Roq Star, a pure 2wf battlebard for mod 9 and beyond

[Anthios888]

I wanted a melee. I ended up with this bard build.

Roq Star, pure human battlebard on Ghallanda



This is a pure bard. Why pure? Multiclassing gives some major bonuses to melee-focused bards, especially at the beginning and end of life. That's why nearly everyone does it on melee bard builds.

But not me. In this build, I tried to pare the warchanter down to the basics. I lost out on extend spell (meh) and overwhelming critical (ouch), but possess the best possible bard melee buffs (+12 damage). There is nothing like joining a raid full of melees and watching the DPS spike up for the party overall. Objectively, I would probably tell someone else to splash for overwhelming critical today because bard buffs are weaker than ever relative to the other bonuses around. But I'm holding out for Warchanter III before I change the build significantly.

Three and a half years later, I play this build in epic elites and it remains one of my favorites. I love bards, even if they need help as a class.

Starting Ability Scores

Got +3 or +4 tomes? Start with less DEX, as long as you can hit 17 DEX with whatever tomes you do have, so that you can take improved and greater two weapon fighting

32 point build

STR 16
DEX 15 + 2 tome
CON 16
INT 8
WIS 8
CHA 12

My current stats in Fatesinger



Feat Selection

Level 1: Power attack
Level 1 (Human bonus feat): Toughness
Level 3: Weapon focus: Slashing (Warchanter I Pre-requisite)
Level 6: Two weapon fighting
Level 9: Exotic weapon proficiency: Khopesh
Level 12: Improved critical: slashing
Level 15: Improved two weapon fighting
Level 18: Greater two weapon fighting
Level 21: Inspire excellence
Level 24: Quicken spell

Hit Points

20 Base
120 Bard levels
50 epic levels
375 Constitution modifier (42 CON)
10 Agents or Argonessen favor
27 Toughness feat
30 Toughness Enhancements
30 Greater False Life
20 Toughness
10 Warchanter II
10 Echoes of the Ancestors: Legendary Dreadnought
45 Greensteel HP item
20 Large Guild Augment
767 HP without Essence of Desire yugoloth potion

Healing Amplification
I really love healing amplification at endgame on this character, and I try to keep it as high as possible (currently 223%). Even without metamagics, my own cure critical hits for over 300, and heal scrolls hit for 438. Vampirism from an item like Epic Chaosblades heal 900-1000 HP per minute.

1.3 human improved recovery III enhancement
1.2 tower of despair convalescence
1.3 epic gloves of the claw greater convalescence
1.1 airship
223% healing amplification

Crowd Control

Fascinate, Siren's Song, and Irresistible dance are the only crowd control. Use weapon effects like earthgrab to make monsters helpless and vulnerable.

Alternate Races and Fighting Style

Half-elf with Rogue Dilletante (3d6 sneak damage) would work great if you skip Quicken Spell or wield piercing weapons (such as Balizarde and Celestia from Caught in the Web). For a two-handed build, half orc with cleaves and epic sword of shadow would rule the world.

Playstyle & Tips

Buff a lot. It's why you came into the world with mana. Keep haste (available from scroll at level 3 and spell from level 7), rage, displacement, and stoneskin (wands at level 7) on self at all times (and party whenever possible).

You have no evasion, but you don't need to let it get the best of you. Carry resist 11 wands, mass protection from elements scrolls, and fireshield scrolls at all times and use liberally.

Shopping List: Consumables I carry on a bard

• Healing
• Greater Ardor potions (House P Object Desire)
• Mass Protection from Elements scrolls (Portable Hole)
• Heal scrolls, Mass Cure Moderate scrolls, and cure critical wands (Guild vendor)
• Stone to Flesh scrolls or wand (House J)
• Lesser restoration potions (unbound) (Most general vendors)
• Remove Curse potions (unbound) (House J or most general vendors)
• Restoration/Greater restoration Scrolls (Guild vendor or House J)
• Raise dead/resurrection scrolls (Guild vendor, House J)
  
