Sometime in the next week I plan to iTR one of my characters into a PDK swashbuckler bard.  But, the last time I played a Bard was shortly before Menace of the Underdark went live.  So, I have a bunch of stupid questions that I could use some help with.

First, I see that Bards have access to Spellcraft as a class skill.  But, I can’t see any reason to actually invest in it.  Last I checked, Sonic spell power is covered with Perform and Positive is covered by Heal.  I see that a lot of the Swashbuckler builds go into Legendary Dreadnought during epic levels, so I can’t see anything in epic levels to justify it either.  Is there something I’m missing?

Second, is Celestia’s DR breaking broken by the Swashbuckler capstone, or by the very first Swashbuckler core?

Third, I see a lot of suggestions for putting Empower Healing on a Swashbuckler over Quicken.  What am I missing there?  Are those builds solely depending on Rejuvenating Cocoon for healing?

Yes, Bards are stupid; what's your question?

If you go at least 6 Fighter you get access to a crit multiplier for hand axes and picks while swashbuckling (swashbukling only increases range on these).  If you plan on investing heavy in fighter levels instead of a freeze bard, 12Bard 6F 2Rogue w/handaxe in LD or light picks in DC is tough to beat.

Thanks for the help so far guys.  Do the sonic procs from Swashbuckler Spell crit like the Scion feats?

Also, I guess I should mention that this character was a light blades kensai.  So, wouldn’t I be better off wielding Balizarde, over a Level 24 Thunder-forged handaxe, in epic levels?

QuantumFX wrote on Aug 29^th, 2016 at 8:36pm:


Resonant Arms does not. Scions do not AFAIK, but I haven't tried all of them. Which one were you using?

QuantumFX wrote on Aug 29^th, 2016 at 8:36pm:


You can get slightly more crit damage on balizarde in t5 Kensei, but in doing so you'd either give up 20 AP of Swash or shield enhancements and have significantly lower [W] and proc damage. (Bali would be +8 2.5[d8] 3d8 bleed 14-20x4, handaxe would be +10 4[d6] 10d6 fire or 8d6 neg 15-20x4 +2 from headsman's)

Simply not enough AP to sink 30+ in kensei and still get all the swash, vanguard, defender, WC stuff you want. Without 30+ in Kensei, handaxe is strictly better.

5 Foot Step wrote on Aug 30^th, 2016 at 10:25am:


Well, poop.  I'm thinking of going Shadar Kai instead of PDK.  (I want to save my 2 mandatory PDK incarnations for Monk and Druid.)  Since I don't have completionist on this character, it ought to work out to about the same.

You can also go int-based:

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/477834-Any-past-life-melee-critzilla?p...