So my female hobbit bard is getting up there in levels, and I am wondering about her usefulness as a bard once music hits 100. Should I switch her to some other class and try to squeeze some more usefulness out of her? I was thinking maybe a switch to a gadgeteer so I can start using all those gadgets i picked up along the way. If I do switch to gadgeteer, do I get an omnigun? But this raises the issue of which gadgets / instruments to carry at one time, so i'm worrying about that issue. Any advice is very welcome for potential class changes.

No, you won't get an omnigun. :\ But your former bard will also be unable to play her music instruments any more, if memory doesn't fail me... so a bard seems to be a 'sticky' character to play with...

I am not sure about the omnigun question - never tried to switch to a gadgeteer later in the game - but I do remember hearing that you get one. You could always get one off of Madras though.

As for ex-bards and music. Yes, they can keep playing instruments after they leave the bard class. To play instruements, there are 2 requirements. One, a minimum score in the music skill; two a minimum bard level has to have been attained. The highest level required to play the best bard instruments is 18. So if you are an 18th level bard and have 100 (and maybe just a 90, can't remember what the highest music skill requirement was) music, you could switch to another class and still be able to play all bard instruments.

At any rate, switching to a gadgy later in the game isn't such a good idea - the omnigun is weak until very high levels, and you'll need a high engineering skill to use the better gadgets. Good classes to multi to from Bard are Rogue or Fighter, to pick up their attack modes (backstab/beserk). But you'll lose the ability to wear all the cool stat-enhancing bard items. I'd say unless you planned the multiclass out carefully/early on, don't bother with it now.

If you want to use her for utitliy magic (heal, haste, bless, soul shield), you can switch her at level 12 IIRC. Best switches are fighter or rogue, as Gimli already told.

If you want to use the high-level damage instruments, don't switch. It seems to me that the ability to overcome the enemy resistances is related to the bard elvel, not the character level (i'm sure it is this way for magic-users, and i think it's also true for bards, but not sure)

Every gadgeteer comes with an omnigun... but as mentioned before, you wouldn't get your modern weapon, and engineering skills up + you already carry all those instruments, no room for gadgets.

The bard works like a pure caster... on level 18 he can play the best instruments, but you'll get a lvl 1-2 effect... around lvl 24 you get consistent lvl 7 effects.

Once lvl 24 it is safe to switch but why?
Bards are great... they have all the attribute raising items (you'll lose those), and close combat and sword skills raise very fast when used.

I played a solo-bard once, and it was by far the easiest solo... has it all.

I would say... stick with the bard, a few HP more don't mean anything at lvl 18.

Signed,
One sick Psycho

I think the level of effect from the instruments is also based partially on the music skill - if you turn on verbose combat messages and look at them as the bard is using music, you'll see what he's getting.

well, I guess I would have a while to go if I waited until level 24, and I have noticed that the spell effect is probably determined by music, since I've hit lv7 spells on instruments the first time I had level enough to use them. I guess, I am remotely thinking of changing my bard to a valk. A polearm would be a nice feature because of the extended range, and the heavy armor could make up for some of the stat boosting, although my bard already has 100 vit so she could beef up on stamina. Are there any other interesting armors besides the greaves and the curiass (I forget their proper titles) that I have to look foreward to, or that would exceed having good stats and nice heavy armor and a polearm?

The Bard has a lot of great equipment! There is Prospero's Cloak, Ariel's Slippers, IIRC there is Prospero's Rapier as well, (but to be honest Bloodlust is probably the best for the bard) and I remember getting a hat that was just for the Bard too. Having a bard helps out in other ways too - they contribute to the effectiveness of sleeping (whole party recovers quicker). I think that the armour and overall usefullness of a Bard tends to make up for the power that a Val. could give you. But, that is just me....

Yeah, actually a Bard pumped with all the various bard gear, wielding bloodlust and a shield, is a kick-butt fighter - especially if you have someone casting hste at the start of fights. With bloodlust's + to initiative and haste, that bard will do a whole lotta swings in one round, and in beserk mode.

If you're going to switch a Bard to another class, you might as well go with Lord, Valkyrie, or Fighter (latter if you want to take advantage of their innate Stamina regen). These classes can use the invaluable Plate armor sold by Ferro that boosts Stamina regen by a lot.