1. Introduction: "Hello! My name is Buffer!"
Hello travellers! This is my first guide, so I apologize for any mistake you will find reading it. I want to thank Treantmonk, Kbrewer and TarkTX for their great guides that inspired me. I also thank Andrea and Fabio, two friends of mine that helped me correcting the guide.
This is not a guide for the bard in general, here you will find a way to make one of the most powerful buffer of the game (buffer as intended in the "arm" metaphore Tarkx wrote about; if you do not know what I'm talking about I strongly suggest you to read this guide http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2p576?On-building-a-balanced-group-working-out-just ). For this reason i will not make a list of every of the 78361 feats, traits and spells of the game; I will list only the ones of some utility for this build.
I've started building this character while playing a master summoner, because I felt bad about not leaving any space to my comrades. So I began thinking about a new avatar. I wanted to cast spells, but I really hate DCs: when a foe surpasses a saving throw I feel really bad, like I wasted a turn. So I decided to play a buffer: a caster that let his pals belive they are the most deadly war machine. You win, your group win and everybody loves you.
Let's be clear: YOU WILL NOT ROLL A SINGLE DAMAGE DIE IN ALL CAMPAIGN. Well, this seems a little extreme, but truth is that even if you will never inflict a single damage directly, through your pals you will be doing more than others.
This build is about morphing your comrades from simple soldier into Navy Seals; even if we are focusing into fights, this character will be valuable in every environment, your Bard (we'll call him Buffer) will become a real problem solver.
I am currently playing buffer in a Rappan Athuk campaign, and i've played it from level 1 to level 12; so most of my considerations comes directly from my personal experience, represent my thoughts and are not to be taken as rigid law.
I will use the canonic color code:
GREAT This should be your first choice.
GOOD More situational than blue, but also good.
SOSO Take this only when blue or green options are not available.
BAD Never take this. Never. Take toughness instead.
2. Class abilities: "Bitch please, I'm an artist in all I do"
2.1 Bardic Performance
Bardic Performance give you some pretty juicy buffs. First of all inspire courage: competence bonuses to attack and damage rolls, and morale bonus to will ST against fear. This is your bread and butter buff. It should be up every fight, every round.
Inspire competence is less important, because you will use it more out of combat, but I find extremely useful using it during disable device rolls.
Dirge of doom. You are thinking "this is a debuff! WTF!!". Yes and no. Shaken gives a penalty of -2 to almost every rolls your enemies make. You can translate this in a buff to your pals: +2 AC, 2/- RD, +2 DC of spells. So until you unlock inspire heroics this is nice to use with inspire courage thanks to virtuoso performance.
Inspire heroics come in the late levels with +4 morale to AC and all ST. Good.
2.2 Versatile Performance
This is GREEN. It's a 3x6 sale at the discount. Choose keyboard, sing and dance in this order for maximum benefit.
2.3 Well Versed
Minor bonus to will save. Meh.
2.4 Lore Master
Juicy metagaming! You are the best in this, even your cardigan-fan wizard can't compete. Max all the knowledge you need in combat and put 1 rank in the others. I suggest you take 10 always, and 20 aganist serious danger.
2.5 Jack-of-All-Trades
The golden skill of the problem-solver. This is asking you to put 1 rank in every skill by level 16. Do not disappoint this class ability!
3. Race & Ability Scores: "what can I say? I was born pretty and clever!"
3.1 Ability Scores
Buffer should have a minimum INT score of 16 (post racial mod), better 18, and by the end of the campaing you will aim at 24-26. You will understand this when we will get to the skill section.
The CHA is not important as other bards, we don't care about DCs, but you need to pump it anyway: it give you both bonus spells, rounds of bardic performance and it will affect half of your skills. I suggest a score of 16 (post racial mod); by the end of your campaign try to have it higher you can.
CON & DEX are the next important ability scores. CON gives you lovely hit points and a bonus to fortitude saving throw, you should NEVER dump CON. DEX gives you initiative bonus and a bonus to reflex saving throws. While failing a reflex saving throw is not as bad as failing a fortitude one, you need a good DEX because the buffer bard should have an optimum initiative bonus. So try to get a 14 in both the ability.
