Needed: A 34 point Human Bard build that I will have fun with. (x-post, because...)

[humbleroller]

I'm putting this in General Discussion because since the forum changed, the people using the forums has dropped to an all time low. bumping my old post in the Bard section didnt do anything either. Not sure what Turbine is trying to do but they are gonna improve the game and forums right into the ground. (/rant)

Needed: A 34 point Human Bard build that I will have fun with.

I have a human bard with a FvS past life and I havent used my free LR yet.

She uses Greatswords because I had so many cool ones lying around and I made her a Warchanter. The problem is that she isnt any fun to play. She never actually gets to do anything bard like besides a few buffs at the start. It seems that no one has the patience for me to play any CC songs.

She has only just made level 12 and has +2 Tomes for every stat.
My goal in this game is to get every class to 20. I have lots of characters and only have bard and pally to go. Im stuck and really need help.

I would prefer not to multiclass her but will if it will make her fun or interesting to play. At the moment she just sits there.
Thanks.

[droid327]

If you're looking for something that will let you "be a bard", I think you might be out of luck....not that there's anything wrong with the bard class, per se, but the game itself (especially Heroic) just doesnt lend itself to "classic bard" kinda gameplay. There just isnt any reason to - you can already blow through most content without needing to wait for CCs and buffs and such. Why charm monsters when you can just kill them all? Why wait for a buff when you're already more than powerful enough to zerg the mission?

Bards are basically just another source of melee DPS who can pop occasional heals and the odd GH...being an occasional Inspire Courage buffbot is probably the closest you'll get to "classic bard" gameplay.

If you want to play mostly with groups, you might be better off taking a Fighter splash or something and improving your melee DPS...Cleave/GC and the THF line, for example. If you want to solo, then you can take your time and have fun with your CCs and stuff, but of course playing solo, all your buffing ability is then largely wasted...

[Ryiah]

Why wait for a buff when you're already more than powerful enough to zerg the mission?

I never wait for more than AOE spells like Haste and Rage. Most of the songs are fairly long range and will generally hit the party members while they run. So don't stand there, run and sing on the way to the enemies. Likewise with single-target buff spells. Don't stand there, cast on the run. I enjoy having a smart well-built Bard in the party. Inspire Courage is a pretty large damage increase and Fascinated enemies, especially in Epic content, can make the quests so much easier.

[walkin_dude]

My most recent bard, which is turning out to be pretty good fun, is currently bard 11/ranger 2/rogue 2, with the arcane archer line. He's virtuoso prestige, and can do all the traps with the right gear. :)

[Deadlock]

I posted up the bard build that I did a couple of times on our guild forum and then posted it on the Ghallanda forum.

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/413047-Just-another-bard-build

Ignore the sarcasm in some of it, I was trying to explain to a muppet that just because you come up with something doesn't mean that you invented it .... especially when thousands of people have done it before you :)

[Candela90]

I dont play bards but my friend does, and after palying SS and Warchanter - he not long ago capped Virtuoso.
Virtuoso with good enough strenght to be efficient with SoS.
I think its the best option right now :).

[goodspeed]

Well not sure how that new piece of... I mean expansion is going to effect things. But bard wise theirs 2 options. You can go pure and with past lives you can be just one hell of a ccer. (NOTICE I SAID CC. The letters d, p, and s. do not coincide with that abbreviation of CC.)

Now to be a bard and attempt dps (real dps that isn't fooling anyone just how sad it is when they stand around and watch a monster laugh at you as you use your epic weapon to no avail) You need a splash and you need gear, and you need race.

So first off you can try pure, but it's giving YOU nothing. (I) don't give a **** about the other guy in the group. Odds are he's got some cool stuff and he's a class that already has pre's and everything going for. A pure bard does not. Especially as a WC.

So heres the breakdown. A warchanter has 2 seperate levels where it's a cutoff and your not getting anything worth while out of proceeding. The max is 14. (Remember I said YOU) I went 12 because of how I built mine and the 2 levels were worth more then the I think an extra dmg from the song.

