Archer, do you need any more info from me for character creation?

@Cato. Hmmm, I could use description, name, height, hair/eye color, etc. I finish the first half of my trip today, so I might be able to spend some time working your character tomorrow. I'll get you to a point as fast as possible to join, and we can then finish character generation while you guys interact. Hang tight, I'm just waiting for the time to gen your character.

Oops, I thought I read illiteracy...my bad!

Name: Iso
Race: Gnome
Description: medium-length black beard that spans the entire bottom and sides of his face, green eyes. Wears antique, heavily embroidered purple overcoat that's a size or two too large for him, with a matching purple cap, sporting a yellow feather, which he removes for use as a pen when he needs to write something. As for his height, I dunno how tall gnomes are in-universe, so I can't rightly say.

Iso comes from a long line of bards, His mother, his mother's mother, his mother's mother's father, his mother's mother's father's mother, and countless generations before them carried on the bardic tradition until it passed to him, and he understands that he is simply the custodian of that tradition, and will someday pass it on to his son or daughter. He views adventuring as a great performance art, and considers it his duty as a bard to catalog it for future generations, as well as taking the stage himself when so required.

Sweet. You'll probably miss five minutes of in-game time, and then we'll get you in. Actually, hold one. You didn't mention items except for the cloak/overcoat (I was going to give you a cloak anyway, so it will just have your description, regardless of function). The rest is UNDER your cloak...so...see where I'm going with this? You're in...you can "show" you other items later, after we get them hashed out when I have my books. You gave me enough to work with. Awesome, feel free to walk through the door whenever. Tevish and Garren will join us when they are ready. Assume that you have at least one masterwork musical instrument of your choice, and I'll account for that.

Should I pick my items?

Nope, I have some things in mind, and they'll work with your garb. Do you want a Handy Haversack or a Bag of Holding? Both are inter-dimensional spaces to store stuff.

What's the difference?

Bag of Holding
This appears to be a common cloth sack about 2 feet by 4 feet in size. The bag of holding opens into a nondimensional space: Its inside is larger than its outside dimensions. Regardless of what is put into the bag, it weighs a fixed amount. This weight, and the limits in weight and volume of the bag’s contents, depend on the bag’s type, as shown on the table below.

Bag|Bag Weight|Contents Weight Limit|Contents Volume Limit|Market Price
Type I|15 lb.|250 lb.|30 cu. ft.|2,500 gp
Type II|25 lb.|500 lb.|70 cu. ft.|5,000 gp
Type III|35 lb.|1,000 lb.|150 cu. ft.|7,400 gp
Type IV|60 lb.|1,500 lb.|250 cu. ft. |10,000 gp
If the bag is overloaded, or if sharp objects pierce it (from inside or outside), the bag ruptures and is ruined. All contents are lost forever. If a bag of holding is turned inside out, its contents spill out, unharmed, but the bag must be put right before it can be used again. If living creatures are placed within the bag, they can survive for up to 10 minutes, after which time they suffocate. Retrieving a specific item from a bag of holding is a move action—unless the bag contains more than an ordinary backpack would hold, in which case retrieving a specific item is a full-round action.

If a bag of holding is placed within a portable hole a rift to the Astral Plane is torn in the space: Bag and hole alike are sucked into the void and forever lost. If a portable hole is placed within a bag of holding, it opens a gate to the Astral Plane: The hole, the bag, and any creatures within a 10-foot radius are drawn there, destroying the portable hole and bag of holding in the process.

Handy Haversack
A backpack of this sort appears to be well made, well used, and quite ordinary. It is constructed of finely tanned leather, and the straps have brass hardware and buckles. It has two side pouches, each of which appears large enough to hold about a quart of material. In fact, each is like a bag of holding and can actually hold material of as much as 2 cubic feet in volume or 20 pounds in weight. The large central portion of the pack can contain up to 8 cubic feet or 80 pounds of material. Even when so filled, the backpack always weighs only 5 pounds.

While such storage is useful enough, the pack has an even greater power in addition. When the wearer reaches into it for a specific item, that item is always on top. Thus, no digging around and fumbling is ever necessary to find what a haversack contains. Retrieving any specific item from a haversack is a move action, but it does not provoke the attacks of opportunity that retrieving a stored item usually does.

