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4 years ago ::
Mar 17, 2009 - 6:49PM
#1
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Date Joined:
Sep 19, 2007
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The Tenacious Troubadour “Now, let me tell you the tale of the Heroes of Our Age, their prowess legendary, and their feats…”
“heal plz”
“And their feats unsurpassed! For I walked with those great men, and I…”
“pls halp, ned buf”
“And I… hate this job.” Race: Half-Elf
Class: Bard, Virtue of Valor
Multi-Class: Artificier, Cleric, Shaman
Paragon Path: War Chanter
Epic Destiny: Fatesinger
Ability Scores, Level 1:
8 STR (-1)
18 CON (+4)
10 DEX (+0)
11 INT (+0)
13 WIS (+1)
18 CHA (+4)
Ability Scores, Level 30:
10 STR (+0)
26 CON (+8)
12 DEX (+1)
13 INT (+1)
15 WIS (+2)
26 CHA (+8)
HP: 203
Surges: 15 (50 HP)
AC/Fort/Ref/Will: 47/45/40/46
Initiative: +22; Speed: 8
Attack Bonus: +35 (with weapon), +32 (with implement)
Skills: Arcana (+21), Bluff (+28), Diplomacy (+30/+35), Heal (+22), Intimidate (+24), Nature (+22), Religion (+21), Streetwise (+28)
Gear: +6 Feytouched Elderhide, +6 Lilting Songblade (Longsword), Light Shield, Helm of Heroes (epic tier), +6 Brooch of Vitality, Couters of Second Chances (paragon tier), Gloves of the Healer (epic tier), Shadow Band, Luminary Ring, Healer’s Sash, Sandals of Avandra
At-Will Powers:
Vicious Mockery
War Song Strike/Guiding Strike
Magic Weapon
Call Spirit Companion
Powers in bold are kept at level 30.
Encounter Powers:
1-Shout of Triumph
3-Song of the New Dawn
7-Unluck
11-Victorious Smite
13-Couplet of Deceptive Weakness/Insult of Passivity (replaces Shout of Triumph)
17-Sever the Source (replaces Unluck, Cleric MC)
23-Chant of Bad Fortune (replaces Song of the New Dawn)
27-Surge of Valor (replaces Couplet of Deceptive Weakness/Insult of Passivity)
Majestic Word
Words of Friendship
Healing Infusion
Spirit's Shield Daily Powers:
1-Slayer’s Song
5-Tune of Ice and Wind/Vigorous Cadence
9-Wail of Anguish
15-Menacing Thunder/Satire of Evasion -> Lightning Sigil (replaces Tune of Ice and Wind/Vigorous Cadence)
19-Increasing the Tempo (replaces Slayer's Song)
20-Visions of Victory
25-Frenzied Rhythm (replaces Wail of Anguish)
29-Nothing
Healing Word Utility Powers:
2-Song of Courage -> Protective Roots
6-Ode to Sacrifice
10-Illusory Erasure
12-Battle Chant
16-Haste
22-Adjure the Chosen
26-Fragment of the Song
Feats:
B-Ritual Caster
1-Improved Majestic Word
2-Focused Expertise (Longsword)
4-Spirit Talker
6-Hide Armor Expertise
8-Initiate of the Faith
10-Toughness
11-Versatile Master
11-Combat Virtuoso – Replace Toughness
12-Acolyte Power (Protective Roots)
14-Paragon Defenses
16-Mark of Healing
18-Novice Power (Sever the Source)
20-Improved Valor
21-Supreme Majesty
21-Robust Defenses – Replace Paragon Defenses
22-Second Skin
22-Multiclass Mastery (Student of Artifice + Adept Power [Lightning Sigil]) –Replace Improved Valor
22-Acolyte Power (change from Protective Roots to Adjure the Chosen)
24-Action Surge
26-Epic Reflex
28-Epic Will
30-Epic Fortitude Set-Up:
A couple of things to make this even better, although they can be included in the Nova turn itself, they last all encounter, so why not set them up early?
-Lilting Songblade: Allies within 20 squares of me gain +4 item bonus to damage until the end of the encounter. Damage increases by 2 whenever an enemy is killed.
-Lightning Sigil: Give to an ally who will be making the most attacks in the upcoming nova. They get a nice +13 lightning damage on every single hit.
