GoS and Pure Bard Build

[Fortybox]

I was wondering if there were any GoS pure bards out there? If I decided to go the pure bard build, could I still stay in GoS and be viable? I assume that I will have to rely heavily on 1013.

To make 1013 work, do I have to collect a bunch of blue crystals and crystal wands or do other items work as well?

Also, I noticed that a lot of the pure bard builds do not have dodge ranks in them. Is there a point where I will eventually need dodge or is it possible to have no training in dodge and still be viable at the higher levels?

Thanks for any advice, I appreciate it!

[Drevihyin]

I'm sure one of the actual pure trained bards can give you the warm and fuzzy your looking for but its no secret that bards in general can excel in GOS.

[AMUSED1]

It is possible to be extremely viable with no dodge training at cap. I didn't start training in dodge until level 95 and had 20 ranks by cap. And I've only gained 10 ranks of it since capping.

I don't even use 1013. Never needed it at all when hunting up. The best idea, imo, is to start doubling in harness power in your 40s. You should be fully 2x before you hit the low 60s, and stay 2x until cap. After you hit fully 2x start bringin PF up to 2x and stay 2x until cap. I hit fully 2x in PF around the low to mid 80s.

[DarkSorc]

I have no dodge ranks at cap and I do fine with a tower shield that acts like a buckler b/c of air lore, and I hunt with 1035 up and song of mirrors. Im x2 shield/x1 brawl. I use 1013 on sirens in Nelemar all the time and get 200-250 mana a pop from them. I hardly ever use sign of wracking and im only x1 in HP. You can pretty much not fuck a bard up ... honestly..... or at least its REALLY hard. GoS is totally possible for pure bards.

[Lumi]

It is possible to be extremely viable with no dodge training at cap. I didn't start training in dodge until level 95 and had 20 ranks by cap. And I've only gained 10 ranks of it since capping.

Agreed. I had 5 ranks of dodging thanks to an enhancive before I capped, that was it.


I don't even use 1013. Never needed it at all when hunting up. The best idea, imo, is to start doubling in harness power in your 40s. You should be fully 2x before you hit the low 60s, and stay 2x until cap. After you hit fully 2x start bringin PF up to 2x and stay 2x until cap. I hit fully 2x in PF around the low to mid 80s.

This, however...seems really dumb to me. 2x HP is a huge waste of TPs when you can actually USE 1013 and solve all your mana problems. Especially if you're also using 1018.

Re: 1013 and magic items...unfortunately, blue and crystal wands really are the only things worth unraveling.




I have no dodge ranks at cap and I do fine with a tower shield that acts like a buckler b/c of air lore, and I hunt with 1035 up and song of mirrors. Im x2 shield/x1 brawl. I use 1013 on sirens in Nelemar all the time and get 200-250 mana a pop from them.

Pretty much this.

I'm working my way up to .5x dodging, not sure what'll do from there, but I had none until cap, and I used a big-ass tower shield with air lore for the best of both worlds (especially with 2x shield, which I switched to about a month ago and am loving).

Also worth pointing out is that Gnimble is in GoS, and he's the highest-exp pure bard in the game. He's too far post-cap to use as a proof of concept for anything, but he is in GoS and seems to do just fine there.

[DarkSorc]

One thing that helps with mana consumption also is opening with 1002. Best case is it crit kills, worst case you destroy the critter's weapon. Also if you use lich 1018 and manasong are your friend.

[AMUSED1]

Agreed. I had 5 ranks of dodging thanks to an enhancive before I capped, that was it.



This, however...seems really dumb to me. 2x HP is a huge waste of TPs when you can actually USE 1013 and solve all your mana problems. Especially if you're also using 1018.

Re: 1013 and magic items...unfortunately, blue and crystal wands really are the only things worth unraveling.





Pretty much this.

I'm working my way up to .5x dodging, not sure what'll do from there, but I had none until cap, and I used a big-ass tower shield with air lore for the best of both worlds (especially with 2x shield, which I switched to about a month ago and am loving).