I'll go with the haversack for now. Thanks for the help, bounty.

Ah balls, I linked 3.5 rules. I'd check to make sure that 3.0 is still the same.

Thanks for the help for Cato, BH. Cato is free to enter the Drunken Lemming. Sure, everybody else just did, so that is a bit odd, but pbp is a bit odd anyway as is D&D. I mean who kills a manticore just to root through its poo for treasure? Anyway, as long as you mention your instrument and your choice of either a rapier or longsword, the other items aren't necessary given that most of it is probably in your pack. You do have a belt of pouches for potions, though, as your utility bard is a potion maker to help extend his utility to other people and serve as an extra spell reserve.

Now, if you wish to play it that he's been hanging out in the Lemming for days while in Southport and just decided to inquire (like BH did on the last round) then it's not five people all walking through the door. Anyhow you do it, there is no reason not to intro yourself.

Name: Iso
Race: Gnome
Description: medium-length black beard that spans the entire bottom and sides of his face, green eyes. Wears antique, heavily embroidered purple overcoat that's a size or two too large for him, with a matching purple cap, sporting a yellow feather, which he removes for use as a pen when he needs to write something. He is 3 1/2 feet tall, about 45 pounds heavy. 40 years old (adulthood), up to 100 years (at which point aging penalties start to accrue at middle age), whatever Cato thinks is appropriate for a 9th level bard at the speed he progressed (kind of up to you.)

Iso comes from a long line of bards, His mother, his mother's mother, his mother's mother's father, his mother's mother's father's mother, and countless generations before them carried on the bardic tradition until it passed to him, and he understands that he is simply the custodian of that tradition, and will someday pass it on to his son or daughter. He views adventuring as a great performance art, and considers it his duty as a bard to catalog it for future generations, as well as taking the stage himself when so required.

Not born of exceptional ability, Iso has carefully cultivated a no-nonsense utility role, focusing less on combat, and more on making useful items and learning spells that will greatly help whatever party he travels with. There is also some combat utility magic for his own safety, and effort to make the most of his bardic skills and music powers. Still, Iso did spend the effort to learn the composite shortbow for times when nothing else will do.

When in a rough town or out adventuring, Iso may not have all of his stuff visible (since most of it is in his Haversack), but would be wearing his coat, hat (with magic circlet beneath), gloves, bow and 1 quiver, Haversack, spell component belt, boots, lute, and maybe his mace (mace hung on his belt). In Southport, you have a lot of that put away for some reason, so maybe you don't look like an adventurer. But, you just finished making 5 wands for your journey to Faerun and other future adventuring. You also just made your bracers of armor and other crafted items, which you are very proud of.

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Stats:
STR 13 -2 racial = 11 (0 bonus)
DEX 11 = 11 +4 item = 15 (+2 bonus)
CON 12 +2 racial = 14 (+2 bonus)
WIS 13 = 13 (+1 bonus)
INT 13 = 13 (+1 bonus)
CHA 14 +2 stat bonuses +2 circlet = 18 (+4 bonus)

HP: 35 rolled + 18 CON bonus = 53 HP total
AC = 10 + 1(size versus medium creatures) + 4(bracers) + 2(DEX gloves) = 17 total

Base Attack Bonus (BAB) = +6/+1
Ranged attack bonuses (magic Composite Shortbow): +1 size, +2 shortbow, +2 DEX gloves, +1 feat
Composite Shortbow Damage: 1d6+2 (x3 crit) +1d6 shock
Melee attack bonuses (Light Mace): +1 size, +1 masterwork
Light Mace damage: 1d6

Fort. Save = +3 base +2 CON = +5 total
Ref. Save = +6 base +2 DEX due to item = +8 total
Wis. Save = +6 base +1 WIS = +7 total
(Note: These saves can be adjusted by +1 when Iso casts Resistance.)