Anyway I went 12 bard but mixed with 6 bard and 6 fighter to start so I could have the fighters feats and whatnot. Now after those 18 levels I took 2 more fighter for the extra feats. (This was before epic destinies and all that **** when the cap was 20)

My goal was a 2 handed melee that was self sufficient. (Basically I made a 18/2 fighter rog, only I didn't have to grind out all the GS and umd and ****, and probably even go helf)

Now leveling he was great. He was a HORC wc stalwart bard. The stalwart gave him the hp's since bards were hella squishy back then. He could take blows but the main thing was displace and haste ALWAYS! He was a half orc so I got the PA boost as well as the 2 hander boost, AND the action boosts. (This was very important as it effects the fighters haste boost)

However like so many other melee besides a BARB and a kensei that still has his boosts going, my melee sucked at end game for dmg. Sure it was good dmg, but it took a bit to kill and tactics sucked as nothing would be as great as stunning fist. BUT then something happened. Epic destinies came out AND stunning 10 was available on things besides a **** bludgeon weapon.

A quick rework, and I made him to have a great dodge, good ac (ppft ya like that matters anymore) good reflex, and a great dc for stunning blow and trip, reaffirmed with improved sunder. The fact that need TO HIT wasn't even an issue let me go full ****** with PA dmg at the cost of accuracy (he don't miss) and the dmg of the LD or FOTW brought his already good dmg right up there.

Plus their were 2 reasons I kept him instead of just TRing into a 18/2 fighter rog.

One was the future. I'd talked to a guy who told me long before it was hinted or anything leaked out that they were working on the racials. This meant that because the bard already had umd down as well as scroll mastery, I could safley go horc while maintaining full self reliance. And nabbing the horcs racial for more dmg.

The second was mere optimism. Lets face it. Warchanter SUCKS. I mean it's almost a serious thought as to think of... does tier 2 really deserve those enhancement points? let alone even advance to 16 let alone 20. So I had thought, well hey ya never know, maybe some kind of sad attempt will be made to fix that thing.

And the 3rd is more for I get the spot usually. See he's a warchanter thats focusing on dmg. (Fasinate is iffy but with gear switches always there as a OMG THE * HIT THE FAN!!) That means my songs are maxed for giving me dmg and anything that will help toward that. However, it will also give the others around me that dmg as well. And melee with great dmg always want and love MORE DMG! Plus I NEED HASTE. and so again, melee love me because I'm casting HASTE FOR ME, and they latch on and suck it up greedily.

So their ya have it. A 12/8 bard/ftr or in the future im going to be making him a 12/6/2 brd/ftr/mnk or rog for the evasion. rog would be for the extra SA dmg while I stun, and maybe some ok trap skills. monk would be just for a couple extra feats.

[AbyssalMage]

She uses Greatswords because I had so many cool ones lying around and I made her a Warchanter. The problem is that she isnt any fun to play. She never actually gets to do anything bard like besides a few buffs at the start. It seems that no one has the patience for me to play any CC songs.
That is just the pace of the game. Been told Epic is different but haven't seen it really. Slightly slower, yes. But Epic N/H is still in full farm mode.


She has only just made level 12 and has +2 Tomes for every stat.
My goal in this game is to get every class to 20. I have lots of characters and only have bard and pally to go. Im stuck and really need help.

I would prefer not to multiclass her but will if it will make her fun or interesting to play. At the moment she just sits there.
Thanks.
Unless you plan on going Spellsinger or Virtuoso there is no reason to stay pure. Virtuoso is very powerful at 21+ so staying pure is not a bad idea. As far as Feats and stuff... PA, Cleave, G.Cleave and all level ups into STR is easy to manage to 20.

As far as DPS, you should be equal to most melee thanks to your songs +x damage, haste, rage, and the ability to use UMD. Your squishier than a pure fighter/barbarian but I prefer to contribute, not compare myself to them. And I usually beat one or both classes anyways because utility/playstyle out performs one trick ponies.


Heals can keep yourself up or the healer (Because dead people create no DPS)
I am always in range of Rage/Haste (People not in the "circle" get left out)
You play more cautious knowing you don't have the HP's (meaning you take less traps to the face, NPC attention/agro because your second or third into the fight).
UMD allows you to have Stone Skin, full BAB, as well as other goodies making the lower DPS marginal at best. Rezzing the Barbarian/Fighter is always a good way to make friends. Or the cleric :)

Personally my Bard is 8/2 Brad/Fighter with the final product being 16/4 WC (Maybe Virtuoso, but not sure how strong song CC by itself will be).

