Looking for advice ona Bard/Rogue build

[Bolo_Grubb]

I have a current level 25 that is 18 bard and 2 rogue, halfling THF bard.

I want to TR and make him human for the chest buffing feat. This is not a main character but one I enjoy playing. With the new enhancements and the changes to Dragon marks, I am looking for advice on how to rebuild him.

I might do the LR+20 and get an Arti past life to help with disable device. Also the Bard past life just does not impress me much. I have always played this character as a buffer (haste, blur, GH etc) and song buffs, trapper and back up healer.

When I TR him I want to make him human or maybe other race if they have access to chest buffing. I also want to keep 2 levels of rogue. SO any advice on what feats to take?

Should I take the THF feats? What other feats? Extend for the buffs? IC slash? ( I have some really good Great axes and Great swords).

[phalaeo]

I have a current level 25 that is 18 bard and 2 rogue, halfling THF bard.

I want to TR and make him human for the chest buffing feat. This is not a main character but one I enjoy playing. With the new enhancements and the changes to Dragon marks, I am looking for advice on how to rebuild him.

I might do the LR+20 and get an Arti past life to help with disable device. Also the Bard past life just does not impress me much. I have always played this character as a buffer (haste, blur, GH etc) and song buffs, trapper and back up healer.

When I TR him I want to make him human or maybe other race if they have access to chest buffing. I also want to keep 2 levels of rogue. SO any advice on what feats to take?

Should I take the THF feats? What other feats? Extend for the buffs? IC slash? ( I have some really good Great axes and Great swords).

Half Orcs also get the Dragonmark of Finding.... you'll have to double check with the new enhancements, but before the pass, Horcs got some good enhancement bonuses to THF.

As a human, you would have access to 9 heroic feats (levels 1-20), and 3 Epic feats (21+)
Highly recommended:
1. Dragonmark
2. Extend
3. Power Attack
4. Cleave
5. Great Cleave
6. Toughness
7. Improved Crit: <type> (You can swap this if you're using a MinII or other weapon with Keen on it)

Optional: (Wiki page for General Feats)

• Empower Healing (Works with Rejuvenation Cocoon if you plan on twisting that in)
• Maximize or Empower (If you plan to do any self healing off your SP bar)
• Force of Personality (Only if your CHA will be noticeably higher than your WIS... not worth the feat for 1-2 in saves, but I'd say 3+ is worth considering)
• THF line
• Quicken if you plan on doing any in combat healing or toe-to-toe casting of short range CC spells such as Irresistible Dance.
• Mental Toughness if it tickles your fancy
• Active Past Life feats

Epic Feats (I suggest you review the wiki page, which has all prerequisites listed)

• Overwhelming Critical (Prerequisite: Great Cleave, Improved Critical: (Bludgeoning or Piercing or Slashing or Ranged or Thrown), Strength 23+)
• Empower Healing (Works with Rejuvenation Cocoon if you plan on twisting that in)
• Inspire Excellence (Epic feat)
• Epic Toughness (Epic feat, requires Toughness, CON 21+

Epic Destiny Feats:
By the time I explain it, you could be reading the wiki page.

• Lasting Inspiration looks good, as do many others. These were only made available recently, so I have no personal experience with which to recommend one.

If you're having a hard time squeezing everything you want in, consider taking a level or two of Fighter in addition to the two Rogue levels. That will net you two additional Fighter Class bonus feats.

My 16Brd/2Rog/2Ftr (Halfling STR-based TWF Spellsinger) took the following:
Toughness
Maximize
Empower Healing
TWF
ITWF
GTWF
Power Attack
Cleave
Great Cleave
Improved Crit: Piercing (Will be swapped out when I can equip CitW weapons)
Inspire Excellence
Overwhelming Critical
I think there's one more after that, but I haven't decided yet.

[Bolo_Grubb]

Here is one thought

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 03.16.01
DDO Character Planner Home Page

DJTR 
Level 25 True Neutral Human Male
(2 Rogue \ 18 Bard \ 5 Epic) 
Hit Points: 312
Spell Points: 757 
BAB: 14\14\19\24
Fortitude: 9
Reflex: 19
Will: 17

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(36 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 25)
Strength             16                    24
Dexterity             8                    12
Constitution         14                    16
Intelligence         16                    20
Wisdom                8                    11
Charisma             16                    22

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 6
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 6
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 6
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 6
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 6
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 6
+3 Tome of Strength used at level 11
+3 Tome of Dexterity used at level 11
+3 Tome of Intelligence used at level 11
+3 Tome of Wisdom used at level 11
+3 Tome of Charisma used at level 11

