DDO DEVELOPER QUOTES ABOUT THE BARD
"...Besides the fact that bards have a few unique spells, bards have musical abilities that prove very useful. The core of these abilities are inspire courage, fascinate, and suggestions. As far as Bardic Knowledge goes, he does receive some of the lore-based abilities I mentioned in a prevoius answer. It won't, however, be used for standard magic item identication, though, simply because we chose that magic items don't require an identify spell in DDO." - Eckelberry, DDO Warcry DevChat - 7/14/05
"Every party is going to want to have a bard in it; they just make everyone else BETTER ... and have fun doing it." - Stark, DDO Warcry DevChat - 7/14/05
"...I was feeling a little, er, bard-ish, so I created a human bard. I started assigning my stats without paying attention to the points remaining, and ended up with the following:
Str 14
Dex 14
Con 12
Int 12
Wis 8
Cha 14
These were better stats than I had hoped for, and I still had two points left, so I ended up assigning them to Con. Pretty good character overall - +2 to hit, damage, AC, hit dice, and spell-related stuff, +1 skill point/level, and -1 to Will saves. Bards tend to be one of those classes that rely upon lots of different stats, but I was perfectly happy with these. Not quite sure what my point is here -- I guess the moral of the story is that I think 28 points is plenty " - Xundau, DDO.com Forums - 2/11/05
"...Each of the nine classes in D&D Online have used the classic D&D roles as their inspiration. Nowhere is this more evident than with Rogues and Bards. Rogues in D&D aren’t simply superior damage dealers – they, along with Bards, can possess a wide variety of skills that are essential to a successful dungeon adventure – detecting traps, picking locks, disabling devices, moving silently, etc. And Bards, just like their tabletop counterparts, can fill a wide variety of different roles with their skills and musical abilities….they are true “jacks of all trades”.." - Ken Troop, MMORPG.com Q&A #1 - 7/15/05
"...From time to time, your character may suffer the indignity of taking a few points of damage here and there. Hopefully, your friendly cleric, bard, ranger, or paladin can tend to those injuries before they become too life-threatening. Those characters, along with the ability to consume somewhat expensive potions, are just about your only hope you have to regain hit points in tactical situations." - Eckelberry, DDO.com Forums - 11/30/04
"...We haven't released a lot of info on this yet, but there will definitely be alignments. We'll generally be following the guidelines set forth in the Player's Handbook. Alignment restrictions for classes will be as per 3.5 D&D, so paladins will need to be lawful good, barbarians and bards can't be lawful, etc." - Xundau, DDO.com Forums - 5/26/05
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
"It is said that music has a special magic, and the bard proves that saying true. Wandering across the land, gathering lore, telling stories, working magic with his music, and living on the gratitude of his audience: such is the life of a bard. When chance or opportunity draws them into a conflict, bards serve as diplomats, negotiators, messengers, scouts, and spies. A bard's magic comes from the heart. If his heart is good, a bard brings hope and courage to the downtrodden and uses his tricks, music, and magic to thwart the schemes of evildoers. If the nobles of the land are corrupt, the good bard is an enemy of the state, cunningly evading capture and raising the spirits of the oppressed. But music can spring from an evil heart as well. Evil bards eschew blatant violence in favor of manipulation, holding sway over the hearts and minds of others and taking what enraptured audiences "willingly" give." - D&D Player's Handbook
Original Art by J. Foster, D&D Player's Handbook
ADVENTURES
"Bards see adventures as opportunities to learn. They practice their many skills and abilities, and they especially relish the opportunity to enter a long-forgotten ancient tomb, to discover ancient works of magic, to decipher old tomes, to travel to strange places, to encounter exotic creatures, and to learn new songs and stories. Bards love to accompany heroes (and villians), joining their entourage to witness their deeds firsthand - a bard who can tell a marvelous story from personal experience earns renown among his fellows. Indeed, after telling so many stories about heroes doing mighty deeds, many bards take these themes to heart and assume the role of hero themselves." - D&D Player's Handbook
CHARACTERISTICS
"A bard brings forth magic from his soul, not from a book. He can cast only a small number of spells, but he can cast them without selecting or preparing them in advance. His magic emphasizes charms and illusions over the more dramatic evocation spells that wizards and sorcerers often use. In addition to spells, a bard works magic with his music and poetry. He can encourage allies, hold his audiences rapt, and counter magical effects that rely on speech or sound. Bards have some of the skills that rogues have, although they are not as focused on skill mastery as rogues are. Bards listen to stories as well as tell them, of course, so they have a vast knowledge of local events and noteworthy items." - D&D Player's Handbook
ABILITIES
Primary: Charisma (critical for spell number, strength, and resistance)
Secondary: Dexterity (several Bard skills) and Intelligence (several Bard skills)
ALIGNMENT
Any NON-Lawful Alignment. Keep in mind that in DDO there are no Evil Alignments, but you can still be Chaotic, Neutral, and Good (and all combinations).
RACES
All Races of DDO can be bards - Human, Dwarf, Warforged, Elf, or Halfling
HIT DIE: d6
WEAPON & ARMOR PROFICIENCIES: All Simple Weapons, plus ONE of the following: Longbow, composite longbow, longsword, rapier, sap, short composite bow, short sword, shortbow, or whip. Light Armor and Medium Armor. All Shields.
CLASS SKILLS:
Skill Points @ 1st Level: (4 + INT Mod) x 4
Skill Points @ Each New Level: 4 + INT Mod
Automatic Skills: Alchemy, Appraise, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Intuit Direction, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Pick Pocket, Profession, Scry, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spellcraft, Swim, Tumble, and Use Magic Devices (note that not all of these skills may be available in DDO, and some new ones may be added)
FEATS:
Available Feats (in addition to those available to all classes): N/A - All Standard Feats Available
(note that not all feats may be available in DDO, and some new ones may be added)
BARDS OF EBERRON:
"Bards usually don't end up as wandering minstrels or street performers - any expert with a Perform skill can fill that role. Instead, some bards use their magical abilities to unearth ancient lore, while others use their interpersonal skills and bardic music to advance their careers as spies, ambassadors, diplomats, and chroniclers. As such, bards find employ as adventurers, as well as in governments and among the mercantile houses. Zilargo produces a large number of bards, since the gnomes' love of knowledge makes them particularly well suited to this class. In other areas, bards appear most often in the large cities and towns throughout Breland, Karrnath, Thrane, and (particularly) Aundair. Bards with wilder ties are found in the Eldeen Reaches, particularly among the druid sect of the Greensingers." - Eberron Campaign Setting Book
Additional Feats of Eberron: Education, Extra Music, Haunting Melody, Music of Growth, Music of Making, Song of the Heart, Soothe the Beast (not all feats may be available in DDO at release)
Stratics Central
