> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 13 May 1999 22:05:24 -0500
> From: Snicker <snicker@...>
> Subject: Bards and Invisibility (and other spells)
>
> >From discussions on other lists, and my own experiences, I have
discovered
> the following things:
> 1) Bard songs will cause creatures to see through invisibility, sometimes
> even cancel it.
> 2) Bard songs will bring someone out of hiding if they are in your group.
> 3) Bard songs can break root and whirl spells - even if you aren't using
> offensive ones.
>
> In other words - Bard songs are major conflictors with other spell effects
> in the game.
>
>
>
> Talies on Bristlebane
> http://amtgard.pinkpig.com/bards/eqbard.htm
>
I can confirm this one. Also, bard songs have some special "Side Effects" at
times.
Some of these can be useful, some can be lethal. For example:
Invisibility - Having it cast on you while you are already playing a song
makes you SEEM
to be invisible. However, song effects are still visible
to both PCs and monsters.
I recently saw an "invisible" bard playing Hymn of
Restoration attempt to walk thru
an Orc Legionaire encampment. The walk back to recover
his corpse was much
longer than the walk through the camp. Everything in the
camp attacked him the
instant he walked in. He remained invisible thru the
moment when he switched songs
to attempt the Accelerando to escape.
Root - While playing the Accelerando, root and similar spells that generate
the "BOOT" icon will
have no effect on you. However I DID manage to get a cumulative
effect from SoW in
a situation where I was low on stamina and already playing the
Accelerando. SoW sped
me to aproximately the speed I would have were I not low on
stamina and still playing the
Accelerando.
Swimming - While playing the Accelerando and swimming you do not lose
stamina and do appear
to actually swim faster. For a laugh, equip your drum
and play the Accelerando while
swimming. The animation with the drum is a standing
one, and is played even when
swimming, so that you can appear to actually "Walk on
Water" #)
Encumbered - If you are playing any of the strength enhancing songs, be
careful that you pay attention
to your NORMAL encumbrance level as well as the one
you have with the song. If you can
carry 80 without the song, and 90 with the song,
you don't want to be carrying 85 lbs of
equipment and have to flee from a combat since, if
you are stunned or you switch to the
Accelerando to escape you instantly become
encumbered and may no longer be able to
run away, even with the Accelerando playing.
Chasing - If you have that monster nearly killed and can't quite catch him
to kill him, occasionally Kelin's
Lugubrious Lament will cause a fleeing monster to stop.
This only works until you actually hit
the creature, and it will not work on a monster that has
ceased to flee and has turned to charge
you again.
>
> Almost all classes have a cap of 94 in Hand to Hand, monks being the
> exception.
>
> Using an instrument in lieu of a weapon in combat at later levels is like,
> well, cutting off your hand. There's times when it's useful, but for the
> most part, you're better off taking advantage of the fact that you hit
well,
> and hard, with 1h weapons, and can dual wield. If you wish to play a
nearly
> passive support bard, I wish you luck. While your songs are a great aid
to
> the party, most would prefer you loan your blade skills as well.
>
Actually, I have found at least ONE circumstance where playing an instrument
in combat is more useful than using a weapon.
TRAIN CONTROL
When a hoarde of monsters has been dragged into an area by some poor fool,
playing an area effect damage song with its accompanying instrument while
having a couple of allies run interference for you can be a good way to
eliminate a train that would otherwise be difficult to slay.
While your allies block some of the monsters direct attention on you, you
can damage the entire train. Once the train has taken significant damage
it's time to switch to a weapon and begin to pick them off one by one. At
the very least this method can keep a large number of fleeing
people from getting killed. If you are in a narrow spot and EVERYTHING is
mad at you, only SOME of them can get to you, giving others a chance to
escape. I recently did this in BlackBurrow and then when everyone had fled,
Jumped and hopped my way across the shoulders of more than 20 gnolls in
order to escape. I wish I'd gotten a screenshot of that one. #(