Racial Abilities:
Small Size (3/4 carrying capacity, AC bonus versus larger creatures, +4 size bonus to Hide skill)
Base Speed: 20
Low Light Vision (twice as far as humans in poor light, and still in color and detail)
+2 saving throw bonus versus illusions
+1 racial bonus when fighting Goblinoids, and kobolds
+4 dodge bonus versus giants
+2 racial bonus on Listen and Alchemy checks
Once per day, can cast these 0-level spells: dancing lights, ghost sound, and prestidigitation (as 1st level caster only)
Favored Class: Illusionist
Automatic Languages: Common, Gnomish (Once per day, can Speak with Animals with a burrowing animal for one minute, cast as 1st level only)

Bardic abilities: (see the 3.0 SRD for details of these abilities)
Bardic Music - Once per day per level, use Bardic Music for the following effects: (you have enough ranks in Perform to use them all)
- Inspire Courage
- Countersong
- Fascinate
- Inspire Competence
- Suggestion
- Inspire Greatness

Skills: 60 points total (20 at 1st level, 5 per additional level)
Concentration: +9 ranks, +2 CON bonus = +11 total
Diplomacy: +5 ranks, +4 CHA bonus, +2 bluff synergy, +2 sense motive synergy = +13 total
Bluff: +5 ranks, +4 CHA bonus = +9 total
Sense Motive: +5 ranks, +1 WIS bonus = +6 total
Use Magic Device: +10 ranks, +4 CHA bonus = +14 total, (+2 spellcraft synergy when using scrolls for +16 total)
Swim: +4 ranks = +4 total
Spellcraft: +8 ranks, +1 INT bonus = +9 total (+2 use magic device synergy to decipher spells on scrolls for +11 total)
Perform: +12 ranks, +4 CHA bonus = +16 total (Can use bardic ability all the way up to and including: Inspire Greatness)
Intimidate: +2 ranks, +4 CHA bonus, +2 Bluff synergy = +8 total

Feats:
Weapon Focus: Composite Shortbow (+1 on to hit) (1st level)
Craft Wondrous Item (3rd level)
Craft Wand (6th level)
Jack of All Trades (can use any skill untrained, whether permitted by training or class or not, from Song and Silence) (9th level)

Items:
Gloves of Dexterity +4 (made) 8,000 gp, **
+4 Bracers of Armor (made) 8,000 gp, 1 lb
+2 Circlet of Charisma (made) 2,000 gp, ** (custom, silver band about the head, counts as the head slot instead of a cloak application)
+2 Composite Shortbow 8,375 gp (+2 to hit/damage) 2 lbs
Travel Cloak (Coat) 1,200 gp (from Magic of Faerun), 1 lb
Boots of Striding and Springing 2,500 gp, 1 lb
Wand of Cure Light Wounds 50 charges of (1d8+2) 750 gp, 1 oz. (made)
Wand of Light 50 charges 187 gp 5 sp, 1 oz. (made)
Wand of Read Magic 50 charges 187 gp 5 sp, 1 oz. (made)
Wand of Detect Magic 50 charges 187 gp 5 sp, 1 oz. (made)
Wand of Mending 50 charges 187 gp 5 sp, 1 oz. (made)
Heward's Handy Haversack 2000 gp, 5 lbs.
2 x Everburning Torch 90 gp each, 1 lb. each
1 x Potion of Fly, 50 minutes, 750 gp, 2 oz
Masterwork Lute 100 gp, 1 lb.
Masterwork Fiddle 100 gp, 1 lb.
Signal Whistle 2 sp, **
Crowbar 2 gp, 5 lb.
3 x Sewing Needles 5 sp each, *
Spell Component Pouch 5 gp, 3 lb.
Blanket, Winter, 5 sp, 3 lb.
Silk Rope 50 ft. 10 gp, 5 lb.
Spade 2 gp, 8 lb.
Magnifying Glass 100 gp, *
Bedroll 1 sp, 5 lb.
Light Mace, masterwork 305 gp, 6 lb
Arrows (3 quivers of 20) 1 gp each quiver, 3 lb each quiver
Ink vial 1 gp, 1 oz
Thieves Tools, masterwork 100 gp, 2 lbs.
Entertainer's Outfit 3 gp, 4 lb.
Flint and Steel 1 gp, *
Grappling Hook 1 gp, 4 lbs
1 week trail rations 3 gp 5 sp, 7 lbs

Total permitted wealth: 36,000 gp (you are welcome to add above up to see how much spare change you have, but it's pretty pegged out.)

