Hmm part of the problem is you're fighting mobs that DoT you. Kind of a
dissadvantage there because your heal song can't quite keep pace with full
poison *yet*. Against standard monsters that don't have a DOT effect
(poison) you will fare much better because you will actually heal during the
fight (rather than just holding your own against the poison, let alone the
dmg the nasty is doing).
Try it against a young kodiak or a sand scarab in NRO and see how they
compare. I found that at 12th (when we get bellow) the all instrument
attack started to be a little better than weapons especially in groups as
the tank wouldn't take much damage at all, if any.
Fighting mobs that DoT is like fighting a mob that is 2 cons higher than
normal. IE: A white is as hard as a deep yellow *(almost red)* con. A
blue can be as hard as a white. I didn't mess with asps until 12th when I
had the option to run away and blast them for a bit with bellow if I needed
to.
Good luck! And get that Hand to Hand skill up :) You will find that once
you get it up where your weapons skill is you have a much easier time of it.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Webber, Jessica" <webber@...>
To: <eqbards@egroups.com>; <tunare@egroups.com>; "'Sisterhood'"
<sisterhood@...>
Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2000 9:11 AM
Subject: [eqbards] ...but it's still easier than playing a rogue
> Greetings all!
>
> I tried my first all-instrument attack last night. I was battling blues
in
> the Southeast corner of West Commons and the Southwest corner of East
> Commons. First I tried a giant spider in WC. It took me down to two
> bubbles, but I won. And I got hand to hand up to 3! Woohoo! So I tried
> another spider, which also took me down to two bubbles, and got hand to
hand
> up to 4. Then a ghoul showed up so I moved to EC and attacked an asp.
> Well, an "asp" got whooped alright, but it wasn't the snake.
>
> LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...
>
> So I retrieve my corpse and try another asp. I show my wisdom by zoning
> before I die, but display my lack of intelligence by not leaving myself
> enough HPs to survive the poison. I loose consciousness the minute I hit
> WC, never getting Hymn started.
>
> DONG! You have lost a level! Welcome back to level 10, dummy!
> LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...
>
> So I retrieve my corpse and ditch the instruments in favor of my FS 1H
> slasher and kite shield (don't I feel twinked <g>) and look for some more
> spiders. I attack one and another joins in. I swear this is the first
time
> I've ever seen a giant spider assist another. I mean I know spiders are
> like that, but I've just never seen it happen. I've also never noticed
> spiders stunning me before. I just BARELY make the zone.
>
> Back on the EC side I try my luck with another asp. Wicked close, this
> battle. I loose consciousness twice, but survive. I search for another
> snake but instead find a lesser mummy. So I head back to WC.
>
> An asp is there waiting for me. I fair better with this one. It's still
a
> close call, but I don't loose consciousness.
>
> DING! You have gained a level! Welcome back to level 11! Be more
careful
> this time, silly!
>
> More careful? Me? Heh. It occurs to me that if I can get my H to H
skill
> (currently at 5) up to where my 1H slash skill is (57) that I might just
be
> able to kick some asp. WC is empty, so I zone back to EC and find another
> serpent. The battle commences but is not looking promising. So I ditch
the
> lute mid-battle. Victory! Woohoo! I find another asp. I reequip my
lute
> and this time don't stop playing until about 2/3 of the way through the
> battle. Victory! Woohoo! I find another asp. I reequip my lute and
this
> time stop playing the moment I switched to 3rd person view and discover
I've
> actually found a nest of asps. Run away! Woohoo! I equip my drum and
get
> my asp out of there.
>
> Back in WC I spy a spider creeping along. I reequip my lute and this time
> don't stop playing until...
>
> LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...
>
> Back in Freeport a guildmate accuses me of hanging out at the tavern
> drinking. Why anyone would assume I'm at a tavern just because they keep
> seeing me in Freeport is beyond me. But anyway, I run back to WC and
> reequip my lute just long enough to bonk myself on the head with it, then
I
> put it away in favor of more conventional weaponry.
>
> Another dead spider, another dead asp. Things are looking up. So I start
> thinking about that hand to hand skill again, wondering how much damage I
> *could* be doing. Well...
>
> Little miss bard
> did her shield discard
> and picked up her lute to play
> along came a spider
> with poison insider her
> saying "Minstrel, this isn't your day"
>
> LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...
>
> I retrieve my corpse and equip my drum. This time I don't stop playing
> until I reach the tavern.
>
> Peace
> Evulia, bard of 11 missed notes, Tunare
>
>
>
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