Nova Turn:
Minor Action: Fragment of the Song, Close Burst 13, spending an action point grants two extra actions.
Action Point: Allies within 5 squares of me gain +8 to attack and +8 to damage.
Action Point 2: Hey, why not?
Move -> Minor Action: Adjure the Chosen, each target in a close burst 13 gains a +2 power bonus to speed, attack, and damage, and can crit on a 18-20. Last until the end of my next turn.
Standard Action: Sever the Source, target gains vulnerability 12 to all damage.
Action Point Standard Action: Visions of Victory, with a hit, an ally can use an Encounter Power and automatically hit with it. +42 vs. AC thanks to CA and Action Surge.
Action Point Standard Action: Increasing the Tempo, ally gets four basic attacks.
Action Point Standard Action: Victorious Smite, an ally can shift 3 squares and make a basic attack against my target with a +8 bonus to attack and damage.
Action Point Standard Action: Surge of Valor, allies within 10 squares can shift 2 squares and make a melee basic attack with +9 to attack and damage. +42 vs. AC thanks to CA and Action Surge.
Free Action: Daily Item Power of the Helm of Heroes. Activated on the party's Striker during the attack that is granted to him by Surge of Valor. The basic attack becomes a standard action and he gains +10 power bonus to damage for that action.
Results:
-All allies get double benefit from Action Points spent during their nova turn.
-All allies gain +10 to hit.
-All allies gain +26 to damage, Lightning Sigil target gains +39 to damage. (counting extra damage from vulnerability as just a flat plus to damage, as I like typing larger numbers!)
-One ally can use an Encounter Power with no misses.
-Four basic attacks from the party Striker, or whoever has the strongest basic attack.
-A melee attack from everyone in the party but the Striker. (total bonus on the attack: +19 to attack, +35/+48 to damage)
-Striker gains a standard action to use during my turn. (total bonus on the action: +19 to attack, +43 [or more, if he has a Sigil] to damage)
-A select ally gets a basic attack against my target. (total bonus: +18 to hit, +34/+47 to damage)
Total: 9 extra actions granted, not counting the extra actions gotten from an ally spending an Action Point in the range of Fragment of the Song. Assumes the party is Bard + 3 characters capable of taking advantage of the basic attack bonuses.
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4 years ago ::
Mar 19, 2009 - 1:03PM
#2
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Date Joined:
Sep 19, 2007
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Are Leaders really that uninteresting?
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4 years ago ::
Mar 19, 2009 - 2:33PM
#3
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To the original poster:
Very nice bard build, one of the first since PHB2 came out.
To the second poster:
It really depends on how you look at a role. Everyone has a second wind option now.
In 2nd and 3rd edition, the cleric pretty much sacrificed their action to cast a healing spell on another party member. In 4th edition, many powers allow for you to make an attack on an enemy, with a side effect of someone can spend a healing surge. As far as interest to play the role, 4th is miles ahead of previous editions.
As a leader, you provide the party with bonuses to do whatever the party is attempting. In a way, your role is to optimize the tactical options the party uses for any given encounter. You have a limited number of resources to accomplish this and must manage them to best effect. In addition, you bring certain at-will options to the table, but like other toons, these are generally your least useful options.
You determine who lives and who dies; the power of life and death is in your hands. Let's say you're out of group heals, and while the fighter is ok this round, both the ranger and wizard have multiple mobs on them, and they're down to single digits of health. You choose who to heal. Depending on the situation, one will be a better tactical option then the other; if you were ambushed by minions, the wizard can deal with most of them via a power. If the situation was a solo with area attacks, the ranger is probably a better choice. Still, you are the leader and the decision is yours.
Looking at the online roleplaying games. Some players look at the healing classes as a waste of time, because all you do is heal others. I know a lady in my guild who has a healing priest, healing druid, healing paladin and some kind of a mage. Some players love this role, while others do not. Everyone has their own preferences.
You could boil other classes down as easily. All the striker does is big numbers, but tactically speaking they are much less interesting to play then a leader who orchestrates the battle. A tank is just a dumb meat shield who stands there soaking damage, it is the strategy of the leader which gives them purpose. In the end, there are four basic roles - along with a degree of overlap, which most parties will need to have filled for a chance of success. It's a game, play the role you find fun.