Also worth pointing out is that Gnimble is in GoS, and he's the highest-exp pure bard in the game. He's too far post-cap to use as a proof of concept for anything, but he is in GoS and seems to do just fine there.

I'd rather lay down in a warcamp with 1018 up and getting back a ton of mana from 2x HP than spend time trying to pull out wands and blue crystals to use 1013 on them while in the warcamp. So it is extremely useful and definitely not dumb, from my experiences. It is very very very worth the TP's.

It also saves you silvers when you could have sold those wands or blue crystals to the pawnshop instead. With just a few max mana enhancives I'm sitting at 430 max mana. That allows for a LONG time of not having to leave a warcamp to help raze it faster and move on to the next one.

[Fortybox]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I really appreciate it.

[Drew]

GoS doesn't gimp mana anyway. It may seem that way from the outside.

[Lumi]

GoS doesn't gimp mana anyway. It may seem that way from the outside.

My thoughts exactly. With Sigil and Song of Power, I doubt you even need 2x HP OR 1013 in a camp. How long does it take to fry in a warcamp anyway? Not long.

[Danical]

You shouldn't need 2x HP. Hell, you should fry before a single mana pulse with 1030 and grimswarm.

[Lumi]

Was wondering when you'd show up ;)

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more it seems like a GoS bard is the LEAST likely to need 2x HP. With warcamps, you're guaranteed swarms whenever you want them, which is where 1030 shines the most.

2x HP is just so many TPs...think of what else you could afford if you weren't dropping 0/10 every level for 1 extra mana?

[AMUSED1]

I'm not interested in just "merely frying" if I'm going into warcamp with my bard. I'm there to stay as long as possible and take out as many grim as possible before leaving so the camp can be razed faster.

[Lumi]

I'm not interested in just "merely frying" if I'm going into warcamp with my bard. I'm there to stay as long as possible and take out as many grim as possible before leaving so the camp can be razed faster.

I can see the logic in this strategy, but I still can't bring myself to justify the expenditure of 1010 MTPs for an extra 101 mana when I could spend a few seconds between waves recovering that much from one wand.

To each his own.

[Taluric]

1x weapon, 2x shield and no dodge (which I'm a pretty big advocate of) at 68th train.

A grizzled Grimswarm troll soldier swings a twohanded sword at you!
AS: +350 vs DS: +442 with AvD: +40 + d100 roll: +39 = -13
A clean miss.

xxx gestures at you.
xxx hurls a roaring ball of fire at you!
AS: +183 vs DS: +447 with AvD: +37 + d100 roll: +16 = -211
A clean miss.

Thats completely self spelled without even using a statue and forgetting sigil of defense. I don't see myself having any problems any time soon.

I wont touch on the 2x HP question except to say that I don't personally do it... though I can most certainly see the draw.

Tal.

[DarkSorc]

I just today dropped COL for GoS, I will post here on how it goes and whanot. I am a capped bard.

[DarkSorc]

well 2 deaths, 1 razed camp and a bunch of tasks later Im about to be 5 and Im loving it, don't really know if my x1 pf will be enough b/c I hardly have any sigils, but def enjoying it! open cast 1030 makes this super easy btw even with the shroud.

[DarkSorc]

4 solo razed warcamps and rank 10. Going strong!

[Silvanostar]

don't forget if you're going with a pure build before 45, make sure to master an instrument type

[Lumi]

don't forget if you're going with a pure build before 45, make sure to master an instrument type

He's capped, so no need for the instrument on 1030.

Not that one shouldn't master it anyway. We're bards, jeebus! ;)

[Fortybox]

Yeah I am in the process of mastering a mandolin, journeyman rank so far. I'm curious though, at what level should one consider making the switch?

[Lumi]

Yeah I am in the process of mastering a mandolin, journeyman rank so far. I'm curious though, at what level should one consider making the switch?

If you mean the physical-->pure bard switch, I'd say somewhere around 35-40 is good.

