Bard help please

[Allison]

OK I made level 5 tonight. I don't quite understand the skill points, cause it costs more points to add a point or something. (Maybe someone can explain that to me.) I've looked at the character builder at catacomb but I still need some help.

I clicked the Nurture thing twice and the Regrowth thing once. Those are the only things I've put points in, and it says I have 7 left. Here's what it says I have in everything:

Nuture 4 (buff stuffs)
Regrowth 3 (healing stuffs)
Music 2 (confusing, mesmorizing, damaging stuffs)
Blades 2
Blunt 2

OK, so since this character is obviously only good for being in a group, what's the best stuff for a group? Like, I don't want to be totally defenseless, so I kinda want to put points in Music. But, should I put points in Blades for defense instead? And what do you guys need/want more? Buffs or healing? (Assuming I ever catch up in level enough to ever be of any use.) I just don't know where to put my skill points so they'll be of the most use. Should I concentrate in just one area?

And does anyone know a quick way to switch from an instrument to a weapon?

And, are there any things a weak little bard can do on her own without dying a horrible and painful death? Trades to learn or something?

I got my butt kicked tonight when I was by myself. I got a couple of tasks, thinking, these will be some easy things to do on my own. But I kept getting attacked from behind by purple guys and failed my tasks before I even located them!! BAM BAM! I'm dead. That sucks. lol. I'm like, "huh, what's that?" Too late. /release

Any tips would be verrrrry much appreciated.

BTW, whoever told me to get this game......grrrrrrr at you! It's 5:30 in the morning, for Pete's sake! :D

[Canidae]

WOOT! Allison is hooked!! Heheh.

When you go to train... the number you see is how many points you have to spend to get that particular skill/magic to its next level. At certain levels you will get new songs/spells. Jobius would be better equiped to tell you the rest. :-)

[Babylon]

Muhahahahahahahaha

We'll have to get Jobius pointed at this thread....

He'll teach you the fine art of being powerlevelled.

When you get your Endurance song? Once you get that, no matter what your level, you will always have a group with any Defender of the Fae or Legion of Lions member... if they know what's good for them. :)

Someone find my misplaced leash and yank Jobius towards this thread? Then I'd like my leash back. :cheese:

[Rooster]

Those points you were seeing is what it would take to train to that point (ie, it will cost you 3 points to train to Regrowth of a 3).

Currently you have
Nurture 3 (buff stuffs)
Regrowth 2 (healing stuffs)
Music 1 (confusing, mesmorizing, damaging stuffs, songs!)
Blades 1
Blunt 1

I wouldn't bother putting points into Blades.. you will AlWAYS have a party... heck, a bard is a walking party! :hump:

But yeah, get the speed song & endurance regen song (and later the power song) - you become everyone's best friend. You're valuable to all parties of all levels, even ones WITH another bard!

But Jobius would know what you should do for sure.

[Allison]

Jobiuuuuuuuuuuuuuuus. :)

OK so I was thinking of concentrating on just Regrowth and Nurture. But would that leave me too deficient in the area of self-defense?

I'm also confused because all the sites I've found about bard spells seems to be somewhat inaccurate. Like, I have this Rhythm of Nature spell that's supposed to be a level 22 spell, and all the sites say I'm not suppsed to have that yet. It seems like I'm skipping lower level spells.

And I'v e got this Oaks Stoutness spell that increases CON and HP, but I can't find it listed anywhere!

[Rooster]

I was wrong :eek:.. it's Nurture that gives you the cool songs (from what I understand).

The new CON buff just went in last patch. It's extree!!

As for self defense.. you'll have your entire party for self defense. Not to mention all the hand-me-downs you can handle.

Regrowth & Nurture are awesome to spec' in.

