Long duration buffs for Bards?

[Dictum Mortuum]

I've found Nixie's Grace, Superior/Greater Resistance and alter self, but it seems that bards do not gain access to many useful long-duration buffs or spells that rely on caster level.

[Agita]

Snowsong (Frostburn) lasts 10 min/level and is an area party buff, plus imposes ASF on enemies. But yes, all in all the Bards seem to be more into short-term buffs. I know there's a feat that lets you expend Bardic Music uses to apply metamagic feats to spells, allowing Persistent Spell shenanigans, but I forget what it's called or where it is.

[Shadeseraph]

The feat is Metamagic Song, from Races of the Stone, but it doesn't allow Persitant Spell shenanigans because it doesn't allow you to metamagize a spell which you would need a spell slot of higher level than you can cast with that metamagic feat applied.

[Rejakor]

It's called Metamagic Song, and although it's capped at 'highest level of spell you can cast' you can use Talfirian Song (free heighten on illusion spells human only) to cast '9th' level spells and so persist 3rd level bard spells.  Then easy metamagic to persist 4th level and /something else/ (metamagic school focus?) to cast 5th level spells etc.

Is pretty feat intensive, eats up your bardic music uses.

EDIT:  Ninja'd.  But I still had info on Talfirian Song, so hopefully still useful.

[snakeman830]

Not a buff in most cases, but Undersong lasts 10 min/level.  It lets you replace all Concentration checks with Perform.  Again, not a buff in most cases, but when properly used, it can be frighteningly good.

[Shadeseraph]

It's called Metamagic Song, and although it's capped at 'highest level of spell you can cast' you can use Talfirian Song (free heighten on illusion spells human only) to cast '9th' level spells and so persist 3rd level bard spells.  Then easy metamagic to persist 4th level and /something else/ (metamagic school focus?) to cast 5th level spells etc.

Is pretty feat intensive, eats up your bardic music uses.

EDIT:  Ninja'd.  But I still had info on Talfirian Song, so hopefully still useful.

Please, use the appropiate term. Here we use Swordsage'd.

Aaanyway, that's the kind of trick that raises problems, but it is a good trick, and I prefer leaving the discusion of its legality on the hand of more hot-blooded people than me. Nice find.

[Agita]

Not a buff in most cases, but Undersong lasts 10 min/level.  It lets you replace all Concentration checks with Perform.  Again, not a buff in most cases, but when properly used, it can be frighteningly good.

The Lord of the Dance build was built around that and various Diamong Mind maneuvers, among other things.
[spoiler][/spoiler]

[Dictum Mortuum]

Actually, Melodic Casting

[snakeman830]

Actually, Melodic Casting

Yeah, this was why the Lord of the Dance build didn't actually work.  Melodic Casting only replaces for spellcasting.

[Bozwevial]

Actually, Melodic Casting

Yeah, this was why the Lord of the Dance build didn't actually work.  Melodic Casting only replaces for spellcasting.

Nah, I think it had a Persistent Undersong, which works in all cases.

[Dictum Mortuum]

Here's an idea, doable around 10th level. Get a cleric cohort. Get him to memorize a few 1 hour/level spells (plus divine metamagic), possibly doing the whole inspire greatness + practiced spellcaster thingy on him, too. Then BAM cast spell theft and snatch them as yours

[X-Codes]

Human Bard 9/Virtuoso 1/Sublime Chord 2/Spelldancer 1/Virtuoso +7

Inspire Greatness + Practiced Spellcaster [Bard] is a mid-level stunt most of the time.  In this build, it's useful (even without Words of Creation) through 12th level.  At 12th, you can pick up Practiced Spellcaster [Sublime Chord], use Inspire Greatness, and then apply your various spellcasting boosts as so:

Base Bard: 9
Inspire Greatness + Practiced Spellcaster [Bard]: 13

Sublime Chord: 2
Practiced Spellcaster [Sublime Chord]: 6
+ Bard CL: 19

So CL for Bard and Sublime Chord spells is 19 when you have Inspire Greatness up, or 18 when you don't.  Then, Song of Arcane Power can boost that to 22 or 23.  That will let you cut loose with some nasty black tentacles spells at this level, and Greater Dispel Magic as a 5th-level spell will make sure you knock out any/all Freedom of Movement buffs they might try to throw up.

[skydragonknight]

Divine Bard + Sacred Exorcist dip = Divine Metamagic.

[ninjarabbit]

Remember in 3.0 bards had greater magic weapon and mage armor on their spell list....good times.

[Dictum Mortuum]

Remember in 3.0 bards had greater magic weapon and mage armor on their spell list....good times.

Now that i think of it, they can shadow conjuration -> greater mage armor.

[Dictum Mortuum]

Divine Bard + Sacred Exorcist dip = Divine Metamagic.

They'll have trouble getting dispel evil or dismissal

[skydragonknight]

Divine Bard + Sacred Exorcist dip = Divine Metamagic.

They'll have trouble getting dispel evil or dismissal

Oh, right. ...it'd have to be a Cleric dip then.

[sir_argenon]

Divine Bard + Sacred Exorcist dip = Divine Metamagic.

They'll have trouble getting dispel evil or dismissal

Oh, right. ...it'd have to be a Cleric dip then.

thats quite a dip for a 4th level spell.

[skydragonknight]

Cleric is one of the best dips in the game, so it's cool. 

[X-Codes]

Divine Bard + Sacred Exorcist dip = Divine Metamagic.

They'll have trouble getting dispel evil or dismissal

Oh, right. ...it'd have to be a Cleric dip then.

thats quite a dip for a 4th level spell.

Yes, it is, so he'll just take 1 level to get Turn Undead that way.

Make it Cloistered Cleric, IMO.