Build Help - 36 Gnome Polearm Bard

[0zymandius]

Pondering a fixskills to clean up this bard, as I'm sure a lot has changed since I played him half-seriously. Currently a polearm bard swinging a lance, and I'd like to keep him that way. It's the other 'stuff' I'm curious about. Lores, spells, etc. Any advice greatly appreciated.

.... and yes, a Fixstats potion is in the semi-near future.

Race: Forest Gnome Level: 36
STR: 100 (15)
CON: 74 (22)
DEX: 70 (15)
AGI: 82 (26)
DIS: 79 (19)
AUR: 100 (25)
LOG: 71 (15)
INT: 69 (9)
WIS: 58 (9)
INF: 76 (8)

(at level 36), your current skill bonuses and ranks (including all modifiers) are:
Skill Name | Bonus | Ranks
Armor Use | 134 | 37
Combat Maneuvers | 136 | 38
Polearm Weapons | 176 | 76
Physical Fitness | 136 | 38
Dodging | 136 | 38
Harness Power | 134 | 37
Elemental Lore - Air | 82 | 18
Mental Lore - Telepathy | 105 | 25
Perception | 136 | 38
Climbing | 120 | 30
Swimming | 50 | 10

Spell Lists
Minor Elemental | 16
Bard | 20

Of note: Don't swing a sonic weapon (except against undead) or use sonic armor (have items for both that are RP-valuable to the character). Would like to sing to gems effectively. Will hunt most often with a like-level empath. Currently in Sunfist, I believe, but willing to swap that out if there's a better choice.

[Donquix]

just for leveling as a polearm that's exactly what you want, really. What are you picking the air lore up for if you don't use sonic gear? eventually for 1035 I guess?

I'd rather go extra armor use to 50/60 ranks to get into whatever good aug chain you have (assuming you have good aug chain for your armor) and/or extra spell ranks to get 425/430 before starting on the air lore. Especially as a gnome that -10 STR is already taking quite a bit of oopmh away from your polearms so getting to 425 is pretty clutch. Thinking about the bard leveling experience between 20 and whenever you get around to learning 425 still gives me PTSD.

[0zymandius]

What are you picking the air lore up for if you don't use sonic gear? eventually for 1035 I guess?

1035 planning, yes, plus the ability to go with a reasonably strong sonic weapon whenever the mood strikes me. Honestly, it always seemed like just something to throw points toward, with eye towards long-term benefit. I'll look at throwing points toward 425/430 instead, though. The logic makes sense to me. I generally 1005 everything, then kill it with a shot or two from the lance. Eventually I'll come up against enemies where that won't work, and I'll want the extra AS.

Thanks!

[Donquix]

yeah it's likely better for you than me :D my bard was burghal, and stats placed for growth soooooo yeah. dat sweet sweet +0 str bonus basically.

[gilchristr]

"I generally 1005 everything"

You should review the GSwiki article on 1005. If you really 1005 everything, I would strengthen that opener by training your bard spells higher, and get some influence enhancives. You could get +36 on each hidden 1005 roll, for instance, by bringing your bard spells up to 1x, and accumulating +20 influence enhancive set, which isn't very hard.

EDIT +36 to endrolls is almost an entire success tier (since the end result is divided by 40 in the formula).

[Maerit]

Do bards not need to train EMC? I thought it helped with mana per pulse thus making it easier to keep spellsongs and use your setup spells during a hunt?

[Donquix]

mental or elemental but the return per pulse for MC's is really low (1 mana per 10 ranks), so it doesn't make a lot of difference.

if you go with EMC it's more convenient in that you can share mana with more people. If you go MMC it helps if you use song of unraveling but then you can only share mana with like, empaths and all 3 active monks (assuming they all didn't just go SMC for the exact same reason i'm making fun of MMC :D)

[Maerit]

mental or elemental but the return per pulse for MC's is really low (1 mana per 10 ranks), so it doesn't make a lot of difference.


Good to know! I thought it helped more than that for some reason. I may have to reallocate some skills based on this for my halfling polearm bard.

Though, I have similar questions about priority - 425 vs 1035? I assume prioritizing 425 is better than 1035 because you can't really keep 1035 up consistently at level 35, due to mana constraints?

[0zymandius]

Though, I have similar questions about priority - 425 vs 1035? I assume prioritizing 425 is better than 1035 because you can't really keep 1035 up consistently at level 35, due to mana constraints?

That's been my understanding... though it's been tempting to give it a try anyway!

[gilchristr]

Hmm, with enough mana recovery enhancives, say about ten +3 mana recovery jewelry items, and telepathy lore, you should be able to have enough mana to have 1035 up constantly at level 40.

[gilchristr]

One way to think about is this: +35 mana recovery enhancive gives you 35 mana every two minutes.

1035 costs 35 mana every 80 seconds with sufficient telepathy training.

So a +35 mana recovery set would power 80/120 (two thirds) the cost of having 1035 up constantly. I think you have enough mana to cover the remainder at level 35-40!