  Self-buffs
• Tenser's Transformation scrolls (Portable Hole, House P Object Desire)
• Essence of Desire and Fury (CON and STR yugoloth potions)
• Shield wand
• Oil of Incandescence (Mabar festival, 1d6 damage on your weapons for 1 hour)
• Fireshield scrolls (Guild, Portable Hole)
  
  Party buffs
• Greater Heroism scrolls (Portable Hole, House P)
• Resist Energy (Level 11) wands (random drop)
• Elemental Weapons scrolls (House C)
• Adamantine Weapons scrolls (House C)
• Enchant weapons and Enchant Armor scrolls (House C)
• Byeshk Weapons scrolls (House C)
  
  Utility
• Teleport and Greater Teleport scrolls (Portable Hole)
• Shadow Walk scrolls (Portable Hole)
• Mass invisibility scrolls (Portable Hole)
  
  Offense
• Prismatic Ray (instakill that pillar!) (Portable Hole)
• Summon Monster VIII scrolls (air elemental - cannot buy in stores)
• Cloudkill scrolls (cannot buy in stores)

Equipment

This equipment reflects a player who raids, runs epics, and optimizes at every corner. That might not be you, but don't run away! Remember when reading my builds that the character will do its purpose just fine without uberloot, because my philosophy of characters is that they grow over time with love and practice. It is smart to make sure a build is planned so that you do not end up pulling something nice that you locked yourself out of. Being human or half elf helps when you are starting out, because with human versatility, you can adjust your stats depending on the tomes or other stat items you have equipped.

Another important item for any bard is Epic Elyd Edge (House Deneith Epics) for singing Inspire Heroics (+4 Dodge) and Inspire Competence (+2 Skills) on your party mates. It turns them from single target buffs to area of effect.

Gear

• Armor:
  
  • Epic Red Dragonscale Armor (Velah) with (+6 DEX and Toughness)
• Bracers: Epic Gloves of the Claw (Heavy Fortification, +2 exceptional con)
• Goggles: Tharne's Goggles
• Helm:
  
  • Charisma +6 Helm of Perform +13 (Large guild augment: 20 hp)
  • Greensteel 300 SP, 6 charisma skills (lightning strike guard or air guard). Use Eagle's Splendor
• Necklace:
  
  • Necklace of Major Luck (random drop)
  • Torc of Prince Raiyum (when mana is low)
  • Epic Grim's Necklace (7 strength, +3 dodge, green slot: +2 luck)
• Trinket: Litany of the Dead or Planar Focus of Prowess
• Cloak: Adamantine Cloak of the Wolf (dodge 4, exceptional seeker 5, +4 to-hit)
• Belt: Colethenis's Belt (2 seeker, 6 Con. Set bonus: 2d6 slicing damage on hit)
• Boots: Green Steel Boots (+45 Hit Points, Radiance guard)
• Gloves: Epic Gloves of the Claw (30% healing amplification, set bonus : +4 damage)
• Ring: Ring of the Ravager, 6 str, +1 str, +20% healing amplification
• Ring: Ring of the Stalker (yellow: greater false life, colorless: +1 con, ghostly, manslayer, +6 seeker, +3 exceptional backstab)

Ideal Weapons

Trash Mobs (non-bosses)

• Main Hand. Alchemical Khopesh (earth-earth-earth) or Nightmare
• Off Hand. Alchemical Khopesh (earth-earth-water) or Nightmare

Trash Mobs (devils and other lawful monsters, especially when already crowd controlled)

• Main & Off Hand. Epic Chaosblade

Misc. Bosses

• Main & Off Hand. Balizarde or Drow Khopesh of the Weapon Master

Devil Bosses (Tower of Despair, Arraetrekos, Suulomedes, Chronoscope bosses)

• Main & Off Hand. +5 Holy Burst Silver Khopesh of Greater Lawful Outsider Bane

Demon Bosses (Marilith, Hezrou, Demonweb Bosses, Flensers)

• Main & Off Hand. +5 Holy Burst Cold iron khopesh of Greater Chaotic Outsider Bane

Evil Constructs (Lord of Blades, Portals)

