More about bards

[Zoltan]

Bard class is very cool, and also bard kits are very funny. My favourite is Skald because Jester's bard song is only confusing and you can find bardic instruments which can confuse enemies. Also, I'm not a jester!!

Blade is like a fighter kit so if you want a fighter character then why bard try cavalier or kensai something else. A Bard is a bard, a bard without an increasing bard song, low lore, pickpocket abilitiy etc then he's not a bard anymore. Skald is a REAL bard because its bard song effect is increaing as you advance level. Also you can use any weapon in the game, so it's very good idea to use bow. Bard's HP's are not great so they can be a little weak in melee fighting.

Bard's roleplay is very intersting and exciting. You're a ministrel, a great poet from the heart, teller of grand tales, lover of beatiful women, master of six string also you're more charismatic than even Clinton.

But I think Bard's need more specialty. For example, different spells which they can cast with only their instruments more bardic instruments, different bard songs can make this character more original. Think about it, during a battle your bard plays "Kelin`s Lucid Lullaby" , "Lyssa`s Lugubrious Lament" ,or he plays a march or crescendo which berserks/bloodlust your party etc can be very interesting.

One more thing, did you noticed that bards advances level faster than mages when a mage is level 15, a bard can be 20 or 21. And when they both cast a spell, guess whose spell will long last?


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"A silent blade does not cut always best..
A tender touch from the heart may heal the wounds of my friends..
Or a song from the heart..
A duet with nymphs..
Forget 'bout nymphs, let's play KISS!!"

-Yngwie J. Amadeus Zoltan

Skald is the best and most natural bard kit in BG2. I agree with you completely.
Except on the topic of spells. A bard has a different spell advancement table, and while magi can learn spells of up to level 9 (excluding ToB)while a bard can only learn spells of level one to six. They also start a level later and don't get as many new spell sots per level (but they do get a lvl 4 spell at lvl 11, one level before the mage )
But still, a bard can help out your other spellcasters during a magical fight and can do other things magi can not.

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The last arrow of Legolas kindled in the air as it flew,
and plunged burning into the heart of a great wolf-chieftain.
All the others fled. -J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

[HooC]

So you are comparing Clinton to a Jester... Hmm...

[Zoltan]

Excuse me, I'm misunderstood. About spells, I meant that bard's spell may cause more damage because he's advanced more level. For example, Cilgin Co is a 30th level bard and he's got 4,500,000 xp. And there's a mage known as Aksakalli diDe, he's also has 4,500,000 xp. So, Co is 30th level but DidE is 22th level. They both cast lower resistance. Aksakalli dede lowers his opponent's resistance by 32 (10+level=32) but Cilgin Co casts this spell as a 30th level spellcaster and he lowers it by 40. When they both summon a monster III, DiDe's monsters will last for 26 rounds, Ciligin Coe's are 34. I just noticed out fast level advancemen of bard's can cause something like that. But they gain spells slower than mages you're right.

In 3rd edition, bards have completely different spells. They can cast magic missile I hope Black Isle will use these rules in their new games.

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"A silent blade does not cut always best..
A tender touch from the heart may heal the wounds of my friends..
Or a song from the heart..
A duet with nymphs..
Forget 'bout nymphs, let's play KISS!!"

-Yngwie J. Amadeus Zoltan

[Dundee Slaytern]

*cough* *cough*

Spells that depend on caster level are capped at Level 20.

A Lvl20 Mage who casts Cone of Cold, deals the same amount of damage as a Lvl40 Bard.

Therefore, Lower Resist is capped at -30% Magic Resistance.



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If not a Sorcerer, then a Paladin.

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Baldur's Gate Item Mart

[This message has been edited by Dundee Slaytern (edited 09-07-2001).]

[Zoltan]

Oh come on it was just an exampel!

Well here it's

2.200.000 XP

Botn bard and mage

It makes bard 20th level and mage 15th level.

Bard's lower res is %30
Mage's lower res is %25

ok?

[Baron Nocturna]

Bards are the best class for the Baldur's Gate series bar none. Simply because since you are constantly changing your party, they are the most adaptable and IMO the most intersting. The fact they level up faster than anybody helps a TON. When they need to be fighters, they can be fighters, when you need a mage they can fit the bill. They will never be the best character at any one thing but they are so useful its really almost an unfair class. I have my skald currently in the back with a bow and casting spells but I have had him in front with a 2 handed sword and other times, playing mop up man when I was loaded with "tanks". His identify ability is great, his song is VERY useful and his ability to use the harp O' dischord makes up for his lack of jester song. His versatility is his greatest strength and considering I once had a party of Jaheira, Nalia, Yoshimo, Aerie, Minsc and my skald, it was great to have a good fighter character in my bard and later when I dropped Aerie for Keldorn, I had a great support guy who could use spells and a bow.

Baron Nocturna

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Anyone care to see my Rod of Lordly Might?

[Tim Tam]

Ive never understood why people use their mages to dispel magic. Dispel Magic and Remove Magic are level based and I dont think are capped at level 20 like other level dependant spells. A bard will always be higher level then a mage, so their dispelling will also be better. If I dont have an Inquisitor, its always the bard or cleric who does the dispelling, at a higher level than the mage.

For other level dependant spells its right that mages eventually catch up when they hit level 20, but bards get there a lot faster and can take advantage of the extras sooner (more flame arrows, more damage from fireball/skull trap, better stoneskin and longer lasting spell effects). While it would be nice to be able to cast level 7+ spells, its not neccesary for a bard as some of the most useful are level 6 and below. A useful tactic is wearing Aslyferund Chain Mail and casting Prot. Magic Weapons, full physical immunity for 4 rounds.

Im playing IWD-HoW again now with a bard in the lead. The different bard songs rock although I find thats pretty much all my bard does now, apart from an occasional fireball or utility spell. Interesting that bards can cast up to level 8 in HoW, not that the spells are as useful as in BG2.

In BG2-ToB however all the bard songs eventually end up the same with enhanced bard song ability, so the con for Blades crappy singing winds up negated. A Jesters song becomes useful about the same time no more critters are being affected by his confuse/stun/slow chant, and Skalds just gets better. For plain old BG2 though you'd be mad to just have a Blade, the other bard kits are better and Haer Daelis is available (crappy stats and all).