Interesting thoughts, and I can usually be found in the thick of the
action waving away with my weapons, hitting every few seconds and
tickling the bad thing to distract it at least.
Recently, I've been twisting a combination of Beserkers (haste etc),
Psalm of warmth/cooling (dmg shield), sometimes mana, sometimes chant
of flame (frost seems to be easily resisted I've found), and sometimes
toss in either a guardian rhythms (magic resist and AC) or a mystic
shield (MR, depending on what we're fighting).
All of the above add to the damage I am contributing, if you like.
But I'd be interested to hear at what point do you consider swapping
those weapons back into your belt, and bringing out the instruments.
The above combo really only takes 2 instruments. I tried recently
adding in Niv's with an instrument, but that takes it to 3 and can
quickly wear me down. And I'm still experimenting with Nivs since
I've just got it anyway.
With an enchanter in the group, I wasn't convinced that my beserkers
haste effect and the chant boosted through instrument were enough to
make me give up the weapons, but it was a close call and probably
depends on other group members.
When enemy casters came to call, I got out the drum and with guardian
and mystic took MR up by over 100 points, that one was easy, and they
could barely touch us. Mostly stunned anyway!
Anyway, just curious.
On Sun, 9 Jul 2000 12:11:37 -0400 , "Garramone, Michael (CCI-Las
Vegas)" <
garramone@...> wrote:
>ok i agree with this entire thread regarding songs vs melee in regards to
>damage, i know how our songs work after 56 levels (riposte is at 57 by the
>way). however, i do melee pretty much 100% of the time, and i completely
>disagree with the exaggeration of how close we are in melee ability to
>casters.
>
>"barely a notch above shaman and druids"
>"not far beyond those of some of the "pure" casters"
>"pathetic"
>"horrendously behind the power curve"
>"pretty much the same [as casters]"
>
>ok we're going too far here. no bards are not tanks, we don't have near the
>defensive or offensive capabilities of the melee classes or hybrids, but we
>are not nearly as close to the priests (you keep saying pure casters, i
>assume you mean priests only, if you think we are close to the pure casters
>in melee ability i would be speechless). sure i would say we are somewhere
>in between. if you want to do damage as a bard at high levels, as opposed
>to group buffing, you are going to be using weapons. you are not going to
>be using our AoE damage songs in dungeons. z-axis fixed or not (i say it's
>still not), you do not want multiple mobs on you, let alone if you have an
>enchanter in your group. the 3 chants are nice until they are resisted too
>much, as well as the fact that you are not doing anything else for the group
>when you are weaving these 3 songs (i'd say most of us can not weave more
>than 3 songs).
>
>i am not singing damage songs, i am helping my group. i am giving them
>haste, mana, charming, resists, etc. in every fight. do songs outdamage our
>weapons? yes. can you use them to be the most effective bard? no. what
>are you left with if you feel the need to do damage? your weapons. sure i
>have some good stuff (RBB+VoV with a breath of harmony and symphonic saber)
>but even on average you are telling me i am barely out-meleeing a priest
>against a mob? or for that matter, that if i stand up to a priest with no
>songs for me and no spells for them, i can't out-melee him? put a bad ass
>2h weapon into a priest's hands, and hear them miss after miss. put 2 fast
>high-ratio weapons into a bard's hands and i think you see more than a
>slight difference. no i did not say we are tanks, not even remotely close.
>i am saying we are better at melee than you think, or at least a bit better
>than you think we are compared to priests.
>
>Shada Powa, L56 Wood Elf Troubador
><Afterlife> Mithaniel Marr
>
--
Melaniel, Wood Elf Bard (47)
<Ginnunga>
...expert bard, novice brewer, hardened drinker and terrific flirt
Mith Marr server