• Main & Off Hand. +5 Holy Burst Adamantine khopesh of Greater Construct Bane

Undead

• Main & Off Hand. Greensteel heavy mace, khopesh, or warhammer positive-positive-positive

Dragons

• Main & Off Hand. Tinah (warning: Crushing Wave breaks cold damage over time spells, so make sure no one in your party is using these)

Skill Points

1 rank in Tumble, to enable its use
23 ranks in Use Magic Device, Perform, Concentration, Balance
10 ranks in Jump
Remainder in Move Silently, Hide, Haggle, whatever

Spell selection

(Level 1): Hypnotism (-3 will save debuff to aid casters situationaly), Focusing Chant (self buff), Sonic Blast (the incredible box breaker), Master's Touch (grants martial weapon proficiency to wielded weapon), Merfolk's Blessing (zerg swim or fly)

(Level 2): Blur (buff party), Rage (always), Glitterdust (An AoE spell to grab monsters' attention in a pinch, such as kiting part 2 of Tower of Despair, Invisibility (is not broken by fascinate)[b]

(Level 3): Haste (always), Good Hope (does not stack with Inspire Courage or Greater Heroism, but is nice if the others wear off, Displacement (always), Cure Serious Wounds

(Level 4): Freedom of Movement (always), Dimension Door, Break Enchantment (use liberally to destroy area of effect enemy spells such as blade barrier, firewall, or iron defender barf, Cure Critical Wounds

(Level 5): Greater Heroism (always when fear is a risk), Mass Suggestion (won't work well, but it can be nice in underlevel content), Mass Cure Light Wounds, Greater Dispel Magic, Neutralize Poison

(Level 6): Mass Cure Moderate Wounds, Otto's irresistible dance ("hold still!" spell), Cat's grace, Mass, Eagle's Splendor, Mass

Enhancements:

Bard Musical Prodigy
Lingering Song IV
Attack II
Damage III
Bravery III
Extra Song I
Warchanter II
Bard Song Magic III
Wand and Scroll Mastery IV
Human Strength I
Human Constitution I
Racial Toughness III
Human Versatility II
Human Improved Recovery III

Fatesinger



For full description of Fatesinger abilities, see Fatesinger - DDO Wiki

Fury of the Wild



For full description of Fury of the Wild abilities, see Fury of the Wild - DDO Wiki

Ideas for Twists of Fate

• Tier 4 (Fury of the Wild) Sense Weakness
• Tier 3 (Fatesinger) Reign
• Tier 3 (Shadowdancer) Grim Precision
• Tier 3 (Legendary Dreadnought) Seeker +6
• Tier 2 (Legenary Dreadnought) Improved Power Attack
• Tier 2 (Grandmaster of Flowers) Hail of Blows
• Tier 1 (Fury of the Wild) Tunnel Vision
• Tier 1 (Fury of the Wild) Primal Scream
• Tier 1 (Primal Avatar) Rejuvenation Cocoon
• Tier 1 (Unyielding Sentinel) Brace for Impact

Bard References

• The Classic Rocker - DPS 2-Handed Fighting Warchanter, with quickened heals (20 bard - human, warforged, or h-orc template)
• Guide to Bard Buffs
• Warchanter enhancements

[maddmatt70]

Very nice build. I like how you fit in the khopesh instead of extend which is something I should personally explore next mod - I have a similar build. Depends on what if any weapons they add. I also like getting those fascinate enhancements especially if they come in handy next mod. Very nice gear allocation as well. I would prefer lightning strike guard over radiance though. I have a feeling the gear will change a fair amount next mod we will see..

[lOprahl]

The capstone does nothing for this build unfortunately...going pure is not maximizing this build's potential.

+1 damage at 20 is not a viable argument for not multiclassing

1 example Evasion > +1/+1 attack / damage


Other then that...I like how youve put em together...very playable build

[maddmatt70]

The capstone does nothing for this build unfortunately...going pure is not maximizing this build's potential.

+1 damage at 20 is not a viable argument for not multiclassing

1 example Evasion > +1/+1 attack / damage


Other then that...I like how youve put em together...very playable build

hmm in a raid with 6 other melee +1/+1 might be better then evasion or at least comparable..