WIS is a nice one: bonus on perception and Will saving throw. Unfortunately we don't have enough points, so keep it around 10.
STR is useless. Dump it like you have never done. Without pity.
TL;DR: The most important stats for you are INT and CHA, followed by CON and DEC; try to keep WIS near 10 and if you feel good about it, dump STR.
INT=CHA>CON=DEX>WIS>STR
Point buy 15 (pre racial mod, you can swap INT and CHA)
STR: 7 DEX: 12 CON: 12 INT: 16 WIS: 10 CHA: 14
Point buy 20 (if you have racial bonus to INT or CHA you can put more point into CON and DEX)
STR: 7 DEX: 12 CON: 12 INT: 16 WIS: 10 CHA: 16
Point buy 25
STR: 7 DEX: 14 CON: 14 INT: 16 WIS: 9 CHA: 16
3.2 Races
We will examine three factors: racial mod, alternate favored class bonus, racial traits. We want bonus to INT, CHA, DEX and CON; race without bonus in 2 of these ability will not be taken in consideration.
Elf: -2 CON hurts, but +2 INT and DEX are great. Elves immunities are great, you can swap weapon familiarity, keen sense, lowlight vision to get flat-footed and darkvision. Arcane focus is also good. Sadly alternate favored class bonus sucks.
Gnome: The bonuses to ability score are almost perfect. Small size is very good for us. Racial traits are fantastic: swap obsessive for academician, low light vision and keen sense for darkvision, defensive training and hatred for eternal hope. Favored class options are also good. Gnome also unlock Prankster, a very interesting archetype. Second best race for the buffer bard!
Half elf: bad, always choose human instead.
Halfling: stats and size are great. Always choose adaptable luck and fleet of foot for maximum enjoyment. Favored class options are really bad :-(
Half orc: better than half elf, but not enough.
Human: The bonus talent makes you a better buffer earlier, bonus skill point is really welcome. Favored class option is really good (extra spell known are always great). Solid choice.
Aasimar: WOW! These guys rock! Emberkin give you +2 INT and +2 CAR, bonus vs illusions and pyrotechnics, great control spell. Favored class option is really too good: it give you the possibility to buff your pals for +8 to attack and damage at level 9. Best choice for buffers.
Catfolk: good stats, but nothing more.
Fetchling: not bad at all. They don't have favored class option but they have good stats and very good racial traits (gloom shimmer, shadow magic, shadow blending and shadow resistance I'm looking at you!).
Merfolk: well, it's the race with the best stats. Nothing more.
4. Traits: "Man, I really need to play first"
2 rules:
1- YOU WORSHIP SERENRAE.
2- You need to act before others in the group.
I won't list ALL the traits of the game. Just the best two. Because there is no reason to choose differently.
Strenght of the Sun:+1 to all CHA-based checks (concentration also). OMG.
Reactionary: have I said you need to play first?
5. Archetypes: "I do not just sing, you know?"
Core bards are perfect to make buffers. But it can be refreshing playing something different sometimes. We always want to keep inspire courage and inspire heroics, possibly inspire competence and bardic knowledge. I'm going to examine only the archetypes that keep these class abilities. Versatile performance and dirge of doom are nice to have.
Archivist: this archetype lose versatile performance and many useless stuff. In exchange we get to anticipate other useful stuff (lore master in primis). Also inspire courage is changed into naturalist, a slightly more defensive power. Pay attention, though, with naturalist and inspire heroics you will grant +10 AC and ST to your friends. Gross!
Dirge bard: not bad! Dance of the Dead let you create some decoy to control the battlefield. Use it in conjunction with inspire courage through virtuoso performance and just WIN. Not much else unfortunately.
Savage skald: You exchange useless ability for some nasty tricks. The real beasts here are incite rage (stacks very well with courageous weapons) and berserkergang.
Songhealer: last time i checked healing was terrible in pathfinder. Only for noobs.
Thundercaller: I have contrastant feeling about this. PROS: it lets you doing some good damage while buffing pals. It give you access to incite rage. CONS: You don't get bardic knowledge and inspire competence. OUCH!
