Can a Bard be a melee powerhouse?

[w6u6f]

WEll you all know the scenario. Beat the game, then start thinking of other ways that you can beat the game. Well I had the thought. I was thinking of all the wizard spells that I never use, Mirror Image, Blur etc... I never really used them because my Mages were never in the battle. But, what if I were to make aa Bard and he could use all these combat spells and be a fighting powerhouse. Right?

So I rolled up a new Bard, modified her stats to the following:
Str 8
Dex 18
Con 18
Int 18
Wis 8
Chr 18

Click click click, I get past the first part. Save Minsc. Get my weapons. I trained her in Long Sword, Short Short, two hand weapons. I get ready for battle just outside the lighting trap room. I leave everyone else behind. I cast Strength, Blur and Mirror Image all on my Bard, play her battle song and send her in. I fight the first Lighting Bat thing (Pardom me, I don't know their real name). It was a pretty sad fight. I watched critical miss after critical miss and my dreams were shot. I sadly turned off the game as neither of the two units could score a hit.

Are Bards really as sad as my story tells? Is there any room for them in a Baldur's Gate Party?

Thanks,
Newman

[Draug Fea]

Of course there is! , they arent tanks, they r good for a roleplaying aspect. Talk about fun, try playing a jester w/ ring of invisibility¬

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"I cannot be caged"

[Wah]

They are good for identifying items - nothing more in my case.

Sorry, but if you think that they are okay then sure - take 'em on. They can be even more powerfuller if they could be edited to learn the higher level spells so since you've finished the game........i'm sure cheating a few extra "memorisation slot" is not a problem.

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[Accord]

IMO bards and melee power house are two things that are independent from each other ....I cannot see how the two are related..... But bards (as mentioned above) are an interesting class, their role in the game is not to tank. But they are an excellent class for the purpose to roleplay, ID items, pickpocket ... etc. A side note is that it is true that with Tenser's Transformation he/she does become a pretty powerful fighter....maybe you should try to have more points in STR for your bard...

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Long live H22A1!!!!!

Bards are GREAT in a support role!! I'm playing a game now with two user-made characters, one of which is a Skald, in addition to the usual gang of idiots...er, NPCs

I almost never have my skald enter melee - his role is to sit there and play that harp, giving everyone else +2 to hit and damage and -2 on their ACs. There have been some encounters which, although very tough for me in previous games, my party has sailed through without a scratch because of those bonuses. In addition, because of their cheap levelling up cost and spellcasting abilities, they make excellent backup mages. Imagine a bard having hit the XP cap at 23rd level and doing 23d6 with a Skull Trap or 20d6 with Flame Arrow. Think about how the bard's song can help the survival of a monk or a kensai, among others.

Anyway, in case you haven't guessed, I really like the class - I just can't wait until my skald hits level 15 so his song gets even better!

[Willard]

Haer-dalis isn't really good ( In my perspective). All blades are supposed to be used for are fighters. They dont have many hit points and their battle song doesnt improve. They dont have as much lore, and not as much pickpocket (I think)than other bards. They give all that up for a spin to fight but doesnt improve their hit points and they die real easy on the front line.

[sunder]

Yes, Bards are support people. I haven't had any bard who was a great melee fighter, all the time he was backup.
Now, bards can be great backup fighters. There are about 4 or 5 instruments in the game they can use besides their normal bard songs. They can wear some good armor, and have ok thieving and spells.
Don't underestimate the bard, but I wouldn't even think of putting one in the front line. Just like i would never have a Archer-ranger up front in the melee, he would be in the back all the time.

[trux]

bards can be quite a powerful house in melee situations - especially blades. combined with the right armor and weapons, and combined with some good defensive mage spells which they can also employ they can be practically impossible to hit and deal great damage to foes.

[Tananda]

Well, I agree that bards are support people. That's why here is a question: Did anybody try soloing as a bard? Is it possible? (It should be VERY difficult).
Also, what do you think of jester? Good or bad kit? I prefer scald 'cause of his combat abilities but may be jesters are great.. Are they?

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Sincerely Yours,
Tanda

[This message has been edited by Tananda (edited 06-16-2001).]

Originally posted by Tananda: Well, I agree that bards are support people. That's why here is a question: Did anybody try soloing as a bard? Is it possible? (It should be VERY difficult). Also, what do you think of jester? Good or bad kit? I prefer scald 'cause of his combat abilities but may be jesters are great.. Are they?

I believe Fljotsdale (sp.?) soloed a bard & enjoyed it immensely - maybe she'll respond here. Jesters can be very interesting because they can play their little "confusion" song while invisible. Imagine sending them thus into a room full of enemies and letting them take each other out. A few caveats, however; each encounter the jester attempts this could take a very long time, it doesn't work very well on trolls and other regenerating creatures, and beware of creatures who can detect invisibility.