Spells per day: 0-3, 1st-4, 2nd-4, 3rd-3
Spells Known:
0-6, 1st-4, 2nd-4, 3rd-3
0 lvl - Mending, Detect Magic, Light, Mage Hand, Read Magic, Resistance
1st lvl - Cure Light Wounds, Detect Secret Doors, Feather Fall, Mage Armor
2nd lvl - Tongues, Invisibility, Cat's Grace, Mirror Image
3rd lvl - Dispel Magic, Charm Monster, Haste

Edit: Last changes made 2/8/2014 at 2:40 AM EST.

Tevish, Cato's bard is closer to finished than not. Since I'm drafting him, could you look over what I have thus far above if you have some spare time, and let me know if I'm missing something glaring (as in a bad design overall of a utility bard)? I gave him a crafting feat to help overcome his really lackluster ability rolls. Eek! A second eye is always a good thing.

Okay, a few notes

Concentration: The most common concentration check is Cast Defensively, which has a DC of 15+Spell Level. So, if you have 3rd level spells, a +7 Concentration bonus translates to a 50% Spell Failure on your best spells when casting defensively (or a 35% spell fail for cantrips). Since you are, by definition, threatened when using Concentration, you CANNOT take 10. I'd probably axe Climb for it since you can take 10 on climb and that's good enough when you have silk rope and Mage Hand. (and, you know, if you get flight access climb looks kinda silly) Making that change alone is 20 fewer percentage points of spell failure, the same value as the Combat Casting feat, and you might be able to pick up a few more points elsewhere.

Use Magic Device: UMD is a godskill... for rogues. For bards it's a little more dubious since it doesn't let them do quite as much extra on top of what they could already do. A bard can, already, activate a decently broad number of scrolls and wands because they have innate spellcasting. I'd step back and take a serious second look at exactly what you intend to Use Magic Device on that you can't just use because you're a bard. Attack Scrolls/Wands holding wizard spells?

Feats: A bard's best offensive spells are from the Enchantment school, and Enchantment school spells often have a consistant problem: They're great if your opponent botches his or her save against them, but a total wasted action if the enemy saves. Take Hold Person for example: If the save is failed, there are many circumstances in which it might as well be Finger of Death, since the enemy won't act while you mop up their allies and might even be coup de grace'd. But on a successful will save you get NOTHING, not even the pittance of 3d8+Caster Level damage. If you compare it to a standard save-for-half evocation, the evocation gets you (Value*Save Fail Rate)+[(Value/2)*Save Pass Rate]. Enchantment, just the first term.... What I'm trying to say is that if you have any expectation of using Enchantments in combat you should try to get their save DC as high as possible (to a lesser extent, Illusions too), and so you might want to make room for Spell Focus. If I had to drop something, it'd probably be Brew Potion. Potions are so cheap that the savings isn't a whole lot, and when you have UMD or a casting ability they're easily eclipsed by wands for anything you want to get in bulk. You spend 1250gp on ten CLW potions at the crafting price when you could grab a CLW wand at 750gp Market price (or 3750 for Caster Level 5, I suppose) and have about five times the healing available. Since bards get Cure Light Wounds, you don't even have to Use Magic Device to utilize the wand.

Some Magic Item Commentary: If you are a spontaneous caster and have a spell known, you should only invest the cash in getting a potion of that spell when it's an escape spell -- something that can really save your life when you're out of magic. So, the investment in an invis potion is kind o worth it, but the haste potion is Not: Haste is offensive, you can burn the spell slot on it. The Quiver of Ehlonna is also not great, since a regular quiver holds 20 arrows and you'll seldom have more than 20 arrows worth of combat without a chance to pull out another (even if you do need a refill, if you have a Handy Haversack, it's quick to grab a backup quiver). If you axe the Haste Pot, Quiver, and reap the profit of trading the potions of CLW to a wand, you can afford Boots of Striding and Springing (2500 according the the 3.0 DMG), which give you maneuverability (through jumping) and the +speed side of Haste all the time, rather than 9 rounds once ever. (though we all cast Haste for the +action anyway)

