Bard

Bard
Class archetype	Hybrid
Armor class	Platemail
Preferenced statistics	Dexterity Charisma Stamina
Title at level 51	Minstrel
Title at level 55	Troubadour
Title at level 60	Virtuoso
Title at level 65	Maestro
Bard Links
Bard Quests Bard Starfall Quests Bard Thurgadin Quests Bard Spells Alternate Advancement: Bard Class Tomes Instrument modifiers Instrument augments Newbie Bard Guide: By Rrowrr Conky's Bard Soloing Guide Stolen Goods

A pair of Bards take to the stage in their Newport guildhall.

Bards are 60% of every class. They can do just about everything at a reduced level in comparsion to the parent class of the ability, such as (but not limited to) Mesmerize, Enduring Breath, Levitate, Haste, Clarity, Invisibility, Snare, Direct Damage, Damage over Time, Direct Damage Area of Effects and plenty of others. They are the kings of movement, with thier Selo's line of spells (Bringing them to the Cap of Movement Speed), as well as the kings of stackable buffs. Thier songs stack with near everything else in the game, such as Damage Enhancement Focus Effects, to the Breeze / Regeneration line of spells with thier group Regens.

One thing to note about the Melody System on Shards of Dalaya, is that a Bard can have two positive songs and two negative song going at once. There is no twisting of the positive songs, but the two negetive songs must be twisted as only one negative song will sustain without twisting. Also note that certain bard songs act like spells and are neither positive nor negative and act differently than all other bard songs (examples include: charm, mez, certain run speeds). Songs are started just as a normal cast is started. Songs can only be stopped by stopping all songs using #endsong or by removing the song from your lineup (right click the songs icon in the spell/song bar). Alternatively, you can rotate songs being sung. If you have two beneficial songs being played and you start singing a third different song, that third song replaces the first song of the two beneficial songs currently being sung. Beneficial songs being sung activate each tick without needing to stop/start the songs.

One last thing to note is that /melody does exist here. /melody 1, 2, 3, 4 will rotate those four gems.

Bard Song Modifiers

Bard songs are not modified by focus effects. They benefit from instrument modifiers instead. Elemental damage on gear adds to bard songs, with a 1/3 reduction for DoT songs. E.g., +15 magic damage will add 15 damage to all songs in the bellows line, but only 5 damage to the relic magic DoT. Overcap spell skill modifiers also affect bard song damage.

Whether or not instrument modifiers apply is on a by-Effect basis rather than a by-Song basis; a Song can have a mix of modifiable and unmodifiable Effects.

Effects multiplied by instrument modifiers: Current HP [nukes, dots, direct heals, hp regen], Poison Counters, Disease Counters, Change Hate [jolt, pure hate], Current Mana [mana nuke], Rune, Magic Rune, Harmony, Total HP, Mana Pool, AC, ATK, STR, DEX, AGI, STA, INT, WIS, CHA, Resist Magic, Resist Fire, Resist Cold, Resist Poison, Resist Disease, Resist All, Movement Speed, Hate Buff [percent aggro mod], Endurance [does nothing], Heal Over Time, Hate Over Time [as in shadowknight terrors].

Decidedly not in there: Mana regen, Attack Speed [haste, slow]

There isn't any differentiation between buffs and debuffs for things like AC and Resist Magic.

There are no diminishing returns. A 2.5 modifier multiplies by 2.5 wherever valid.

Starting Statistics

The bard class receives 25 starting points to distribute in the various stats. The stats that the game deems important to the class are Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma. In Shards of Dalaya, the most useful Bard stats are Stamina, Dexterity, and Charisma. These affect your HP, ability to play Songs, and the effectiveness of your songs vs resistances. Charisma is the hardest of the three to max with gear, so putting points into it during creation is highly suggested. The most useful Bard stat for low level Bards is Dexterity. Bard mana is intelligence based though Bards do not get any songs that use mana until level 25.

Race	STR	STA	AGI	DEX	WIS	INT	CHA
Half Elf	75	70	90	95	60	75	85
Human	80	75	75	85	75	75	85
Wood Elf	70	65	95	90	80	75	85
Vah	95	75	90	80	70	65	75

Skills

(*)Does not follow the 5(lvl+1) skill-up formula. (**) Gains 2 points per level at 51-60, 3 points per level 61-65.

Combat Skills Level < 50 cap 50 + cap Offense 1 200 245 Defense 1 200 250 1H Blunt** 1 200 235 1H Slashing** 1 200 235 Piercing** 1 200 235 Hand to Hand 1 150 200 Throwing 1 200 250 Dodge 10 175 225 Dual Wield 17 200 250 Parry 53 N/A 175 Riposte 58 N/A 150	Hybrid Skills Level < 50 cap 50 + cap Meditate 10 100 130 Pick Lock 10 100 150 Forage 12 50 50 Sense Traps 15 100 >=120 Sneak 17 75 75 Set/Disarm Traps 20 100 120 Safe Fall 24 50 50 Hide 25 75 75 Intimidation 26 75 75 Tracking 35 70 120	Musical Skills Level < 50 cap 50 + cap Singing 1 200 250 Percussion Instruments 5 200 250 Stringed Instruments 8 200 250 Brass Instruments 11 200 250 Wind Instruments 14 200 250	Other Skills Level < 50 cap 50 + cap Sense Heading* 1 200 200 Bind Wound 1 100 150 Swimming* 1 250 250 Fishing* 1 250 250 Baking* 1 250 250 Tailoring* 1 250 250 Blacksmithing* 1 250 250 Fletching* 1 250 250 Brewing* 1 250 250 Alcohol Tolerance 1 250 250 Begging 1 ? ? Jewelcrafting* 1 250 250 Pottery* 1 250 250

Styles

To use styles, type /style (or /s) and the corresponding number of the style.

Name	Level	Description
(1) Normal	1	The most basic combat style. Does not affect your combat in any way.
(2) Aggressive	1	Puts you into an aggressive stance, sacrificing avoidance for increased attack speed.
(3) Defensive	1	Puts you into a defensive stance, sacrificing attack speed for increased avoidance.
(4) Focused Blade	20	Puts you into a focused stance, increasing both attack speed and damage while consuming stamina at an accelerated rate.
(5) Focused Mind	40	Puts you into a mentally focused state, pulsing songs can not be interrupted while this is active. Consumes stamina.
(6) Nimble Dance	55	Allows you to dodge all incoming melee attacks as long as you are standing up, and as long as your stamina holds out.
(7) Will of the Maestro	65	Your mental will is hightened to extraordinary levels. Immunity to stun, mesmerize, fear and charm, as well as increased resistances as long as stamina is available.