Two Handed Fighting WarBard! 18 Bard/2 Fighter

[forumname1]

Hey people of the forums! I was recently playing my 28 bard/fighter and wanted to make a build write up to help some new people to the bard get situated with a pretty powerful build. This unfortunately does require tomes but you can find them farming boss chests. If you are looking for a self-sufficient, buffing, destroyer, look no further than this build! NOTE: I am not showing any equipment bonuses, only recommended weapon used is Epic, Elite Sword Of Shadows acquired by VoN

Level 28- 18 Bard/2 Fighter/ 8 Epic
Human
Chaotic Good

Ability Scores:
Level 1: Level 28 (Tomes Applied, before any buffs, or equipment):
Strength- 16 Strength- 27 (+5 Tomes, +3 Enchancements, +3 Abilities)
Dexterity- 10 Dexterity- 15 (Not as important but nice for AC, +5 Tome)
Constitution- 14 Constitution- 20 (+5 Tome)
Intelligence- 8 Intelligence- 8
Wisdom- 8 Wisdom- 8
Charisma- 16 Charisma- 24 (+5 Tome, +3 Abilities)

Feats (In Order):
Toughness
Magical Training (SP buff)
Two Handed Fighting
Mental Toughness
Power Attack
Cleave
Extend Spell
Spell Penetration
Greater Spell Penetration
Improved Crit: Slashing

If you epic here is what I chose :
Inspire Excellence
Improved Mental Toughness
Lasting Inspiration
Epic Spell Penetration
First Blood


Spells:
Level 1- Cure Light, Expeditious Retreat, Otto's Resistible Dance, Focusing Chant, Charm Person
Level 2- Blur, Hold Person, Invisibility, Rage, Suggestion
Level 3- Deep Slumber, Displacement, Good Hope, Haste, Slow
Level 4- Freedom of Movement, Otto's Sphere of Dancing, Hold Monster, Shout
Level 5- Cure Light Wounds Mass, Greater Heroism, Mass Suggestion, Mind Fog
Level 6- Greater Shout, Charm Monster Mass, Otto's Irresistible Dance

Skills-
Max Concentration
Max Balance
Max Perform
Max Spellcraft
1 in Tumble
Max UMD
any others just throw in, like for the Fighter Level

Level Pattern:
Level 1- Fighter
Level 1 to 17 Bard
Level 18 Fighter
Bard rest of the way

Enchancements:
Active:
Action Boost: Sprint
Boast
Enthrallment
Frozen Fury
Gathering Cold
Howl of the North
Human Versatility: Attack
Inspire Recklessness
Iron Skin Chant
Rallying Cry
Skaldic Rage
Song of Heroism

Passive:
Enchant Weapon
Fighting Spirts
Flicker (only 2 points)
Haunting Melody
High Spirits
Human Adaptability: Strength
Iced Edges
Improved Recovery
Inspired Bravery
Kensei Focus: Heavy Swords
Lingering Songs
Music of the Dead
Music of the Sewers
Northwind
Rough and Ready
Sharp Note
Spellsinger
Strength (2)
The Poetic Edda
Victory Song

Sword of Shadows is the only suggested equipment used.

Max Hp/sp at level 28-
438 Hp
1140 Sp

[BoBoDaClown]

Not to be harsh, there is a lot you could do to improve the build.

It depends on the content you run; if you run epic normal, maybe hard(?), I'm sure it does fine.

However, the build lacks focus:

It lacks consistent choice in fighting feats.

It takes spells that won't succeed in landing.

It takes spell pen, which may be very useful, but only for one spell.

It takes enhancements that don't stack with items/destinies, or have low DCs (Inspire Recklessness/Frozen Fury/I heard Howl of the North doesn't stack, but haven't tested)

No healing feat, which would make you more self-sufficient, plus a quality healer.


