Bard stats

[Gambler010]

What's the best race to be a bard wielding pole arm's?

[CrystalTears]

Best profession? What do you mean? As in skills?

[Gambler010]

Ops ..Typo ..I meant race, sorry.

[Savageheart]

You want High Dex and Agility for a pole bard. Pick one of the fast races without too much loss on strength as your swing is still going to be depended heavily on this.

I have a giant pole bard which means if I want to use a lance (you do) you're looking at a 6sec unmodified RT. Eventually with Tonis and Adv Guild Enhancements you can get that down to 3 which is death with sharp pointy teeth.

What I wouldnt do for a fix stats. Not paying 100m for one though

[mgoddess]

I'd suggest a Half-Elf or Erithian.

Half-Elves have -5 to Discipline (which will affect how many songs you can sing at a time, with mana upkeep), +10 to Agility (makes you swing things faster), +5 to Dexterity (also helps swing faster), and +5 to Influence (one of the Bard's main stats).

Erithian's have -5 to Strength (which will affect your AS), +10 to Influence, +5 to Discipline, and +5 to Logic (also used in song/mana upkeep).

Neither race has a negative/positive bonus to Aura (the other Bard main stat).

(Completely off topic: which stat (AGI or DEX) adds straight to DS?)

[Gambler010]

Thanks for all the input.

[Gambler010]

How do these stats look at level 5. I chose to roll a half-elf ...

Skills:
Skill Name | Current Current
| Bonus Ranks
Armor Use..........................| 25 5
Polearm Weapons....................| 66 14
Physical Fitness...................| 40 8
Dodging............................| 50 10
Harness Power......................| 50 10

Spell Lists
Bard...............................| 5
Training Points: 2 Phy 36 Mnt
(Use SKILLS BASE to display unmodified ranks and goals)


Stats: Normal (Bonus) ... Enhanced (Bonus)
Strength (STR): 91 (20) ... 91 (20)
Constitution (CON): 52 (1) ... 52 (1)
Dexterity (DEX): 54 (7) ... 54 (7)
Agility (AGL): 71 (20) ... 71 (20)
Discipline (DIS): 90 (15) ... 90 (15)
Aura (AUR): 91 (20) ... 91 (20)
Logic (LOG): 70 (10) ... 70 (10)
Intuition (INT): 25 (-12) ... 25 (-12)
Wisdom (WIS): 35 (-7) ... 35 (-7)
Influence (INF): 100 (30) ... 100 (30)

[Gambler010]

updated

[Savageheart]

Your going to need to train CMANs as well if you are going pole especially Charge is Invaluable and Precision with large weapon types (and ambushing) is lovely.

Also I'd recomend getting your climbing and swimming ranks out of the way early 1x per level.

I'm not sure I'd more than 1x PT but then again it's personal preference.

I would 1x Air Lore as well it's going to affect your Sonics, and Stunning Shout rather well. Here's a copy of my skills at 31 (33 now but it was from an earlier thread) I beleive spell ranks not included as they've changed much since. 1020 and 414, now moving back up the bard circle until 1035. The 5 I have in MIU is pretty much token just to wave wands, if you're actually interested in Self Buffing I'd single it for a while.

Armor Use..........................| 150 50
Combat Maneuvers...................| 126 33
Polearm Weapons....................| 164 64
Physical Fitness...................| 126 33
Dodging............................| 126 33
Magic Item Use.....................| 25 5
Harness Power......................| 126 33
Elemental Lore - Air...............| 124 32
Climbing...........................| 70 15
Swimming...........................| 25 5

[Bobmuhthol]

Isn't precision the crit type skill? You can't use it on an ambush.

[Savageheart]

Precision lets you choose damage types which are available to a weapon exclusively, Slashing Puncturing Crushing, it is my basic knowledge that this covers all strikes not criticals. With 2 ranks you set the type of damage you require. Now if it doesn't work with Ambush I apologize for the misinformation I don't currently play an ambusher I merely made the leap in logic it would be useful for it.

[CrystalTears]

Probably be better off with Trip rather than Precision if you're going to use a polearm.

[Celephais]

Formula's are a bit different on DS now, I don't think either adds directly to DS. AGI used to, but now the formula for parry, block and dodge DS use the AGI, DEX and STR stats as psuedo ranks of the skill.

[Savageheart]

Probably be better off with Trip rather than Precision if you're going to use a polearm.

I can't really agree here I've tried both, and trip while handy is about as effective as charge and I don't see need to have both skills ready.

I've attempted both at like level with 4 ranks and the success factor seems similar save that trip works from defensive a bit better.

Howver with a bards ability to lay most things down without even swinging the point becomes moot 1005 is just too cheap and easy.

Where as with precision and a lance I can select the damage type which is most devestating to armor types and avoid any creature immunities. It has been lethal.

For pole users without lullabye I'd be more inclined to agree with you, but for utilities sake it works better than either charge or trip. At this point charge isn't something I even regularly use unless I'm downhunting for cash or bored.

[Celephais]

Where as with precision and a lance I can select the damage type which is most devestating to armor types and avoid any creature immunities. It has been lethal.
Damage types do not become more or less devastating against different armor types, unless they have the special padding. Against monsters really the only thing you can do is avoid creature immunities and exploit crit tables, but that's not armor dependant.

[Savageheart]

Hmm, I was under the impression that chain and plate were more prone to puncture and crushing damage respectively and less to slashing where as leather and scale the inverse was true. Was this a former mechanic, or am I just completely off base?

But the notion was an old one in either event, it may be a religious matter but I know I am more successful on certain mobs with punturing and others with crushing and I tend to roll between the two. Again, sorry for the misinformation. That being said having solely puncture damage on most things does make for exceptional hits. (edited before I get slapped again)

[Anebriated]

Precision also helps if you are fighting undead that cant be punctured. Switch the lance to crush.

[Bobmuhthol]

<<I was under the impression that chain and plate were more prone to puncture and crushing damage respectively and less to slashing where as leather and scale the inverse was true.>>

I don't think that ever happened. That's all determined by damage factor, which is specific to each weapon as opposed to crit type.

[Celephais]

I don't think that ever happened. That's all determined by damage factor, which is specific to each weapon as opposed to crit type.

Right, weapons that would logically perform better against certain armors (say puncture against chain) have this refected in their AvD and DF, so even if you precision to blunt it won't change the AvD or DF, just your crit table.

Immunities and crit tables are the only -against creatures- reasons for precision (if you're fighting a person who you know to be wearing a "slash vulnerable" armor for example, is another reason)

[Donquix]

precession does not work on ambush.

[Savageheart]

damn shame.

Well hell if I've accomplished anything here its plainly what assumptions NOT to make! Good bit of input here, thanks folks!