[lOprahl]

IMO, evasion allows bards to be much more durable then their non evasion counterparts...but your right the +1/+1 difference in songs, on paper, might be a difficult comparison.

Basically my point was...Chanter III, if it exists will cue at 18...(should it follow the pattern of other classes). With an 11 base charisma, the capstone is useless for this build.

Going pure from 18 gives you +2 Charisma +2 DCs.

Taking two levels of fighter gives you 2 more feats. 2 more feats > +1/+1 to songs. imo

[maddmatt70]

IMO, evasion allows bards to be much more durable then their non evasion counterparts...but your right the +1/+1 difference in songs, on paper, might be a difficult comparison.

Basically my point was...Chanter III, if it exists will cue at 18...(should it follow the pattern of other classes). With an 11 base charisma, the capstone is useless for this build.

Going pure from 18 gives you +2 Charisma +2 DCs.

Taking two levels of fighter gives you 2 more feats. 2 more feats > +1/+1 to songs. imo

Anthios sounds like she/he plays her/his battle bard alot like mine. Buffing Buffing Buffing. I place such a premium on it. Every buff imaginable in a sense. I trust in the melee to kill things. I try to kill things everything I can, but the melee should be able to outkill me heck they should be able to walk on water so to speak. My job is to make sure they can walk on water along with the casters and clerics with our buffs. 1 less to hit and damage doesn't sound like alot, but it all ads up every single little greasy point of damage. Clerics should get fired for not casting prayer by the way - fired.. 6 melees with +1 to hit and damage > then two feats and +1 to strength..

There is also the little tidbit dropped by Eladrin of other capstones in the future and he mentioned specifically one more oriented toward warchanters...

[Anthios888]

Thanks for the replies and good debate. I think either way is a great way to go for a battlebard, and evasion would certainly give a lot to the build, and I really would not argue against someone choosing that route. Others have suggested a fighter splash to pick up the feats I want, and I have an alternate build with high DPS and mass healing spec that I chose not to roll (drow 18 bard/1 barb/1 fighter).

Part of my logic in staying pure was the premium I place on buffs. I know we have trashed the capstone a lot for warchanters, but remember that it also gives 2 extra songs and 20% extra duration, which may be gravy but can really help in those long raids with lots of people needing skill songs/AC songs. Extra/longer songs also opens up the possibility of not shrining and speed running. The spare songs are also nice for me because I intend to use fascinate liberally.

The possibility of a future warchanter capstone is also a reason to plan long term rather than for a few difficult quests we run today.

Multiclassing sacrifices more damage for myself but also for my party mates. It seems like everyone and his mom is going to have speed boosts in the next mod, and the aggregate damage over time should be significant. Evasion is fantastic, but I know I can live without it if I need to, especially with UMD. There will be a lot of times where I miss it, especially when I do not yet have the right gear. But it is a build decision I stand by for the sake of future proofing and the goal of doing the most I can for the party.

Edit: I'm a she

[lOprahl]

... 6 melees with +1 to hit and damage > then two feats and +1 to strength..
...There is also the little tidbit dropped by Eladrin of other capstones in the future and he mentioned specifically one more oriented toward warchanters...

on paper maybe..in practice....one word bah!

I know you might have me in the math, but style points / custimization options are a very tempting trade off.
(I pulled out the TI-82 and your right...even though it isnt sexy).

I do agree however, staying pure has a big lasting upside...hard to build to what might be though...well thats the circular argument i get in at least..

[maddmatt70]

on paper maybe..in practice....one word bah!

I know you might have me in the math, but style points / custimization options are a very tempting trade off.
(I pulled out the TI-82 and your right...even though it isnt sexy).

I do agree however, staying pure has a big lasting upside...hard to build to what might be though...well thats the circular argument i get in at least..

Hey nothing wrong with the 2 rogue levels especially if you can do rogue stuff as well. It comes down to style a bit for sure..

