Singing Sawbones

By Ralsu

The Singing Sawbones is a Bard 7/Cleric 3 who dedicates his entertainment skills to healing his party members. He learns how to mend wounds and remove abnormal status effects as a cleric. His bard training provides him with the gift of Bardic Music and a few crowd control spells that can bail out a party beleaguered by foes. The progression is cleric at Level 1, bard for Levels 2, and cleric again for Levels 3 & 4. The Singing Sawbones returns to bard for Levels 4-10.

Character Snapshot

Race: Dwarf

Starting Abilities:
Str 14
Dex 10
Con 10
Int 12
Wis 16
Cha 12 (+2 at Levels 4 & 8 = 14)

Hit Points: 98

AC: 14 (Base 10 + Dexterity modifier 0 + Mage Armor 4)

Damage Reduction: 1 (shield)

Saves (Ability modifiers added):
Fort: 5 (7 against poisons or spells with a Fortitude save)
Ref: 6 (8 against spells with a Reflex save)
Will: 11 (13 against spells with a Will save)

Class/Race Features:
+2 constitution, -2 charisma: All dwarves are stout but can behave brusquely until befriended.

+2 saving throw bonus against spells: Dwarves have an innate resistance to magic spells.

+2 saving throw bonus against poison: Dwarves are hardy and resistant to toxins.

+2 bonus on Search checks: The Stonecutting ability gives a dwarf a sixth sense about stonework.

+4 bonus on Balance checks: Dwarves are exceptionally stable on their feet.

Dwarven Waraxes as Martial Weapons: Dwarves do not consider dwarven waraxes to be exotic weapons.

Bardic Music: At Level 1, a bard gains the ability to use songs to soothe the wild beast (Fascinate) or motivate her party to greater deeds in combat (Inspire Courage: +1 vs. charm and fear effects and +1 on attack and weapon damage). At Level 3, she can sing to provide a party member with greater success in using skills (Inspire Competence; +2 to all skill checks). At Level 6, she can even use song to turn a foe into an ally (Suggestion). The bard's ability to sing is based on her Perform skill and, if planned incorrectly, she could find herself unable to sing that new song.

Turn Undead: Clerics can channel the divine power of their beliefs into energy to turn or destroy undead. The Singing Sawbones can use Turn Undead (Charisma modifier +3 times) per rest period.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:  The Singing Sawbones can use all simple weapons, all armor, and shields (except tower shields).

Feats (in the order selected):
Empower Healing Spell, Mental Toughness, Combat Casting, Toughness

Skills (includes Ability modifiers, Enhancements, and armor penalties):
Concentration 17, Diplomacy 15, Heal 12.5, Listen 9, Perform 13, Swim 4, Tumble 6

Combat:
BAB +7

Attack and Damage: no specials

Spellcasting: DC 13 + Spell Level for cleric spells; DC 12 + Spell Level when using bard spells

Spell Points: 558
Level 1 Bard Spells: Hypnotize, Charm Person, Otto's Resistible Dance, Expeditious Retreat
Level 1 Cleric Spells Prepared: Cure Light Wounds (CLW), Remove Fear, Doom, Summon Monster I OR Divine Favor
Level 2 Bard Spells: Heroism, Hypnotic Pattern, Soundburst, Rage
Level 2 Cleric Spells Prepared: Cure Moderate Wounds (CMW), Lesser Restoration, Remove Paralysis
Level 3 Bard Spells:  Cure Serious Wounds (CSW), Remove Curse

Enhancements:
Energy of Music VII, Improved Empower Healing I, Energy of the Zealot III, Dwarven Faith III

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Detailed Progression by Level

-Character Level 1: Start as a cleric. CLW will help you get through the Goodblade quests even if you have to solo them, and your career path is etched as a dedicated healer. By the time you emerge from The Low Road, you should be almost Level 2.

• Class trained: Cleric
• Hit Points: 28
• Spell Points: 160
  
• Spells Prepared: CLW, Remove Fear, Summon Monster I
• Skills: Concentration x4, Diplomacy x4, Heal x4
• Feat: Empower Healing Spell
• Enhancements: Energy of the Zealot I, Improved Empower Healing I, Skill Tactics I, Skill Recovery I
  

-Character Level 2: Pick up bard here to gain access to Bardic Music and a very powerful crowd control spell in Hypnotism. The quests you do at Level 2 will throw throngs of kobolds at you. Hypnotism will help slow down the pace for your party. A well-placed cast of Hypnotism will save you some spells points by reducing the number of times you have to cast CLW.

• Class trained: Bard
• Hit Points: 34
• Spell Points: 216
  
• Spell Learned: Hypnotism
• Skills: Concentration x1, Diplomacy x1, Heal x1, Perform x3, Tumble x1
• Enhancements: Energy of the Zealot I, Energy of Music I, Improved Empower Healing I, Dwarven Faith I
  

-Character Level 3: Moving back to cleric allows you to prepare a 4th divine spell. Even though will only just now earn your first bonus to Base Attack Bonus (BAB), Bardic Music will add a little boost to make up for it. You should be able to melee as effectively as a pure bard or cleric of the same level.

• Class trained: Cleric
• Hit Points: 42
  
• Spell Points: 279
• Spells Prepared: CLW, Remove Fear, Summon Monster I, Doom
  
• Skills: Concentration x1, Diplomacy x1, Heal x1
• Feat: Mental Toughness
• Enhancements: Energy of the Zealot II, Energy of Music I, Improved Empower Healing I, Dwarven Faith I

-Character Level 4: It is important to train as a cleric here so that you can pick up CMW as you move into the tougher Market quests. All of the spell points gained from Enhancements should allow you to use Empower Healing Spell to great effect. Summon Monster I will be losing it effectiveness against tougher foes, so you may benefit more from Divine Favor. Place your Ability point into Charisma.

