Yeah, Temple+ fixes Vampiric Touch. However, it also corrects scrolls not provoking AOOs (though you can still use Cast Defensively and take a concentration check to avoid the AOO).

For higher levels, it also adds the Bard's Inspire Heroics. Also fixed Inspire Greatness.

What about wands? Do they provoke AOOs under Temple+?

(I'm wondering if, maybe, there's an actual good use for that particular feat under Temple+.)

And it shows how many charges are on the wand! Now that's nice.

I like bards a lot, but I have problem picking best spells, especially level 4 ones - Cure Critical Wounds, Greater Invisibility, Hold Monster are great, but what should be the last one - Break Enchantment, Dominate Person, Modify Memory? I specialize in Enchantment and pump my Charisma (27, +8 right now). Playing bard with two rogues on Co8 8.1.0 + Temple Plus 1.0.29.

With your build for a bard, Dominate Person would be my recommendation. While per the spell description DP sounds similar to Charm Person, in ToEE the difference is that CP turns an enemy to an AI-controlled ally (ie. their circle turns from red to green, in combat the AI controls them) but DP actually turns an enemy into one of your 3 NPC slots. SO you can basically join any of the figures in the game to your party, good or bad, and have some fun.

Here's a link to a post I wrote about my findings over at the Co8 forum.

Thanks, that was my pick too :) Although I was considering Break Enchantment in case something bad happens to rogue(s). Now I will move there and read some.

I can't remember, is Break Enchantment normally an arcane or divine spell?

If it is arcane and you are following the above advice to make a multiclass Bard/Wiz1, if you have acquired a break enchantment scroll, you can copy it into your spelllbook if your Spellcraft skill + stacked scholar kits is high enough, then scribe it as a scroll and still cast it if your Use Magic Item skill is high enough. Or if you have a pure bard, dominate one of the wizards in the game (Burne, Falrinth, Senshock) and have them write the scroll for you to read (assuming they already know the spell, or can copy it into their spellbook).

If it is a divine spell, you can dominate one of the many clerics in the game and they can scribe the scroll for you. But you will need 1 level of cleric + have a high Use Magic Item skill to be able to read HL divine scrolls.

SO essentially by choosing Dominate Person, you have opened up the possibility that your bard can read any spell scroll written by any NPC you choose to dominate and join to your party.

Just my thinking - but shouldn't very high UMD allow me to read/use scrolls (arcane and divine) even if I don't have a level in an appriopriate class? Thing is, I don't want to give up a single bard level (Inspire Courage at its best), but if it's the only way, I can go Bard 18/ Wiz 1/ Cleric 1. But wasn't there some cheese with scroll scribing/using, besides not provoking AoO? If yes, I would preferably craft some wands.
The spell is available to almost all casters (wizards, clerics, bards, paladins):
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/breakEnchantment.htm

and it isn't that great, actually.

Bards can't read divine magic scrolls in ToEE (and vice-versa clerics can't read a healing scroll written by a bard). So if you want to , that is the primary reason to get 1 level of cleric. Then your bard's high UMD kicks in and allows him a chance to read even a very HL divine scroll.

Bards don't need 1 level of wizard to read HL arcane scrolls (they can do that anyways with UMD), rather if they have a level of wizard, they gain a spellbook (and gain the Scribe Scroll feat for free as well). SO your bard learns his bardic spells on levelup per normal, but any other arcane spellscroll you find can be copied into his spellbook using the bard's high Spellcraft skill, and then the bard can scribe those spells as scrolls too! SO by adding 1 level of wizard, you have basically overcome the bard's spell-knowledge limitations. Of course, if you have a HL wizard in your party already (or can dominate one) and thereby gain access to a spellbook, you don't need to do this. It is primarily useful for a game where the bard is your only arcane caster.

I do the same trick with Sorcerers. Try it out by hiring Pischella into your party in Homlett. She starts as Sorc1/Wiz1. Level her as a sorcerer and max her UMD and Spellcraft skills so she can copy/scribe spells to/from her spellbook.

When I do that, I generally choose spells that scale or require a DC save that scales with level for the bardic spells (ie. Charm Person, Tashas Laughter, Mirror Image, etc), and all the others that either don't scale or don't require a DC save for the spellbook (ie. Mage Armor, Summon Monster, Eagles Splendor, etc). Of course, if a HL wizard scribes the scroll (ie. if Burne joins your party or you dominate Shenshock and either one scribes a Fireball scroll) the bard gets the full benefits of the spell-scaling power of the scroll too.

So I guess you might want to go Bard 19/ Cleric 1 in the long-run, and add both a HL wizard and cleric NPC for scribing your scrolls (dominate Turjon and Shenshock).

Once again, thanks for thorough explanation. Bard is my only caster this time and party spokesman, disabling foes, inspiring teammates and acting as a healer, too. Tasha is my favourite spell and one of the reasons to take Heighten Spell feat, along with Charm/Hold line spells and Grease + Glitterdust (rogues love this one). Would you be so kind to tell me your favourite spell picks for bard on every level (i.e. from 1 to 6)? Big dilemma regarding Crushing Despair, Good Hope (because of bard songs and Heroism or Greater Heroism), Deep Slumber...