The Most Useful Spells: Suggestion and the Image chain (Silent/Minor/Major) are some of the most potent spells in the entire book... or some of the least. Along with Wish, Limited Wish, Miracle, Prestidigitation, and the Shadow illusions, they're very open ended. They do very little (particularly the images) on their own, but in the end the only limit on them is the creativity of the player behind them and the ability of the DM to wing how something reacts to the strange sights. Of course, they suffer from the "Failed Save Or Bust" problem, but I still thought I'd mention that they might be worth considering, though I'd likely talk with Cato about whether or not they're wanted as opposed to more mechanically grounded effects (Charm, Dispel, Detect)

Inspire Courage and Combat Spells: Note that a bard may fight but not cast spells or use magic words (Activate scrolls/wands) while "singing" to Inspire Courage. Thus, it might be best to focus on spell selection for times when the bard does not want to be singing, that is to say when the party is not fighting. Your list looks pretty good for this consideration, except for Mirror Image which is purely combat-based and short duration (unlike Mage Armor or Cat's Grace). I suppose since you can start a song and then end it after singing for a round, and coast for five (most combats), it's not a bad idea to have one or two.

OK, here's what I don't get about the creation/use of magic items. There is no language that I've seen that permits innate casting to use items. Is that a 3.5 wording change? Per the 3.0 RAW (at least where I see it), activation of a scroll:
- Spell has to be correct type (I can't cast a cleric-created scroll) as a bard, even if bards can cast the same spell. Who made it matters on arcane versus divine magic.
- Spell has to be on my class list
- I have to have the requisite score to cast that level

So that leaves a lot of gaps for a non-melee bard to want the skill UMD. I see wands to have similar use requirements as a scroll, as you're still effectively casting a spell. Additionally, he might want to use wand/scrolls/staffs, etc. with effects that he doesn't have the ability to cast as a bard. (I would, as a wand of Fireball would be useful!) So that was my thinking on that, but I agree I can focus that better and make some changes to equipment lineup. You made some solid suggestions.

OK, since I can make wands for a really affordable price, I can save oodles of money by picking the Craft Wand feat, and seems a really smart use of money. Because table 8-46 of the 3.0 DMG is totally hosed on their own math, I'll just go by the simple equation of 375 gp x spell level x caster level set. That seems to line up the most often with the table, and at least is consistent. Wands that seem easy to justify is: Cure Light Wounds, and other spells like: Dispel Magic, Mirror Image, Invisibility, Light, Tongues, etc. A utility Bard could have most of his utility spells saved up the wazoo in wands, meaning he has what he considers most important in quantities that is hard to run out of in a given adventure, even if he's spamming them a lot.

For long-term use, there are a number of useful Wondrous Items that can be made with a Bard's spells, and so it's worth leaving in there from a whole-wellness perspective of the character (including the more abusable items like your CLW healing mark!) Abuses aside, a character like Iso would probably want to boost his stats like STR and DEX, his saves, AC, anything you can think of that is of use all the way through his career. 9th level wealth guides are a bit restrictive, but Iso could readily expand his permanent item bases and own survivability by using this feat. He could make a +4 Bracers of Blinding Strike (from the Magic of Faerun book) right now given enough money, at least I think.

Here's what I don't get. A continuous item like a listed Bracers of Blinding Strike, which gives +6 to AC, and an extra attack each round, essentially gives you the extra partial action for attacking every round. Table 8-40 of the DMG says use 100 charges cost for continuous or unlimited items, but I can't find that 100 charges cost listed anywhere. Can you clarify this? These instructions suck, and the price of 102,000 gp makes no sense at all, though 12th level caster level does.