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 25)
Balance               3                    10
Bluff                 3                    11
Concentration         4                    27
Diplomacy             3                    15
Disable Device        7                    34
Haggle                7                    16
Heal                 -1                     5
Hide                  3                    10
Intimidate            3                    11
Jump                  7                    18
Listen               -1                     9
Move Silently         3                    10
Open Lock             3                    28
Perform               n/a                  41
Repair                3                    11
Search                7                    33
Spot                  3                    27
Swim                  3                    12
Tumble                3                    10
Use Magic Device      7                    34

Level 1 (Rogue)
Feat: (Selected) Force of Personality
Feat: (Human Bonus) Least Dragonmark of Finding
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Artificer
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Bard


Level 2 (Bard)


Level 3 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Insightful Reflexes


Level 4 (Bard)


Level 5 (Bard)


Level 6 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell


Level 7 (Bard)


Level 8 (Bard)


Level 9 (Rogue)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack


Level 10 (Bard)


Level 11 (Bard)


Level 12 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Cleave


Level 13 (Bard)


Level 14 (Bard)


Level 15 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Great Cleave


Level 16 (Bard)


Level 17 (Bard)


Level 18 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons


Level 19 (Bard)


Level 20 (Bard)


Level 21 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Inspire Excellence


Level 22 (Bard)


Level 23 (Bard)


Level 24 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 25 (Bard)

Not sure thought if Force of personality and Insightful reflexes are worth it. They have both served me well this past life though so that is why they are there now.

Same stat distribution as this past life, because it served me well too. My perform is high enough to fascinate/entrall/song of capering most things I have tried. and my rogue skills are high enough I have not had any problems with traps or locks.

[voodoogroves]

I'd look closely at 2 more levels if something else if you don't care for the level18 bard abilities.

Rogue +2 ... more sneak (3d6) from base class and enhancements ... + Uncanny Dodge
Fighter (feats)
Ranger (manyshot prep)
FVS or Cleric (divine might, heal as a skill and not cross-class)

[Bolo_Grubb]

What would I lose by dropping bard level to just 16? Would it affect my perform skill?

I was pretty happy with the 18 bard 2 rogue this last life, but he was a halfling and I want to make him human for the chest buffing feats.

[Dielzen]

I'm playing a Half-Orc 18/2 on his Third Life.
Given that I'm squeezing in Virt/Spellsinger/Warchanter songs, I felt that the core 18 ability for more duration and the regen was vital to my build.

I'm currently running these feats (not in order):
3 x Two-Handed Fighting
PA/Cleave/gcleave
Extend
Epic Feats --> Overwhelming Crit & Inspire Excellence
Not being Human I lose one feat, and you'll notice I have no Toughness.I would love to have Stunning Blow and Treasure Finding feats, but the 2 fighter levels would kill my songs.

I haven't hit high enough level to see how it goes when you have items for song regen on this build yet, so I'm not sure I *need* the Spellsinger Core 18 ability, but I'm already running out of songs at level 13 with a Stormsinger Cloak, I can only imagine once I start doing CC at Epic and add in the song of capering or Inspire Excellence.

[Lorianna]

What would I lose by dropping bard level to just 16? Would it affect my perform skill?

I was pretty happy with the 18 bard 2 rogue this last life, but he was a halfling and I want to make him human for the chest buffing feats.

Perform would be a cross-class skill on your off levels, but that's about it. You can buy it up to max ranks.

I have two bards right now, one 16 bard / 2 rogue / 2 ranger who used to be my arcane archer, but has since been reworked into a TWF elven blademistress/singer. I wasn't happy to lose the archery, as that was the whole point of making her in the first place, but she's working out fairly well so far. Especially with the +75 positive spellpower from deepwood sniper, which is quite handy.

The other is a drow 17 bard / 2 rogue / 1 favored soul. She's a "caster bard", with the DS level taken for +2 to all saves and some extra mana, though with the enh pass it's actually given another really nice benefit: divine might. With a nearly 50 charisma, it's a pretty hefty boost to my str when I decide to wade in and mix it up with my sword + buckler. Or two-hander if I'm feeling particularly saucy.

If you're looking for a "do it all" character with chest-buffing, bard/rogue, bard/rogue/ranger, bard/rogue/fighter, or bard/rogue/f.soul are very solid combos, and offer a lot of interesting builds. The only hit you take is on the number of songs you get per rest (you lose 1-2 based on dropping those bard levels), but the bard ED more than makes up for it if you go that route. I have around 40 songs, and with anthem I can just keep going and going and going like the energizer bunny.

[Bolo_Grubb]

Ya pretty sure I want to stick with 18 bard and 2 rogue.