EQ:Bard  

Overview:

Jacks of all trades, but masters of none. Bards have a unique combination of abilities, making them extremely versatile. Essentially a bard is a cross between a rogue and enchanter, yet notably they are plate wearers. The key function of the Bard is that his songs stack with all other buffs. His mana and health regeneration songs stack with other class' hp/mana regen spells, his V2 and V3 haste stacks with other class' haste spells, and many other songs stack or simply benefit the group at large. He even has a song to cure your hunger! So if you're looking for a class that benefits the group he's in, has the most tools at his disposal for pulling, and is simply lots of fun to play, look no further than the Bard.

Major Song Lines

Bards have a large number of different song lines, which lend them vastly different abilities. These include:

• A line of group or AOE hp and mana regeneration songs, starting with the level six Hymn of Restoration and the level twenty Cassindra's Chant of Clarity.
• A line of group speed-increasing songs starting with the level five Selo's Accelerando, the best of which with an appropriate drum is faster than any horse.
• A line of AOE resist increasing songs starting with the level nine Elemental Rhythms and a more powerful line of group resist increasing songs starting with the level 25 Psalm of Warmth (all of which also have a damage shield component.)
• A line of charm songs starting with the level 27 Solon's Song of the Sirens that is of critical importance in several early soloing techniques.
• A line of overhaste songs starting with Battlecry of the Vah Shir. Overhaste is a type of haste which goes over the haste cap (100%). A player with 100% haste (from items and enchanter/shaman buffs) and a bard around for overhaste can swing his sword 130% faster than he would normally swing with no buffs! Higher level versions of these songs improve the damage portion of a wizard's nuke, or a necromancer's DoT, and even higher versions improve the amount of healing a cleric's spell will give a player.
• The absolutely unique Song of Highsun that sends a target back to it's spawn location.

These are only a few characteristic songs of a bard, listing all useful bard songs would take quite some time. A full list of bard songs can be found here.

Instruments

Bards can use instruments; some songs, such as Shauri's Sonorous Clouding require instruments, while others, such as Selo's Accelerando are only made more effective by one. Some songs, such as Lyssa's Cataloging Libretto are not at all effected by instruments. Also notably, bard haste songs do not give any greater haste with an instrument equipped.

Bard songs that are effected by instrument see an increase in their power (e.g., their effect without any instrument) proportional to the modifier of the instrument that they are sung with. Mods range from 1.1 to around 3.4. At lower levels mods are typically only found on actual instruments such as the Mistmoore Battle Drums whereas at higher levels instrument modifiers are oftentimes found on armor items, as is the case on Luvwen's Armplates of Melody. Many high level raiding bards simply use the Blade of Vesagran, the bard epic 2.0, to fulfill all of their needed mods.

Instrument Modifiers

Just as a Wizard or Cleric seeks focus effects to benefit their spells, the Bard seeks Instrument modifiers to benefit his songs. Instrument modifiers initially have a cap at 3.6, however, purchasing certain AAs can increase the cap, however this isn't necessary for group players but may be vital to raiding bards. Instrument mods come in the form of a skill - the more a bard plays a song which uses stringed instruments, ie Hymn of Restoration, the better his skill will be, and the less chance he will miss a note and stop singing/playing the song. Instrument Mods are important for the Bard since it determines the strength of the song that the Bard sings - ie if a Bard sang Hymn of Restoration with a lute, they would heal more HP per round with the lute than without. For example:

Stringed: This instrument type usually applies to Area of Effect damage songs, hp/mp regen songs, and choice mitigation songs. It can be increased by use of any lute, or by any equipment with a Stringed modification on it.

Brass: This instrument type applies to haste songs, some Area of Effect damage songs, some of our Slow songs (rate of attack slow), and some of our single-target direct damage nukes. It can be increased by equipping any brass instrument (horns, mostly) or by any equipment with a Brass modifier on it.

Percussion: This instrument type mainly modifies run speed songs, like Selo's Accelerating Accelerando, damage-over-time songs, resistance songs, and some others. These songs can be modified by equipping a drum, or by wearing any equipment with percussion modifiers.

Wind: This instrument doesn't modify many songs, but, many songs that use the Wind modifier require a wind instrument to be used to sing it. Examples are the Shauri's Sonorous Clouding song (invisibility song) require a wind instrument to be used while singing. This modifier is useful when a bard is singing his Lull type songs on monsters, but aside from that, it is very situational.

