The Warchanter - Man-At-Arm

[kilmior]

The build balances the benefits of 3 classes to bring a character to life with many skills and diversity Let me know what you think.

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 2.70
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 14 Neutral Good Elf Female
(2 Fighter \ 2 Ranger \ 10 Bard) 
Hit Points: 151	HP = 151 +42 (con items) = 193
Spell Points: 321	SP = 321 +60 (cha item) +70 POP7 = 451 
BAB: 11\11\16\21
Fortitude: 10
Reflex: 14
Will: 6

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 14)
Strength             16                    20
Dexterity            16                    19
Constitution         12                    12
Intelligence         12                    12
Wisdom                8                     8
Charisma             14                    16

With +5 items and a tome (extreme with +6 and 2 tome)
Str = 26 (28)
Dex = 24 (26)
Con = 18 (20)
Cha = 22 (24)


Level 1 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Dodge
Enhancement: Bard Extra Song I
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Bravery I
Enhancement: Elf Melee Damage I

Level 2 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Mobility

Level 3 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Damage I
Enhancement: Bard Lingering Song I
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity I
Enhancement: Bard Charisma I

Level 4 (Bard)
Ability Raise: STR
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Attack I
Enhancement: Elf Melee Attack I

Level 5 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Spring Attack
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I

Level 6 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Bard Extra Song II

Level 7 (Bard)
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Bravery II
Enhancement: Elf Melee Damage II

Level 8 (Bard)
Ability Raise: STR
Enhancement: Bard Lingering Song II

Level 9 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Damage II
Enhancement: Warchanter I

Level 10 (Bard)
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity II

Level 11 (Bard)
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Attack II

Level 12 (Bard)
Ability Raise: STR
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Elf Melee Attack II
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I

Level 13 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant
Enhancement: Bard Charisma II

Level 14 (Ranger)
Enhancement: Bard Lingering Song III
Enhancement: Fighter Item Defense I
Enhancement: Bard Song Magic I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I

The level progress is based on unlocking spring attack early. Ranger is taken later as with GH xp, those 2 levels come fast.

Using a long sword, the damage output is good, and although power attack is not ideal for a one handed weapon, the bard buffs and elven bonus negates the "to hit" loss and only increases damage output. (I also think if you have at least a 27 to hit, your good to go) resulting in a decent tank.
Gross to Hit : 11 BAB + 5 Weapon +5 Song + 7 Str +2 Good Hope+2 Elven = 32 (Easy)

Extended Rage with Blur and Displacement will also allow you to go with a Two-Hander and Power Attack turning into a more DPS line

Also with the TWF, feel free to Dual Weld when your feeling frisky.

As the character levels increase beyond 14, you can choose to stay with Bard, increasing song bonus, duration and spell points. Or focus on the fighter feats to improve slashing or pick up SOTR. In this case you can respec your enchantments for the Elven Range attack/damage bonus.

The Bard and Ranger skill points also allow for Max UMD for scroll/item use.

Again this build is one of balance, Master of no one arena but with no weakness either.

Magara / Maegara / Meghan / Tamera / Maegaera

[EinarMal]

I admit I don't get dodge->mobility->spring attack. Maybe for a fighter with a ton of feats to burn but on a Bard? Seems like a waste of three feats to me. TWF without ITWF and GTWF not to mention Improved critical is pretty worthless.

So this build will do sub par damage, be a sub par caster, and have ok songs? Is the Ranger for actually using a bow? If not I would drop that and just go with a two hander and a level of fighter. I don't know seems like you are trying to do too many things here and end up with nothing even above average.

[Deusxmachina]

Again this build is one of balance, Master of no one arena

I guess that sums it up well. I'm mainly just not digging the mix of fighter and ranger since fighter looks to only be for getting the feats for the mobility line, which is dubious. The elf bonuses are nice since they count on both hands, so ranger and TWF makes sense in that regard, but TWF without the higher TWF feats pales to just a plain ol' two-hander, particularly with power attack, and using a two-hander is free.