Prankster: this is a very good archetype. It loses lore master, and it hurts. But with this archetype you can both buff and control the battlefield greatly. This come online really when you unlock virtuoso performance, so it does not fit the build well in the early level. Anyway when you can use two performance simultaniously it can become a real beast. For this build Int gets so-so and you should invest all you have in CHA, because your DCs are much more important.
6. Feats: "Let me show you a trick"
6.1 VIF (very important feats)
I am going to suggest feats from CRB, APG, UM, UC. However the build will also need some feats from other Paizo books:
Flagbearer: This feat is the core of the build. It gives you a constant effect of bless. Not so great in your opinion? Well consider this: from the point of view of action economy is really a win. You can always have the flag in your hand, so it's a buff your party will always have. But it is much better. In fact the first piece of magic equipment you should buy is the Banner of the ancient kings. We are going to talk about this fantastic item later, for now you only need to know that it will grant your party a constant good hope effect. This is pure gold. This feat come from ISWG. Kill your DM if you need it because you need it to truly shine.
Master performer and Grand master performer: These feats will grant you an augment of +1 per feat to one of your bardic performance. You should apply it to inspire courage, your bread and butter buff. They come from Pathfinder Society Faction Guide and are PFS legal. You should not have any problem convincing your DM letting you pick them.
6.2 CRB feats
Combat casting: concentration is a pain in the ass, this feat help you success more easily.
Defensive combat training: it's useful only in the late levels, but it will give you a total +5 to your dmc (it's a lot).
Dodge: +1 AC is good, plus it unlocks many good feats.
Mobility: AC is not your preferred layer of defence, but it will help you moving better through the battlefield.
Wind stance: same as before. But it will come online more later.
Lightning stance: now we're talking. 50% miss is a lot! For the late levels.
Extra performance: bad, because you won't need it. But is a prerequisite for master performer; a necessary evil.
Improved familiar: OH WAIT! Bards doesn't have familiars!!!!!!111oneone. Go read eldrich heritage feat.
Improved initiative: how many times I have said that you need to act early? 5 star feat.
Shield focus: you still don't know, but you will be carring a mithral buckler, so this is a +1 AC.
Skill focus: with versatile performance it's 2 feats at the cost of one, so it's green. Anyway I do not think it will be useful.
Toughness: better than a kick.
Weapon focus: WTF I need this for?
Dazzling display: for this. After the second/third round of fight you won't have much to do, so why not debuff your enemy? Remember: -2 to attack is equal to +2 AC, -2 to damage is equal to 2/- RD.
Quicken spell: the only metamagic feat you will ever need. But you know what? Don't take it, buy a lesser rod instead (a Lesser rod will cover 1/2 of all your spells). Take it only if you think you will pick spell perfection.
6.3 APG feats
Breadth of experience: +2 to 6/10 skills? Yes I want it.
Expanded arcana: extra spell known are very good, but I do not think you will need to waste a feat on it until late levels. If you are human this feat become yellow.
Extra traits: One should be magical lineage/metamagic master. Or both :-P anyway use it on Haste.
Leaf singer: bleah!
Lingering performance: You can read this feat like this: "you will never run out of performance round". Unfortunately abusing it will prevent you from using your finale spells. So use it with wisdom.
Racial heritage: this can unlock many nice things. On top of my head I can think human prankster :D
Spell perfection: One of the best feat in the game. If you spent magical lineage on Haste you can now cast it with a swift action without increasing its spell level.
War singer: I love it. Double range for bardic performance. Sadly only for stinky orcs :-(
6.4 UM feats
Eldrich heritage, improved and greater: you can do so much with this feats, and for you is very easy to qualify for. For maximum benefit take the Arcane bloodline, take a familiar, take improved familiar, give him a wand of Haste. Profit.
Evolved familiar: for early profit, give skilled evolution to your tiny friend. (+8 to any skill, in this case UMD).
Fire music: Red like fire.
Spellsong: I like it very much. It does two things. First protect you from prepared and opportunity attacks to disrupt your spells. Second you can maintain concentration on one spell and cast another. Juicy!
Voice of the Sibyl: not very good. It's better to take skill focus on perform skills you chose with versatile performance.
6.5 UC feats
Discordant voice: this is so good I'd take it twice. Adds 3.5 damage to every attack made from your comrades every turn. No additional action required. This is your level 11 feat.
