Solo'ing with a Skald

JasperRaith

Being obsessed with solo'ing with classes oft unused, I'm thinking of doing a Skald solo - does anyone have experience with this and any thoughts? Clearly there are some issues with solo'ing with a bard in terms of their major asset being unusable! I couldn't find anything directly applicable on the site.

I have no doubt it is possible with traps, PfMWs, UAI, etc., but I am wondering if there are interesting things one can do.
I did rather like the idea of animating undead and using bardsong for the bonuses to hit, damage and AC (albeit the mind effects being useless). In BG1, using the wand of monster summoning, etc. I'd like to think this would be quite good for BG1-SOA, but would soon lose effectiveness on big fights and in ToB.

Neverused

I have, though as I use the Rogue rebalancing Skald some things here might not be applicable.

The thing about Bard Song is that it doesn't take aura: if you hit it at the very last second of the end of the round, you'll have the bonuses until the next round. Careful timing allows you to have the song on you almost all the time. So best weapons become darts or bows for their high APR, maximizing the rolls affected by the bard song.

Other than that, you still have access to mage spells and wands. As for tricks, you've already noted that summons are really the only way to abuse a Skald's unique song.

JasperRaith

@Neverused I had heard about this as a way to sneak the odd attack in/cast a spell, but confess I don't know how to time it such? Is it a case of using autopause for each round, then count to 5 and do something? Rough guess, but intrigued if there is any specific guidance on how time things that would be great.

With reference to being able to cast a spell while maintaining a bard song, is this limited as well, i.e. casting time dependent?

Many thanks!

Neverused

The method I used was the text "Singing Bard Song" in the console/feedback/thingy, as well as knowing my APR. I would generally not attack the first round, running with the song on until the "Singing Bard Song" came back again. From there, I would attack 3 times if wielding darts or 2 times if a bow, and as soon as the 3rd or 2nd shot goes off, turn the bard song back on.

I didn't use spells that liberally, as I recall, but it's probably timing dependent: anything longer than a full round should interrupt the Skald song. And soloing, it's pretty hard to get a spell that long off without being interrupted anyways, or important enough that one turn without the Skald song shouldn't be deadly.