Bard Spell Picks

[cosmic ray]

Right now, I have this, but I'm unsure about the fifth level 2 and fourth level 6 picks:

level 1:
- disguise self
- joyful noise
- alarm
- amplify
- inspirational boost

level 2:
- mirror image
- bull's strength
- cat's grace
- invisibility
- SOMETHING ELSE

level 3:
- haste
- displacement
- analyze portal
- see invisibility
- clairvoyance/clairaudience

level 4:
- shadow door
- freedom of movement
- shadow conjuration
- war cry
- legend lore

level 5:
- ethereal visage
- greater dispel
- greater heroism
- programmed immage
- mislead

level 6:
- energy immunity
- gaseous form
- superior resistance
- MAYBE nixie's grace? It feels kind of useless. Or find the path for another rp pick, which is what I had until the rcr.

What do you guys recommend and why?

[chad878262]

+4 DEX and dr is useless? +4 WIS = +2 will saves unless you habe steadfast. +4 cha increases perform and some song dcs Nixies grace is a great spell.

Level 2 spell sonic weapon is a nice short term damage boost. Of course with nixies grace you no longer need cats grace..

Edit: heart fire maybe in place of cats grace?

[Valefort]

Amplify and clairvoyance don't stack so I'd drop amplify and pick grease or Balagarn's iron horn.

Level 2 sonic weapon for sure.

Level 3 no displacement, you should rather take greater invisibility on 4, that way you can have haste and 50% concealment ont two different levels, allowing you to spam those spells. I'd take Mass curse of impending blades instead.

Level 4 need room for greater invisibility so I'd drop legend lorre or shadow door

Level 5 is fine

Level 6 maybe Nixie's grace and drop cat's grace to pick Bladeweave

[cosmic ray]

Is Nixie's Grace really worth it? It competes with extended ethereal visage which, while only lasting 1 round/level, grants 20 dr instead of 5. I have found that, while fighting non-boss monsters, I rarely take damage if I have mirror image and displacement, but against bosses I really need 20 dr instead of 5.

At level 4 I have dimension door, not shadow door. That was a typo. I know I can get dimension door from a wand, but maybe I should drop Legend Lore instead, since that is used more rarely? You can scribe scrolls of that, can't you? Or potions?

Is Balagarn's Iron Horn reliable at all? I've had it before but I forgot to test it.

Is Bladeweave's DC fixed here? The nwn2 wiki says it's bugged:

As of patch version 1.22.1588, the DC for this saving throw is not calculated based on the caster's abilities, as the spell description says, but set at 16; see spell script nx2_s0_bladeweave, lines 20 and 46.

[chad878262]

Even at DC 16 when you have 5 (or 6) APR you would be surprised how often it works. It is not too bad a spell. However, I just noticed you don't have silence...You should so I would probably pick that over bladeweave.

Nixie's Grace is 1 min/level and the DR is a bonus... +4 DEX/WIS/CHA = +2 AC, +2 Will saves, +2 DC on things like Haven Song. Now, depending on the type of Bard you are, you can skip it... For instance, if you're a STR bard with 16 DEX And Steadfast Determination maybe you would prefer just wearing a Ring that grants +2 DEX and CON, making Nixie's unnecessary. However, I find it to be a very useful spell on my Bard since it provides "always on" DR. Generally I never find I need extra casts of Ethereal Visage, though I suppose I don't run multiple bosses between rests very often (as a Bard, many of your buffs are hour/level and you don't get many casts/day). My Bard gets 4 level 6 spells per rest, usually that is 1 Nixie's Grace, 1 Superior Resistance and 2 Energy Immunities (depending on area).

[cosmic ray]

My bard has high strength and 14 dexterity to wear mithril chainmail with cat's grace or the gloves of a peerless archer, but preferably with cat's grace because I'd rather wear greater gloves of the minstrel or my gloves with an extra level 6 spell slot.

I use a silence wand so I don't have to take that spell. Is that a bad idea?

The thing with nixie's grace is that the charisma bonus is meaningless because I wear items that already add that. The dr is certainly *nice*, but it isn't that spectacular; as you say, it's more of a bonus. When I do need DR, I have to rely on ethereal visage, since 5DR won't be very helpful in tough situations. The +2 to will saves is appealing, though, but is it worth a level 6 slot, especially when you can get the +4 dex from a level 2 spell or an item? What do you guys say?

I have blind fight and I can cast faerie fire due to being a drow, so I don't need heartfire, do I?


With your suggestions, I have:

level 1:
- disguise self
- joyful noise
- alarm
- amplify
- inspirational boost

level 2:
- mirror image
- bull's strength
- cat's grace (could replace with silence/bladeweave/other rp spell since it's redundant with nixie's grace, but what if I'm out of level 6 slots, since several excellent spells compete against each other for those?)
- invisibility
- sonic weapon

level 3:
- haste
- displacement (see note on greater invis.)
- analyze portal
- see invisibility
- mass curse of impending blades

level 4:
- shadow door
- freedom of movement
- shadow conjuration
- war cry
- greater invisibility (I was just reminded that, unlike displacement, it can be removed by invisibility purge, so I'm keeping both or possibly dropping this one for something else. Suggestions??)

level 5:
- ethereal visage
- greater dispel
- greater heroism
- programmed immage
- mislead

level 6:
- energy immunity
- gaseous form
- superior resistance
- nixie's grace???

[chad878262]

*shrug* If you want to use Cat's Grace go for it. Silence wand is fine to use in place of spell. For that matter, a wand of Cats Grace and Bull's STR both cast at CL15 so last for 15 minutes. You could theoretically drop one, the other or both of those spells if you don't mind using wands for buffing.

I don't know what you want to put in your level 6 slot in place of Nixie's though.

[Glowfire]

Ice Storm might be an option if you really can't think of anything. It's a no-save spell.

[cosmic ray]

I could take find the path in place of nixie's grace. I like the spell but the problem is that there are always so few opportunities to use spells like this. :/

[Valefort]

There's also Analyze Dweomer !

[mrm3ntalist]

Take anything. Its not like you are going to use them between energy immunities, Ext. Visages and superior resistance. I got gr bestow curse. A nice debuff

[cosmic ray]

I ended up taking nixie's grace as you guys suggested, but also cat's grace just to be sure I can always cast one or the other. Thank you all for your help!