[Jobius]

OWWW! Damnit Babs lay off the leash I'm here already! :p

Well Allison it all depends on what you would like to do with your Bard. I will tell you with the path I chose I could not solo untill now and I'm level 29. Though the route I went had people screaming for me in game as soon as I logged on. /anon works nice when you don't want to be bothered. :cheese:

Damirnex my roomte also plays a bard and he went almost the oposite way I did and is able to solo. About the only thing that that they stated right about us bards is that we really don't excell in anything. We're not a tank though we can hit pretty hard. We're not a druid though we work great keeping someone alive till the Druid can lay a heal on em.

Now the one thing that we excell at once you start going down that line (Music) is CC (Crowd Control). It takes a bit to get the hang of, but once you do your groups will love you even more then just your Endurance song. There is just something about a bad pull and someone goes "OH SHIT" and then all of a sudden all but once of the creatures stops dead in in tracks and just stares. :cheese: Of course you have to keep beating those fighters upside the head to leave "your" creatures (the mesmerized ones) alone till they have taken the single one down..... cough...Cong...cough. :p

My first two questions for you would be what do you want and exspect to do in your early levels? Also, what do you want to be able/exspect to do in the higher levels? Once I get these two answered from ya I can be a lot more detailed and help you out even more.

There is one great benefit to being a bard. In the early levels you go where the others want to go. Once you have them hooked on your songs like cocane, they go whre you want to go. :cheese:

[Jobius]

One thing that I did forget in the message above Allison was that our songs will always have the same name. It just all depends on what level song it is that determines the benefits. So that level 22 song you we're talking about earlier is the same song that you have now just a lot more powerful. :)

[Allison]

Thanks Jobius. I'm not interested much in soloing, so I thought I would concentrate on Regrowth and Nurture for party benefit. Is that a good idea? Also, I don't want to be switching from blade to instrument a lot. :) I play a couple of fighters in another game, so I was looking for something less combative in this one. I just wanna stand back, play some songs, and not die. :) And I need to know what parties will need most from a bard at higher levels. I just want to give. ;)

Also, is there a reliable place I can go to find out what these spells do, their level, etc? Can I get info from my character sheet? It doesn't tell me anything about the spells, not even the level, unless I'm just not looking in the right place. So I don't really know what some of them do for sure.

I've looked at a couple of websites (Allakhazam's and Catacomb) but they have some conflicting info, and 2 of my spells I can't even find listed.

I'm level 5, I've gotten 10 spells, and none have the same name. Two have the same icon (Oaks Stoutness and Lesser Bark Skin) but they do different things. (CON+ HP+ and AF+, respectively.)

As for the level 22 spell I mentioned, I'm sure it's not a level 22. It's called Rhythm of Nature 1, and it's my first by that name. But when I look at the websites I mentioned, they say that Rhythm of Nature is a level 22 spell. So I'm not sure exactly what this spell is doing. Gah. I just want to know what my spells do. lol

Thanks for all your help, Jobius. I'm a n00b. :D

[Boom]

I wouldn't totally give up on those music spells. They seem pretty damn cool and I can't do anything like it. Mez is sooooo important. Like Job said, if the puller accidentally gets like 5 monsters running at the group, a bard can mez the monsters so we can take them out one at a time. And when we get to high levels and start doing RvR, its all about the mez. That confusion stuff sounds hysterical! The monsters get all confused and bap on each other instead of bapping on us! And I like the idea of those damaging music spells too. If you are in a group, and everyone is bapping on the monsters, and noone really needs a heal or anything, you can play your damage the monsters song!

I think its a good idea to have a strong nurture line. Druids have buffs too, but yours are different. Those nurture buffs (power regen song, speed song, end song, whatever) is what everyone loves most about bards. So it makes sense to pump that line up.

You are going to want some points in regrowth so you have a few good heals, but I don't know if you really want to make regrowth such a huge priority. Two reasons. First, the non-spec healing spells are decent. I use my non spec healing spells 90% of the time because they take 2 seconds to cast and my spec healing spells take 3 seconds (maybe the bard healing spells are different). So you can probably be a somewhat decent healer without too many points in regrowth. Second reason, I am druid and Ape is a druid and Mur is a druid and Sticky is a mentalist and she can heal. You will never be as good of a healer as a druid anyway. So if you make regrowthy your priority you are gonna just be like a weak druid. Get yourself enough heals so you can keep your tanks alive if there are no druids around, or be a good help to the druids if they are around.

