Dirge Bard

Uncover the secrets of the Dirge Bard in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. Learn about class features, spells, and how to dominate the undead with this powerful build.

Hey there! So you're looking to build a Dirge Bard in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous? Awesome choice! These bards have a unique knack for messing with the dead and undead alike, making them a really fun and potent addition to your party. Let's break down what makes them tick.

The core idea behind a Dirge Bard is their connection to the macabre. They get special abilities that let them influence undead creatures and bolster their allies against fear and death. Think of them as the creepy, but incredibly effective, support class.

Dirge Bard Level Progression and Features

Here's a look at what you gain as you level up your Dirge Bard. It's a pretty steady stream of cool abilities:

Key Abilities Explained

Haunted Eyes

Starting at 2nd level, you get a solid +4 bonus on saving throws against things like fear, curses, death effects, and anything necromantic. This is huge for survivability, especially when facing spooky enemies.

Secrets of the Grave

Also at 2nd level, this is where the Dirge Bard really starts to shine. You get a bonus equal to half your level on Lore (Religion) checks, which is great for identifying those pesky undead. More importantly, your mind-affecting spells will work on undead just like they do on living creatures. Plus, undead count as humanoids for spell targeting. To top it off, you get access to some sweet necromantic spells:

• Cause Fear (at 2nd level)
• Command Undead (at 6th level)
• Fear (at 10th level)
• Waves of Fatigue (at 14th level)
• Banshee Blast (at 18th level)

Haunting Refrain

By 5th level, you'll be getting a bonus on Intimidate checks equal to half your class level. On top of that, your spells with a fear effect get a +2 bonus to their save DC, and this bonus increases by +1 every five levels, capping at +5 at level 20. This makes your fear effects much harder to resist.

Dance of the Dead

At 10th level, this is a game-changer. Your Bardic Performance can now animate dead bodies, just like casting the Animate Dead spell. Imagine turning your fallen foes into your own undead minions to fight for you!

So, as you can see, the Dirge Bard is all about control, debuffs, and turning the enemy's greatest strengths (or their very corpses) against them. Have fun with this build!