TWF Bard Warchanter (36pt build)

[Zennestia]

Edit: build has been revised after receiving feedback in this thread 22-April-2011

Below is a build I plan on rolling up sometime in the next couple of months.

bfunks initial life was a human Warchanter 16 bard/2 fighter/2 rogue.
The build had 154% healing amp, evasion and some rogue skills (open lock).
It was quite an enjoyable build, but I eventually found myself getting bored and mostly running VON6.

I have tr'd into a Paladin for something different, but plan on tr'ing back to bard.

The build aims in order of priority will be:
- high personal dps
- solid songs and group buffs
- support or shortman healing capable (~900sp + bauble, maximize and sp regen via torc and conc-opp)
(I run with some high healing amp builds, and have not had a problem healing most quests.
Exceptions would be elite Amrath (excluding genesis point) and a number of epics)

I will be using rapiers as I have already crafted a min2 and lit2.

Level 20 True Neutral Half-Orc Male
(16 Bard/4 Fighter) Warchanter

Starting Feat/Enhancement
Abilities Base Stats Modified Stats
(36 Point) (Level 1) (Level 20)
Strength 20 - 30 (20 + 5 levels + 2 tome + 2 half orc enhancement + 1 fighter)
Dexterity 15 - 17
Constitution 14 - 16
Intelligence 10 - 12
Wisdom 8 - 10
Charisma 8 - 10

+2 tomes used at level 7
Note: these numbers do not include item bonuses, exceptional stats, airship buffs, rage, madstone, etc
It's going to take me a while to work out the final numbers.

Level/Feat Progression
Level 1 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Bard
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Paladin

Level 2 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Two Weapon Fighting

Level 3 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness

Level 4 (Bard)
Level 5 (Bard)

Level 6 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Focus: Piercing Weapons

Level 7 (Bard)
Level 8 (Bard)

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

Level 10 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Two Weapon Fighting

Level 11 (Bard)

Level 12 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Piercing Weapons

Level 13 (Fighter)

Level 14 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Two Weapon Fighting

Level 15 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Past Life: Soldier of the Faith

Level 16 (Bard)
Level 17 (Bard)

Level 18 (Bard)
Feat: (Selected) Maximize Spell

Level 19 (Bard)
Level 20 (Bard)

Summary of Enhancements (80 AP)

Enhancement: Fighter Haste Boost II
Enhancement: Bard Extra Song I
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Attack III
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Bravery III
Enhancement: Bard Inspired Damage III
Enhancement: Bard Lingering Song III
Enhancement: Bard Warchanter II
Enhancement: Orcish Extra Action Boost II
Enhancement: Orcish Power Attack II
Enhancement: Orcish Strength II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Bard Lyric of Song I
Enhancement: Bard Song Magic IV
Enhancement: Bard Energy of the Music II
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness II
Enhancement: Bard Wand and Scroll Mastery III

Compared to my first life I will have:
- higher strength and damage (half orc str and power attack enhancements)
- haste boost II, and 2 more action boosts
- paladin past life for +3 attack/damage clickies
- bard and paladin past life benefits

will lose out on:
- 20% human healing amp enhancement
- 1d6 + 3 sneak attack damage
- evasion
- open lock
- hitpoints due to the inability to fit in the toughness feat

[Valindria]

I don't see anything that jumps out other than the lack of toughness (which you already are aware of).

On a completely different way of thinking. Have you looked into Virtuoso? I know it's not for everyone so if you hate it I won't be mad.

Roughly:

20 human bard
(maybe not in order):
1. TWF
1h. extend
3. PL: Paladin
6. toughness
9 iTWF
12. iCrit: p
15. gTWF
18. Power Attack

You lose quicken + max heals. Your song for being pure virt is 7/7 (7/8 for your WC). Healing amp is the only thing that buffs the sustaining song and PL paladin gives that extra 5%. You said you run with other HA builds and they will love sustaining song. You should still be able to heal with scrolls and heal spells but will need to be aware of your surroundings and heal more often for less.

[maddmatt70]

I have a question. Why quicken? Unless you plan to fight/heal in raids it will just be a mana suck. That would free up a feat and allow your mana to go longer such that you can heal in epics. I do not miss quicken on my healing battle bard other then if I am in a shroud/tower raid.

[Stitch78]

Power Attack is a prereq for Warchanter.

If you plan to heal, you may want more SP.

(Streamlined comments since you clearly have been around the block.)

[bartosy]

extra song probably not really needed then again you only took 1 rank.. 1 ap for a song isnt that bad

the energy of music 3 i dunno i think its a bit steep a price to pay 60 sp for 6 ap pretty sure its 20 for every rank for a spellsinger i can understand it, because they need it to flag for spellsinger 2 but for a mostly hardhitting melee warchanter.. ?

no tougness and

-22 hp from the feat itself
-20hp from racial toughnes
-20 from fighter toughnes

-62 hp will hurt on your way to 20 and probably at 20 also orcs arent a race thats known for there great hp pool you will probably will feel really squishy.. good you can overcome the hp problem temporary with madstone boots but then you loose your ability to cast spells. I would like to see a final hp number

things i do like is the paladin clicky. divine favor i run with it now too on my 2nd life as a fighter and i simply love it and were talking about non extended version here, the extended version almost lasts 5 min, i think its the best past life feat available for melee damage wise.

haste boosts good !

power atk II its pretty good imo your a bard with a bab of 15 hit can be a problem later on so not going 3 is very understandable.

[Zennestia]

Thanks for the feedback, it has given me a few things to think about.
I would like to layout end game hitpoints, to hit, skills, but dont have the time at the moment as I am travelling for work.

Virtuoso appeals to me because it is something different. Not sure if it's enough for me to switch from Warchanter though.

I believe I took Quicken on bfunk due to failing concentration checks.
It allowed me to solo heal a new invasion on hard. I dont think I am a good enough healer to do this caliber of quest without Quicken.

I have aquired the Shintao TOD set (this adds +15 to concentration), so I think I may take your suggestion and drop Quicken from the build and replace with toughness. It's probably not worth speccing feats for one or two quests in the game.

Regarding the enhancements, good suggestions and these are easily changed.
If I find I have trouble with to hit, I will drop the power attack enhancements.
However I have +4 or +5 to hit over my first life, so it should be ok. I have divine power clickies and improved destruction weapons for those hard to hit mobs.

Revisions made to the build are:
- replaced quicken with toughness
- switched power attack and maximize to allow earlier access to Warchanter pre
- dropped con to 14 and upped int to 12 (with the additional hp from toughness, I would prefer more skills to another 20hp)