I will go cleric route then, it would be nice to have access to some HL cleric spells just in case :) Oh, and maybe that is a thing I mentioned before - does scribing different levels of spells cost the same, or is it more like wand crafting (higher levels cost more)?

Can I replace only one known spell during level-up? Have to get rid of Heroism and Deep Slumber...

EDIT: I was able to use Heal scroll (caster level 11) being pure bard, roll vs DC 20 - and I shouldn't, right?

I don't have a comprehensive list, but you have pretty much figured it out. Look at the spell descriptions, and ones that will benefit from caster level and/or get harder to resist with heighten spell are the way to go imo. The others can be read as scrolls. Personally I generally go for most of the Enchantment school spells, and the buffs that stack or scale (can't remember if Heroism + GH stack, but they likely do). Buffs are generally more reliable than debuffs imo, unless you have a specific build that overcomes enemy saves and MR (for example school specialization and penetration feats).

The obvious choices to consider for 1st level spells are Cause Fear, Charm Person, Confusion, Grease, Sleep and Tashas Laughter imo.

But the level 2nd, 3rd and 4th levl spells really depends on your bard build strategy imo (see my original post in this thread for suggestions). Glitterdust is nice because it ignores enemy MR iirc, but that becomes mostly relevant for fighting demons or other MR creatures.

The cure spells are a tough choice, because it is nice to have a bard that can cast hem, but they don't benefit from heighten spell nor require a save. SO technically it would be better to have a cleric NPC who can scribe/brew some healing scrolls/potions for you every once in a while, then kick him from the party. But it's more convenient to cast them from memory.

The higher level mass-X spells would depend on your party composition. For example, mass-Cat's Grace would be a nice buff for your party of rogues.

One of your best HL "spells" is your fascinate song imo. It is insanely OP when used properly.

Scribing higher level spells cost more gold + exp. You can farm exp + gold if you dominate Ranos Davl (or alternatively any other shopkeeper, talk to him and re-sell stuff) or Smegmal Redhand (each time you talk to her in her chamber while dominated, 2 HL assassins appear with lootable magic weapons). Also walking back and forth on the road between Nulb and Emridy Meadows has a high chance of encountering 4 Ettins, who give 400 (or 800?) exp each iirc.

At 5th level, and at every third bard level after that (8th, 11th, and so on) per the d20 class description. You will only notice it on level-up because there will be a box around a spell you already know in your spell list, allowing you to change it. Otherwise there is no prompt to do so.

It depends. In my playtesting, pure bards couldn't read a healing scroll written by a cleric and vice versa. But this was pre-Temple+ mod, so you might test it first to see if that has been changed. Or it could be some of the scrolls you find in the temple might be "neutral" and readable by anyone.

Since that scroll is needed for a quest, it is possible that it may be a special case, especially since it is for a spell that is not normally learnable in the game (level cap is 10, limiting spells to 5th level, yet Heal is 6th level).

Greater version makes Heroism obsolete, bonuses from same source (here: morale) don't stack (so it competes with Inspire Courage and Inspire Heroics, but fear immunity may be this spell selling point). Seeing my bard as mainly a caster, I picked up SF and GSF Enchantment along with SP and GSP, which should allow me to use debuffs like Confusion or Crushing Despair on most enemies.

Both Grease and Glitterdust ignore magic resistance, or so I've read somewhere. Glitterdust is my obvious 2nd level spell choice, it's so good right from the start.

Convenience is important :) And being one and only active healer, my bard should have some, if not all. I will probably get rid of lesser ones, but serious, critical and mass are good to have. Maybe later I will convince someone from St. Cuthbert temple to scribe me some scrolls, or even craft a wand or two (again, convenience, and no AoO when using wands). Enhancement spells are nice, but so are Gloves of Dexterity +6, Belt of Giant Strength +6 or Cloak of Charimsa +6 - not only they free a spell slot, but also provide higher stat bonus. They cost a bit, but aren't that hard to craft, and should be available around the level bard gets mass versions of appropriate spells.
Unfortunately, level 5 and 6 spells aren't that great, and I guess there is no Irresistible Dance in ToEE.

Could you elaborate more on this topic? I know it's a good disabler in ToEE. Something to do with Suggestion on fascinated foes, or just by itself?

I walked 500 miles to Nulb and back, hunting ogres, ettins and even vodyanoi. There was one BIG encounter with around 5-6 ettins and 3-4 ogres with a chieftain or two. I will check those assassins, too, my bows needs upgrades :)

Probably a bug, such option wasn't available on my first attempt, but after closing and starting game again, it appeared. Still, I could only exchange one spell (and pick one new on higher level), hmmm...

Maybe Temple+ "fixed" it, then? I will do some more testing. The scroll wasn't usable by a crafter wizard. In the end, 20th level of bard may be still an option :)

I am playing with Co8 mod and Temple+, with level cap upped to 20. Most class abilities, spells etc. are now obtainable. And if memory doesn't fail me, I pickpocketed them from someone in Hommlet.