• Class trained: Cleric
• Hit Points: 50
  
• Spell Points: 332
  
• Spells Prepared: CLW, Remove Fear, Divine Favor, Doom, CMW, Lesser Restoration, Remove Paralysis
  
• Skills: Concentration x1, Diplomacy x1, Heal x1
• Enhancements: Energy of the Zealot II, Energy of Music I, Improved Empower Healing I, Dwarven Faith I

-Character Level 5: You'll be focused on bard from here on out. Charm Person will allow you to contribute a little damage to the party while removing a foe at the same time. It is important that you place two Skill points into Perform here so that you can gain the Bardic Music Inspire Competence; your song could help a rogue disarm a major trap!

• Class trained: Bard
• Hit Points: 56
  
• Spell Points: 373
• Spell Learned: Charm Person
  
• Skills: Concentration x1, Diplomacy x1, Heal x1, Listen x1, Perform x2, Tumble x1
  
• Enhancements: Energy of the Zealot II, Energy of Music II, Improved Empower Healing I, Dwarven Faith II

-Character Level 6: With this bard level comes another Level 1 bard spell. The choice of Otto's here means that it will last long enough to be effective. It will help your party face off against tough foes that resist your Charm and Hypnotism. Pick up Combat Casting for your Feat to ensure your precious heals do not get interrupted.

• Class trained: Bard
• Hit Points: 62
  
• Spell Points: 414
  
• Spell Learned: Otto's Resistible Dance
  
• Skills: Concentration x1, Diplomacy x1, Heal x1, Listen x1, Perform x1, Swim x1, Tumble x1
• Feat: Combat Casting
• Enhancements: Energy of the Zealot II, Energy of Music III, Improved Empower Healing I, Dwarven Faith II

-Character Level 7: You finally learn some second level bard spells. Heroism will boost damage for its recipient, and Hypnotic Pattern is a good emergency crowd control spell.

• Class trained: Bard
• Hit Points: 68
  
• Spell Points: 455
  
• Spells Learned: Heroism, Hypnotic Pattern
  
• Skills: Concentration x1, Diplomacy x1, Heal x1, Listen x1, Perform x1, Swim x1, Tumble x1
• Enhancements: Energy of the Zealot II, Energy of Music IV, Improved Empower Healing I, Dwarven Faith II

-Character Level 8: You learn your last first level bard spell, but you'll have little left to choose from that you don't already have access to as a cleric. Grease will be pretty ineffective this late in the game, so I would choose Expeditious Retreat as a "just in case" reserve. For your second level bard spell, Soundburst is a fun crowd control spell if you get surrounded. Place your Ability point into Charisma to increase your modifier to +2. This will make your bard spells harder to resist, and important thing as your foes become fiercer.

• Class trained: Bard
• Hit Points: 74
  
• Spell Points: 496
  
• Spells Learned: Expeditious Retreat, Soundburst
  
• Skills: Concentration x1, Diplomacy x1, Heal x1, Listen x1, Perform x1, Swim x1, Tumble x1
• Enhancements: Energy of the Zealot II, Energy of Music V, Improved Empower Healing I, Dwarven Faith III

-Character Level 9: You gain no new spells this level, but you can gain a new Bardic Music: Suggestion. This is a powerful weapon that can help turn a monster to your side for a brief time, but you'll have to place two Skill points into Perform to be able to use it. Selection of Toughness as a Feat adds hit points to your total at a point where death is always just a room away.

• Class trained: Bard
• Hit Points: 91
  
• Spell Points: 537
  
• Skills: Concentration x1, Diplomacy x1, Heal x1, Listen x1, Perform x2, Tumble x1
• Feat: Toughness
  
• Enhancements: Energy of the Zealot II, Energy of Music VI, Improved Empower Healing I, Dwarven Faith III

-Character Level 10: You learn a fourth Level 2 bard spell here, as well as 2 third level bard spells. Rage is a good choice for the Level 2 spell because you can use it on party members to get extra damage from them. Level 3 spells should be CSW and Remove Curse.

• Class trained: Bard
• Hit Points: 98
  
• Spell Points: 558
  
• Spells Learned: Rage, CSW, Remove Curse
  
• Skills: Concentration x1, Diplomacy x1, Heal x1, Listen x1, Perform x1, Swim x1, Tumble x1
• Enhancements: Energy of the Zealot II, Energy of Music VII, Improved Empower Healing I, Dwarven Faith III

Notes: Unfortunately, DDO does not follow pen-and-paper rules about Skills and multi-classing. More precisely, Heal will still be a cross-class skill on levels you take in bard. The finished product of the Singing Sawbones is a bard who focuses on healing above all else. Training three levels as a cleric does not reduce your BAB, and you wind up with the benefits of learning your first two healing spells automatically. This means you can use those precious bard spell slots on a few crowd control spells to keep your party healthy longer. Feats and Enhancements are almost entirely geared toward increasing your pool of spell points or the effectiveness of your healing magic. The resulting high number of spell points enables the Singing Sawbones to use the Empower Healing Spell Feat liberally. The Feat also gives you the potential you to be more effective and efficient than a pure bard with access to Cure Critical Wounds.

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