Optimizing Perform (Battle Drill)?

[Gazzien]

Today (well, yesterday by now,) I found a few fun things.

The first was the Battledancer, from Dragon Magazine, #159. It's got the requirements that you have to be chaotic, and it's an unarmored, fast, melee fighter (with benefits to unarmed). It's basically a charisma- and tumble- based monk.

The second was Perform (Battle Drill), from Complete Warrior (page 121)... it works just like a normal Perform skill, except A: Bards can't use it for their bardic performance, and B: You get to add your BAB (as well as Charisma) as a modifier, in addition to a few +2's from certain feats. I looked at the ELH, and yep, to turn a hostile character helpful (with a Perform check), you only need a result of 70 (120 for straight into fanatic). And it's a standard action to impress people. From helpful to Fanatic is, also, a result of 70 or above.

So now I have the idea of this character; an unarmored, unarmed battledancer who walks at the front of their army (Leadership to begin it, perhaps), roaming the land; and whenever they come across another army, band of roving goblins, or what-have-you, the battledancer shows off, and poof, they join the army. Best part is that Perform (Battle Drill) has no verbal component, so the battledancer doesn't even need tongues. Of course, at higher levels (probably 15-20), a single wizard could come along and destroy most of the army, so I'm trying to find a way to get that 70+ check result at lower levels.

Restrictions are that I want to stay straight Battledancer, (but I can be persuaded out of it, I suppose; I just like the flavor). Any and all books are allowed. LA is also allowed, up to a +3 (for race and templates combined). Ideas, anyone?

[ariasderros]

Warchanter and Kensai cohorts for the trick to boost up your BAB.
Basically anything that boosts your Perform or BAB works.

Snowsong
Serene Visage
Nixie's Grace
Verraketh's Shadow Crown
Improvosation
Sirine's Grace

Those are all spells, the first three can boost Cha, the second three boost Perform.

Choker of Persuasion, custom magic to boost perform, Admiral's Bicorn, and I'm sure there's more. These are items that boost Cha-based checks.

As far as BAB, Divine Power to bring up your BAB to full, then tricks like the aforementioned Warchanter + Kensai's.

[Gazzien]

Warchanter and Kensai cohorts for the trick to boost up your BAB.
Basically anything that boosts your Perform or BAB works.

Snowsong
Serene Visage
Nixie's Grace
Verraketh's Shadow Crown
Improvosation
Sirine's Grace

Those are all spells, the first three can boost Cha, the second three boost Perform.

Choker of Persuasion, custom magic to boost perform, Admiral's Bicorn, and I'm sure there's more. These are items that boost Cha-based checks.

As far as BAB, Divine Power to bring up your BAB to full, then tricks like the aforementioned Warchanter + Kensai's.

Thank'y, though Divine Power is unnecessary (Battledancer has full BAB)

[Halinn]

In addition to what's mentioned above, there are the standard skill boosters. Skill Focus, Marshal auras, custom items, Item Familiar etc.
Unless you get those up to +3 LA for free, it won't compete with actual levels, since they give both feats and skill ranks (and improve on the skill through item familiar on top of that)

[Gazzien]

In addition to what's mentioned above, there are the standard skill boosters. Skill Focus, Marshal auras, custom items, Item Familiar etc.
Unless you get those up to +3 LA for free, it won't compete with actual levels, since they give both feats and skill ranks (and improve on the skill through item familiar on top of that)

Oddly enough, our DM is letting us have an up to +3 LA without any real penalty (he said it would balance out by mid-end game). I suppose he's homebrewing something like the Unearthed Arcana rules?

But Item Familiar, I didn't think of that. Thanks!

[Amechra]

Perform (Weapon Drill) just adds half your BAB as a bonus, sadly.

However, you get a +2 for each of the following feats applying to your weapon, so...

Combat Expertise, Greater Weapon Focus, Quick Draw, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus, and Whirlwind Attack.

[Elevevated Beat]

You may already be aware of this, but the Jumplomancer thread comments section (on the Wizard boards I think) went into other possible skills that could be used. It potentially could have ideas for boosting the check as I do believe this performance was mentioned somewhere in the discussion.

