That's the thing though, as a bard you ONLY get in groups based on how cool you look, right guys? :)

The basic armor textures are kinda "meh". Consider tossing in the Velious textures early.

http://www.project1999.org/forums/sh...0&postcount=16

The second download option is the one with the killer tizmak graphics applied to all leather, et. I use it with no regrets.

Another option is to skip bronze entirely, and go for fine plate. Grab full banded initially, with some exceptions for high AC / common junk drop replacements, like Lumberjack's Cap, Thick Leather Apron or Straw Spun Belt, etc. Sometime in your late teens or whatever, head to zones to skill up tailoring to where patchwork is maxed out and making leather paddings is trivial. Then hunt the crap and make your own leather paddings.

The goal then is to gather materials and make a deal for a smith to make you Fineplate pieces at a discount (since you did a lot of gathering on your own). Again, weigh the options of fineplate price vs. common plate quality drop items that sell at a common low price.

Bronze is neat, but the weight vs. AC gain is pretty crappy. I'd skip it entirely if I could.

i remember outfitting my guy w/ bronze by just buying the pieces off of vendors. i forgot which exactly had them, but some gypsies in oasis do, the dark elves in south ro usually have a piece or two, and the armorer in north or east freeport has some.

as far as i know they're only like 3pp per piece or less when you buy them from vendors (memory may be fuzzy though)

east commonlands innkeepers will sometimes have a piece when people hunting in DL come back to sell their crap. i'd run around that whole region of antonica and check vendors

I have nearly an entire set of Blackened Iron armor from that goblin dungeon from mucking around the other day. It's only missing the hat (which is what I wanted) and the sleeves but you can have the rest of it for free if you want. It's like banded only it's BLACK so it looks bitchin! Send me a PM on here if you want. :)

If solb is a good place for it, try the druid vendor at the druid rings in lavastorm id assume you might get lucky?

kill nybrights, buy lambent

I see Bronze gear a lot at the Druid Ring Vendors.