Kizer's CC Bard

[zedboy]

Hello! I haven't played for a while and just recently got into the game again. I was wondering if anyone knew what happened to Kizer's CC Bard thread? I remember using it as a guideline for my Bard; it was very informative.

[teddok]

Hello! I haven't played for a while and just recently got into the game again. I was wondering if anyone knew what happened to Kizer's CC Bard thread? I remember using it as a guideline for my Bard; it was very informative.

Most likely got lost in the great purge a few months back.

[Kizer]

It was "Auska's CC Bard".. awhile back I had found a few cached pages of it, but it's pretty outdated and before all the big enhancement changes and I had lost my 20k views.. so I just let it go. :( Besides I think the caster bards are a dime a dozen these days, they are all cookie cutter builds with different choices in race and feats coupled with max CHA and a spellsinger enhancement.

These days I run Auska with spellsinger, maxed out IC enhancements and Lingering. I'd do another thread, but honestly there are a ton of spellsinger builds that were not far off the CC build.

[Kizer]

Here's a cut and copy someone saved.... see it's quite outdated.

Race:

Human - Extra Feat, Human Versatility IV, Human Charisma I

Stats:

STR - 14
DEX - 10
CON - 10
INT - 10
WIS - 8
CHA - 18 +2 at levels 4/8 (28 CHA at level 10, 30 with +2 tome)

Note: The 14 STR is really nice for the low levels, you'll fly through harbor content with Courage up, 14 STR, a good elemental weapon and CLWs to sustain yourself. In the end I've had a bard with 14 str and I've had one with 14 dex, both has it's pros/cons. Hell 14 INT would be viable too if you wanted to max 9 skills. I tend to melee more than anything when I'm not doing bardly stuff (cc, support heal, charm, etc), Retribution + Cursespewing + Wounding weapons come in handy there. If I need to ranged I will break out a wand or a returning throwing dagger; i.e. Chill Shard, (returning items keep my light mithral shield equiped as well).

Feats:

Level 1 - Mental Toughness, SF:Umd
Level 3 - Extend Spell (compliments Eagle's Splendor, ER, etc)
Level 6 - SF:Enchantment
Level 9 - Improved Mental Toughness (or Heighten)

Note: I personally took UMD early to get the most benefits out of wand usage through the noob levels and breaking DC checks on gear asap. i.e. I have a +1 Frost Rapier that is ml:1, dorf only or dc:10. (though it has it's perks in the end game too, like casting fireball10 wands or using Raise Dead scrolls). Scroll usage is a wonderful thing, we can buy Halt Undead and Command Undead scrolls to help with the undead side of CC as well.

Spells: (In the order that I would take them from left to right; level 2 spells are a hard one to prioritize, you can mix and match those up.)

Level 1 - CLW, Charm Person, Expeditious Retreat, Otto's
Level 2 - Suggestion, Invisibility, Hold Person, Eagle's Splendor (swap out Eagle's once you get a +4 item)
Level 3 - Good Hope, Haste, Charm Monster, CSW
Level 4 - Hold Monster, Break Enchantment

Note: On my newest bard build I am taking Charm Person over Remove Fear (have a +2 Holy Longsword of Remove Fear anyway and also I feel that most clerics at level 10 leave this spell up since they have 6 slots by then). I've also been considering Rage over Eagle's Splendor, either way the idea that we'll be able to spell swap in July makes our spell selections alot less finite and tedious.

Skills:

Hide, Move Silently, UMD, Perform to max, spend the other 3 however you want.

Note: Haggle is nice, especially with how many wands you will buy, Searing Light is great against undead. CSW wands are invaulable, etc. I'm currently doing Haggle, Jump, and Tumble. As soon as I'm happy with my jump I'll drop the rest of the points in Diplo/Conc..

[zedboy]

Thanks, Kizer and teddok!

Yah, that's too bad that all the great threads got deleted with the purge.