Request help with awesome character.

[woodenbandman]

I took leadership. 

So my cohort is going to be a cleric/divine bard/bone knight. I know it's not the greatest thing in the world, and I don't care. In fact, my group has specifically banned me, at my own request, from classes that have 9th level spells. Even Warmages.

The character is going to be an undead, so I can dump Con entirely. I was thinking he's going to be mainly a self buffer and meleer, but now that I'm dumping con, I'm rethinking his stats, and putting more into charisma, so as to increase the save DCs.

Level 12 cleric1/Divine Bard4/Bone Knight 7, and no, CC isn't allowed, I don't think, because the DM doesn't have it, otherwise I would be all over knowledge devotion. Domains are going to be planning and undeath, obviously, and he's going for divine metamagic. Also, he's a battle bard, so he's going for dumping dex and pumping strength, and wearing heavy armor, thanks to his lovely divine spells.

I'd like some help optimizing this concept. Spells chosen so far, as well as possible other choices:

EDIT: Build is now Cleric1/Divine Bard11. It's just all around better, and I can still use heavy armor. All I lose is greatswords, really, and I can get those if I want. Character sheet is here: http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/view.php?id=101558

0:Prestidigitation, Detect Magic, Ghostharp, Ghost Sound, Read Magic, Cure Minor Wounds
1:Remove Fear, Comprehend Languages, Grease, Improvisation
2:Alter Self, Mirror Image, Heroism, Cure Moderate Wounds
3:Haste, Hymn of Praise(SpC), Slow, Unluck
4:Greater Blink, Greater Mirror Image, Shadow Conjuration

Possible Choices for next available spells:
1:Protection from Evil
2:?
3:Unluck, Good Hope
4:Greater Invisibility

More help would be appreciated, especially in the way of spell choices. Also, right now, the only feats I know that he will take are Persistent spell and DMM persist, or at least I think I want to. I know I can persist hymn of praise, greater blink, and greater mirror image, but is that worth the investment?

Final thought: I'm going to get him a weakening arm graft from libris mortis. Should I spend the feats to craft it myself if I won't use them again? I might craft one for my main character, but otherwise that's 2 feats to save a bit of gold. Worth it? I'd have to also buy wands of ray of enfeeblement to craft them.

[BowenSilverclaw]

Prestige Paladin might be nice to add some Pally spells (*cough* Rhino Rush *cough*) and Charisma to saves...

Other than that, maybe Snowflake Wardance, although that would require wearing Light armor...
Maybe it's doable to wear Mithral Breastplate or just Fullplate with that lightweight enhancement (can't remember the name or source at the moment)?

[woodenbandman]

Well, a couple things: One is that we have a paladin in the party already, so I can't mix the classes, another is that he's going into bone knight, which basically gives him this one set of armor he can't really change, but comes with a bunch of stuff. Problem is, I think that if he's an undead, he already gets most of that stuff. I just realized in retrospect that this isn't the greatest of great ideas. I'm still doing it, though.

Oh, and is there anything that deals constant negative energy damage within a certain range around the character on the bard spell list? Or even the cleric list, after all I will probably be maxing UMD at the expense of all else. I want to exploit Undead + Leader bound to Acerak.

[PhaedrusXY]

Black Sand (Sandstorm) deals constant negative energy damage to an area. There is a 2nd (or 3rd?) level cleric spell that creates temporary black sand, and you can use that to create permanent black sand. Then just stuff your shoes with it, or something.

[woodenbandman]

That's a very interesting thought. I'll see if I can do that. I think I should pick up a wand of black sand.

[PhaedrusXY]

That's a very interesting thought. I'll see if I can do that. I think I should pick up a wand of black sand.

Eh, just cast it once, and throw some disabled dude into it. When it kills him, his body turns into black sand. But that black sand shouldn't dissappear when the spell ends... It's not like the only black sand that exists is that summoned by the spell, if it exists at all in a game world. If you think your DM might nerf this idea, then I'd consider the wand, yeah....

[woodenbandman]

That's a good idea, thanks. Anyone know of any good SoDs on the bard list? I was originally dumping things that have a save, but now that I have more points to spend on charisma, due to lack of constitution score, I think I'll be getting some SoDs. Grease and Haste are given, any others?

[skydragonknight]

That's a good idea, thanks. Anyone know of any good SoDs on the bard list? I was originally dumping things that have a save, but now that I have more points to spend on charisma, due to lack of constitution score, I think I'll be getting some SoDs. Grease and Haste are given, any others?

Otto's Irresistible Dance is the no-save one. There was another one I used to like...Song of Discord for the chaos it can cause. 50% effective every round, but it can effect multiple targets so it has potential.
Also Hold Monster at 4th level for single targets. And of course Glitterdust for blindness/utility.

Edit: Remembered one more. For an SoBS that isn't mind-affecting, check out Unluck in the SpC.

[woodenbandman]

Thank you kindly.

[woodenbandman]

Realized that Cure Moderate Wounds is a terrible waste, him being undead and such, and I'm replacing it with some other thing, maybe glitterdust.

Anything to fill up the last levels outside the usual array of cleric classes? Contemplative would be nice, except domains only give me domain granted powers, and even then at a puny level. I've already got planning and undeath, for obvious reasons. It'd be nice to get 2 levels of Divine Oracle in there.

[woodenbandman]

Need help choosing feats. I've got 2 feats open. I already have for my general feats Extra Turning, Versatile Spellcaster, DMM Persist and Persistent Spell, but I can't decide what to do. Power attack might not be very efficient, as I wouldn't have a lot of BAB to throw around. I could go for mounted, but we've already got a guy who does that, and 2 people that either have or are taking shock trooper, and I don't really want to make him a charger. Help?

[Negative Zero]

Doesn't Persistent Spell have the prerequisite of Extend Spell?

[BowenSilverclaw]

Yes it does, but I think that's why he has the Planning domain...

[woodenbandman]

I've retooled the build to be more better and more versatile, since Bone Knight wasn't much that Undead didn't already give me. New build is a simple Cleric1/Divine Bard 11. Better bardic music, and it opens up Lyric Spell possibilities, and of course, the next part of the build: Bardic Knack. Added improvisation to spells known, and I invested 1 rank in all skills that can't be used cross class, so I can literally do anything.

Character link here: http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/view.php?id=101558