What does your chanter do while singing?

[Abraxis]

I'm curious how everyone has designed their Chanters.  More than other's, they seem like they're really open to go any direction in combat, since their bonuses don't relly on any particular strategy.  Simultaneously, it's really hard to find a way to really find a way to excel

My first character ended up being a terrible chanter, forcing a restart.  I then tried a Paladin and Rogue, both worked fine as the former survived forever, and the later killed everything too fast for survival to mater.  The chanter though.... I almost feel like you need to fill up your party with custom adventurer's ASAP at that first tavern to really get anything from them.  Admittedly, I didn't take the summons, so maybe that was my problem.

Anyways, as for combat, you're probably not going to benefit a whole lot from might or trying to go for damage (correct me if I'm wrong).  The way I see it in order to make use out of them outside of a buff-bot, you need to find a way to force some utility out of their combat, or just make them super tanky to hold the line and keep your buffs/debuffs where they're most important.  Perhaps making them a highly dextrous and perceptive dual wielder to lock down targets with interrupts?

 

What are some other ideas?  Whether in theory or from your experience with them.

[Ganrich]

I have a high lore, and I craft scrolls and potions for mine. He is built for tanking, but can do some damage with early fan of flames scroll and some offensive pots. Still more passive than some other classes, but I am fine with it.

[Stereophobia]

Think of the chanter as a commander unit. They specialise in propping up the team and laying down damage or summons where needed. Their optimum position is smack dab in between the front and back ranks so that the most people can benefit from their chants. So while you are right, they don't lay down down damage, or soak it up as well as others, they help everyone else do both of those things more effectively.

[MattSanderson]

I'm building my chanter to be a mostly offensive member of the team, in that their chants typically target the enemy. For invocations I am using mainly summons. I gave him a peasant's weapon focus, so he uses mainly a quarterstaff to stay at range or a spear for the added accuracy. So far so good. I love the way the chants and invocations are all actually phrases, instead of mere titles.

[Bollockoff]

Playing on hard and at Anslog's Compass, he generally dies a lot. The 47 deflection with a shield doesn't seem to matter much.

 

The skeleton invocation is useful for distractions and getting the flanked status on enemies but the general chant buffs so far are pretty underwhelming.

[Abraxis]

Playing on hard and at Anslog's Compass, he generally dies a lot. The 47 deflection with a shield doesn't seem to matter much.

 

The skeleton invocation is useful for distractions and getting the flanked status on enemies but the general chant buffs so far are pretty underwhelming.

This was my conclusion as well... I was hoping it was my own misjudgement somehow as I really like the class in theory.  But, even some of the priest's buffs only make a moderate to slight difference from what I can tell, and they blow the chants out of the water statistically.  I never noticed anything switching between chants.

[Ohioastro]

Stack deflection like crazy and wear armor. Only level 4, but the chanter tank is the most durable fellow in the party. Deflection is 70 (high resolve and perception).