Bard Help

[Videri]

If I were to play a bard again, I'd go 25 Stamina, 5 Strength.
• Charisma: affects duration of our charm...which lasts 18 seconds; and reduces critical lull resists, which you won't get if you're significantly higher level than the mob; so we might as well not worry about it.
• Dexterity: increases procs, which we don't rely on; reduces missed notes, which aren't a problem. If you get a missed note, you see that your song isn't starting and you push the song button again. No need for starting points to go here.
• Strength: you'll get enough from typical bard gear, especially if you collect some weight-reduction bags
• Agility: doesn't matter if you're not tanking; and isn't very effective when you are. Sad but true.
• Wisdom: irrelevant to a bard
• Intelligence: increases our mana pool which we use for 2 songs. Granted, one of them is the higher-level charm, but oom is oom. No one can charm nonstop, so mana regen is the limiting factor, not mana pool.
• Stamina: 25 points in stamina yields 100 hp at level 60. That's not jaw-dropping, but it's solid; and certainly more valuable than any of the above.

I wish you could put starting points into resists...I'd go 25 to Magic.

[zanderklocke]

Originally Posted by Videri [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

If I were to play a bard again, I'd go 25 Stamina, 5 Strength.
• Charisma: affects duration of our charm...which lasts 18 seconds; and reduces critical lull resists, which you won't get if you're significantly higher level than the mob; so we might as well not worry about it.
• Dexterity: increases procs, which we don't rely on; reduces missed notes, which aren't a problem. If you get a missed note, you see that your song isn't starting and you push the song button again. No need for starting points to go here.
• Strength: you'll get enough from typical bard gear, especially if you collect some weight-reduction bags
• Agility: doesn't matter if you're not tanking; and isn't very effective when you are. Sad but true.
• Wisdom: irrelevant to a bard
• Intelligence: increases our mana pool which we use for 2 songs. Granted, one of them is the higher-level charm, but oom is oom. No one can charm nonstop, so mana regen is the limiting factor, not mana pool.
• Stamina: 25 points in stamina yields 100 hp at level 60. That's not jaw-dropping, but it's solid; and certainly more valuable than any of the above.

I wish you could put starting points into resists...I'd go 25 to Magic.

For what it’s worth, Sta and Str will be maxed out by best in slot gear in Velious. Cha and Dex will not be.

https://wiki.project1999.com/Magelo_...Slot_(Velious)

[larper99]

So, my experiment last night:

I switched key bindings so that QWERTYUI are my spell gems, with WERT being the major ones. Now 1-6 are true actions, plus a macroed SELO just so it is always available in emergencies.

Results:
1) I will have to retrain some habits (like I is no longer inventory)
2) Double clicking is no faster than /stopsong.
3) Now, a missed note renders double-clicking more problematic than /stopsong, since continuing to double click without realizing that you are no longer singing means you continuously interrupt your own cast. So, you have to be highly aware of the state of your spell gems and single click when appropriate.

But, it is sure nice to have hotbar buttons back.

What I would really like to try is find 8 different characters that can be rearranged into various words. That way, various twists can be remembered as different words, and twisting would simply become typing. But for now, QWERTYUI works well.

Actually, I just thought of something. It uses up a precious HotBar button, but.... What if I made a macro that was ONLY /stopsong? Now the double-click/single click issue goes away. Since /stopsong is demonstrably NOT slower than double clicking, it only is left to demonstrate that a macroed /stopsong plus s single click gem is no slower than double clicking... Gotta try this.

[this user was banned]

Originally Posted by larper99 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Actually, I just thought of something. It uses up a precious HotBar button, but.... What if I made a macro that was ONLY /stopsong? Now the double-click/single click issue goes away. Since /stopsong is demonstrably NOT slower than double clicking, it only is left to demonstrate that a macroed /stopsong plus s single click gem is no slower than double clicking... Gotta try this.

This is similar to how some casters, especially enchanters, use clickies like spyglass to circumvent the spell global cool down (which bards don’t have) to cast two different spells faster like a stun then immediately start casting mez/charm instead of having to wait a couple seconds. You can make a clickie hotkey and just press the hotkey keybind to activate it right after your spell goes off, then the other spell gems are ready.

With bard or enchanter, seconds can really matter when it comes to CC at higher levels so use whatever is faster for you.

[Wallicker]

I mean if CHA is a bonus stat on a piece of gear great, gearing towards it as a main stat on a bard? Meh kinda silly especially if you get a crit resist you can easily keep 5 mobs mezzed for your group, tank stats AC/HP/Resists are far far more important. I guess if you wanted to waste precious inventory slots on a set of high Charisma gear to help you split a camp deep in a dungeon solo that would be okay. But then again when splitting a camp be smart and lull the lower lvl mobs that don’t self buff with MR first and you will pretty much never get a crit resist. Putting any of your starting stats into anything but ALL Stamina as a bard is a step away from min/max. I’d love to put 25 sta and 5str but alas bards only get 25 points so put them in stamina.

[ArunaGreen]

Originally Posted by Wallicker [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I mean if CHA is a bonus stat on a piece of gear great, gearing towards it as a main stat on a bard? Meh kinda silly especially if you get a crit resist you can easily keep 5 mobs mezzed for your group, tank stats AC/HP/Resists are far far more important. I guess if you wanted to waste precious inventory slots on a set of high Charisma gear to help you split a camp deep in a dungeon solo that would be okay. But then again when splitting a camp be smart and lull the lower lvl mobs that don’t self buff with MR first and you will pretty much never get a crit resist. Putting any of your starting stats into anything but ALL Stamina as a bard is a step away from min/max. I’d love to put 25 sta and 5str but alas bards only get 25 points so put them in stamina.

You won't be saying this when you're doing level 40+ mobs. +25 to charisma, no question about it. I never get crit resists pulling efreeti.

[Wallicker]

Originally Posted by ArunaGreen [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

You won't be saying this when you're doing level 40+ mobs. +25 to charisma, no question about it. I never get crit resists pulling efreeti.

Having leveled two bards to 60 and multiple more to 50+ and already having a 40+ bard on teal I’m happy to say I’m glad I went 25 stamina and again any bard trying to min/max shouldn’t go Charisma, so you get a crit lull on efreeti just mez the adds.

[Wallicker]

STA still maxed when you swap in SWC at arm slot and drum of the beast in primary? Also no dain ring?

[zanderklocke]

I put Dain Ring in the Magelo page’s inventory slot for the click effect, but I think the other two rings have better overall stats. I mean those are all kind of the three best rings.

Fair point on the others though. I added spirit wracked cord to arms instead of Vulak arms. While Vulak arms have better AC, overall stat additions, and resists, you get more raw HP on your character with the cords. Now, when not using Drums of the Beast, a bard is 4 stamina under the max. I guess you could carry a dragon steak in your inventory to still be at max Sta. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I think ultimately, Cha is the hardest stat to get closest to maxed out in best in slot Velious gear for a bard, for what it’s worth. Dex will be maxed via an Avatar proc with Primal weapon.

[Wallicker]

Haha yeah to get all that gear before green timeline ends would be truly impressive lol oh and don’t forget summoned cold stone everyone loves mages for that BiS ammo slot haha