Harmonic Sage: can be decent for prankster or for bards that do not want to take Lingering Performance.
Retorical Fluorish: terrible prerequisite. If you look for something to improve your out of combat performance, this can help you.
7. Skills: "I know more than you can learn in one entire life"
Acrobatics: with versatile performance we do not need it. Put only 3 rank to improve your AC when fighting defensively.
Appraise: put only 1 rank here.
Bluff: same as acrobatics, 0 rank here.
Climb: good in the early levels. When you get access to fly, it become useless. Only few points.
Craft: if you want to craft magic items choose spellcraft instead.
Diplomacy: you know already, don't you?
Disable device: you do not have trapfinding, but, with all your buff, you will be able to disable every non magic trap you will came across. If you are an archivist this is BLUE.
Disguise: never used in my life I think. Put here a point just to be sure.
Escape Artist: For you it's the best way to escape a grapple in combo with liberating command. I prefer freedom of movement ring though.
Fly: don't ask.
Handle Animal: It's like Mystic Theurge: useless.
Heal: in doubt, CLW. Put 1 rank anyway plz.
Intimidate: please no.
Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, local, nature, planes, religion): welcome to legal metagaming. Put max rank in these. We need to know how to buff properly our comrades, we need to ask 1-2 questions about every enemy we will encounter in our travels.
Knowledge (engineering, geography, history, nobility): less useful, but these deserve 1 rank each.
Linguistic: I like it. If you want to communicate, to read and to learn you need to know languages. Put ranks here until you reach a flat bonus of +20.
Perception: The most rolled skill in the game, but I do not think it's your role to see things.
Perform: Pure gold! 1) you will use it for your bardic performance 2) you will use it with versatile performance; max rank in keyboard, sing and dance.
Profession: you're unenployed!
Ride: 1 rank. Not more.
Sense motive: I sense no motivation to put rank in here.
Sleight of hand: why not? It's funny and useful out of combat. You can do many things with a fast hand, if you know what I mean.
Spellcraft: Very useful skill. Max it unless you have a wizard friend; in this case we can let him do something, so he does not feel like theurges.
Stealth: shhhh!! I'm stabbing you in your back!
Survival: Put 1 rank and let the ranger pretends he know something.
Swim: Try to put some rank, just to avoid drowning. Unless you have a beautiful friend you want to be reanimated by.
Use Magic Device: Really cool. Get at least a bonus of +19, but I strongly suggest to max it out. Buy a lot of wands and scrolls (buy scrolls of situational spells!). If you have a familiar, this is even more good!
8. Equip: "Buffers love shopping!"
(Un)Fortunately you won't need many pieces of equipment, but the little you will need can be a little pricey. We will focus on augmenting our buffs and on being resilient. We don't want to be disabled by our enemy, because if we can't act we can't buff.
8.1 Weapon
+4 courageous spear. You do not need this enchantment as the others until you unlock inspire heroics. BUT, as soon as possible, you must buy banner of the old kings (best piece of equipment EVAH) and tie it to the pole of your spear (banner is really the first piece of equipment you should buy). The banner doubles the bonuses of flagbearer; give you +4 to initiative; make you reroll will saves every round; last but not the least if you are a bard you count 4 level higher for the purpose of inspire courage. A Must have for 18.000 gold.
PRO TIP: always bring with you +1 ghost touch net. If everyone in your party bring one you can forget about incorporeal monster forever.
8.2 Armor
+5 harmonizing, fortification (heavy), determination, slick greater, mithral chain shirt. If you haven't taken lingering performance, harmonizing armor is a priority. Actually, I prefer buying this enchant than to take the feat. Fortification protect you from nasty auto-crits, determination give you auto-ress, slick help you getting out from nasty grapples.
8.3 Shield
+5 mithral buckler with the enchant you like more. I'd suggest determination, arrow catching and ghost touch. Arrow catching mitigates damage and ghost touch keeps distant fraking incorporeal.
8.4 Belt
+6 belt of physical might. End of the discussion. You need to boost DEX and CON. More initiative and hp are a boon.
8.5 Body
If you have taken the path of arcane heritage, buy the robe of the arcane heritage; if not move on, there is some good piece here, but too much expensive.
