5th Edition If you guys remember from 3.5, there was the fochlucan lyrist prestige class that made you take druid levels and allowed you to have druid spells and you got Wildshaping out of the deal. The Prophet of Erathaol is an exalted class, which may make some DMs leery, has hefty requirements, and doesn't offer much. Some people argue that possessing the ability when taking the first level of the prestige class is sufficient, and that thereafter losing the ability does not cost any prestige class abilities. This variant trades off a feat (Iron Will instead of Extend Spell) for lower skill requirements and 9th-level cleric spells. In particular, monk causes skill problems and doesn't speed up your caster progression, initiate of the draconic mysteries and spelldancer both take too many feats when added to the requirements for ur-priest to allow you to get the class levels you need when you need them, and other caster classes aren't much faster relative to bard and don't give enough skills. They then use their sublime chord caster level to determine their caster level for Commentary: Sublime chord is the best means of rebuilding arcane casting that exists in WotC and Dragon/Dungeon material, to my knowledge. The blessing is probably more useful than the free Skill Focus would be.
The College of Fochlucan (pronounced: /ˈfoʊxluːkɑːn/ FOKH-loo-kan listen)—also spelled Foclucan, Focluchan, and Fochluchan—was a traditional bardic college in Silverymoon. )This three-stringed masterwork lute grants a +2 circumstance bonus on Perform (string instruments) checks and a +1 competence bonus on bardic music checks for countersong, fascinate, and suggestion. The great bards who lead the school choose only individuals who have demonstrated skill at arms and stealth, learning and cleverness, superb talent with the lute and an ear for the stories of old. The only significant cost is the opportunity cost of having to pick from the not-so-good bonus feats allowed to this virtual "region." In general, this build doesn't have many advantages, though, because most of Fochlucan's power comes from advancing casting, and ranger and bard are both weak casters. Of course, that's not the only way . Rogue 2/Bard 6/PrC 1/Ur-Priest 1/Sublime Chord 1/Fochlucan Lyrist 9
Requirements: 4th-level arcane or divine spells, knowledge of a Commentary: The Nar demonbinder's spell list is both tiny and bizarre. There are many ways of doing this. Requirements: any nonlawful, BAB +4, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (nature) 8, able to cast both 2nd-level arcane and 2nd-level divine spells, trackless step. This build presumes that you learn Speak Language (Druidic) through alternate means. (Who needs class features? An instrument of the bards is an exquisite example of its kind, superior to an ordinary instrument in every way. .
Altogether, both options are probably worse than more normal methods for getting bardic knowledge. Members are welcome to stay as long as they like but are expected to contribute to the college's upkeep. It sounds good, but because of the limitations Fochlucan lyrist puts on your early class levels, I don't see this being useful: a typical entrance is bard 4/druid 3, which leaves you only one level in arcane hierophant if you have to spend two levels for evasion. The story of aperson who wants to revive a dead god. This build requires Bluff 6, Decipher Script 7 ranks, Diplomacy 7 ranks, Gather Information 7 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 13, Knowledge (nature) 7 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 8, Listen 13, Perform (string instruments) 13 ranks, Profession (astrologer) 6, Sleight of Hand 7 ranks, Speak Language (Druidic), Spellcraft 8, for a total of 108 skill points if you can avoid buying anything cross-class.
The easiest requirement to meet is 1st-level arcane and divine spells: any character going for Fochlucan lyrist should be able to do this.
Requirements: any neutral, Knowledge (nature) 8, Perform 8, Survival 5. we can do better than that. Some possible improvements: use monk to get +3 Fort and evasion (or any class with Fort favored and a 2-level progression to evasion), which requires an alignment switch (from lawful evil to neutral evil); use initiate of the draconic mysteries for the same purpose, which requires more feats but fewer class levels and no alignment change; use spelldancer or divine oracle to get evasion; or do some juggling with other caster classes. The instrument can be played by anyone to produce light once per day.