Casting-focused Bard advice (I need more spells/day)...

[wotmaniac]

So, after more than a year, we've finally decided to start up a new campaign at the end of the month, and I get to play (as oppose to DM).  Given that the other players are total basket weavers, I've been asked to "tone it down a little" (read: NO DRUIDS!!!).  But the party still needs some spellcasting ..... I think that the Bard fits the bill. 
Yes, that's right, the rest of the players weave baskets so hard (and he'll be crafting encounters to accommodate) that a properly optimized-and-strategized  bard can handle the primary casting duties. 

I come brilliant minds here to see where my proposed build is lacking:

Parameters for the game:
- level 5 start (with same WBL)
- Book access: need prior approval for 3rd-party material
- 32 point buy
- no flaws or traits
- Jason (aka, wotmaniac) is not allowed to have 9th-level spells
- all characters are members of a privateer crew; so they need to make sense in that context.  This is definitely NOT a high-seas adventure game -- just serving as the excuse to avoid the whole "getting to know each other" session (the opening of the game is actually the party members waking up on a beach of an uncharted island; the last thing we remember is our ship getting sunk as the result of a botched assault).

The Build:
Draconic Human Bard 6/Lyric Thaumaturge 10/???  (game start = bard4 +1 LA)
Stats (after adjustments and level-up): 10 16 16 12 10 19
Feats:
1  Melodic Casting (CM)
1 Air Bloodline (DrComp)
3 Power in the Blood (DrComp)
6 Lyric Spell (CAdv)
9 Clap of Thunder (CM)
12 ???
15 ???
18 ???

I think I've got a handle on spell selection and skills.  I'm fairly certain that I'm going to making prolific use of wands/staffs/scrolls. 
I'm still toying around with other possible builds/concepts/etc.; but I think this is the route I need to take.
So, I'm all ears.

Thanks.

[Janthkin]

Is it too obvious to suggest going Bard 6/Lyric Thaumaturge 4/Sublime Chord 10? 

Or, if you're not allowed 9th level spells, maybe slip over into something goofy, like Abjurant Champion (and advance Bard casting once you've hit the max on Sublime Chord casting)?  Or take Arcane Preparation, and go from Sublime Chord into Ultimate Magus for a truly silly number of spells/day?

If you want to be caster focused, maybe you want some metamagic & Metamagic Song?

For having a Draconic character, there's a disturbing lack of Dragonfire Inspiration in your build. 

[wotmaniac]

Unfortunately, I had to abandon this concept (see "wizard/archivist" thread).
Sublime Chord was dismissed out of hand because of 9th-level spells.  I would be allowed to pick it up at 17th level, since I wouldn't get 9th-level spells until well in to Epic.

It looks like I do have room for MM & MMSong there late (12+); any earlier, I just don't have the resources to fully support it (at least not in the role it was expected to fill).
It's either that, or Chaos Music @ 12 ... I'd have to cross that bridge when I got to it.

I passed on the Dragonfire Inspiration for 2 specific reasons: 1) no bonus to hit (especially bad for power attackers), 2) damage doesn't multiply on a crit.  Using Eberon variant (swapping out inspire competence for Song of the Heart) + Inspirational Boost, that's a minimum of +3 IC ... and when you run all the math, this is actually superior to DfI.
I do hope to one day be able to play in an all-bard party ... at which point, some level of DfI will be required.