[maddmatt70]

Thanks for the replies and good debate. I think either way is a great way to go for a battlebard, and evasion would certainly give a lot to the build, and I really would not argue against someone choosing that route. Others have suggested a fighter splash to pick up the feats I want, and I have an alternate build with high DPS and mass healing spec that I chose not to roll (drow 18 bard/1 barb/1 fighter).

Part of my logic in staying pure was the premium I place on buffs. I know we have trashed the capstone a lot for warchanters, but remember that it also gives 2 extra songs and 20% extra duration, which may be gravy but can really help in those long raids with lots of people needing skill songs/AC songs. Extra/longer songs also opens up the possibility of not shrining and speed running. The spare songs are also nice for me because I intend to use fascinate liberally.

The possibility of a future warchanter capstone is also a reason to plan long term rather than for a few difficult quests we run today.

Multiclassing sacrifices more damage for myself but also for my party mates. It seems like everyone and his mom is going to have speed boosts in the next mod, and the aggregate damage over time should be significant. Evasion is fantastic, but I know I can live without it if I need to, especially with UMD. There will be a lot of times where I miss it, especially when I do not yet have the right gear. But it is a build decision I stand by for the sake of future proofing and the goal of doing the most I can for the party.

Edit: I'm a she

You sound like a good bard. Alot of the old good bards on my server Khyber have left DDO sadly. Quicktoezzz, Snowflakes, Animate just to name a few. There are some new bards out there, but they don't feel the same oh well. I wouldn't mind if they merged these servers so folks could run a bit together.. I wouldn't mind running with some other bards out there..

[Anthios888]

Don't snuggle up too close, Matt, my other pure warchanter does crowd control and we all know what you think of that

But yeah I agree, I would love to be able to run with some of personalities I have seen on the forums, especially other serious battleclerics. But at the same time, there are a lot I'm happy to avoid... so who knows.

[maddmatt70]

Don't snuggle up too close, Matt, my other pure warchanter does crowd control and we all know what you think of that

But yeah I agree, I would love to be able to run with some of personalities I have seen on the forums, especially other serious battleclerics. But at the same time, there are a lot I'm happy to avoid... so who knows.

A warchanter that does cc owwiee.. Now I am huge fan of warchanters that are solid healers. Mavnifico, taking a break atm, is a great build and player who does the warchanter healing bit, but cc especially for warchanter is painful in my opinion. I have hangover, who I know will be hurt by the capstone, but she can heal and cc. Nothing inherently wrong with bard cc just the way it is in DDO right now.

On battleclerics. My guildie Clean, Dark-star on the forums here, has two battleclerics and he is pretty serious about them. I like his new battle cleric alot elf twf 14 cleric 2 monk finesse build which I think is really good. I have run with Nick's sorc and barbarian, he is a really good player and a nice guy (argo/archmagi). He said his main was/is? is a battle cleric so I imagine the cleric is really good. Not a ton of real notable battle clerics (I am assuming you mean melee) on Khyber although there has been some real good new ones that I have run with while leveling up and at end game lately so that is changing. We will see.

Enough babbling - it sure would be nice running with some of these other folks like you said...

[Anthios888]

Just an update. I capped this build in the last couple of weeks and can say it is among the most fun builds I have ever done. There were no dead levels, and I could raid by level 12-13 with no guilt.

I got lucky and completed my dragontouched shroud quickly (+5 resist, +6 con, destruction), which helped the growing pains of fitting in all the gear. One other thing I did to make that easier was make a tier 2 HP item on goggles, where it is easiest to fit in, with the expectation of recrafting once I pull a Tharne's goggles.

As for action points, the fascinate undead/construct is way more fun than it should be, and I currently have the pricey but useful full inspired attack line. In the future, I may pick up more life magic and wand mastery, but for now I am happy with fascinate/buffing spec.

Survivability was a concern without enough UMD to heal scroll until I get some of the raid loot, but I have found that with a few static resist items, alternating wands and potions to heal, liberal use of stoneskin wands (cheaping out here is a mistake imo) and displacement, it's hardly a problem. And if you kill them before they kill you, you have a lot less healing to do

[sirgog]

IMO, evasion allows bards to be much more durable then their non evasion counterparts...but your right the +1/+1 difference in songs, on paper, might be a difficult comparison.