[Gazzien]

Perform (Weapon Drill) just adds half your BAB as a bonus, sadly.

However, you get a +2 for each of the following feats applying to your weapon, so...

Combat Expertise, Greater Weapon Focus, Quick Draw, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus, and Whirlwind Attack.

It's really only half of BAB? Damn.

I was considering doing this (for a great General/ Commander/ etc); not sure what race

Marshal 1/ Battledancer 8/ Something 1 (Perhaps another Marshal level? Not sure)/ Exemplar 1/ Battledancer +9
You get fly from Battledancer,
Marshal's +Cha mod to Cha checks (This includes Leadership checks, as per the text of the Admiral's Bicorne (Stormwrack, 51); it lists Leadership as being a charisma check! Yay!  )
Exemplar's 1+int skills that you can take 10 on no matter what
Still unsure what to do with the last level before Exemplar, though. Any ideas?

Skill Focus (Perform (Battle Drill)/ Diplomacy (marshal)/ Sense Motive)
Leadership, Undead Leadership

Suddenly you're an unflappable, diplomancing, battle-drill-dancing General with tons of followers; or so far as I can see. Have I missed something?

Also, advice for what to use that last one-level dip on?

Also, thanks! I'll look up the Jumplomancer
EDIT-Sadly, Jumplomancer is just using Exemplar to make a Dimplomacy check with Jump. Nothing that special ./////. - at least in relation to this build.

[Elevevated Beat]

EDIT-Sadly, Jumplomancer is just using Exemplar to make a Dimplomacy check with Jump. Nothing that special ./////. - at least in relation to this build.

The Jumplomancer itself wasn't what I was pointing out, the comments on that particular thread went off on a tangent and they discussed other possible skills instead of Jump. Example, Disguise. Disguise yourself so well that they become a fanatic of... you? Or the person you're impersonating?

[Gazzien]

EDIT-Sadly, Jumplomancer is just using Exemplar to make a Dimplomacy check with Jump. Nothing that special ./////. - at least in relation to this build.

The Jumplomancer itself wasn't what I was pointing out, the comments on that particular thread went off on a tangent and they discussed other possible skills instead of Jump. Example, Disguise. Disguise yourself so well that they become a fanatic of... you? Or the person you're impersonating?

Ah; that's still the Exemplar's ability though; he can use a given skill check as if it was a Diplomacy check to influence a crowd. Because Perform already does that (although at a +20 DC), I feel like it's not worth the 4 more levels in Exemplar.

[Halinn]

Ah; that's still the Exemplar's ability though; he can use a given skill check as if it was a Diplomacy check to influence a crowd. Because Perform already does that (although at a +20 DC), I feel like it's not worth the 4 more levels in Exemplar.

Four levels for effectively +20 seems decent, though

[Gazzien]

Four levels for effectively +20 seems decent, though

true~ but then I'd lose fly from Battledancer, and I'm not sure if the Battle Drill counts as "nonthreatening", even though it would be a minute long...

I guess I could get the FF graft for the wings, so that's probably fine... At that point, though, J may as well just sub all of Battledancer for Marshal because the only other cool thing is Pounce, but that's just a 1-level dip into Barbarian... Then I could grab a 2-level Paladin dip for Cha to saves (grabbing a +5 on that too from Admiral's Bicorne...)

[sirpercival]

If homebrew is allowed, there's this...

[Gazzien]

If homebrew is allowed, there's this...

It's wonderful, but it's really just for making attacks with Weapon Drill... I can just grab a wand of Divine Favor and/or have a cleric use it on me for +20 BAB... Right? I've seen that trick used before, but never looked it up ;-;

[Tr011]

There is a spell, that allows you to use your perform instead of concentration checks (I think it was from SpC?). Now get all those concentration-based maneuvers from ToB.

[Gazzien]

There is a spell, that allows you to use your perform instead of concentration checks (I think it was from SpC?). Now get all those concentration-based maneuvers from ToB.

Just found it (thanks to you pointing it out), it's a first-level Bard spell called "Undersong".
Thanks for the combination! ^__^

[sirpercival]

Ah yes, the Lord of the Dance.