I would get HTH increases all the time with intruments equiped. Besure you
are fighting non-greens (as the chance of getting a skill increase against
greens is very, very small). Also in my experience HTH raise very slowly.
Mine is currently in 90's

Rokenn Swiftsong - Karana server
Master Craftsmen of Societus Argenti

>From: Christopher Mills <xopher@...>
>Reply-To: eqbards@onelist.com
>To: eqbards@onelist.com
>Subject: [eqbards] Hand to Hand
>Date: Sat, 04 Sep 1999 10:10:57 -0700
>
>From: Christopher Mills <xopher@...>
>
>
>The other night a crazy Barbarian friend of mine suggests we try working on
>our hand-to-hand skills against the reavers. Sure, I say, let me learn
>a few appropriate songs (Chords, etc) and I'll equip the Lute.
>
>We do pretty well at reavers, but I notice my hand-to-hand skill never
>moves.
>Eventually we get into a bad situation (or more correctly, a bad situation
>is delivered to us by another player) and I switch over to Longsword and
>Dirk.
>Immediatly I start getting skill-ups in Offense, Dual Wield, etc (I had
>just
>recently made 19th and spent the session before making the cross-country
>run
>to get Clouding).
>
>So it seems that you don't get any chance to increase your skills (hand-to-
>hand or any other offensive skills) when using the Lute. As far as I could
>tell, you don't increase in Dodge or Defense either...
>
>After realizing that I switched over to pure hand-to-hand, thinking that
>the
>Lute was the problem. I still didn't notice any skill-ups, but I didn't
>fight very long this way before giving up (without the Lute it was hard to
>take down the reavers). Perhaps I didn't see any skill-ups because my
>hand-
>to-hand skill is pathetically low to begin with?
>
>Anyone with more experience in the support-bard role have any tips for a
>battle-bard? I was pretty impressed at how effective I am at higher levels
>with just songs...
>
>- Luvas of Fennin Ro.
>