The Dashing Swordsman

[FuzzyDuck81]

Been reading too much OOTS recently i guess

Still, my idea for a versatile combat & general support bard, assuming a 32 point build with +3 tomes available:

12bard/6fighter/2rogue

starting stats 15/14/14/14/8/14, level-ups in STR to qualify for OC.

half elf, paladin dilly

feats:
Toughness, empower healing, 2wf, i2wf, g2wf, dodge (stalwart prereq), PA, cleave, IC slashing, quicken, extend, g.cleave, overwhelming criticals (those last 2 as epic feats)

PrEs virtuoso 2 & stalwart defender 1
extra notes:
can't take warchanter with this as a 2wf build since no space for weapon focus, hence virtuoso instead, for some reliable CC & heal over time song... empower healing would let me boost rejuvenation cocoon, which is a "must have" twist for me extend for longer displacements & haste to reduce need to renew mid-fight. Primary destiny would most likely be fatesinger, though primal avatar has some tasty bonuses too.

variations:
could go with a 2hander build, then ditching a couple of the weapon style feats would have space for something else, eg. weapon focus to go warchanter instead.

I know it wouldn't be the most amazing of builds for soloing etc, but it seems like it could be a pretty solid performer in a party.

[HastyPudding]

I don't know to much about bard builds (I only made 1 bard, a spellsinger, and I really don't want to make another). I like the party-play aspect of it, sort of like a dumbed-down spellsinger but with much better offensive capabilities. Too many people these days are making solo builds that really only bring damage when they have to party. Power to the supports!

That being said, I wish they put in the cavalier, swashbuckler, or duelist class. We need a more 'finesse/dashing swordsman' melee in the game.

[AzB]

I suggested a while back that warchanter be changed to warlord. A warlord is a master swordsman/tactician who also understands the dynamics of leadership. He inspires his troops with word and deed, and this would remove the necessity of the constant song singing of the current bard. He would instead give short pep talks, tell inspirational stories, recite prose, etc. Most of, if not all, the bard songs could be replaced with simple feats that would no longer have the song and animation. (if you've had a bard for a long time, hearing those songs and waiting for the cooldown gets a little old after a couple hundred thousand times) CHA would still be an important stat for these abilities.

It would also create henchmen, and/or at least the ability to have more than one hireling. The first hireling at the current toon level, the second hireling two levels below, and the third four levels below current character level. Ideally, he would receive a sergeant at arms of 7th level at his 10th level, and would be treated similar to a pet. This would be in addition to the hirelings, so the warlord would be an ideal support toon for shortmanning or for soloing.

[unbongwah]

Somewhere I posted a S&B bard build - something like bard 16 / ftr 2 / rog 2 - intended to be a highly survivable melee toon which could also kinda-sorta hate-tank if it really wanted. The Shield Mastery feats boost PRR & doublestrike, so DPS stays kinda decent. It was built around b.swords or d.axes, but I suppose it could be specced for rapiers or scimitars to be more thematically apropos; plus that would let you drop THF feats for something else.

[bigolbear]

skip the over whelming crit, I suspect this build will be better designed diferently and with specific peices of gear.

max out charisma, take power attack and imprved crit peirce - and the twf chain.

Get your self a pair of epic elyd edges.

That right there is a 'dashing swords man' - uses charaisma for attack and damage, admitendly it wont be uber until epic lvls and when you have the gear.

btw kudos on the idea - and dont forget your free chain shirt! you may also want to work in 'great cleavage'

[bergeau09]

12bard/6/fighter/2bard

Probly a typo, didn't read the replies yet so i don't know if someome catch it before I did, but just pointing it out, if I read well you're taking pally dilly which prolly mean evasion, 2 monk or 2 rog? ^^

[Soulfurnace]

Probly a typo, didn't read the replies yet so i don't know if someome catch it before I did, but just pointing it out, if I read well you're taking pally dilly which prolly mean evasion, 2 monk or 2 rog? ^^

I noticed it, but I took it to mean levelling order.. 12 bard rush for virtuoso II, then fighter, then bard again..
He gets 6 fighter feats, and 8 from levelling, so that rules out monk (total of 14)..
My guess is levelling order
Aside from that, looks like a fun build

[AzB]

Pretty sure it ain't monk. Bards can't be lawful, monks have to be.