I'd try to weed out the two fighter levels, or ditch the ranger2 and only take fighter1 since it still qualifies for TWF. A TWF ranger/bard would be fun, bards don't cast well with shields anyway, if you want to keep power attack (usually not a great choice for one-handers, as you said) it could be argued it's mainly to punch through things with high DR. Ranger 11 gets good TWF feats, decent spells, evasion, and bard 9 gets a nice bit of songs and decent spells. I'd consider ranger6/bard8 or ranger5/bard9 currently then the rest ranger levels for level 20.

Ranger 11 is important, and bard 8/9 is important. The other cutoff would be ranger2, but then what to take? The rest bard levels mainly for more song power and some sp? Not bad. Or take just a bunch of fighter levels? eh. Taking one level of fighter and its "free" TWF with your dex sounds better than ranger2. With decent bard levels, UMD will already be maxed, so ranger2 over fighter1 doesn't seem to gain much.

A main thing is about the TWF. It's just not that great without the entire line of feats, and that's including getting racial bonuses on both hands and bard bonuses on both hands. To make TWF worth it, you have to fully commit to it, and if you do commit, it's your choice whether to do it with fighter levels and high dex or ranger levels.

[kilmior]

Excellent feedback. Although I don't agree with being Sub-par. I think "Well rounded" is a better term for the build.

Spring Attack - I just assumed every fighter based character had spring attack. -4 to hit!! That’s like having a curse or not having Greater Heroism. I asked around and you know what...people DON'T have it. That was an awaking.

I am lvl10 and looking at a reroll (favor 1200) is tough. I've respec'd my build to TWF/ITWF/GTWF/Toughness. It will require 3 tokens and 9 days (about the same time as a reroll) but i don't have to repeat all those quests again.

I will maintain 2 Long swords and deal with the -4/-4 vs -2/-2 with a light off hand for RP side. but when needed I’ll have that dagger in my bag.
To hit - 11 + 5 (weapons) -4 TWF + 8 Str + 2 Good hope + 2 Elf + 5 Song +1 W.focus = 30
Better if using light hand and greater heroism.

Again thanks for the perspective and the awaking.
(the order of feats below are based on doing a respec..i hate having to unlock feats just to get to others)

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 2.70
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 14 Neutral Good Elf Female
(4 Fighter \ 10 Bard) 
Hit Points: 165
Spell Points: 332 
BAB: 11\11\16\21
Fortitude: 8
Reflex: 12
Will: 7

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 14)
Strength             16                    20
Dexterity            16                    19
Constitution         12                    12
Intelligence         12                    12
Wisdom                8                     8
Charisma             14                    16

Tomes Used
+1 Tome of Dexterity used at level 1

Level 1 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Bard Extra Song I
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Bravery I
Enhancement: Elf Melee Damage I

Level 2 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Power Attack
Enhancement: Fighter Item Defense I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I

Level 3 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Damage I
Enhancement: Bard Lingering Song I
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity I
Enhancement: Bard Charisma I

Level 4 (Bard)
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Attack I
Enhancement: Elf Melee Attack I

Level 5 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I

Level 6 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Bard Extra Song II

Level 7 (Bard)
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Bravery II
Enhancement: Elf Melee Damage II

Level 8 (Bard)
Enhancement: Bard Lingering Song II
Enhancement: Warchanter I

Level 9 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Damage II

Level 10 (Bard)
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Attack II

Level 11 (Bard)
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity II

Level 12 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Elf Melee Attack II

Level 13 (Bard)
Enhancement: Bard Lingering Song III

Level 14 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Bard Charisma II
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness II

[EinarMal]

That looks good and is much better! The thing with spring attack is the mobs it helps the most with, casters who run, have low AC anyway so the -4 doesn't really matter much.

[kilmior]

Thanks.

I was just looking around and came across your
"Warchanting Tempest" build..

Some would say there is a copy-right law in question when looking at my build compared to what you created first. LOL.

[EinarMal]

Thanks.

I was just looking around and came across your
"Warchanting Tempest" build..

Some would say there is a copy-right law in question when looking at my build compared to what you created first. LOL.

Ah no worries there. Great minds think a like! Most of the feats and things are all pretty obvious anyway once you decide to make a TWF Bard.