Feats for bards ???

[Azazu]

Im lost i have a sixth level bard and am looking for feats.

Elf.
S. 12 d 17 c 12 i 12 w 8 c 16

any help


feats already - weapon finesse and great fort.

thanks

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Well...it really depends. Does he use a particular type of weapon most of the time? Weapon Focus would be good then. Does he use his Bardic Music a lot? Skill Focus(Perform) can be nice. *shrugs* Lots of really good things, just really depends on the style and personality of the character.

 

[ForceUser]

From Song and Silence:

• Obscure Lore - adds +3 to your Bardic Knowledge checks.
• Requiem - allows your Bardic Music effects to work on undead.

From the revised Player's Handbook:

• Dodge - adds +1 AC verses one opponent.
• Point Blank Shot - is a prerequisite for
• Precise Shot - which allows you to fire into melee with no penalty. Just the thing for the bard who has no business in melee.
• Skill Focus (Use Magic Device) - UMD is the marquee bard skill past 10th-level.
• Brew Potion - because having extra magic around when you're out of spells is groovy. Not like bards have a ton of spells.
• Craft Wand - Ditto.
• Scribe Scroll - Ditto.
• Endurance - Because you're a wimpy elf, and because it's a prereq for
• Diehard - for when you really feel you must be in melee.
• Improved Initiative - Because he who moves first often wins.
• Silent Spell - Handy for bards who get silenced.
• Iron Will - It's not sexy, but it'll help keep you alive.
• Negotiator - If you're that kind of bard.
• Run - For when you absolutely have to get the hell out of there.
• Spell Penetration - Anything that helps bypass an enemy's Spell Resistance = good. More useful around 9th level+.

Those are the sorts of feats I'd look at as a bard.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

As I've recently learned, there are many different ways you can take a bard. Are you focused on any of the bard's specialties (music, spellcasting)? Do you (like me,) prefer to mix a little melee into the equation? If so, what's your bard's favored weapon?

What's the rest of your group composed of? What's your campaign like (fight lots of undead, or mostly classed NPCs, or mostly creatures in the forest, etc.)?

Answering these questions will allow people to offer more specific advice. You might also check out the bard-ish thread I recently started here. I'm not sure how much of it will be useful to you, but it may give you some ideas.

 

[Gellion]

Bards cant silence their spells.

Oh yeah, and if possible change your race to Human.

 

[Fedifensor]

If you're focusing on Enchantment spells (the bard has a LOT of them), consider Spell Focus: Enchantment. Sure, it's weaker than the 3.0 version, but enchantment is very dependent on people failing their saves. After all, most enchantment spells have NO effect if you save (unlike Evocation, which usually does half damage on a save).

 

[Tellerve]

Actually there is a feat in Song and Silence called Subsonics or something that effectively makes the bard's spells silenced if I recall, or maybe just their Bardic sing/song/perform abilities.

Tellerve

 

[Roland Delacroix]

Lots of good suggestions here. My favorites:

Spell Focus: Enchantment - If you focus on that. Bards already pretty much keep up with Sorcerers at low levels, less spells but they get next level spells almost as quick. Spell Focus helps them get the DC up. Er, oh yeah, not as good in 3.5e though since it only adds +1
Improved Init - Nice since save-or-die spells are your forte, and you wanna get Bardic Song off BEFORE your party's first attacks.
Scribe Scroll - Ok, this one isn't that great UNLESS you start trading your scrolls for more potent Arcane and Divine scrolls. Which leads into....
Skill Focus: UMD Most powerfull skill, and maybe ability, in the game. 'Nuff said.
Lingering Song - I dunno about you but I find that nearly every combat goes 6 to 8 rounds, about 2 more than my Bardic Song lasts. Taking this feat will keep you from having to use another Bardic Song, saving you an action for spells or attacks. Particularlly usefull at low levels when you don't have enough Bardic Songs to use 2/melee all day long.
Iron Will - Dominate, Hold, Daze, Charm, Cause Fear, Tasha's Laughter, Hypnotic Pattern, Suggestion, Slow, Confusion, and thats only up to 5th level, any questions? GM's loooove to use Dominate and a Bard is a prime target. Party attacked by 30 or so Goblins, lead by an orc mage. No problem, Cleave city, then the Orc Dominates the Bard and has you sing for your goblin allies

Alot of the others depend on the type of bard you wanna play. Have fun!

 

[Krinkle]

If you like the bow (a very good choice with your 16 dex) Point Blank Shot followed by Precise Shot is essential. The -4 for firing into melee will kill your ability to hit the enemy, and you want to be able to shoot while the fighters are working up front.

If you favor spells, I like Craft Wand better than Scribe scroll. You have few spells to choose from and wands are cheaper per unit than scrolls. Make three wands for your three favorite spells. Of course this comes in later.

You perform should probably be high enough without burning a feat on Skill Focus.

I'm not a huge fan of the specialized feats like Requim. Your strength is your versitility.

I like Spell Focus Enchantment to compensate for the lower level of your spells (i.e., Hold Person is 2nd level, Dominate Person 4th)

I wouldn't bother with metamagic.

I also wouldn't bother with Dodge/Mobility/Spring Attack. You don't get many feats and Bards do the least good when they engage in melee. Your best off splitting your time between casting when it will do the most good, singing when it will do the most good and shooting arrows the rest of the time.

 

[ForceUser]

You don't get many feats and Bards do the least good when they engage in melee. Your best off splitting your time between casting when it will do the most good, singing when it will do the most good and shooting arrows the rest of the time.

This pretty much sums up my feelings on the bard as well.