[LavidDynch]

Plus their were 2 reasons I kept him instead of just TRing into a 18/2 fighter rog.

One was the future. I'd talked to a guy who told me long before it was hinted or anything leaked out that they were working on the racials. This meant that because the bard already had umd down as well as scroll mastery, I could safley go horc while maintaining full self reliance. And nabbing the horcs racial for more dmg.

The second was mere optimism. Lets face it. Warchanter SUCKS. I mean it's almost a serious thought as to think of... does tier 2 really deserve those enhancement points? let alone even advance to 16 let alone 20. So I had thought, well hey ya never know, maybe some kind of sad attempt will be made to fix that thing.


So their ya have it. A 12/8 bard/ftr or in the future im going to be making him a 12/6/2 brd/ftr/mnk or rog for the evasion. rog would be for the extra SA dmg while I stun, and maybe some ok trap skills. monk would be just for a couple extra feats.

If you are talking about the enhancement pass, then yeah, warchanter looks really groovy. Lose some group dmg for personal gaiin - it's a trade off I will take any day of the week.

People have been moaning so much instead of looking at the big picture;I'm looking forward to my increased dmg and survivability (+20 PRR, +1 19/20 crit dmg, +10% off hand, more strenght which opens up stunning blow that can reach a workable DC for current EE GH content and offset the decrease of IC)... and yeah I think that TWF will be in real fashion again.

When you have Rejuvenation Cocoon, CCW and CSW the only time you will need to pull out a heal scroll is to remove stat dmg/disease etc.

Oh, and bards can't splash monk (lawfull req).

it's just alpha but I for one look forward to see the enhancement pass. Refreshing for both builds and UI.

[Kalimah]

I've been really enjoying my 16 bard 4 barbarian build. He is a warchanter (I really dig no arcane failure while wearing my epic cav plate). Swings the big stick (Epic Ant GA) kinda like your idea about wnting to stay with the GS.

Pretty straightforward build, will need str, con, and cha. Really starts to shine once you get LD or FOTW :D Use Regenerating Cacoon for healling and heal scrolls. Be sure to keep your performance skill maxed.

Your DC's on bard spells arent all that but your mes is fine. Get all the good buffs and songs and can straight lay down damage for a sanger. Dont have evasion but saves are still around 40. Very survivable toon for a D6 toon.

[skullzz]

a 12/6/2 brd/ftr/mnk

This is an impossible combination. Bards cannot be lawful and monks must be.

[Tyrande]

[...]
Needed: A 34 point Human Bard build that I will have fun with.

I have a human bard with a FvS past life and I havent used my free LR yet.
[...]

My advice: TR into a Shiradi Warforged Sorcerer and you'll be having a much simpler and easier life. Better self healing, better spells, better DPS, better grouper, and better soloing.

If you like pain being a bard, try the Ram Bow bard build... https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/144850-Ram-Bow-%28a-build-by-request%29?p=1683176#post1683176

[Kalimah]

My advice: TR into a Shiradi Warforged Sorcerer and you'll be having a much simpler and easier life. Better self healing, better spells, better DPS, better grouper, and better soloing.


Honestly, if you want a Siradi build i'd just go with the 18sorc/2pal and make him bladeforged. You get 15 free levels...the DC dont much matter on you shiradi build so...why bother making a dc tr based sorc? You can get a 25 shiradi sorc made in a week now (to 25 and in the shiradi tree) :D

[Tyrande]

Honestly, if you want a Siradi build i'd just go with the 18sorc/2pal and make him bladeforged. You get 15 free levels...the DC dont much matter on you shiradi build so...why bother making a dc tr based sorc? You can get a 25 shiradi sorc made in a week now (to 25 and in the shiradi tree) :D

No doubt building a bladeforged is easier with 15 free levels. I was just assuming he wants to keep his current equipment and tomes.

[Kalimah]

Ah yeah got ya.

[goodspeed]

This is an impossible combination. Bards cannot be lawful and monks must be.

Ya I was actually wondering myself why I didn't just go 2 monk the first time around because of those feats they get. Then it was afterward I remembered the stupid racial alignment requirements.

So it would just be a rog then for the evasion. Because the less 3rd degree burns taken, the better!