So, I guess if I was going to make a bard, these would be my priorities.

1. Nurture - has the cool songs that make the whole world sing.
2. Music - cool stuff that other healers can't do. Mez for RvR.
3. Regrowth - Hope I didn't make it sound unimportant, its way important, I just dont think you need to dump all your spec points there for it to be good.

I'm looking at that site planner thingy.

The way I use that is, I figure out what i want at level 50, when its all done. Then I back up to level 40 and decide what I want to have by then, that will keep me on a course to my level 50 goals. Then I back up to level 30, and level 20. Then I just place my points as I get levels so that at level 20 I will hit my level 20 goals. Then I start working towards my level 30 goals.

Here is a potential way to make your bard at level 50.

Nurture - 39 points. This gives you the second best of each song.
Regrowth - 27 points. This gives you third best of each spec heal, include the level 27 group heal, which should be pretty cool.
Music - 38 points. This gives you the second best of all music specs.

That leaves you with a leftover 327 points. You can put it in nurture, regrowth or music, but it would only give you one or two more things. Or you can put it in bappers or knives and have the level 25 fighting style thingy!!!

Damn, bards can pretty much almost max out everything!!!!

Anyway, just some thoughts. But this is how I would start the process. Go to the character planner and plan out your level 50 character. Doesn't have to be anything like what I suggested above. Then take it down to level 40 and take away points from each line till you got your level 40 worked out. etc etc.

[Babylon]

Allison, what's your Bard's name?

Gotta make sure all those bards are on my friends list.....

And, how do you feel about leashes? :cheese:

[Jobius]

Yanks the Bab's leash! You can have her till we get her up there then she's all mine. (Speed song + Endurance song = Hyperspeed) :p

Sounds like your gonna want to go the way I did Allison. Regrowth will be important early on. In my younger years my Regrowth was specialized higher then music and nurture. Nurture and Music was second. Your healing at earlier levels will be a big asset to ANY (and that means even people 20 levels higher then you) group. I took regrowth up to 17 and I'm stopping. That'll give you the first group heal spell and the rest of the points I get are all going into Nurture and Music. As Boomy said don't ignore Music. That's the line that is completly ours but you can neglect it a little bit to start with.

The damage song we get from music is a shout direct damage spell that is instant and can be cast every 10 seconds. The nice thing about the shout is we can shout without interupting a spell we have in progress or a song we're beging to play. I'm currently 29th level and havn't put a single point into any of the weapon specs. Yup only level 1 in any of them. I've put all my points into Nurture, Regrowth, or Music.

As for information sites on Bard stuff there's not many and I've had to piecemeal a lot of the info together and just experiment in game as to what they really do. This link is to one of the main bard only boards and a good spot for info for us. :)

http://pub34.ezboard.com/fbardsofcamelotfrm12

What do groups want the most from Bards? Our songs and heals in the early levels up to about 15-20 then they want us for our songs, CC ability, and finally back up healer third. My whole way up I told the groups I joined that I was not a fighter and completly spec'ed for groups. This was never a problem, actually most we're really happy, but it let the tanks now that if anything jumps you to get it off of you quick. Of course if your healing the tanks and your getting bapped it it quite funny how they all rush to get what is on you off of you. =)

Just to give you and idea here is what I plan on looking like if I ever hit 50. ;)

Nurture 43
Music 44
Regrowth 25
Blades 1
Blunt 1
Blades or Blunt will get whatever is left over when I've spec'ed out the top three where I want.

