Returning Bard needs help

[Yurp]

So i have been talking with Dhavren in game and he has been very helpful with helping me set up my build. Before I pull the trigger and use my FIXSKILLS I want to get more opinions. I left right after GS4 came out so i cant mess with my stats so I hope these are good enough.

My goal with my bard is to get levels right now. Once I have more trainings underneath me I think I may switch gears. That being said, I am looking for the best leveling build.

Name: Logam Shraney Race: Elf Profession: Bard (shown as: Fingerpicker)
Gender: Male Age: 250 Expr: 382232 Level: 18
Normal (Bonus) .
Strength (STR):........93 (21)
Constitution (CON):...56 (3)
Dexterity (DEX):.......79 (19)
Agility (AGI):............86 (33)
Discipline (DIS):........69 (-6)
Aura (AUR):.............93 (26)
Logic (LOG):............49 (0)
Intuition (INT):........39 (-5)
Wisdom (WIS):........72 (11)
Influence (INF):.......90 (30)
Mana: 67 Silver: not enough

My training plan is this


Armor Use...........................|20
Combat Maneuvers...............|20
Polearm Weapons.................|40
Physical Fitness...................|20
Dodging..............................|20
Harness Power.....................|20
Elemental Lore - Air...............|12
Mental Lore - Telepathy.........|12
Climbing..............................|10

Spell Lists
Minor Elemental.....................|2

Spell Lists
Bard..................................|18

What are your thoughts and opinions?

[Dhuul2]

It's a good plan. I can really only suggest a few changes. One is to keep your HP ranks to your level. Beyond that just nets you 1 mana per rank, not really worth the MTPs.

Another thing you might want to consider is to put your points for lore all into Telepathy right now and forget Air Lore for a while, at least until 25 ranks or so. That gets you 50 seconds extra renewal time with your bard songs and +5 extra AS with 1007.

[Suppressed Poet]

Spot on with what Dhuul2 said.

Drop HP ranks to level.

Since you swing polearms, air lore is ok but not nearly as important as if you were using a one hander and a shield. I would put those into telepathy and make that 1x for the longer renewals and benefit to 1007.

Try to get into brig as soon as you can (30 ranks in armor). Eventually you will want to train into chain armor (60 ranks for augmented chain with minimum bard hindrance and to train of MAN penalty).

I would throw any extra points into either more physical fitness ranks or pickup some MOC. Also, throw in some perception ranks. It is used for many things. I aim for about .5X

[Tenlaar]

Solid build, and the other guys' advice is worth taking too. I believe you are only 1 agidex from a 5 second lance swing, so as soon as you get one more bonus there you will start wrecking things for a long time.

I also wanted expound on lores a bit and suggest that you might be best served by going with just 1x telepathy lore at least until the level 50-75 range. Even if you switched to 1x air and stayed with it, you would only be getting about a 15-25% chance for an extra flare for the TPs for a long time. Not nearly as much or as helpful as telepathy's benefits. Once you get into the higher levels your base song duration will be higher and you will start having the mana to run 1035 more, so the combination of more swings + more flares + more dodge ranks becomes more attractive than no longer needed bonus AS or not as needed renewal time, though I don't like the hit to 1040's effectiveness. For a melee build I think 75/26 air/telepathy at cap is the way to go.

[DaCapn]

Overall I think you're in fine shape. Personally, I only trained 0.5x dodge. Song of mirrors is right around the corner, also.


I also wanted expound on lores a bit and suggest that you might be best served by going with just 1x telepathy lore at least until the level 50-75 range. Even if you switched to 1x air and stayed with it, you would only be getting about a 15-25% chance for an extra flare for the TPs for a long time. Not nearly as much or as helpful as telepathy's benefits. Once you get into the higher levels your base song duration will be higher and you will start having the mana to run 1035 more, so the combination of more swings + more flares + more dodge ranks becomes more attractive than no longer needed bonus AS or not as needed renewal time, though I don't like the hit to 1040's effectiveness. For a melee build I think 75/26 air/telepathy at cap is the way to go.

Air lores are elemental and telepathy lores are mental. You can 1x both.


Try to get into brig as soon as you can (30 ranks in armor). Eventually you will want to train into chain armor (60 ranks for augmented chain with minimum bard hindrance and to train of MAN penalty).

I always discourage full-coverage armor for bards (even as intermediate armor). I'd advise to train to studded leather, wear that until you have the points to jump into double chain or chain shirt (50 ranks). I never trained more than 5-10 ranks over 1x in AU. Right now I have 60 ranks and I sing chain shirt if I'm expecting to use 410 and sing aug chain otherwise.

[Tenlaar]

I know that you can 1x both, but I doubt a polearm build is going to be spending that many TPs on lores until much later, if not post-cap. And it's not really worth it until so far beyond level 18 that he'll have another fixskills to use if he decides he wants it. If you're only 1xing lores, 75/26 is the optimal split.

[Yurp]

You guys have all been a great help. I went ahead and made a new build. I have yet to use the fixskills. If you could give me one more critique that would be awesome.


Level 18

Armor Use...........................|20
Combat Maneuvers...............|20
Polearm Weapons.................|40
Multi Opponent Combat.........|3
Physical Fitness...................|20
Dodging..............................|20
Harness Power.....................|18
Mental Lore - Telepathy........|20
Perception..........................|10
Climbing..............................|10

Spell Lists
Minor Elemental....................|1

Spell Lists
Bard...................................|18

[Tenlaar]

Solid build. Keep going on that path and you will do fine.

(35 ranks MOC would be a good place to invest your spare TPs.)