The Superiority of Bards
recklessheart
Member Posts: 692
Hey guys!
I should really know this by now given the fact that I have been on the forum for years and played Baldur's Gate for three times as many years as that, but I was reading a few comments recently about Bards being overpowered. Really? I have never played a Bard, and although I am a great fan of Haer'Dalis and have used Garrick and Eldoth before in Baldur's Gate, I did not see any of them outperforming my other party members. None of them have been unhelpful for my party, of course, but perhaps I neglected to micromanage them for maximum value.
If I were to play a Bard, or Blade (the other two kits do not appeal to me), how might I make them most effective? Are there options for a ranged Bard as well as a melee Bard? I'm not much of a powergamer, but I'd like to hear all and every strategy you're willing to provide and I can filter as necessary. In my playthroughs I always take the maximum number of party members, and rarely use the same combination of 5 twice.
Lemme know! Thanks in advance.
I should really know this by now given the fact that I have been on the forum for years and played Baldur's Gate for three times as many years as that, but I was reading a few comments recently about Bards being overpowered. Really? I have never played a Bard, and although I am a great fan of Haer'Dalis and have used Garrick and Eldoth before in Baldur's Gate, I did not see any of them outperforming my other party members. None of them have been unhelpful for my party, of course, but perhaps I neglected to micromanage them for maximum value.
If I were to play a Bard, or Blade (the other two kits do not appeal to me), how might I make them most effective? Are there options for a ranged Bard as well as a melee Bard? I'm not much of a powergamer, but I'd like to hear all and every strategy you're willing to provide and I can filter as necessary. In my playthroughs I always take the maximum number of party members, and rarely use the same combination of 5 twice.
Lemme know! Thanks in advance.
2
Comments
1.The Bard song. This one is possibly the most obvious. While not really visibly engaging, the cheap semi permanent party wide buff is huge. Trade out for the Epic Bard song HLA and the passive bonuses are massive.
2.Magic. While Bards don't get a large amount of spells per level, their fast levelling makes scaling spells ridiculous. Dispel magic, skull trap, and the like will always be more powerful in a Bard's hand than a mage's. If you running a full mage, the Bard is a fantastic utility character, filling in the gaps in your mages spellbook. (Personally, I tend to use a Bard in lieu of a mageor sorc).
3. Dex bonuses make them competent, if not fantastic archers.
4. My personal favorite vanilla kit, the Blade. Think fighter/mage that levels as the fastest levelling single class. Not as many spells, but more than enough for buffs to make you nigh invincible, but thats not the best part. Offensive and defensive spin. These are quite possibly the two most broken special abilities in the series.
Offensive spin gives +2 to hit and to damage, +1 attacks per round, movement speed as though under the effects of Haste and guarantees maximum damage on every hit for 24 seconds. (taken from the play-it-hardcore wiki). Give him two weapons (one an apr) and you have burst damage above what a regular fighter or a fighter mage can do.
Defensive Spin roots the Blade in place for 24 second but gives -1 to AC per Blade level (up to a maximum of -10 AC) and grants the Blade "Improved Invisibility" in that they cannot be directly targeted by spells.(again, fromt he wiki above). And more amazing burst potential, this ability makes it trivial to get the SC cap, plus they can't be targeted by magic, and stacking it with stoneskin. Holy crap, you can now out tank anything short of a Dwarven Defender for 24 seconds at a time.
There are certainly specilists than outdo any of these bullet points (minus the song). Kensai and Archer can outdamage the blade. Dwarven Defendor can outtank it. And any pure mage or multiclass will get more spells per day and higher level spells. But NO SINGLE OR MULTICLASS CAN DO ALL OF THESE. You also get great utility with Lore that will cover all identifying needs, and a auto improving pickpocket score. Bards are a fast leveling FIghter/Mage/Thief, I love em.
Offsetting this is that Bards might be the second hardest class to play to its full potential (behind pureclass thieves). What will need the BArd to do will vary depending on your party. A melee heavy party will want more songs with some caster backup (dispels, etc.) A caster heavy party will want a Bard for utility spells, etc. THe different kits also fill different niches. Bard require work, but pay off in a large way.
from what I can see, beamdog has added luck to the bard song, starting at level 1 its a +1 luck bonus, at level 15 it increases to +2 and level 20 it increases to +3, other than that it just makes you immune to fear and possibly deafness?
actually I don't know if that's even added an from what the original did but that's what it does now, so if that's knock your socks off amazing, then I guess it's great
For myself, I have three got bards. If I play a gypsy I am charming the enemy constantly and ordering them so fight with hands instead of weapons one on one, or ordering their mages to cast spells on themselves, me, or their buddies. I've gone so far to charm Mr S's boys in the big fight and order them to fight each other. I felt like I shoulda been playin 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia' on some loud speakers walking around in that fight.
Dirgesingers are pretty much standard defense. Jester's similar but much better in RR with high lvl song of their own plus all the use of sound energy that bypasses MR.
Their lvl advancement is hard to beat for what they can do and use, esp. early on, same as mentioned before with castor lvl.
I like magic now, but I like my powers of sound better. Combine the two and well...So many unusual instruments as well, esp. with mods. added.
The powers of the Bards (RR in particular) reminds me of the use of weirding modules in comination with the weirding way from the movie Dune.
"Some thoughts have a certain sound, that being equivalent to a form. Through sound and motion, you will be able to paralyse nerves, shatter bones, set fires, suffocate an enemy or burst his organs".
Just plain badassery at it's best, and, at high lvls, the bard's no longer need their weirding modules, hehheh.
bards do best in parties of six. smaller the party, smaller the aggregate utility.
I have rolled up a kensai orc, with 19 str and pips in 2 hf and staves (He will continue with staves). The other five party members are skalds. The skalds not only give bonus to attack & damage, but also Ac. My kensai - when the rest sing - is level 4, has a ac of -5 and deals 24-29 with hos staff with a -1 thaco. Its off course ridiculus - but quite fun.
I am planning on going toe to toe with Sarevok and see if I can finish him in 1 round. With buffs, song and the right gear it may be possible. Bit OP, but it shows that bards can be useful, even if you just like whacking people in the head with a stick...
Keeping chainmail on him is still viable late game because you can just use your spell buffs and stuff pre-battle, then equip the chain and then he can rely on wands and scrolls if needed during battle.
He gets a +1 to damage and thac0 for being a Skald, but he's really not good in battle even with really good items and stats, he's better off just using Bard Song, Spells, Scrolls, and Wands. Buckley's Buckler is a decent starting item for him in Friendly Arm Inn since Bards can only wear Bucklers not shields. He does get pretty tanky later with the saving throws and being able to wear Chainmail.