Basically my point was...Chanter III, if it exists will cue at 18...(should it follow the pattern of other classes). With an 11 base charisma, the capstone is useless for this build.

Going pure from 18 gives you +2 Charisma +2 DCs.

Taking two levels of fighter gives you 2 more feats. 2 more feats > +1/+1 to songs. imo

+1 damage to the entire party/raid is a nice bonus, nothing critical.

What looks like it will be crucial (from the Lammania people playing Mod 10 content) is the extra +1 to attack rolls.

It seems like the Epic difficulty quests (which will take over from ToD as endgame) present a lot of foes with extremely high AC.

Mod 10 looks like it might just be time to toggle Power Attack off, invest seriously in Inspired Damage 2 and 3 and keep your bards pure for that extra +1 to hit.

If your party members require a 12 to hit or to confirm a crit, that extra +1 to hit is a whopping +11% to party DPS. If they require a 17 to hit/confirm, a massive +25%.

[maddmatt70]

+1 damage to the entire party/raid is a nice bonus, nothing critical.

What looks like it will be crucial (from the Lammania people playing Mod 10 content) is the extra +1 to attack rolls.

It seems like the Epic difficulty quests (which will take over from ToD as endgame) present a lot of foes with extremely high AC.

Mod 10 looks like it might just be time to toggle Power Attack off, invest seriously in Inspired Damage 2 and 3 and keep your bards pure for that extra +1 to hit.

If your party members require a 12 to hit or to confirm a crit, that extra +1 to hit is a whopping +11% to party DPS. If they require a 17 to hit/confirm, a massive +25%.

I do not know why you rezzed this old thread although this is a good build. For epic difficulty it is a case of fighter love and rogue hate. Fighters have a ridiculous to-hit so expect them to have not much issue, but rogues will have an issue. You are over stating a bard's role. It will be max your inspire damage out and then if you have points which nearly all bards do currently max your to-hit because what else are you going to max really. +1 to hit and damage for a level 20 bard vs. a multi-class is not a big deal presuming that multi-class is worthwhile.

What I failed to see and was disappointed I did not see in the Wiz King Epic lammania preview was fascinate dcs. My guess is fascinate might still be effective in many of those quests.

[Anthios888]

Bump for mod 9

[maddmatt70]

Some advice for you Anthios. On rabiez my level 20 human warchanter I have the level 6 ottos spell which allows me to cc if need be. With the bard capstone my spell penetration is actually not so bad so I nearly always land this. In the epic content this is a very nice feature because I can run up to a mob and hit that mob with the ottos spell and then melee that mob. This is especially nice for fire and even air elementals. If the party needs more ccing I can pick up the slack if need be heck I can even drink a few mana pots and do almost all the ccing in a quest. I recommend you pick the spell up you will not regret it.

[Anthios888]

I have it, I love it, OP updated.

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

Some advice for you Anthios. On rabiez my level 20 human warchanter I have the level 6 ottos spell which allows me to cc if need be. With the bard capstone my spell penetration is actually not so bad so I nearly always land this

I can't believe my eyes!

Like I said a long time ago, bard CC is no joke. Due to other obligations I dont have Mississippe at 20 yet... but so far my spells are all sticking. Even though they nerfed Irresistible Dance a bit, its still hella effective. Beholders, Ellies, Orthons really have little chance against it.

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

Bump for mod 9

I really love this build... mostly because you have kept her pure and fit so much into this build. Whenever someone asks me for advice on building a warchanter, who can also do the healing and CC, I point them right to this build.

Would love your opinion on this (and Mad's opinion too if your reading). I'm still miffed that I'm weighing the possibility of fitting Inspired Attack into Miss. I am seeing no problems so far up to 20 for melees. I'm hearing that Epic levels are a different story however. Is it that hard to hit in the epic stuff? (Always great to hear the warchanter side of things, especially in the matter of buffing tanks for most effective dps possible)