Singing: This is the Bard's odd-one-out. There are few items which modify the singing skill/mod, and most of the items which do, require raids to acquire. Consequently, Singing is arguably the Bard's most valued modifier; it affects snare songs, slow songs, some direct damage nukes, resist songs, mitigation songs and many, many more. Furthermore, when a bard plays a song and does not have modifiers on his equipment, nor does he have an instrument equipped, the Singing skill will be used to play the song. Thus, Singing is very important as it is the default mod/skill for the bard. One song, Amplification, modifies the bard's singing skill, which improves all songs which uses the singing modifier. This song is excellent at boosting an AC song, a direct damage nuke, or landing that 50% slow song on a monster without having a resist.

Luckily for most bards in 2008 and beyond, the Defiant line of armor has bard modifiers of each type within certain slots. Defiant armor is very easily found from a large amount of monsters, or even more easily purchased from the bazaar and thus, modifiers are not something to worry fervently about as one did before. However, if a bard chooses not to use Defiant armor, or is missing a modifier for some reason, the Bard Epic weapon (Singing Short Sword), has a 1.8 modifier to ALL skill types and thus covers all mods a bard will need.

Archetype AA

Class Specific AA

(to be filled in)

• Suggested AA Purchases for Beginning Bards *****

1. 1: Fading Memories. This AA removes the bard from the hate list of ALL monsters in the zone. It is completely game changing and is a necessary pulling tool for the Bard. Buy it.
2. 2: Run Speed 3. In order for a bard to pull, he must be able to run. A bard will not always be able to sing Selo's, and thus he must rely on base run speed to help him in his cause. Rank 5 and even rank 7 is highly recommended.
3. 3: Boastful Bellow (rank 1). This AA gives the bard an ability that hits a target for 50 damage. It has a range of 250 and includes a stun which works on monsters level 60 and under with the first rank. It is invaluable for pulling thanks to the long range and the ease of hot keying the ability.
4. 4: Jam Fest (rank 3). This AA will improve the effect your songs provide by giving you the benefits of a higher level bard singing the songs you are singing.
5. 5: Instrument Mastery (rank 3). This AA improves the effect your instrument modifiers provide for your songs.
6. 6: Singing Mastery (rank 3). This AA improves your singing modifier. While useful, is somewhat optional.
7. 7: Scribble Notes. Improves the speed at which a bard memorizes songs. Highly useful for changing song gems mid-fight or even in between a monster's attacks. Cheap!
8. 8: Natural Durability (rank 3). This AA improves the Bard's base hitpoints by 2%, 5% and 10% per rank.
9. 9: Combat Agility (rank 3). This AA improves the chance of a bard dodging a monster's attack outright. Very important for those occasional hits while pulling, or even when the group's tank dies and the bard steps up to bat.
10. 10: Combat Stability (rank 3). This AA improves the damage mitigation for the bard. Monsters that attack the bard with this AA will do slightly less damage than they would if the bard did not have any ranks in this AA line. Not as useful at Combat Agility (dodging the attack completely is better than having some reduced damage), however, still a baseline AA to purchase early on.

Further recommendations would be Ambidexterity, Combat Fury, Spell Casting Fury, Weapon Affinity, and Sinister Strikes.

Rank Two Secrets of Faydwer Spell Locations

• 78 - Erradien's Psalm of Potency Rk. II
• Faction: Ak'anon Strike Force V
• Faction Level: Kindly
• Merchant: Automated Vending Unit II
• Zone: Dragonscale Hills
• Location: 3695, -2555, 30

• 79 - Polyphony of Pain Rk. II
• Faction: Bertoxxulous's Chosen
• Faction Level: Kindly
• Merchant: Lanika Shadestepper
• Zone: Hills of Shade
• Location: 285, -550, 50

• 80 - Arcane Anthem Rk. II
• Faction: Ladies of the Light
• Faction Level: Ally
• NPC: Seridyn
• Zone: Dragonscale Hills
• Location: 1450, 1740, 270

• 80 - Kaerra's Spirited Crescendo Rk. II
• Faction: Rebel Brownies
• Faction Level: Kindly
• Merchant: Karri
• Zone: The Steam Factory
• Location: -25, 485, 115

Links

• The Concert Hall
• EQDiva
• The Allakhazam Class Forums

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