[Anebriated]

can somebody explain to me the adept bonus a bard gets? instrument must be in hand while casting right? do you have to be playing said instrument or can you just whip it out for the cast?

Trying to hunt my bard as a pure for the first time and just trying to get it right. Currently is 49 and has 50 ranks of manip.. Adept in a few instrument types.

[Anebriated]

Also whats the deal with open casting 1030 in a warcamp? arent there negative effects for mass spells?


And does a bard have to train in the regular amount of armor skill to wear the sung armor?

Also is there a major difference between 50 and 100 brawling with a shield?

[Drevihyin]

Open casting 1030 does have a negative effect on the magical shroud but still is very effective if you don't push it over the edge. Even on occasion when that happens the shroud will normally only stun you lightly (shout 1040) or dispel.

Instrument has to be played and I would venture to say all pure build bards have enough manipulation ranks that make this is a mute point.

Mental Lore, Manipulation (http://forum.gsplayers.com/wiki/Mental_Lore,_Manipulation): Once 15 ranks are achieved then the Bard is able to sing a focused version of the spell on a single opponent (http://forum.gsplayers.com/wiki/Creature), paying only half the mana cost (15 for the initial cast, 10 for each renewal).
Additional training in this lore makes it possible to gain the benefits that are normally restricted to singing it along with playing an instrument.
Once 60 ranks are achieved, the Bard will be able to sing the multi-target version of the SpellSong as if also playing a two-hand instrument that the Bard has mastered.
At 75 ranks, the single-target version is at the power of a Bard accompanied by a mastered two-handed instrument. (Since the first 15 ranks give the ability to single-target, the ranks available to contribute additional damage always lag behind by 15.)
A Bard who has 60 ranks (or 75 ranks when casting at a single target) gains NO additional benefit by playing an instrument. Phrased the opposite direction, a Bard who uses a (Mastered) instrument has no need for any ranks of Mental Lore, Manipulation skill (other than the 15 ranks to enable single-target capability).The two bonuses are additive only to a maximum equivalent to mastery of a two-hand instrument. The majority of my deaths in warcamps are from being manuevered while holding an instrument in hand (sword and board).

http://www.krakiipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_Armor_(1014)

[Drunken Durfin]

You weave another verse into your harmony, directing the sound of your voice at a white crystal.
Faintly visible threads of mana begin to unravel themselves from the white crystal and wind towards you.
You gain 1 mana!
The crystal begins to shake violently and disintegrates into a thousand tiny particles of dust!
The faint tendrils quickly dissipate.
Sing Roundtime 3 Seconds.

No Lore FTL.

[Anebriated]

You weave another verse into your harmony, directing the sound of your voice at a white crystal.
Faintly visible threads of mana begin to unravel themselves from the white crystal and wind towards you.
You gain 1 mana!
The crystal begins to shake violently and disintegrates into a thousand tiny particles of dust!
The faint tendrils quickly dissipate.
Sing Roundtime 3 Seconds.

No Lore FTL.

which lore affects the mana returned? I routinely get between 5 and 21 mana which more often than not doesnt even make up for the cost of the spell.

[Lumi]

You weave another verse into your harmony, directing the sound of your voice at a white crystal.
Faintly visible threads of mana begin to unravel themselves from the white crystal and wind towards you.
You gain 1 mana!
The crystal begins to shake violently and disintegrates into a thousand tiny particles of dust!
The faint tendrils quickly dissipate.
Sing Roundtime 3 Seconds.

No Lore FTL.


which lore affects the mana returned? I routinely get between 5 and 21 mana which more often than not doesnt even make up for the cost of the spell.

It's not lore, it's Mental Mana Control. 24 ranks is supposed to maximize the returns.

Also, white crystals 1) rarely have more than 1 charge, and 2) aren't holding that much mana per charge in any case.

The only two items really worth unraveling are slender blue wands and crystal wands. Everything else is a waste of mana, but those two are great.