8.6 Chest
Nice one are tunic of careful casting, a certain number of quick runner shirt. I'd prefer the former, concentration is a pain you-know-where, but free movement makes sense.
8.7 Eyes
I found that being blind sucks, and seeing invisible guy gives me satisfaction. Eyes of the dragon: with a blindsight of 60 ft. I belive is very difficult to be taken by surprise. Even more this glasses perform better than true sight glasses against stealthed foes. Expensive but very useful.
8.8 Feet
Nothing interesting, don't waste money.
8.9 Hand
Same as feet m8. Save money.
8.10 Head
Circlet of persuasion, iron circlet of the guarded souls, helm of teleport are very good choice. I suggest to buy the former because is cheap and you can equip it before doing your big talk; choose the second one if you are a paranoid bastard (I've become one inside Rappan Athuk), or the third if you prefer better mobility.
8.11 Headband
Guess what? Headband of mental prowess+6. By the way this is not a priority; while CHA and INT are your best stats, they do not help you very much buffing.
8.12 Neck
Want to be immune to gas and vapors? Do you want to breath in outer space? Necklace of adaptation is your choice! Stinking cloud and cloudkill can really ruin your day, and you won't need high AC. Scarab of protection is good also, but I find it to be a little redundant with ring of inner fortitude.
8.13 Shoulder
Buy a canonic +5 mantle of resistance. We want to succeed to saving throws. Really.
8.14 Wrist
I'd pass here, only poor minor bonuses.
8.15 Rings
I really like ring of inner fortitude, greater, and ring of freedom of movement. The former it's a great layer of defence against necromantic powers and undeads; it saved my life many times. FoM it's one of the best effect you can have in your bard, but truth is you are going to fly. So imparing movement effect will be rare, and against grapple we have other defence. You can choose instead ring of invisibility or ring of evasion. So many good option :-D
8.15 Slotless
Rod of Quicken Metamagic, Lesser. Three level of spells are about half your spells. One of the best toy you can buy. This shine more if you do not have a familiar. Anyway even if your familiar keep casting free spell for you a quickened spell can save your life sometimes.
Book of the Loremaster: this book will help you knowing the most rare enemies you will face (often bosses). Use it well and you'll know everything! This is not a priority, but when you have spare golds buy it.
Broom of Flying: I love it! Cheap way to fly around, advising your friends from above, far away from evil melees.
9. Spells: "Why are you staring at me? Do you haven't seen someone dancing a spell before"?
Because bards only know a certain number of spells, I'm going to list the best 6 spells per level (more or less) in the order you should pick them. It will be more than enough to perform well. For Mr. Buffer to use spells in the right way it’s a bit tricky: many of them will require you to be performing and many are casted with a swift/immediate action. In fact action economy and its management become a crucial part of your play style. I’ll add more on this subject in the last part of this guide, for now I’m going to mark all spell with a casting time of immediate action with underline.
9.1 Level 1
Saving Finale: Probably the level 1 spell you will use more. This will save your and your friends' asses so many times. You have to hold your immediate action just to have the opportunity to reroll a crucial failed ST (I.E. circle of death, insanity).
Grease: Great control spell. During the first levels of the game you won’t have much to do, so enjoy yourself oiling the big axe of the stupid orc that is charging you. Or your female oracle friend ;-P
Silent image: One of the most useful spells in the game. Problem is many DM hate it.
Liberating Command: Sometimes grapple screw your party hard. Sometimes you cast this spell.
Feather Fall: CONGRATS! Your party has parachutes now!
Vanish: Significantly more weak than other invisibility spells, but much more cheaper! I like it!
Bonus: Windy Escape: If you have this spell, you won’t be hitten by a critical hit ever. OH WAIT! Neither sneak attack will work. So cast this spell and smile at the poor rogue crying (Only for Sylphs).
9.2 Level 2
Gallant Inspiration: Does your rogue friend failed a check to pick-pocket the king? Does the barbarian’s hand slip over a wet rocks while he was climbing a cliff? this spell gives an average +5 to every skill check anyone fails. I do not think it’s worth to waste a slot on failed attack though.
