Bards, Worth it?

Rocko

Hi, I returned about a month ago.  I read on stratics there was something (the post was in 2021) about a "bard nerf".  I have not been able to find much substantial on that.

My question: if you play a bard, what is your favorite template?  Maybe the first question should be: is it worth the effort to build one? 

Petra_Fyde

I love my bard, 4 x 120 bard skills, Magery & Medi, all real 120 skill.
with 30MR in addition she's welcome in any party for a guild hunt, she can solo the mini champs in the abyss and she can take on the Minions of Scelestus which my tamer can't handle. 
When tackling an orc beacon her discord mastery, tribulation, can increase the damage done by the ship's cannon on the lighthouse by a very significant amount. 

Grimbeard

Bards are still very viable as support characters however they were once kings then greater dragons and most new monsters showed up with 160 barding difficulties yet bards themselves received no attention...

Urge

I've always been one of the biggest cheerleaders for the disco tamer temp. 

Disco ranged characters work well in single boss situations. 

A Provo disco tamer can clear every paragon cu with ease and a little time if you're into cu power taming. 

I haven't been much on peacemaking since they added the timer and where damage breaks peace. 

Grimbeard

If they'd fix the bug with mystic aoe spells not working on provoked creatures I'd still be a mystic bard 

loop

I prefer 4x bard for the change of pace and the fun factor.

Currently my bard is an archer:

480 bard skills
120 archery (with gear)
120 chiv (with gear)
30 tactics (with gear)

4x mystic bard is also fun. Requires quite a bit of +skill gear to get enough Magery for invisibility, resurrection, etc.

I don’t use this to solo anything at all. It’s entirely meant to support a party.

Rocko

Thanks for all of the great feedback.  I am going to go with:

Music - 100

Provoke - 100

Discord - 100

Peace - 100

Mace - 100

Tactics - 100

Heal - 80

Anat - 40

Once I get some scrolls I will beef it up with some jewelry and such.  Archery would make more sense in terms of staying at range but I really want to play the toon, toget the feel for it and then make some changes.

Urge

Not sure if gm bard skills would work with anything major. 

Rocko

I suspect you are correct but it will be a good starting point.  I don't have stat scrolls nor skill scrolls yet.  That will all come with time.

Lord_Frodo

Petra_Fyde said:

I love my bard, 4 x 120 bard skills, Magery & Medi, all real 120 skill.
with 30MR in addition she's welcome in any party for a guild hunt, she can solo the mini champs in the abyss and she can take on the Minions of Scelestus which my tamer can't handle. 
When tackling an orc beacon her discord mastery, tribulation, can increase the damage done by the ship's cannon on the lighthouse by a very significant amount. 

So far I am 120 Music/disco/provo/peace real  Magery 100  Med 100.  Was thinking 120 Mage and 120 Mystic for a total support bard, dropping Med.  Suit is all 70+ resists MR 28 all armor pieces are 5 int 10 mana 10 LMC 20 LRC and MR ranges from 1 - 4.  Looking for pieces to upgrade to all MR4s.  I can run both Peace songs at the same time, I assume both are running because both icons are on my status bar, with total regen (220 mana), I will assume I will be able to do same with Provo or Disco songs, haven't tested yet.
Is it better to be an elf for the extra mana?
To support a group which songs are the best?
Mystic for Stone form / Cleansing Winds and Rising Colossus
Magery for heals / rezing and cures

Petra_Fyde

Peace songs are largely defensive while provo songs are more offensive. 
https://uo.com/wiki/ultima-online-wiki/skills/bardic-skills/bard-masteries/
To have a chance of getting a drop yourself you need to be using provo.  My character is elf
Disco songs I use when I'm solo

loop

Lord_Frodo said:

Petra_Fyde said:

I love my bard, 4 x 120 bard skills, Magery & Medi, all real 120 skill.
with 30MR in addition she's welcome in any party for a guild hunt, she can solo the mini champs in the abyss and she can take on the Minions of Scelestus which my tamer can't handle. 
When tackling an orc beacon her discord mastery, tribulation, can increase the damage done by the ship's cannon on the lighthouse by a very significant amount. 

So far I am 120 Music/disco/provo/peace real  Magery 100  Med 100.  Was thinking 120 Mage and 120 Mystic for a total support bard, dropping Med.  Suit is all 70+ resists MR 28 all armor pieces are 5 int 10 mana 10 LMC 20 LRC and MR ranges from 1 - 4.  Looking for pieces to upgrade to all MR4s.  I can run both Peace songs at the same time, I assume both are running because both icons are on my status bar, with total regen (220 mana), I will assume I will be able to do same with Provo or Disco songs, haven't tested yet.
Is it better to be an elf for the extra mana?
To support a group which songs are the best?
Mystic for Stone form / Cleansing Winds and Rising Colossus
Magery for heals / rezing and cures

I wouldn’t take Mysticism without Focus. A mystic bard will be: 4x 120 bard skills, 120 myst, 120 focus, and as much Magery you can get via +skill gear.

This gear includes:

Crystalline ring (+40)
Focus talisman (+10)
Spellbook (+20)

Total offset there is 70. This leaves you with 22 skill points to fill in with your bracelet for 100% circle six spells.

Focus is important because it improves your mystic spells, including RC. It also gives a little MR. Since you won’t have Meditation, you can use non-mage armor to overcap your LMC to 55.

Grimbeard

I used to run 
120 provo
120 disco
120 music
120 mystic 
120 focus 
120 med 
I only buffed
  an rc and heal once and a while 
Plus provoking when possible 
I could buff a party of 8 at roof or blackthorns 
Even solo i could do all content until mystic aoe spells broke

Skett

120 provo

120 disco
120 music
120 mystic 

120 focus can you use Imbuing in stead here ?

120 med

Grimbeard

Other than the ability to unravel mo benefits 

Lord_Frodo

TY all for your input
looking at the 
120 disco,peace,provo,music with
120 mystic,focus and as much magery for rezzing

Rocko

Sorry to revive on older post but I must say I have been having a great time playing a bard.  For the time being I have been working towards this template on an elf:

110 Musicianship
110 Peacemaking
100 Healing
100 Anatomy
100 Mace
100 Tactics
90 Chivalry

I cannot afford legendary scrolls yet but it would be nice to get 120's on all except heal/anat/chiv.
There is no plan to solo high end mobs and it is unclear if this template would have the regenerative capacity to do so.  More of a support, medium mob solo template.

Urge

There's a lot you can do there Rocko. As you keep playing you can think outside the box in terms of template tweaks. Maybe life leech is good enough to drop anat/heal? Things like that will help build a character you enjoy and become really good at. 

Urge

Lord_Frodo said:

TY all for your input
looking at the 
120 disco,peace,provo,music with
120 mystic,focus and as much magery for rezzing

I had a mystic discorder with spellweaving and it was awesome if you can keep a RC going. WOD alone is worth the skillpoints. 

Lord_Frodo

TY @Urge

Rocko

Urge said:

There's a lot you can do there Rocko. As you keep playing you can think outside the box in terms of template tweaks. Maybe life leech is good enough to drop anat/heal? Things like that will help build a character you enjoy and become really good at. 

I like the suggestion. Some mobs like LL's or dread spiders mana dump initially and I have to be very careful or dirt nap.