Is this really supposed to work?

[newbiex]

I built a Drow bard. 16str/16dex/12con/10int/8wis/16cha. Got both Anger's items and the Atk bonus gogglesand I duel wield. At level 2 I soloed (on normal): WW, Butcher's, Durk's and Info. I have 2 light maces of lesser kobold killing, the fiery Korthos sword w/+1shortsword and finally muckbane/+1 light mace. I use power attack and still have a +5 to hit. Is this really supposed to happen with the bard build? Is this class really supposed to be a light infantryman style toon?

[WeaselKing]

I built a Drow bard. 16str/16dex/12con/10int/8wis/16cha. Got both Anger's items and the Atk bonus gogglesand I duel wield. At level 2 I soloed (on normal): WW, Butcher's, Durk's and Info. I have 2 light maces of lesser kobold killing, the fiery Korthos sword w/+1shortsword and finally muckbane/+1 light mace. I use power attack and still have a +5 to hit. Is this really supposed to happen with the bard build? Is this class really supposed to be a light infantryman style toon?

Yes.

[Impaqt]

A Bard can be played any way you build it. Its the most versatile class in the game by far.

Power attack Scales.... It will not reduce your BAB below 0. your Attack bonus seems fine, but lets check....

2 L3 Bard BAB
3 STR Bonus
1 Insight Googles from Korthos
2 Angers or Pathfinders set from Korthos
1 Weapon +
1 Bard Song Bonus
1 Focus Chant Spell
--
+11
-2 Power Atack
-2 TWF
----
+7 Attack

So your Missing a couple things even to boost it more.

[newbiex]

A Bard can be played any way you build it. Its the most versatile class in the game by far.

Power attack Scales.... It will not reduce your BAB below 0. your Attack bonus seems fine, but lets check....

2 L3 Bard BAB
3 STR Bonus
1 Insight Googles from Korthos
2 Angers or Pathfinders set from Korthos
1 Weapon +
1 Bard Song Bonus
1 Focus Chant Spell
--
+11
-2 Power Atack
-2 TWF
----
+7 Attack

So your Missing a couple things even to boost it more.

forgot to add the song but I traded out the chant for Secret doors.

[Impaqt]

forgot to add the song but I traded out the chant for Secret doors.


Chant stacks with everything, It should be a staple spell on any bard.

Secret doors will be handles by someone else usualy, if not, you can carry around a Wand to use. No reason to ever have that as a spell.

[maddmatt70]

forgot to add the song but I traded out the chant for Secret doors.

They are lengthening focusing chant to the same duration as haste next mod so extended on a level 20 bard it would be close to 5 minutes. I would highly recommend picking it up for next mod.

[maddmatt70]

I built a Drow bard. 16str/16dex/12con/10int/8wis/16cha. Got both Anger's items and the Atk bonus gogglesand I duel wield. At level 2 I soloed (on normal): WW, Butcher's, Durk's and Info. I have 2 light maces of lesser kobold killing, the fiery Korthos sword w/+1shortsword and finally muckbane/+1 light mace. I use power attack and still have a +5 to hit. Is this really supposed to happen with the bard build? Is this class really supposed to be a light infantryman style toon?

The reality is any class can melee if built the right way, Bards are nice because they have best buffs to improve to-hit and damage, but you could do the same with a well built wizard just you would need to find divine power clickies as you get higher in level.

[Blind_Skwerl]

The beauty that is a bard. They can be a DPS'er, a buffer, a CC'er, a healer. It's like that box of chocolates Forrest Gump keeps going on about! :D

[lOprahl]

This is a solid starter build for a bard. It helps you figure out what style of gameplay suits you best. After you cap this toon, you'll see how this build can be modified depending on your play style. One thing to keep in mind. For bards, feats and levels splashes are as important, if not more important, then starting ability scores. Research all bardic enhancement lines as well, as they will also enhance your character.

[newbiex]

This is a solid starter build for a bard. It helps you figure out what style of gameplay suits you best. After you cap this toon, you'll see how this build can be modified depending on your play style. One thing to keep in mind. For bards, feats and levels splashes are as important, if not more important, then starting ability scores. Research all bardic enhancement lines as well, as they will also enhance your character.

So, what should I look at for multiclassing, if it's important? I traded out the dual weild for extend at level 7 so that my haste and buffs last longer but I have a 33 ac and use a morningstar of power VII. I'm a warchanter/buffer type. Which class would fit this or should I even be looking at multiclassing?

[Zenako]

Decide on your style first. As a Spellsinger, stay pure. As a Virtuoso, stay pure. If you choose Warchanter, perhaps splash a martial class, BUT, with Masters Touch Spell you can use martial weapons anyway, and perhaps should still stay pure.

Splash ONLY if you have a VERY SPECIFIC goal in mind for the build. Look at the capstone for a pure build and weigh that against any splash benefits. Honestly, and splash without evasion is probably gonna be a poor tradeoff for a bard in my opinion and even then you need to make it work to be worthwhile.

[Lithic]

Don't get too excited. On normal, even a cursed rogue with 8 str and dex can solo those quests :D Since you seem to have above-average equipment on a character with good strength and self-healing, you shouldn't have any problems at all soloing the entire harbour on normal.

Soloing gets much much much harder on the higher difficulties and once you hit quests of lvl 9 or more.

[Zenako]

Don't get too excited. On normal, even a cursed rogue with 8 str and dex can solo those quests :D Since you seem to have above-average equipment on a character with good strength and self-healing, you shouldn't have any problems at all soloing the entire harbour on normal.

Soloing gets much much much harder on the higher difficulties and once you hit quests of lvl 9 or more.

Oooo, you got a build for that rogue:D:D:D I thinks I met them once...just once...:eek:

Once you hit "mid levels" you need to pick quests where you can make friends, or fascinate your way past tough spots. (Or just run with a group where the power of the bard is multiplied by the number of characters getting the buffs...it can be awesome with a group working with you...) Ran with a mostly pug group in Redwillow a while back. Got some comments about how this was a hard quest. ummm...ok. Well I promised them that we would have little to no problem running it on the Hard setting with our group. Guess what? The power of song made it an easy run. Fighting 6 trolls at once...gets real messy. Fighting trolls one at a time with 5 characters, kinda a cakewalk...

[Noctus]

.... and use a morningstar of power VII.

Only use such weapons untill their mana boosting is spend, preferably on buffs. The mana from SP-raising items/weapons is spend 1st.
Then switch to a real weapon with damage enchantments.