This character concept is for the GitP Neverending Dungeon game. It's a solo dungeon crawl, with no social interaction whatsoever. Monsters are hard-hitting and rather optimized. Rest is allowed once per floor (happens slightly less often than a level-up), with no possibility to circumvent that (e.g., no Rope Tricks). Characters start at ECL1 with 2 traits and flaws, no LA templates, standard gestalt rules, no dragon magazine or homebrew, BoED/BoVD is out, everything else is in. Retraining is allowed.
There has been already a multitude of cheesy builds introduced into this dungeon - DMM Persist, Charnel Touch + TTS, Poison healing, Crusaders, etc. The concept I have in mind is a DW kobold Warlock // Bard using Dragonfire Inspiration, all the while hiding from enemies as a swift action via the Blend into Shadows cheese. IC/DFI is planned to be started at the beginning of the day, and maintained as free action all day throughout (not as critical later on, when I get more uses per day). He might get heard (unless DM allows to use some silent form of inspiration), but the Listen check to pinpoint him (10 for "people whispering" + 20 to pinpoint + range penalties) would be unreachable for CR1 opponents anyway. Later on plan to take Subsonics to alleviate that.
Would appreciate some help in planning this character for higher levels. Note: please don't concentrate on ECL20 power - the character has to be viable and survivable at all levels. Just to put things into perspective, only a handful of people have reached ECL6.
Also, I'd prefer to keep him as straight-classed as possible (excluding prestiges), just to differentiate myself from all the haphazard mixes of classes like Crusader 1/Warblade 2/Cleric 2 that some people have been introducing there... style points, if you wish.
Venerable Dragonborn (heart aspect) Dragonwrought (Battle dragon) Desert Kobold (yes, UA racial variants are in) Wyrm of War
Heart aspect is mainly for use against swarms, and later to entangle opponents.
Dragonfire Inspiration adds sonic damage, it was okay'd that Dragonwrought does qualify for DFI element substitution
Plan to take Loresong, Mimicking Song, and Healing Hymn as bard ACFs at 1st level, as Countersong, Fascinate, and Bardic Knowledge are useless in this dungeon.
32 pb distributed as +2 +8 +6 +3 +1 +8, giving stats of 6 16 16 14 10 19 after all adjustments (desert kobold, dragonborn & venerable)
Warlock1 // Bard1 Blend into Shadows (flaw), Dragonwrought (flaw), Dragonfire Inspiration (ECL1)
Warlock2 // Bard2
Warlock3 // Bard3 Melodic Casting (ECL3)
Warlock4 // Bard4 Entangling Exhalation (Wyrm of War)
Warlock5 // Bard5
Warlock6 // Bard6 Darkstalker (ECL6), Song of the Heart (ECS bard option instead of Suggestion - would've taken it at ECL3, but it requires Inspire Competence)
Warlock7 // Bard7
Warlock8 // Bard8
(Wyrm of War)
Warlock9 // Bard9 Subsonics (ECL9), Haunting Melody (ECS bard option instead of Inspire Greatness)
Warlock10 // Virtuoso1
Warlock11 // Sublime Chord1
Warlock12 // Sublime Chord2
(ECL12),
(Wyrm of War)
IC is going to be pumped via Badge of Valor, Inspirational Boost, Song of the Heart, and maybe even Vest of Legends, to a respectable +6d6 at level 9. Too bad BoED (and Words of Creation) is out.
I'm rather at loss what feats to take as Wyrm of War - it says that "He can select any fighter bonus feat, or any combat-related feat tied to draconic abilities (such as Wingover)." Entangling Exhalation is the only one that came to mind, any others that would be useful for this character, given that he's not into melee combat at all?
Also, is Dragonborn worth it? I'm gaining extra HP, and breath weapon, losing out on attack bonus (might not be too critical, as I'll always be hitting FF touch AC anyway) and on Hide/MS bonus (will pump these using items later) - would I be better off without it?