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Bards in IWD:EE

BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
in Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
I'm wondering if anyone knows how bards will be handled in IWD:EE?

Specifically, since the new version will be using the BG2 engine, does that mean bards will choose kitless, Skald, Jester, or Blade, and then have their song follow those rules?

I always kind of liked the IWD bard song progression with all the different song choices based on level. So, is that gone now? It's not a deal-breaker for me, but I'm curious.
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Comments

  • SharGuidesMyHandSharGuidesMyHand Member Posts: 2,582
    I'm very curious about the answer to this as well.

    I can understand skalds and jesters not having the same song progression as vanilla bards, since the whole point of these kits is to have their own unique progressions, but I would still want to see vanilla bards retain their original IWD progressions, and for blades to have them as well, since they're supposed to have the same song(s) as vanilla bards.
  • ChowChow Member Posts: 1,192
    If the true bard gets all the IWD songs but the kits don't, then the balance will be tipped over and there'll be no reason whatsoever for anyone to ever pick a kit. Those songs are amazing.
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    Blades' Song is supposed to not improve. Unfortunately in BG, the vanilla bard song didnt improve either.
  • ArdulArdul Member Posts: 211
    AlexT said:

    The unkitted bard gets all the songs from the original Icewind Dale.

    The Blade kit only gets the first song. The other kits retain their own specific songs and don't get any of the IWD songs.

    Awesome! What about spellcasting progression @AlexT‌ ?
  • ArdulArdul Member Posts: 211
    But not the same as the tables from heart of winter @AlexT‌ ?
  • ChowChow Member Posts: 1,192
    AlexT said:

    The unkitted bard gets all the songs from the original Icewind Dale.

    The Blade kit only gets the first song. The other kits retain their own specific songs and don't get any of the IWD songs.

    You could take the opportunity to fix up the songs of the other kits a little, too. Have them be upgraded similarly or something.

    I mean, War Chant of Sith is amazing and if the others don't get something equivalent at the same level, they're missing out.
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    @AlexT‌ what about opposing schools for specialist mages? I know there were some that changed between IWD and HoW.

    (sorry if off-topic)
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    For the War Chant bard song, will you regenerate when not in battle? This sucked in IWD2, only regenerating during pitched battle. Maybe it was more balanced, but I like free healing!
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    Does the save vs the Jester get harder at higher levels? That could be insta-balancing. Even a 1 point penalty per 5 levels would be significant. The Skald should get something minor, maybe a couple utility songs to duplement? Eh.
  • DazzuDazzu Member Posts: 950
    The HoW restrictions still hold? Why? Wouldn't it be nice to get the option to not gimp specialists so hard?

    Or loot tables?
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    I don't think its really that gimped. One extra spell for level is significant. Nothing worse than emptying your book of useful spells then throwing 20 darts that completely miss the target.
  • DazzuDazzu Member Posts: 950
    booinyoureyes said:

    I don't think its really that gimped. One extra spell for level is significant. Nothing worse than emptying your book of useful spells then throwing 20 darts that completely miss the target.

    Being a conjurer without evocation is actually bad, especially since in IWD, Stoneskin is evocation.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    edited September 2014
    Dazzu said:

    Being a conjurer without evocation is actually bad, especially since in IWD, Stoneskin is evocation.

    Now there is a headscratcher if there ever was one. Especially since in PnP its an alteration spell (as well as in the BG series). I mean abjuration I could see, but evocation? Weird :)
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    edited September 2014
    @Dazzu I looked it up in my gog.com edition (using Near Infinity).

    Apparently the description says that it is an evocation spell, the only flag it has (when it comes to who can't use it) is towards abjurer's (who are the only specialist school who normally can't use alteration spells).

    Also mechanically its an alteration spell in IWD like in the other games.

    So unless you are an abjurer being able to cast it won't be an issue in IWDEE.
  • DazzuDazzu Member Posts: 950
    edited September 2014
    In that case, Abjurers are even worse than ever. Losing Mirror Image, Imp Invis and Blur is bad as is, but all the probably ported image spells ON TOP of Stoneskin, the vastly improved long reaching cone that is Burning Hands, and... okay, mostly those two, but they're enough to matter. Oh yea, HASTE! Again, this mage took an undeserved nerf.

    Yea, the wrong specialist is pretty gimped, though it MIGHT have have some merit if the ability to dual to Spec Mage returns... all bets are off if that option includes wild mages.
    Post edited by Dazzu on
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    It appears to me that this leaves the Skald pretty gimped compared to a vanilla bard. I think the Skald song should replace Ballard of 3 Heroes, but keep the others.
  • DazzuDazzu Member Posts: 950
    Best Bard weapon would probably be the Hammer Longbow +4. It has 4 APR, a rather wasteful total on any warrior who can easily get 5 APR without that much a start. On a bard however...
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    The Beach Boys? (This name for a bard party in IWD would define the undefineable literary quality of "irony".) :)
  • jackjackjackjack Member Posts: 3,251
    Half of the band Slipknot?
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