Looking for EE Bard build

[bigdmag]

Was wondering if there is a EE viable Bard build. Viable being the optimum word in the preceding sentence. Looking for something that can survive and dish it out. Dont need to be the highest DPS in the group just enough to contribute and not get killed like Im a child in a gladiator pit. Ranged would be cool as this seems to be a nice way of dealing with EE (monkchers and MM spammers seem to do well) but not sure if there is a good ranged bard build. I have +5 to everything tomes/36 point build and Past life of whatever( i can LR 20 on anyone of my toons to get what I need for past lives). Would like to make a nice EE bard,, but dont want to get mopped up in there. Links would be helpful. Thanks all.

[Impaqt]

Is there even a viable Heroic Casual bard out there right now?

[maddmatt70]

Well a few different options for ranged, but probably be going with 16 bard 2 fighter 2 ranger Half elf or elf. I would recommend if possible that you do a melee twf and then swap to ranged for manyshot from a dps standpoint that would be best. The destiny you should choose is fury of the wild.
For Sure Feats
precise shot
improved precise shot
manyshot
improved crit ranged
point blank
empower healing
quicken
epic inspire excellence

You could go a few different ways after those feats
1 option
power attack
cleave
great cleave
overwhelming critical
2nd option melee with balizards or celsetias with bow
improved two weapon fighting
greater two weapon fighting
precision
epic combat archery

I favor option 2. Melee then pull out bow for manyshot style and also use bow when tough to melee..

[maddmatt70]

Was wondering if there is a EE viable Bard build. Viable being the optimum word in the preceding sentence. Looking for something that can survive and dish it out. Dont need to be the highest DPS in the group just enough to contribute and not get killed like Im a child in a gladiator pit. Ranged would be cool as this seems to be a nice way of dealing with EE (monkchers and MM spammers seem to do well) but not sure if there is a good ranged bard build. I have +5 to everything tomes/36 point build and Past life of whatever( i can LR 20 on anyone of my toons to get what I need for past lives). Would like to make a nice EE bard,, but dont want to get mopped up in there. Links would be helpful. Thanks all.

Viable is a good question. A bard can do the healing and a fair amount of dps, but it is not optimum really due to lacking dps etc. Fury of the wild gives a lot of hit points and if you have absorption type gear you would be decent defensively and the dps would be o.k.. Monkchers and MM spammers are pretty hard to beat...

[marinerfan]

Mine was not EE viable, but it was a 1st life drow with literally no good gear before I TR'd. I could contribute very nicely in EH content, both buff and DPS-wise. I suspect with some good swag, this build would do quite nicely in EE content:

12 bard/6 ranger/2 rogue -- You'll get pretty nice saves and evasion. Manyshot. Displacement. Self healing(ish). Ok 2wf. Able to trap if desired. CC with fascinate/enthrall

[bigdmag]

Is there even a viable Heroic Casual bard out there right now?

I would hope so. I had a Bard but he was really only useful up to EH, he was a mana sponge and couldnt hang in EE.

[MadCookieQueen]

My Bard rocks EE ^^

Part of it is power level but a good majority of it is really knowing how to play a Bard.

Link and Teh_Troll's personal endorsement of the build in my signature.

[DethTrip]

My Bard rocks EE ^^

Part of it is power level but a good majority of it is really knowing how to play a Bard.

Link and Teh_Troll's personal endorsement of the build in my signature.

Oh no, you made an EE viable toon, time to smack it with the nerf bat.

[Panzermeyer]

I would hope so. I had a Bard but he was really only useful up to EH, he was a mana sponge and couldnt hang in EE.

Absolutely, one just needs to know how to play a bard.

[Panzermeyer]

My Bard rocks EE ^^

Part of it is power level but a good majority of it is really knowing how to play a Bard.

Link and Teh_Troll's personal endorsement of the build in my signature.

I have a toon that I am grinding out Heroic PL to get to being an optimum Pale Master. I jumped on a Bard life to get the PL, and I am current just did an ETR on the build because I am having soo much fun with the build.

I actually solo a lot of EH. And run in many other groups on EH or EE without problems and contribute great to the group.

I am not dissimilar to MadCookie's build. Though I did go PA, Cleave, GCleave.

Though I went H-Orc and full points in the racial line for the bonuses to THF. I use an Epic Greataxe of Fire from the House C Challenges. I am sure dmg would be better with an AGA or SOS. Particularly the enhancement that does more damage to helpless opponents, man when something is helpless the numbers jump a great deal.

I plan on running 3 Epic lives with this toon to get the Martial Epic PL out of the way. THough first epic life I ran through Fatesinger, and found it very very useful. Currently will be grinding out 2 more in LD. In a blitz this guy hits like a truck.

I am sure a properly built fighter (class) will do much better, but they don't have CC or bard buffage, or self healing like I do.

I plan on making a first lifer with this type of build later since I am having so much fun with it.

Biggest downside is lack of evasion and low reflex saves.

[LOOON375]

Bards are absolutely viable in EE content, and as DPS. Just depends on how you build it I guess.

I was running a 16 bard/3 rogue/1 fighter. THF using mostly the EAGA. Evasion, and **** good DPS. Str based. I had to a couple of LR to get it to where I wanted.

I just TR'd mine and am going with a 18 bard/2 rogue split this time. That way I will have access to the Heal spell as an enhancement.

I run basically as a spellsinger. This time around I completely dumped Cha. Last time I did a partial dump on Cha. Im going to end up with enough Cha by the time Im through to still be able to fascinate EE trash, just as I did last life.

Not a large spell point pool, but being able to regen spell points on the go, offsets that quite a bit, to where it's a non issue most of the time.

I don't use the build planners, I just go with what I get to work.

[MadCookieQueen]

Oh no, you made an EE viable toon, time to smack it with the nerf bat.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

I am not dissimilar to MadCookie's build. Though I did go PA, Cleave, GCleave.


Biggest downside is lack of evasion and low reflex saves.

Be careful with those cleaves...you'll be your own worse enemy to your fascinate or enthrallment ^^


tell me about it...traps suck.

[MadCookieQueen]

I just TR'd mine and am going with a 18 bard/2 rogue split this time. That way I will have access to the Heal spell as an enhancement.

The heal spell comes in with the SS Capstone: Maestro of Life and Death...so if you're only 18 Bard how are you hitting the capstone?

[Panzermeyer]

Be careful with those cleaves...you'll be your own worse enemy to your fascinate or enthrallment ^^

Nothing to worry about there. With most Pugs, fascinate is of marginal utility, most don't know or don't want to deal with tactics like that.

However with guildies and such.

Invis, fascinate, let the dancing begin, cleave away. =)

Then again I have run some quests with guildies who like to blitz, then it is invis, fascinate, dance the caster, *maybe* a swing to two, and move on to next group while they kill and blitz on.

[LOOON375]

The heal spell comes in with the SS Capstone: Maestro of Life and Death...so if you're only 18 Bard how are you hitting the capstone?

Mistake on my part. My attention to detail is lacking.

[katz]

on the bright side you could scroll heal without any UMD check...