Bard Equipment and stacking questions for Songs/Spells

[Lakasha]

I am trying to figure out what all does not stack with my bard songs/spells as I would like to work out a better equipment set up than what she currently has. (Lvl 23 Warchanter/Fatesinger)

It would seem that Attack Bonuses on gear apparently do not stack with songs. Does Persuasion stack with songs/spells? What about Damage Reduction and Ironskin Chant? I do have a mid-level Arti/crafter that I am slowly working up so some craftable stuff is possible.

I have tried to figure this out but seem to be finding conflicting info. Any help would be appreciated as well as good suggestion for bard gear

I am currently wearing a mismash of gear from Eveningstar Commedations, House C Challenges and Calvary Plate.

[thunir]

Persuasion will stack with songs and spells

Iron Skin chant will not stack with DR

Doubble strike will not stack with any equiptment bonus, from inspire wrecklessness

Other than that Get a Great Axe, a Stack of Scrolls and as much Cha, Str, and Con as you can muster. Dont forget to stack Perform. Any Warchanter with decent gear, not even maxed out should be able to hit 80ish ranks with a Cha Green steel item, and dont skimp, spend the mats on Con op.

[Jaid314]

persuasion stacks with everything except for your song of inspire competence, which you can't use on yourself anyways (possibly barring epic elyd edge? never owned one ). attack bonus won't stack with inspire greatness, so anything over +2 does in fact help. most to-hit bonuses stack with inspire courage, except for the ones from greater heroism, heroism, and good hope, off the top of my head. still, greater heroism is worth it because of the skill and save buff.

damage reduction and ironskin don't stack, but the better of the two for any given attack will apply. for example, if they have DR 10/silver and ironskin, they'll take 10 points less from everything except silver weapons, which will instead be reduced by 5.

[Lakasha]

Good to hear that Persuasion does stack. Now just need to decide where I want to put it. I wish I would have known sooner about the attack bonus stacking, I had been wearing attack goggles for a very long time before I looked.

What do you mean by stack perform? It was my understanding that adding additional perform above a +15 item would not do much for my character. Is there a reason I want to be trying to reach 80 Perform? Also what do you mean by "dont skimp, spend the mats on Con op"

Got my greataxe from Cannith Challenges and I always carry around scrolls so got that part anyhow.

[goodspeed]

ya persuasion and the umd +3 thing on gear like spare hand and the spyglass are the same thing so they stack with other sources but not each other.

I don't think you would really need a GS cha skills as you should be able to nail 40 umd just easily even with only 12 bard levels like I did. Though it would hold your sp and jack up your skills more so, eh *** your choice.

Cha item wise i'd probably go for the Shimmering Pendant +7 cha, +20 perform, +20 diplo, 3 charges of suggestion and a yellow slot. So it kind of just sums it all up.

And While it only lasts about as long as divine power, the scroll of tensers transformation gives you a STACKING +4 to STR DEX and con as well as a stacking +6 to AC. So while it is only for just 1.15 minutes, I carry a couple stacks of em and cast them liberally as I enter into fights and then switch back to my weapon on the hotbar.

Fire shield I find is also very nice for cutting down the massive fire dmg. Inspire greatness is pretty much **** unless it's got higher then +3 or even +4 as both are very common being on basic gear now be it the goggles or the cloak.

Inspire courage also competes with GH as it's moral based, But it usually comes out ahead depending on the lvs of bard taken. Right now i'm wondering if I should take war chanter 2 though. offers 10hp recklessness which I find i'm holding all of my fort close as even the ehards seem to be getting more and more liberal with dropping it. And the fact I have the stalwart pre going so doesn't affect me anyway. Well and med armor. Though im using light for tactics. (stun 10, melee alacrity, maybe evasion.)

Weapon wise of course an esos will always make you boss, but i'd say maybe a drow axe just for the expanded crit range (19 to 20 which of course expands more with improved crit) the weapon from citw with planer (ive heard it offers an added die or something. Never confirmed it though) or the EAGA, or of course the poor mans epic, the elemental greataxe lol.

But seriously the tensers scrolls, that's all free stats right there easily umdable.

[Kinerd]

In general, the only bonuses that will stack are those of different types.

Inspire Courage is a morale bonus to attack and damage.
Inspire Competence claims to give a competence bonus to skills, but is some other kind that seems to stack with everything.
Inspire Greatness is a competence bonus to attack.
Inspire Heroics is a morale bonus to saves and dodge. (Dodge is special, dodge stacks.)

Focusing Chant is a circumstance bonus to attack and skills.
Heroism and GH are morale bonuses to attack, skills, and saves.
All your stat spells are enhancement bonuses to stats.
Good Hope is a morale bonus to attack, skills, saves, and damage.

DR never stacks unless it specifically says it does. Ironskin Chant does not say so, so it doesn't stack with anything.

[Nitesco]

For your Perform skill, the Epic Shimmering Pendant and Magewright's Cloak stack for a total of +25.

[Lakasha]

I seem to be getting conflicting ideas of where I can get the Seal for Shimmering Pendant. I have managed to get the pendant and the scroll from Partycrashers but no seal.

I believe I need to run Big Top to get the Shard and it will be in the end chest (hopefully).

My current set up has lots of holes.. and will add one more if I get Epic Shimmering Pendant.

Have (but haven't gotten enough stuff to put epic aug slots in yet)
Epic Calvary Plate
Epic Stalker Ring
Epic Ring of Buccaneer
Purple Dragon Knight Gauntlets
Belt Sun Soul
Epic Blasting Chime

Misc. currently worn items
Neck = 10% Exc. Fortification +2 Natural AC (goes away when I get the Shim Pend)
Cloak = +6 Charisma +15 Perform (will need new when I get pendant)
Helm = +4 Wisdom Archmagi 200sp
Boots = Feather Fall tumble (need new)
Googles = old crafted ones.. need replacing I am thinking of making Green Steel Goggles but want to figure out other slots first.
Bracers = Crafted with only +2 Enchantment focus and Med. Guild Aug slot with hit points right now (will try making another shard someday)

I also have a Devotion weapon and several misc weapons. including Elemental Great Axe from House C and Calomel Falchion.

[Nitesco]

I seem to be getting conflicting ideas of where I can get the Seal for Shimmering Pendant. I have managed to get the pendant and the scroll from Partycrashers but no seal.

I believe I need to run Big Top to get the Shard and it will be in the end chest (hopefully).

Correct, noone else usually wants the parts to this item either.