Another option for a utility bard is Jack of All Trades as a feat from Song and Silence. It lets me use any trained-only skill, whether I'm trained in it or not, whether it's in my normal class list or not. A bard has decent skills, but this opens up everything for use where I will at least have a chance, especially for all of the racial skills that Gnome gets bonuses on. NOT SAYING I'D BE VERY GOOD AT THOSE THINGS, but simpler tasks in those skills would be potentially doable. Very nice to emulate a PC that has spent enormous amounts of time trying to improve his modest natural-born potential, and can reap those benefits (all for only one feat slot).

One additional question: are you saying that for this build, the Mirror Image spell is NOT a good spell to have? I chose that because his armor is non-existent, and he can only get to 17 AC with the +4 Bracers of Armor, his size, and his DEX bonus. Anything that has a pulse can hit him! So, the thought goes that Mirror Image makes him a harder-to-hit target that will probably hold up all combat from back ranks.

What say you? Thanks, by the way, for any help you provide.

Edit as of Saturday night: Tevish, I've finished the character sheet tonight (edited above) since you last responded with critique. I made changes based on your feedback, and maximizing what I think I could. That being said, I crafted 8 different items using 2 creation feats. I know I asked you to be realistic on made items, but this maximized what I could. So, I have to be fair to you if you wish to re-work some stuff to add more created items. Keep in mind that I did permit spells learned from scrolls prior to the start of this game to not count versus your wealth, so things may be fairly equal as they stand. But, I'm going to let you re-work anyway if you wish. Let me know if you wish to. Thanks.

OK, Cato, here you go. See up above, for your proposed Iso character sheet (I don't do Mythweavers). I've always just used a text sheet myself, but you can transfer this to somewhere else if you wish. Now, this is my proposal to you. Go to this link to read the 3.0 System Reference Document (the source for 3.0 rules when you don't have the books) regarding anything you don't understand on this sheet. Ask away if you have questions after checking the 3.0 SRD. I will step you through anything you need.

http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/srd.html

If you wish any changes to shift the direction of the bard, it's OK. I don't mind, but this is meant for a utility character that can do a wide-ranging array of things. I think you can have a lot of fun, but I want to know that you agree or don't agree. SO LET ME KNOW!!!

Rstnme, here is your feedback on Fel:

1. Stats look good.
2. Hit points are off. You actually have 96.
3. AC is good.
4. Your attack rolls and saving throws are good.
5. Your rage lasts 8 rounds, or 3+ CON bonus + raging CON additional bonus = 3 + 3 + 2
6. Feats are good. Umm, Conan like! (Lug like, too!)
7. Trap sense is a 3.5 Ed. ability. It does not apply to 3.0 barbarians. You start getting smart versus traps next level.
8. In 3.0, damage reduction comes about starting at 11th level...so no soup for you!
9. skills are fine.
10. Items are fine.

Please make the few changes I highlighted, and the Fel check out. Thanks.

Saw this--so many threads to keep track of! I think I posted everything right.

OK, Ruwin, here goes for Bronhild:

1. Stats and HP are acceptable.
2. AC is fine
3. Your saves are fine as long as the bull-headed feat pre-reqs are met by where your character orginated.
4. Attack bonuses are correct.
5. Damage on attacks is incorrect. Since your using both hands, your STR bonus is +6, one and a half times your normal STR bonus, giving you a damage of: 2d6+8...even MORE manly than you thought!
6. Class abilities are fine, with one question: what is giving you the auras of good and chaos? I'm missing why you would have those. Can you explain, please?
7. Feats are acceptable.
8. On skills, you correctly figured out the myriad issues with your clerics mods. Good job, no problems with allocation.
9. Items give you a few choices to make/clarify. Your total magic item gp value is roughly 38,000 gp, 2,000 more than 9th level limits. So since I haven't let others go over that limit (give or take a few coins), I'm going to have to have you trim the fat to meet 36k. Secondly, I assume you have a backpack, normal, since you don't have a Handy Haversack but a pack is not listed, nor typical camping supplies. Third, you have no inherent food listed, which is fine, since you can use ship's stores as a crew member, but being stranded could cause some issues (not saying I'm going to do that to you at all, but if you guys happen to sink the ship with your own actions...well...) just wanted to make sure that's a final equipment list.
10. Your spells per day are fine.
Left off in actual spell list, so we're almost done.