Alright...I here all this talk about bards..am I missing something? Is the appeal in the challenge of keeping him alive? Or do they start to come into their own at the higher levels?

p.s. Rangers are no substitute for fighters. Resist the urge to diversify.

Drizzt...the man, the myth, the bullseye.

I'm sure the bard is hard to play. Haven't had one in my party yet, but with little armor, they're just a target practice for archers.

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Tis your lives to waste
-Drizzt do Urden

Exactly..from what I understand in previous threads, you don't get the selection of songs until you buy the expansion...maybe then I can stop carrying him away from every fight.

Even without the expansion, a bard has it's own uses:

1. Make a good support fighter; equip your bard with missile weapons nad have him/her stand back & take out enemies from afar. Missile weapons are essential in this game.

2. Makes a good secondary mage, although armour has to be removed before casting spells. Unlike BG2 however you *can* remove armour in the midst of combat, cast a spell, and put the armour back on.

3. High lore & pickpocketing ability. I have never (so far) had to pay to identify items. Either my bard can do it, or she casts identify. I have also pickpocketed various items from Arundel, Orrick, and Fiddlebender. The two rings of free action are invaluable, and when combined with a web eases my fight considerably.

Hayashi what do you get from Arundel, Orrick, and Fiddlebender when you pickpocket??? Bard's can be good character's they are great archer's and ok spell casters and at high level can pickpocket good they can get different type's of chain mail to.
Merlin

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Elminster this Elminster that give me 2000 years and a pointy hat and I'll kick his Arse.

I hade a bard had no trobels with her.

Absolutely essential if you have the expansion. The War Chant allows you to carry on with the game without worrying too much about potions and healing spells after a battle. Leave it a short while, and bingo. Good as new. (Mind you, you still need potions and spells during a fight so it's not a real game crusher.)

The other songs have their uses too, which you'll find out if you keep one on the books long enough. I too was dubious, but now I think they're a great character class to have.

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Making running away an art form