Rage: This spell is brilliant if you have two melee hammers in your party. If you have one melee that is not a caster this is decent. If the only melee you have in the party is a clumsy magus, do not learn this spell. PRO TIP: rage, and all you other juicy morale bonuses you give can be improved by Courageous weapons, PLUS it unlocks the option of a Furious weapon, turning your pals into a pissed off Optimus Prime, more of this later!
Glitterdust: Both a buff and a debuff: it gives see invisibility to all you comrades and blindness is a nasty debuff.
Mirror Image: Great personal defensive buff, it makes you virtually untouchable. You can swap it later when you start to fly around on your broom.
Versatile Weapon: I prefer oils or scrolls of this spell in the early level, and later on wands. Anyway it can really resolve an encounter alone. When +5 weapon are available you can swap it.
Calm Emotion: My party almost wipe cause a Confusion, mass; twice. Since that moment I learnt this spell. You should cast it and immediately dismiss it. So we use it like “Dispel Confusion, mass”. Please note that, while this spell suppress most of the listed effects, the text explicitly say “It also suppresses any fear effects and removes (emphasis mine) the confused condition from all targets”, and only the suppressed effects return when the spell is gone.
Delay Poison & Delay Pain: In the later levels, when you swap the previous listed spells, you can learn this two. You will also have enough slot to buff with them the weaker character of your gaming group.
Honorable mention: Silence. Cast it on your fighter and let him melee the boss. Instantaneously the Balor is morphed into a T-rex with his short little (useless) hands! Profit!
9.3 Level 3
Haste: Fantastic. We all know haste, so what can I say more? It’s the best buff of the game, it give you better to hit %, one extra attack, better mobility (effectively countering difficult terrain), +1 AC and Reflex.
Purging Finale: It is a good way to countering debuff your enemy would throw at your party. It’s pure gold because you do not need to waste any (almost) action.
See Invisibility: Take it and when you put your hands on Eyes of the Dragon swap it!
Slow: This is one of the few debuff you will learn. Slow shut-down enemies, great against numerous enemy parties.
Dispel Magic: master of versatility, there are an uncountable number of situation where you can use this spell.
Feather Step, Mass: read like: “Counter difficult terrain, bitch”. Freedom of Movement is really better, in many ways, but this is cheaper and it targets multiple targets. learn it in the late levels.
Remove Curse: curses are hard to be removed, and this spell has high chance of fail. However it’s better a possibility more than one less.
9.4 Level 4
Virtuoso Performance: Two bardic performance simultaneously? Yes please! Until you get inspire heroics go with dirge of doom+inspire courage. Later on you can combine the three performance thanks to shadowbard.
Heroic Finale: Almost double haste? Probably pounce every round? this is gross and you should abuse it. If you need to make your allies pounce, you should use it soon, before they get to play. If you want them to break faces you should wait until the moment just before your next turn.
Song of Kyonin: It is an hybrid between purging finale, infernal healing, mass CLW, all in a single spell. NOT BAD!
Dimension Door: Teleport is always appreciated, this is an utility and life-saver. You can bring others too, just remember: if you can, move before casting this spell.
Freedom of Movement: Solid buff. Unfortunately this spell is single target and touch, so you can’t really use it freely during combat, however the long duration mitigate this. If you bought the ring you can swap it.
Break Enchantment: I like this spell very much, truth to be told. It dispel curses, enchantment, and transmutation 1 character/level. Sadly you can cast this spell only out of combat (or you can wait fifty rounds TROLOLOL).
Honorable Mention: Phantom Steed, Communal: TERRIBLE SPELL, but I can’t be helped: I love the idea of heroes arriving on the backs of multiple flaming phantom steeds! :D
9.5 Level 5
Shadow Bard: virtuoso performance on steroids. You do not use your rounds of performance, so you can keep 3 performance simultaniously. Perfect. Poor enemies!
Song of discord: I believe this is much better than Confusion, Mass. It transform enemies into allies!
Shadow Walk: From the buffer POV this is not great, but this is a good spell to have in your pocket.
Greater Heroism: You should use it to counter fear and.... And.... I don't know. Fifth level spells are horrible! T.T
Stunning Finale: very bad, i don't even know why It is in this guide! (Because fifth level spells are terrible, sigh!)
9.6 Level 6
Brillant inspiration: reroll is one of the most powerful mechanic of the game. Buff your hammers with it and look as they eat enemies' face.