The confusion spell that makes em attack different targets and each other I've only used twice my whole carrier. It is very dangerous to use you have the tanks running around all over the place chasing the monster and if the moster decided to go hit the healer once at a critical time someone needs a heal... well I'm sure you get the picture. :dead:

Keep those questions comming if you have more Allison I'll try my best to answer them as quickly as possible. :)

[Stickybuns]

Hey, my Bard plan looks pretty darn close to Job's. I musta been on the right track or something. :D I just had a couple extra points in regrowth to get that second level group heal, and Job has some more points in nurture and music to get a few of the final specs in those lines.

Now I just gotta try to find a way to make a macro or something so that Alli can put away her guitar and whip out her knife or her bapper if she is soloing. Either that or teach her to bap monsters with her guitar.

[Stickybuns]

omg, this computer thinks Im stickybuns! IM BOOM!!!!

Sticky switched the computers here around or something.... Ok, imma log out. Next time I post it will be as me.

[Babylon]

No kidding, confusing the hell outta me....

Who are all these bards?! I need more leashes!

[Rooster]

/me sends Babs off to Black & White for leash training.

:cheese:

[Allison]

OMG I found out how to put instruments in my quick bar!!!! Life will be sooo much easier. I've been running around with my equipment list up so I can switch instruments and weapons!

[Jobius]

Aye it does make if a little easier but I still wish they 'd let me equip the third instrument we have in the one had weapon slot so i don't have to go digging in my packs to swith to the third when needed. I've had to swith instruments out more then I've ever drawn a weapon.

I'd like to explain my specing to only 17 regrowth. It gets you to your first group heal. Getting to the second one would be nice but by the time you get to a 17 regrowth your going to find that Bards have no where near the power pool to cast heals. Also by then your gonna want to get Nurture and Music back on track and fully become a bard. i.e. Mezzes, Memory wipes, and Songs. Of course this I just what I've seen comming up through the levels. My original plan was to be speced the highest in Regrowth but as I said earlier when I hit about 18th level I seen my role as healer get real short and turn into the "Oh Shit!" Healer. :D Besides if you can get the extra monsters mezzed that's more backup power for heals because the extra monsters aren't beating on your party. Makes healing druids very happy. :)

[Boom]

I've been reading some bard forum today (the one Job linked to above) and they seem to pretty much support whats been said in this thread. Regrowth as third priority cuz bards are the main healers, and mez is just the killer awesome spell!

Something new I learned about that concussive spell. You can cast it while doing other spells or playing songs. That's just awesome. Like aside from my insta-heal, if I want to cast any kind of spell (poison, root, heal, buff) I have to get out of combat mode or wait till I finish casting whatever else I'm casting. Like basically I have to be doing nothing if I want to cast any spell. But the concussive isnt like that. YOu can be right in the middle of casting a heal, or playing your end song or whatever and target a monster and bap him with your concussive blast. And it does a nice amount of damage. And you can pop off a new one every six seconds! I'm not sure, but I got the impression it doesn't even use mana, it just has the 6 second delay.

Hey, as long as you are standing in the back, healing and playing your songs, might as well blast a few monsters to make things go quicker. :D

[Allison]

Hehe...I'm not having much luck with the concussive thing. It always makes the monster come after me.

I can see now that although my healing abilites are greatly needed at my current level, higher up I'm not gonna be a primary healer. I really don't like the music spells (the ones that do damage), because as I said, I seem to get attacked and die a lot when I use them. Even when I mez, the monster comes after me as soon as it's hit.(Today anyway) But I will put points in it just for the mez, nonetheless. Because although the monsters come for me, when it all works right and the fighters can keep him off, it's a huge asset. And a beautiful thing to see. And nurture...me likey. :)

OMG, Boom took me to a scary place and everyone was level 20+ and I was level 9 and they loved my puny little Endurance song! That's cool. :)

Anyway, am I making sense? I have the early morning DaoC confusions.

So about the group mez. If I mez a group, and a bunch of fighters start bapping them, does the whole group come after me?

[Babylon]

Hehe, generally when a whole buncha mobs come running in, and you mez the group (if you can pull it off) those mobs have not been hit by anything else - they came because their friend (who someone in your group hit, pulling them) said "HEY! let's go get these jerks!" and they said "Sure, sounds like fun."

