Author Topic: Advice on a bardic gestalt build  (Read 2256 times)

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The Sach

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Advice on a bardic gestalt build
« on: December 02, 2010, 06:02:10 AM »
Hi,

I was hoping for some advice on a gestalt build that I want to try in an upcoming campaign.

Now as far as I know, all material will be allowed (except perhaps the dragon magazine stuff), it will be 32 pt buy, and the gestalt system is being varied to allow multiple PrCs at the same time.

Now... to play something a little different (I usually don't play spellcasters) I have come up with a few builds that I'm quite happy with, namely a Hexblade//Binder, and a Wizard//Archivist

The build I'm really keen on right now, however, is one using the Bard class, and the Dirgesinger PrC. The main thing I'm going for is a morbid and gloomy support character, whose main strength would probably be fear effects, etc.

I have read the fear handbook, and quite a few other handbooks as well... but my main question would be... if for example I am going Bard 15/Dirgesinger 5 for one 'side' of my gestalt, what would be best for the other side...

I have been tossing up between Sorceror and Dread necromancer, possibly prestiging into Dread Witch and maybe Nightmare Spinner. My main problem with these are that I want my class to be predominately a bard... and I fear if I take levels in the other classes I'll be mainly playing a Sorceror or Dread Necromancer, with Bard becoming secondary.

Any interesting ideas on what would be good supporting classes for the bard side of things, and how to maximise the overall concept?

Thank you, your help is appreciated!

jolt

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Re: Advice on a bardic gestalt build
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2010, 06:15:22 AM »
If you're going to get alot of Charisma, going for Paladin 2 / Hexblade 3 ain't a wrong choice to beef up your saves.

gorfnad

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Re: Advice on a bardic gestalt build
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2010, 06:55:24 AM »
I was hoping for some advice on a gestalt build that I want to try in an upcoming campaign.

Now as far as I know, all material will be allowed (except perhaps the dragon magazine stuff), it will be 32 pt buy, and the gestalt system is being varied to allow multiple PrCs at the same time.

Okay this might be a little easier then since you're allowed to have multiple prestige classes at once.

Human Bard 6/ Lyric Thaumaturge 2/ Virtuoso 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Virtuoso 8 // Paladin 2/ Hexblade 3/ Dirgesinger 5/ Dread Witch 5/ Nightmare Spinner 5 - Virtuoso advances Sublime Chord casting, Dread Witch and Nightmare Spinner advance Bard casting. Paladin and Hexblade are mainly just there for the saves. Hexblade 5 could work as well especially if you use the Dark Companion ACF from PHBII.

Gnome Bard 5/ Mindbender 1/ Lyric Thaumaturge 1/ Shadow Adept 1/ Lyric Thaumaturge 2 / Sublime Chord 2/ Shadowcraft Mage 5/ Shadowcrafter 3 // Paladin 2/ Hexblade 3/ Dirgesinger 5/ Dread Witch 5/ Nightmare Spinner 5 - Deadly Illusions, Shadowcraft Mage Handbook

Bard 5/ Drigesinger 5/ Sublime Chord 2/ Nightmare Spinner 3/ Dread Witch 5 // Dread Necromancer 8/ Pale Master 10/ Nightmare Spinner 2 - if you have Pale Master advance Sublime Chord spellcasting at level 13 (1st level of Nightmare Spinner) you'll end up with double 9s for spells.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2010, 07:16:35 AM by gorfnad »

Ramaloke

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Re: Advice on a bardic gestalt build
« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2010, 01:24:27 PM »
You should do something like: Silverbrow Human Dragonblood Sorcerer 8/Hathran 7||Fighter 2/Bard 6/Spelldancer 5/Virtuoso 2

Grab that feat from races of stone that lets you spend bardic music for metamagic effects on spontaneous cast spell (I think its Metamagic Song), the Residual Metamagic feat from PHBII. Get Wings of Flurry, Arcane Fusion and Greater Arcane Fusion on your spell list. You'll be able to destroy everything not immune to force with ease.
« Last Edit: December 03, 2010, 02:00:22 AM by Ramaloke »
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The Sach

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Re: Advice on a bardic gestalt build
« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2010, 09:29:19 PM »
Thanks for all your help so far!

Your suggestions have been really helpful thus far. Whilst I'm not completely ignoring them, I am hoping for something... more bard-y... or at least using my bardic music a bit more...

As far as I know, the only PrCs that give two songs at the same time are Warchanter and Seeker of the Song. Seeker has high entry costs, and I was planning to take Inspire Awe, which would mean I wouldn't have Inspire Courage to enter Warchanter (Unless someone knows of another way to gain it)

At this stage, I was looking at something along the lines of this...

Bard 5/Dirgesinger 5/Lyric Thaumaturge 10//Rogue 2/Hexblade 3/Evangelist 3/Dread Witch 5/Nightmare Spinner 5/xxxx 2

However I get the impression that without the ability to use 2 songs at once, this type of build would be quite... ineffective.

I also know that I'm wasting spell progression, and have thought of maybe swapping some warlock into the second side.

On a strange side note, does anyone think that using the feat Master of Undeath (CM) would allow me to use song of awakening twice (and stretching it further still, allow the first to stay animated without needing to perform?)

vilenatas

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Re: Advice on a bardic gestalt build
« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2010, 10:08:43 PM »
Bard9/Virtuoso1/SC2/Virt+8//Paladin of Tyranny3/Ftr2/PurpleDragonKnight2(If you can get the alignment req waved somehow)/WarChanter5/Dirgesinger5/xxx3.

Bard 9 for inspire greatness to boost your hit dice for higher hit dice on the song of awakening.  Not sure what to cap with, maybe 3 levels of blackguard or something.

Endarire

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Hood - My first answer to all your build questions; past, present, and future.

Speaking of which:
Don't even need TO for this.  Any decent Hood build, especially one with Celerity, one-rounds [Azathoth, the most powerful greater deity from d20 Cthulu].
Does it bug anyone else that we've reached the point where characters who can obliterate a greater deity in one round are considered "decent?"