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4 years ago ::
Mar 19, 2009 - 2:45PM
#4
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Date Joined:
Sep 19, 2007
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You could boil other classes down as easily. All the striker does is big numbers, but tactically speaking they are much less interesting to play then a leader who orchestrates the battle. A tank is just a dumb meat shield who stands there soaking damage, it is the strategy of the leader which gives them purpose. In the end, there are four basic roles - along with a degree of overlap, which most parties will need to have filled for a chance of success. It's a game, play the role you find fun.
Well, I think the reason Strikers get the most attention on the CO board is because they're easy to look at. With a Striker, you put a build together, and you get a number out, and then people can come and say, "Wow, that number is really high!" or, "Here's how you might make that number higher." Leader don't really have anything like that. Its hard to quantify "healing ability" and "shifting allies around" versus "I can do this much damage each round."
Which is why I put in the Nova bit at the end, because at least now there's a "number" for people to focus on, outside of "I can heal good."
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4 years ago ::
Mar 23, 2009 - 2:44AM
#5
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I was going to use the very same build in a one shot lvl 30 god fight. Friends moving away so kinda like a going away gift. Anyhow, I like the valor PP and the dishing out of temp hp since I think the bard lacks healing. Sadly however I hate the concept of a bard walking around in full plate! How can you dance in that? Doesn't matter for this case just one fight but still Argh!
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4 years ago ::
Mar 23, 2009 - 3:02AM
#6
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I was going to use the very same build in a one shot lvl 30 god fight. Friends moving away so kinda like a going away gift. Anyhow, I like the valor PP and the dishing out of temp hp since I think the bard lacks healing. Sadly however I hate the concept of a bard walking around in full plate! How can you dance in that? Doesn't matter for this case just one fight but still Argh!
Who says you'd be dancing? You'll be singing, and timing your strikes with the rhythm of your song! You'll be attacking your foe's body and spirit with blade and verse! Ain't no dancing here, boy; you're an honest-to-goodness warrior skald, master of poetry and warfare, and the whole battle you'll be reciting the deeds of the heroes of old, inspiring your allies to kick some booty! 
Cattle die, kindred die, every man is mortal. But the good name never dies of one who has done well.
Cattle die, kindred die, every man is mortal. But I know one thing that never dies: the glory of the great dead.
- Hávamál
D&D 4th Edition Bard builds: The Dashing Swordsman, The Master of Sound and Illusions, The Warrior Skald
Captain Morality! (No point in not having fun with it. ;-))
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4 years ago ::
Mar 23, 2009 - 3:20AM
#7
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Date Joined:
Jul 21, 2008
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There is always an opportunity to gonnagle, even in full plate.
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4 years ago ::
Mar 23, 2009 - 7:49AM
#8
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Date Joined:
Sep 19, 2007
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Clearly, the sections of his plate armor are just magically enchanted marimbas.
His heavy shield? A gong.
This is no heavily armored Bard, he is a one-man band.
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4 years ago ::
Mar 23, 2009 - 1:11PM
#9
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Date Joined:
Apr 18, 2005
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“Now, let me tell you the tale of the Heroes of Our Age, their prowess legendary, and their feats…”
“heal plz”
“And their feats unsurpassed! For I walked with those great men, and I…”
“pls halp, ned buf”
“And I… hate this job.”
I cannot comment on the build, because I cann't read while LOL
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4 years ago ::
Mar 23, 2009 - 1:35PM
#10
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I recently posted a dwarven shaman/invoker/flame of hope/demigod with a similar idea (healer + a nova turn). I came to the conclusion that plate armor is not very good if you don't qualify until epic, but I might be wrong.
Paragon to Robust is +1 to FRW, which I value more than +1 AC.
Next you have the "epic" feats, all of which I value more than +1 AC (they stack with robust). It's debatable whether +4 to one defense is better than +1 AC, but I believe it is. You have to think you will get hit vs. AC more than 4x vs. that defense.
So in epic, the 3 epic defense feats + a paragon->robust retrain take you through 26 and you're almost out of feats.
Heavy shield proficiency is probably worth it, though, and I should really add it to my build. It opens up the amazing Battleforged Shield and is boosting 2 defenses instead of just 1.
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