Need help: powergame me my support character

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I want this character to primarily be a Bard.

His role in my party will be to sing a lot, handle the dialogues, handle traps and locks, be good at identifying stuff (how does that work in this game anyway?) and basically fire some bolt or arrows when not singing or casting spells.

I had originally thought of a Halfling Rogue 2/Bard X, but now I'm having some second thoughts. Would a Drow pureclass Bard be able to handle my above requirements? If so, how should I distribute my stats? Is it worth making the character a Female and working in 1 level of Cleric of Ohgma (+1 to those knowledge skills)?

Please help me powergame the perfect support character.

Also, I only plan on playing normal mode, if that makes any difference.

 

A cleric of Ohgma would be far less useful than a cleric of Bane who would save you 4 diplomatic skill points and add even a little battle.

Clerics get a skillpoint less than bards, whose songs you'll want as soon as possible and when you have all bardsongs your skills will already be so high that improving them won't help any more. High level bard spells are more useful.

Powergaming stats: 8-15-16-18-3-20

8 str are needed for some carrying capacity, 16 con since your bard will have the lowest HP in the party because of slower levelling, 18 int for skill points and an important dialogue option, high charisma for bonus spells, higher spell DC and diplomacy.

Useful feats: lingering song, rapid shot, GSF enchantment


At the start I'd put only 1 point into the knowledge skills since they are "trained only" to get a rank of 5 (+4 for int), the few things you can't identify directly can be identified with spells, max out the diplomatic skills which are needed a lot in the prologue and distribute the rest among the thieving skills which aren't that important yet (high pickpocketing skill might save you a few reloads if you want to use it but you can succeed with 1).

With 20 cha + 3 (level ups) + 2-5 (eagle's splendor) you can already get a +8 modifier for diplomatic skills, with 4 skill points you are already too good for most dialogues (I guess the hardest check is a not so important "bluff" check for 16 very late in the game), so you can put more points into other skills (like concentration) later.

Another option is taking an Aasimar, you can take "mercantile background" and level up faster. But you'll have to live with 13 dex or 14 con.

[ January 13, 2007, 02:29: Message edited by: kmonster ]