Couldn't agree more with Jeff.
The point of being a bard isn't to be a tank or a damage dealer (though in
some situations we can do an adequate job of dealing dmg). Our *primary*
role is as a "Downtime Reducer". We reduce downtime with Regen, Magic
Reists, Mana regen, and our ability to haste, crowd control, charm, etc can
all also be looked at as ways of reducing downtime.
We aren't in a group to add to the dmg directly. We add in far more subtle
ways. :)
Sometimes you just have to grit yer teeth and sing only manasong or wind up
gettin everyone axed. Sometimes you nod to the guy who's better at things
and just try to enhance what he's doing and/or work on another area (snares,
dmg shields, you name it.) It isn't like we lack variety in our powers.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeffrey Sue" <jsue@...>
To: <eqbards@egroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2000 7:11 PM
Subject: RE: [eqbards] grouping thread on the Everquest boards
> At 01:53 PM 6/28/00 -0600, you wrote:
> >Only problem is I don't have Clarity, or Psalm of Cooling, or Dennon's
> >Dissention.
> >
> >That would leave me twisting Chant of Battle and Hymn with resists and
the
> >odd Pixie Strike.
>
> you can do damage shield too.
>
> >My weapon damage is laughable. Even with a Harpoon of the Depths and an
> >Obsidian Shard, with the low taunt songs I'm twisting, a ranger 5 levels
> >below me got the mobs attention twice as much as I did. The only times I
> >was the target of choice was when I pulled or had to charm a mob off
> >someone. Even with our high taunt factor, the songs I was singing
weren't
> >effective enough to warrant more attention from the mobs.
>
> umm, i always thought it was a good thing when i didn't get attention from
the mobs.
>
> >I'm sure when I have manasong I'll have another option for twisting but
> >without being able to use my hard hitting songs I won't be an offensive
> >force when the 'chanter is around until I have three Chants.
>
> you don't need to be an offensive force to contribute to the group.
>
> >It's not in my nature to be solely a defensive presence, and I'm not sure
I
> >have the tools to do that job anyhow except vs. casters.
>
> well, that is a large part of a bard's nature. at level 51, i am almost
purely
> a defensive presence with 2 heal songs and Verses of Victory and the
occasional
> crowd control
>
>
> >What are good defensive tools against melee mobs? The Damage shields
seem
> >weak considering we are fighting 1 mob 90% of the time.
> >
> > Kit
>
>
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