Quick Remake:

Str: 16 + all level ups = main stat +OC qualification
Dex: 8 - your AC doesn't matter. Dex i useful for reflexes, but I don't think you will get it high enough to matter without some serious investment.
Con: 16 - combatants want HP
Int: 8
Wis: 8
Cha: 14 - could go lower. I personally like 11+5 tome = spell casting with no items or buffs. Which would give you 3 points to spend ton str. No level ups because your DCs are low anyway

Feats (no mental toughness, because your SP is generally used for healing and buffing, not DC casting)

In no particular order:
1)Cleave
2)Great Cleave
3) THF
4) ITHF
5) GTHF
6) PA
7) Improved Critical

Extra One: Empower Healing
Extra Two: Extend
Extra Three: Not sure - Quicken? Precision?

Epic 1: Inspire Excellence
Epic 2: Overwhelming Critical
Epic Three: Not Sure

Destiny 1: Lasting Inspiration
Destiny 2: Not sure

If you really want, you could fit your 3 spell pen feats in, because you have two spare feats already, and you could drop extend to make room for the 3rd. Or you could take the SP feats if you found they helped.

I would drop most of the DC based spells.

This build, which needs fleshing out, would give you what you stated in your initial paragraph, a character that is better as a: "a self-sufficient, buffing, destroyer".

Sorry if you didn't want feedback, but it was posted...

[Arcanegrin]

Doing a 18 bard, 1 fighter, 1 cleric right now that works very well. Scaldic rage and Divine Might stack so you get very high STR. Not sure you get anything from 1 level of Fighter that can match Divine Might. The STR is around the same as on some of the barbarian builds I've ran in the past, at least it is at level 13. Not bad when your self healing and can CC pretty well.

Also, careful of cleaves, they will disrupt your Fascinate.

[MadCookieQueen]

Not to be harsh, there is a lot you could do to improve the build.


In no particular order:
1)Cleave
2)Great Cleave
3) THF
4) ITHF
5) GTHF
6) PA
7) Improved Critical

Extra One: Empower Healing
Extra Two: Extend
Extra Three: Not sure - Quicken? Precision?

Epic 1: Inspire Excellence
Epic 2: Overwhelming Critical
Epic Three: Not Sure

Destiny 1: Lasting Inspiration
Destiny 2: Not sure



I pretty much agree with everything BoBo had to say about the build feedback. Especially how it lacks any real focus and unless you plan on not doing any type of melee ever...viable DC casting isn't going to happen.


Though I'll take a moment to fill in the Feat slots here:

Take Quicken...you're in the middle of battle that Cure spell better work...Quicken makes that happen.

Epic Three: I took Epic DR just for the help

Destiny 2: Either Perfect THF for more damage or Epic Spell Power Positive for Healing love...otherwise if you want a bit more defense Elusive target isn't a bad choice (not great but not bad)

[smckelv]

From my experience playing a 16/2/2 Bard/Fighter/Rogue:

- Get Quicken and dump Concentration. As a melee you will not make a concentration check on EE consistently...the dmg numbers make the math impossible. Quickened CCW is your ticket to stayin alive.

- Use otto's irrestistable dance like a fighter uses stun/trip. Spam it on tough mobs. Spell pen only helps sometimes, usually not needed at all for this spell.

- Get Extend if you want to play the perma-displace meta-game. Displace is the best melee bard spell, hands down.

- Take spellsong vigor (above metamagics will pressure your SP otherwise).

My 2 rogue is for evasion and this is a pre-u19 split still. 1 lvl of fighter is enough for most warchanters. Now the FotM is to splash divine might (cleric/fvs preferred) which can get many STR bard builds up into Barbarian strength numbers.

[BoBoDaClown]

- Get Quicken and dump Concentration. As a melee you will not make a concentration check on EE consistently...the dmg numbers make the math impossible. Quickened CCW is your ticket to stayin alive.



Yeah quicken should be a 'definitely', not a 'maybe'.

I would still keep concentration; just for scrolls (not that my scroll use is as high as it used to be).