What Instruments Do You Carry?

[seclists]

The list probably depends a *lot* on what other characters you've got in your party. My parties have included 2 "pure" casters (2 bishops or a bishop and a mage) plus a gadgeteer, so some instruments were simply not worth carrying.

These are the ones that I normally give to my bard:
-Soulful Sax (helps me get the essential buffs up immediately; allows my casters cast something else on the first round)
-Rousing Drums (pretty much the same as above)
-Jericho Horn (essential against high-AC opponents; unresistable; I use it in almost every combat, and this frees my caster for other tasks)
-Dulcimer of Mending (a no-brainer)
-Arresting Aria (another no-brainer)
-Siren's Wail (simple, fast, effective; not as failure-prone as the Chaos Drone nor does this require as much Stamina to use)
-Chaos Drone (an alternative for Siren's Wail, works better against some opponents, but - irritatingly - often makes them "afraid", which must be one of the most annoying effects in the game)
-One direct-damage instrument (the best of the ones that I currently have)
EDIT: As an alternative for the last one, Strings of Seduction. As you can see, I mostly use the bard to 1) give me more variations of who-is-casting-which-essential-spell, depending on the situation; 2) break the ranks of the enemy (rather than directly hurt them) so my "muscle" characters can finish them off more easily.

In addition, one of the casters typically works as a "mule" for the bard (and the other for the gadgeteer), carrying instruments/gadgets that might be useful in specific situations but are not part of my typical combat routine. These would include such instruments as the Renaissance Lute (not-so-crucial in a 2-caster party) and Banshee's Howl (nice, but resisted by most of the tougher creatures).

Some instruments that I'm not very keen on inlcude Infernal Horn (most of the tougher creatures are resistant to fire; direct damage spells are mostly a waste of time in this game anyway), Mandolin of the Magus (I'll rather have my casters throw the Magic Screen and develop their magic skills), and of course the Snare of Delay (the sloooowwwwwwwww-mmmmmmmmmooooooooooooootiooooooooon animations makes the already slow combats a real pain).

[ 06-21-2004, 02:07 AM: Message edited by: seclists ]

[Gadgeteer Tom]

And remember that underwater, the drums don't ever work... I get spoiled always starting off with Haste.

Thanks for the pointer Wereboar - I should start off trading Saxx a Poet's Lute (buy an extra at the Inn) for his Saxx.

[Variol (Farseer) Elmwood]

I carry the Instruments long enough to sell them! No Bards for me thanks. It's Gadgeteers all the way.

[ 06-27-2004, 03:17 PM: Message edited by: Variol (Farseer) Elmwood ]

[Scatter]

it's only fire magic that doesn't work subaqueously. Slow drum works fine.