This is my first time thru the game and I'm up to about lvl 14 now. My party is as follows:
1 Lizzy Fighter
1 Drac Fighter
1 Elf Bishop
1 Mook Ranger
1 Hum Ninja :(
1 Hum Bard

I'm really disappointed in the ninja. I wish I could replace the ninja with ANY other class. But on to the bard

IMHO Bards may be one of the most powerful characters in the game. The sirens call horn is just darn near imbalancing [img]smile.gif[/img] . I use this horn in almost every fight, unless the mobs are highly resistant I always get 50-100% of them insane and they start attacking each other.

My question is: do bards proficiency on each weapon get better as thier music skill increases? Or is music skill more like a modifier to see if bard can use a certain weapon? I dont see much increase in the effectivness of instruments as the music skill increases.

Another question:
The Mandolin of the Magus - this item is supposed to act in a similar way to magic screen from what I can tell. If I allready have magic screeen running does playing this instrument increase the effectivness of that protective aura? And how long does the effect of this mandolin last? There is no icon visable after I play it, so I can't tell how long it's effect lasts, this leads me to believe it's only a one round duration which makes this one almost useless I think, please say it isn't so [img]smile.gif[/img]

Another question:
Angel Tongue:
Using this gives the party the bless effect. Does this effect 'stack' with the bless spell that my bishop casts?

Very Last Question:
Violin d'Amore
Supposed to prevent yellow mobs from goin red and hostile. However, I can never use this instrument. If I'm near a yellow mob and I try to play it, I can't. If a yellow mob turns hostile and I try to play it, I can't. Any tips on how this was ment to be used?

Thanks guys,
This is the BEST forum I've ever seen
Great people here [img]smile.gif[/img]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>My question is: do bards proficiency on each weapon get better as thier music skill increases? Or is music skill more like a modifier to see if bard can use a certain weapon? I dont see much increase in the effectivness of instruments as the music skill increases.<hr></blockquote>

Their music skill does not affect their weapon skills. They are separate. If you're asking whether there are specific skills for each instrument (example, lute, horn, drum, etc.) then no, Music skill works for all of them.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Another question: The Mandolin of the Magus - this item is supposed to act in a similar way to magic screen from what I can tell. If I allready have magic screeen running does playing this instrument increase the effectivness of that protective aura? And how long does the effect of this mandolin last? There is no icon visable after I play it, so I can't tell how long it's effect lasts, this leads me to believe it's only a one round duration which makes this one almost useless I think, please say it isn't so <hr></blockquote>

The Mandolin of Magus will replace your existing Magic Screen if its more powerful I think. So if you have an existing Level 3 Magic Screen, and you play a Level 5 Magic Screen, the Level 5 will replace the Level 3. It won't add to time, but restart over.

??? You SHOULD have the icon for Magic Screen if you play the Mandolin.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Another question: Angel Tongue: Using this gives the party the bless effect. Does this effect 'stack' with the bless spell that my bishop casts?<hr></blockquote>

Same answer above.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Very Last Question: Violin d'Amore Supposed to prevent yellow mobs from goin red and hostile. However, I can never use this instrument. If I'm near a yellow mob and I try to play it, I can't. If a yellow mob turns hostile and I try to play it, I can't. Any tips on how this was ment to be used?<hr></blockquote>

The Violin is only used for Neutral NPCs (yellow) you can talk to so that you can try to bring up the conversation windows again or trade again. Once you break off the charm, the NPC goes back to Neutral.

[ 02-28-2002: Message edited by: Annheiser ]</p>

Oh and about your Ninja bit, depending on how you built their stats, they can be pretty effective. If you're missing a thrower on your team, a Ninja would be great esp. for Bombs and Critical Strikes with thrown weapons.

True enough, most people are only going to make a Ninja with a Faerie for the Cane of Corpus. Bleh.

oops: I misspoke(typed)

'do bards proficiency on each weapon get better with misic skill"

PLEASE change the word 'weapon' to instrument. i.e. Will a bard with a 60 music skill get more effect from the SAME instrument than a bard with a 20 skill?

Music skill just determines success or failure with an intrument. It doesn't enhance the effect of your music. I'm pretty sure it's the level of your Bard that determines the power level of your music effects.

[ 02-28-2002: Message edited by: Annheiser ]</p>

BLZbubba -- yes, the skill level DOES make a difference, at least in my experience. Sure, you need a certain minimum music skill to even play the instrument (and sometimes Bard level as well) but the skill level also is a factor in determining how high the power level of the spell "cast" by the instrument goes.

For example: when I first started with my bard with his poet's lute at lvl 1, he was fumbling quite often and only casting at power level 1-3 when he succeeded. By the time his skill level was 25 (and I deliberately avoided leveling up for awhile), he was fumbling less and normally 'casting' at 3-5. By the time I left the upper monastery (having limited my party to Lvl 5), he had a music skill of 60+ and was 'casting' at power level 5-7.

One thing to remember is that there will always be a certain randomness to the power level, even when the music skill is 100.

Now let me clarify something else. Annheiser is right that the bard's level plays a part in determining the power level too. Even when your bard has 100 in music, he's not going to be as good with an instrument as a bard that is even higher level, especially with the more powerful instruments. When he can start using an instrument that requires being at least a 14th level bard, even with 100 in music he'll fumble more often (as he learns to use this particular instrument) and 'cast' at lower power levels than he will when he's 16th or 18th level and has used the instrument for awhile.

I hope that helps clarify things for you.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Jem:
Now let me clarify something else. Annheiser is right that the bard's level plays a part in determining the power level too. <hr></blockquote>

You betcha! My bard at level 20 was usually driving an entire mob insane as opposed to maybe half at lower levels (always depending on whether you could even reach everybody with the instrument on the first couple of rounds - sometimes a few guys hang back out of range).

You gotta love those bards, though. [img]smile.gif[/img] I agree that they almost unbalance the game - mine uses Siren's Wail or Chaos Drone in every battle.

I find i use the Arresting Aria (Freeze All) instrument more than anything else. At the later end of the game i'd rather freeze a few over insanity on them. I find i use the Pandemonium Powder's from start -mid game though also over the Siren's Wail/Chaos Drone also. (I dont atually even keep the Siren's Wail on me i get it and when i goto arnika i leave it in a chest).

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Annheiser:


The Violin is only used for Neutral NPCs (yellow) you can talk to so that you can try to bring up the conversation windows again or trade again. Once you break off the charm, the NPC goes back to Neutral.

<hr></blockquote>

how do you bring up the trade/conversation windows again after you charm a neutral person? whenever i try it just says so-and-so becomes charmed but stays on the screen with the threaten/friendly buttons..

Charm increases chance of success when you try to use your Communications skill (Friendly, Threaten). It's not going to just let you outright get the NPC back to friendly again. That would be too easy. [img]smile.gif[/img]