Euphoric Tranquility: Read like: "touch your enemy and remove it from combat". If you pay attention you can use this spell to remove bigger danger from combat.
Waves of ecstasy: minimum all enemies will be staggered for one turn. Maximum you win the fight. Not bad.
Animate Object: bah, I do not like last level spells, but with this you can build a decent meat shield.
Geas/Quest: passable spell with out of combat implications. Meh.
10. Masterpiece: "Now be quiet, just... Listen."
At the Heart of It All: this masterpiece can be good out of combat for interaction with NPC.
The Cat-Step: I prefer feather fall :-/
The Dance of 23 Steps: double combat expertise. You won't attack, and concentration DC it is very low. After early levels this could be a good choice.
The Depths of the Mountain: earthquake is a good spell, 10 round of casting means, sadly, that you can use it only out of combat.
The Dumbshow of Garroc: fireball for bards? Oh wait! It affects only plants and oozes :-(
The House of Imaginary Walls: Walls are always useful, inside and out of combat. The ability to create them cheaply is invaluable.
Legato Piece of the Infernal Bargain: I like very much these masterpiece cause it gives you option that normally bards won't get. Also planar ally it's a very interesting spell that can be used in infinite different ways.
The Lullaby of the Ember the Ancient: like the last two this is 1/2 slumber, so it's a nice option!
Minuet of the Midnight Ivy: this masterpiece gives you the ability to ignore difficult terrain and a climb speed. And you can share it with your friends! Great!
The Quickening Pulse: a DOT of 1d6/round..... That need your standard action? No. If you have lingering performance this is green, because with a standard action you can inflict good aoe damage!
The Requiem of the Fallen Priest-King: Preemptively heroic finale. One of my favourite spell in a masterpiece for maximum action economy.
Stone Face: new option for bards! Also flesh to stone is a fun spell: free food for all!!
Toccata and Fugue of the Danse Macabre: hide from undead it's not the most powerful spell, and you can obtain it from a very cheap ioun stone.
Triple Time: for the cost of 1 round your base speed increase of 10 ft for 1 hour. Not bad.
The Winds of the Five Heavens: it's good out of combat, but it's not what we are focusing on.
11. Tactics: wrap it all togheter!
Let's make a little recap now, before we start going crazy.
We are going to build a core bard and choose aasimar emberkin as a race; we will use our alternate favored bonus to enhance inspire courage till level 9, than inspire heroics until level 19. Buffer will buy first banner of the ancient kings, than a resonating armor. Our bard is going to take these feats:
1- Flagbearer
3- Extra Performance
5- Master Performer
7- Improved Initiative
9- Grand Master Performer
11- Discordant Voice
13- Skill Focus (any knowledge)
15- Eldrich Heritage
17- Improved Familiar
19- Toughness
Later I'm going to give you an example build, for now let's talk about strategy. Some raw numbers to begin: at level 9 you are going to buff your pals for +9 to attack (+4 inspire courage, +2 master performer and greater, +2 flagbearer and banner, +1 haste), +8 damage (+4 inspire courage, +2 master performer and greater, +2 flagbearer and banner), +30 ft movement speed, +1 attack at their max base attack bonus; this is only the BASIC buffs that came from banner, inspire courage and haste.
You can make your comrades reroll saving throws, you can save them from grapples, from fall damage and you can remove the following conditions: cowering, dazzled, fatigued, exhausted, nauseated, paralyzed, shaken, sickened, stunned; all without wasting actions.
But let's start from the beginning.
11.1 Basic Strategy
You are looking at an initiative of 12 (+2 dex, +4 improved initiative, +4 banner, +2 reactionary), so I'm assuming most of the fights Buffer will act first.
Let's examine the case of a fight that starts with a surprise round in which Buffer can act. You have to choose between inspire courage (IC) and casting a spell. You should sing, really. Then you have to pay attention to the battlefield:
1) if your comrades act before enemies you should suggest them to move forward and (this is not valid in the case of giant monster with reach) stop 10 ft from enemies. If the enemies will come near your pals will have the first full attack. If the enemy decided to stay away don't worry. Before the round is completed use heroic finale (HF) to grant all your pals a bonus attack (btw I learnt that move+attack is very similar to a normal round) or a move action to engage melee. During the second round just go for haste and stay ready to use one of your immediate spells. At the end of the round if you haven't use them you can unleash HF.