So when you mez them, they have had no previous Aggro on them (Aggro being a measure of how much they hate who, and who they will target). Since you are the only one to have done anything to them, they will of course choose to go after you once they are free. On the same token, if they are freed by a tank slaming into them, the tank will likely produce enough Aggro to stop the mob from caring about you.

Same thing with your concussions, I suspect. Are you doing this at the beginning of the fight? Aggro is a measurement, and if you BAP them for a lot, that produces a lot of Aggro. So does Healing, btw. So if you wait a little later in the fight, let the tanks get some hits in and build their aggro, you should be safe to use that blast and not have the mob turn to you.

Learning about aggro, and more importantly, how to NOT draw it is important, one of the biggest tricks of these types of games.

Hope that made some sense and explained a bit. Ask if you want to know more and I wasn't clear. :)

[Allison]

Actually, Babylon, that explains a lot. Thanks. :)

[Boom]

Yeah, experiment with your concussive blast. Wait till the monster is like half dead from the tanks bapping it, and set off a few concussive blasts and see what happens. If the monsters don't go after you, try setting them off a bit earlier in the fight. Of course, if someone like level 30 Malkovich is bapping the monsters, odds are after he gets one good shot in, there will be no way you can draw aggro on that monster. But if you are fighting with someone on your level who doesn't do that much damage, then your concussive blast might do more damage then they are doing, so you will have to wait till they get a few hits in.

I had to do the same sort of experimentation with my heals. When Malk was lower level and doing less damage, if I hit him with my big heal early in the fight, the monsters would leave him and rush right at me. Even if I hit him with my medium heal 2 or 3 times in a row that I would draw aggro. So I would wait till he got more baps in and try to keep him from going below half life, as opposed to trying to keep him at full life. I got a feel for it and stopped drawing aggro. Now that Malk is 2 levels above me, I can spam all my heals all over him and never draw aggro, because he is just doing so much damage to the monsters.

If you play around with it, you should get a feel for when you can start setting off your blasts without getting attacked, depending on who you are playing with and stuff. If those blasts dont use up your mana and don't stop you from playing your end song, they can help kill monster a little bit quicker without sacrificing anything. And that means everyone levels faster. :)

[·ç·Xayd]

Originally posted by Allison

OMG, Boom took me to a scary place and everyone was level 20+ and I was level 9 and they loved my puny little Endurance song! That's cool. :)


Hehe, End song = owned for any creature ;). Last night I happened across one bard to team up with me and two other rangers. Sorry mermen, sucks to be you guys :D. All three of us came in there with 400 arrows, made two trips back to sell/buy more arrows in about 1.5 to 2 hours. Times 3 people, that adds up to around what, 3500-4000 arrows that we plinked at those critters in under two hours time? Pretty close to that anyways.

Get ready to be harassed constantly for groups tho, I send tells out of the blue to at least 7 or 8 a day trying to bum em for groups ;).

[Allison]

Yeah, see I didn't know about this aggro stuff until about a day ago. This is gonna be so cool. :)

I didn't play much tonight, I just hopped on for a while and experimented. Now that I know a little more about how things work, I re-arranged my quickbar, and practiced a little using various spells in combination with melee. In a group, I hope to not ever have a weapon in my hand, but it was good practice tonight. :)

[Dape]

Bump for malk
:rolly:

[Allison]

Awwww .... wasn't I cute little n00b! Hehe. :D

[Jobius]

Yea I kind of miss that leash at times. ;)

[Morety]

lol Jobius lives :)

Um, can you run me over to the parth farm? You're so much faster than I am :)

[Boom]

OMG, i was such a noob. I suggest stopping nurture at 38 to have the second best of each song! LOL. Anyway, I think there is a much better bard advice thread on these forums somewhere. One that Ailia wrote up for Sparky maybe? Imma try to find and bump. You remember what it was called Ailia?

[Allison]

Looks like you already found it. :)