Bard
The Bard has the unusual ability to play magical songs, whose supernatural effects last as long as the Bard continues to sing.
He has some passing knowledge of the Warrior ways (self-defense), but his main focus is always his art. - EverQuest manual
Description
Bards are jack-of-all-trades adventurers who use songs to create a wide variety of magical effects. Though they often use melee weapons, bards are primarily a magic-using class, with the ability to wear plate armor and wield many different types of weapons and instruments.
Bards can do a little bit of everything. Their songs can regenerate health and mana, increase attack speed and accuracy, momentarily charm angry enemies, help friends resist many types of damage and even directly damage enemies. Bards are perhaps best known, however, for their ability to greatly increase the foot speed of their group.
Bards have the unique ability to create multiple effects at once. By weaving different songs together, a bard can customize effects to any situation. This makes nimble fingers and quick thinking a must for those who want to play a bard.
Bards do well both alone and in groups. With the right combination of songs, they can adapt to many different challenges. The bard is a great class for players who enjoy a wide variety of play options but are quick to adapt to a changing situation.
Class Titles
| Level 1-50 | Level 51-54 | Level 55-59 | Level 60 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bard | Minstrel | Troubadour | Virtuoso |
Creation Guide
Picking the Right Race
The first thing you have to pick then is your race. Which race you pick will determine the foundation of you character for the rest of your life in Norrath so it is kind of important you pick one you like. The majority of Bards tend to be Half-Elves since they have the highest overall melee stats. Wood Elves trade off their strength in damage for some extra agility in avoiding being hit. Humans, like always, have consistent base stats.
Humans are the only race with no night vision abilities, and none of the races level any faster than another. Since all Bards get the ability to hide and forage, the wood-elves natural abilities are not so important.
| Race | Str | Sta | Agi | Dex | Wis | Int | Cha | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwarf | 90 | 100 | 90 | 75 | 83 | 60 | 55 | 25 |
| Halfling | 75 | 100 | 75 | 95 | 80 | 67 | 60 | 25 |
| Wood Elf | 70 | 65 | 95 | 90 | 80 | 75 | 85 | 25 |
| Half Elf | 75 | 70 | 90 | 95 | 60 | 75 | 85 | 25 |
| Human | 80 | 75 | 75 | 85 | 75 | 75 | 85 | 25 |
Spending Your Bonus Points
There are no definitive ways to spend your bonus points, but here are some guidelines for each statistic:
- Strength affects how often bards hit for maximum damage and also the bard's ability to carry armor and treasure. Plate armor, which bards wear, is generally among the heaviest of armors while bard melee damage is amongst the lowest for all melee classes. Strength is also an easy stat to raise with gear and buffs. This is an OK location to allocate creation points.
- Stamina affects your total hitpoints. The conversion to raw Hit Points from Stamina is only mediocre for bards, but Stamina is a good statistic to put extra points for any class, bards included.
- Agility affects how often melee attacks miss the bard, as well as the bard' armor class. Since bards are not tanks, and the returns on this statistic are minimal, it is recommended to avoid adding additional points to Agility.
- Dexterity affects how often weapons proc and reduces the chance to miss a note, bringing your song to a close (fizzle). In a test comparing 100 songs on a 60 bard with 100 base DEX, 7 notes were missed. On geared 167 total DEX, 131 songs before a single note was missed. (Small sample, not definitive)
- Wisdom does not affect the size of a bardic mana pool, as bards are considered intelligence casters. This statistic serves no function for a bard and additional creation points should not be spent here.
- Intelligence will increase the size of the bard's mana pool. Only one song, Solon's Bewitching Bravura, requires mana to cast and thus the size of a bard's mana pool is largely inconsequential. Additional creation points should not be spent here.
- Charisma affects lull, mesmerize, and charm abilities. However, all songs are on fixed duration (unless it breaks early), meaning duration can never increase past the song's tick-limit. Kelin's Lugubrious Lament (lull) is a fantastic pulling tool, and charm will also be frequently used by a skilled Bard. It is recommended to put at least some of your starting points in CHA.