2) If during the surprise round your people are very far away (more than 30 ft) from enemies you should cast haste, so they will have 60 ft movement and than HF. In the following round start IC and cast Slow.
3) If you are facing a lot of enemies even casting Slow on the surprise round can be an option that will reduce preemptively the number of action the enemy party can perform; just remember to kill slowed enemies last. Follow with IC and haste. PRO TIP: the party that have access to more action will win the fights.
4) If your damage dealers act after the enemies you can cast haste in your round, when the first enemies act use HF and give them 60ft movement to position better than enemies. You can also use a mirror strategy of the first advice I gave: if enemies come in melee you can use HF to give everyone a bonus attack or a move action.
5) Last option is simpler: cast song of kyonin this is effective in encounters in which you expect constant damage. Pay attention: you can’t use HF with this spell up.
One third round just throw slow to your enemies, or really any debuff. Remember, every time you use a Finale spell you need to start again singing in the following round but not every istant spell breaks your performance. However, if there is not surprise round things are different, and you will really shine here. Here Heroic finale will be like pounce, if yours melees need to get near enemies, or a second haste if they are already in melee, to be more sintetic: you will unleash havoc.
After level 10 when you unlock virtuoso performance, if you have enough performance round, you can stack inspire courage and dirge of doom. So 1st round IC and haste; 2nd round dirge of doom or slow or any debuff. At level 11 you add 1d6 sonic damage to every attack performed by your friends. By level 15 you can grant your allies inspire heroics (IH), and you will count as level 18 for this performance: in the second round instead of dirge of doom you shoud use IH while in the following round you can choose between dirge or a debuff. Please note that dirge does not have a ST. At level 17 you will get a funny familiar, he'll be your haste man, also you will be able to buff 3 players with IH. Give your imp a wand e let him buff. So in the first round you will cast shadowbard, you will activate IC and IH, your imp will cast haste. OMG.
11.2 Let's crunch some numbers
By level 1 buffer gives +2 attack, +2 damage, +1 ST vs fear.
Level 4 bring a little improvement: +3 atk, +3 dmg, +2 vs fear.
At level 8 you should have banner and you will be able to cast haste; our total buff will become: +6 atk, +5 dmg, +1 AC, +1 reflex, +4 vs fear, +1 extra attack.
Level 12 bring us nice gift, both Grand Master Performer, Discordant Voice: +9 atk, +8+1d6 dmg, +1 AC, +1 rfx, +6 vs fear, +1 extra attack.
At level 16 IH comes online: +9 atk, +8 +1d6 dmg, +5 AC, +4 fortitude and will, +6 vs fear, +5 rfx, +1 extra attack.
Level 20 does not bring anything new, just more targets aviable for IH and the imp for better action economy.
11.3 Teamwork
Your melee friends should buy for their weapon the special abilities furious and courageous. This combo comes online when they have a +2 furious, courageous weapon: the rage spell alone buff them for +2 STR and CON morale bonuses, triggering furious. The weapon now it's a +4 furious, courageous weapon; Courageous increase morale bonuses by half the weapon enchant, in this case by 2, please remember that flagbearer gives morale bonuses, as well as IH; so your pals are getting by a single spell: +4 STR and COS, +4 to attack and damage; please note that these bonuses will stack with the others you give. Obviously if their weapons are at least +4 these buffs increase by one. Last but not the least this combo pump the weapons enchant bonus to +7, granting them the ability to overcome even epic DR.
Cruel is less effective, but if you focus on making enemies shaken it can amplify your debuffs.
11.4 Conclusions
I think this build is very viable and enjoyable. It's playable from level 1 and grows regularly through all levels. It's at 90% a support role, so not everyone can enjoy it. Also, in a party with only one "hammer" can be less useful; however in a party with archers, a master summoner or many "hammers" this is a blast. I strongly suggest to play Buffer to anyone tired of rolling for attacks and damage and to everyone that is looking for more strategical depth in the fights.
I hope you enjoyed my guide, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please post on the messageboard. Farewell!