of Realmslore
USA
1695 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2006 : 03:31:53
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Extra Music from Complete Adventurer if you plan on using alot of Bardic Music abilities.
Practiced Spellcaster (Bard) and Practiced Spellcaster (Druid) to boost your Spellcaster Levels for those two classes to make up for the multi-classing. Which is in Complete Arcane and Complete Divine.
These are some that come to mind to help prepare for the future.
As Mystery Man suggested, Improved Initiative is almost always a good pick too.
If you plan on taking Cross-Class Skills, Able Learner from Races of Destiny is good. It can only be taken at 1st level, and makes Cross-Class Skills cost only 1 Skill point (still limited to the rank max for Cross-Class Skills though). |
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Chosen of Moradin
Master of Realmslore
Brazil
1120 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2006 : 10:54:14
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Yes! And donīt forget the ever useful Skill Focus: Perform  |
Dwarf, DM, husband, and proud of this! :P
twitter: @yuripeixoto
Facebook: yuri.peixoto |
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Kaladorm
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1176 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2006 : 12:23:22
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Personally I'd take a first level in Sorceror and take spellcasting prodigy (treats your main casting stat as +2 higher for determining bonus spells).
Then the arcane spellcasting levels from the fochlucan lyrist are much better used to advance as a sorceror than a bard (plus your cha will help for perform checks etc.). Since you say you won't be in combat much, not wearing armour isn't such a big deal.
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Chosen of Bane
Senior Scribe
USA
552 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2006 : 12:39:32
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quote:
Originally posted by Kaladorm
Personally I'd take a first level in Sorceror and take spellcasting prodigy (treats your main casting stat as +2 higher for determining bonus spells).
Then the arcane spellcasting levels from the fochlucan lyrist are much better used to advance as a sorceror than a bard (plus your cha will help for perform checks etc.). Since you say you won't be in combat much, not wearing armour isn't such a big deal.
Thanks for the recommendations,
I thought about this but one of the best abilities about Fochlucan Lyrist is that you can where metal armor and still cast druid spells. So, if the arcane spellcasting class is sorcerer it negates this feature. The Bard's ability to cast with light armor, the druid's medium armor proficiency, and the Fochlucan's "Unbound" ability would allow my character to where Mithril Chainmail or a Mithril Breastplate. Being a sorcerer would lose this abiliy.
Any my Dex is only 13, so the heavier armor the better.
I did say I wouldn't be in combat much but I really meant not enough to merrit taking a combat feat (dodge) but losing this ability may be too much. I really don't want this character to be the poor man's Mystic Theurge so I want to dabble in everything.
quote:
Originally posted by warlockco
Extra Music from Complete Adventurer if you plan on using alot of Bardic Music abilities.
Practiced Spellcaster (Bard) and Practiced Spellcaster (Druid) to boost your Spellcaster Levels for those two classes to make up for the multi-classing. Which is in Complete Arcane and Complete Divine.
These are some that come to mind to help prepare for the future.
As Mystery Man suggested, Improved Initiative is almost always a good pick too.
If you plan on taking Cross-Class Skills, Able Learner from Races of Destiny is good. It can only be taken at 1st level, and makes Cross-Class Skills cost only 1 Skill point (still limited to the rank max for Cross-Class Skills though).
These are some good suggestions. I think that "Practiced Spellcaster" is a broken feat and often bitch about it in the game I DM so I would be too big a hypocrite if I took this feat. So I guess that one is out.
Extra bardic music is one that immediately jumped out at my, but since I am taking "Artist" as my regional feat I don't know if that will be worth it.
Right now I think my leading candidates are "Able Learner", "Obscure Lore (Complete Adventurer), and some of the feats that give +2 bonuses to two different skills.
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Kaladorm
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1176 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2006 : 12:56:24
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Ahh you intend to wear medium metal armour? Well in that case being able to wear light armour without penalty will be negated.....unless, ta-da
Battle Caster - prerequisite ignore spell failure from armour. Bonus: Allows you you wear one category higher without spell failure.