[FuzzyDuck81]

Was scribbling it out in the 10mins before starting work have amended a couple of bits.

Actually looks like i'm going to build it as a 2hander user instead, since a character i've got for TRing it already has a nice selection of 2handed weapons, so it'll be more of a skald than a dashing swordsman :P Still, should be fun running around on fatesinger with an eAGA, maybe try for that uber version of cloudburst (should synergise nicely with all the sonic procs)... now i just need to get farming cannith challenges to make a blasting chime for him.

[Soulfurnace]

So, two questions.. A. What's the levelling order? Or is that 12/6/2 bard/fighter/rogue?
B. Two rogue levels? Trap skills and UMD?

[junta74]

If they put anymore orbs in the game, you could swap rogue with wizard and carry an orb off hand for CC casting while getting the THF line with a B-sword.

[FuzzyDuck81]

So, two questions.. A. What's the levelling order? Or is that 12/6/2 bard/fighter/rogue?
B. Two rogue levels? Trap skills and UMD?

1 & 16 rogue, fighter at 6, 7, 8, 9, 14 & 15, with bard the remainder. tbh i was planning on using an otto box for it so its mainly just a matter of ensuring sufficient BAB as prereqs for all of the feats & maximising the skillpoint distribution with minimal cross-class spending required. As i said, the build i think I'm going to go with is TRing a 2hander guy which gives me a touch more leeway in feats & the option of going warchanter instead - will experiment a bit since i'll have the free LR for a respec & have another LR heart laying around if i need to change it back

If they put anymore orbs in the game, you could swap rogue with wizard and carry an orb off hand for CC casting while getting the THF line with a B-sword.

Well there's the madstone skull.. and being a bard, it'd make performing hamlet appropriate at least "Alas poor Yorik, i knew him, Horatio"

[FuzzyDuck81]

Ok, i've had something of a rethink & this is what i've decided to go with, TRing a 2hander dude.

Half elf 34 point build
starting stats: 16/8/16/15/8/14, have +3 tome in all stats.
12bard/6fighter/2rogue
1 - r - toughness & paladin dilly
2 - b
3 - b - emp.healing
4 - b - (+con)
5 - b
6 - f - cleric PL feat - (bonus) power attack
7 - f - (bonus) cleave
8 - f - (+con)
9 - f - quicken & (bonus) dodge
10 -b
11 - b
12 - b - (+str) - extend
13 - b
14 - f
15 - f - IC:slash & (bonus) great cleave
16 - r - (+str)
17 - b
18 - b - maximise
19 - b
20 - b
21 - (+str) - epic toughness
24 - (+str) - overwhelming crit

I've run it through a character planner & quickly saw that there simply arent enough skillpoints to go around for everything i want, so the rogue levels will basically be just for evasion plus a touch of sneak attack & will focus on UMD, perform & concentration primarily for functionality, bluff & diplo to help direct attention elsewhere & then a bit of investment in balance, jump & tumble for mobility... Oh, and some open lock too.

Enhancements-wise, i decided to stick with virtuoso2 for the extra heal over time & crowd control abilities, plus an absolute boatload of (recharging) songs for the fatesinger destiny with stalwart defender 1 - admittedly stalwart will mean i can't rage myself or benefit from much of the fury destiny if i use it (will probably want to twist primal scream, just use it as a party buff & AoE damage spell), but it also means i won't have to worry about renewing those temporary buffs all the time either & will have a bit of extra PRR for when i get hit