I.e. you can wear medium armour without an arcane spell failure from bard spells (it's in complete Arcane) |
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Chosen of Bane
Senior Scribe
USA
552 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2006 : 13:00:07
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quote:
Originally posted by Kaladorm
Ahh you intend to wear medium metal armour? Well in that case being able to wear light armour without penalty will be negated.....unless, ta-da
Battle Caster - prerequisite ignore spell failure from armour. Bonus: Allows you you wear one category higher without spell failure.
I.e. you can wear medium armour without an arcane spell failure from bard spells (it's in complete Arcane)
Well, Breastplate and Chainmail would be light armor because I would be sure they are mithril, which makes the armor one category lighter.
Battle Caster is a definite possibilty for a feat though. I hadn't considered that. With that feat I could wear Hide armor until taking the PrC.
Hmmm. This is appealing. |
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Mystery_Man
Senior Scribe
USA
455 Posts |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2006 : 17:00:19
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there is also spell focus (enchantment). If you're really wanting a "social" caster, and bards get a ton of enchantment spells. Plus, the way enchantments work (save or nothing), it might be worth beefing up the DC's.
Of course, battle caster is also a definite nicety, but note that even with a breastplate we're only talking a single +1 AC bonus. Of course, if you took it twice and say went with mithril full plate later (kinda odd for the character, but...).
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Chosen of Bane
Senior Scribe
USA
552 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2006 : 17:47:22
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
there is also spell focus (enchantment). If you're really wanting a "social" caster, and bards get a ton of enchantment spells. Plus, the way enchantments work (save or nothing), it might be worth beefing up the DC's.
Of course, battle caster is also a definite nicety, but note that even with a breastplate we're only talking a single +1 AC bonus. Of course, if you took it twice and say went with mithril full plate later (kinda odd for the character, but...).
Phillip aka Sleyvas
Again, whatever armor he has will be be mithril by the time he's high enough level to where metal armor so a Mithril Breastplate or Chainmail will not require a feat at all. One use of battlecaster would allow this character to use mithril Full-Plate but I think that a bard/druid/rogue in full-plate would be super-cheesey.
Enchantment focus might be a good call as well. Dominate Person is such a great spell. |
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Crust
Learned Scribe
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2006 : 05:40:50
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| I just saw that your Dex is 13, so weapon finesse would be a bad choice. Skill focus: perform would be a good suggestion. Spell focus (enchantment) you might want down the line. Depending on your druid levels, you'll also want natural spell. |
"That's right, hurl back views that force ye to think by name-calling - 'tis the grand old tradition, let it not down! Anything to keep from having to think, or - Mystra forfend - change thy own views!"
Narnra glowered at her father. "Just how am I to learn how to think? By being taught by you?"
"Some folk in the Realms would give their lives for the chance to learn at my feet," Elminster said mildly. "Several already have."
~from Elminster's Daughter, Ed Greenwood |
Edited by - Crust on 14 Jan 2006 05:44:38 |
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warlockco
Master of Realmslore
USA
1695 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2006 : 07:19:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Kaladorm
Ahh you intend to wear medium metal armour? Well in that case being able to wear light armour without penalty will be negated.....unless, ta-da
Battle Caster - prerequisite ignore spell failure from armour. Bonus: Allows you you wear one category higher without spell failure.
I.e. you can wear medium armour without an arcane spell failure from bard spells (it's in complete Arcane)
Bards still suffer from Arcane Spell Failure on any spell with a Somatic component.
And Battle Caster is a feat meant for the WarMage Core Class. |
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Kaladorm
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1176 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2006 : 19:29:31
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I think you may be confused.
The standard ruling is that bards can wear light armour with no spell failure, and medium armour with full spell failure as normal (saying it applies to somatic spells is just defining how spell failure works).
The Battle Caster feat would just let it go one category higher, so the bard can wear light or medium without and spell failure
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warlockco
Master of Realmslore
USA
1695 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2006 : 21:00:07
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quote:
Originally posted by Kaladorm
I think you may be confused.
The standard ruling is that bards can wear light armour with no spell failure, and medium armour with full spell failure as normal (saying it applies to somatic spells is just defining how spell failure works).
The Battle Caster feat would just let it go one category higher, so the bard can wear light or medium without and spell failure
Ah okay, just had to double check, I don't use Bards, and the one person that did moved.
They don't suffer Arcane Failure as long as they cast Bard Spells. |
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So... I need a feat.
