Bard

This page is specifically for the bard class in.

For the version in, refer to Bard (Baldur's Gate).

Introduction
Bards are jacks-of-all-trades, a result of a lifetime spent traveling extensively to get inspiration for their songs and learning about local legends and tales. Through these varied experiences, they learn many different abilities. They are able to cast up to 6th level wizard spells, pick pockets and have a wider selection of armor and weapons than thieves. Their broad range of skills comes at the price of not being specialized in any of them, except for interaction with people, as mages are better at casting spells, thieves are able to hide in shadows, backstab, disarm/find traps and can pick locks and warriors can specialize in weapons and have the widest selection of weapons and armor.

Bards are generally neutral characters, tending toward the chaotic—they come and go when they want, and are usually not bound by obligations, countries or organisations. There aren't many bards who are either good- or evil-aligned.

In order for bards to cast a spell, first they need to successfully scribe a mage spell scroll into their spell book (scroll lost in process regardless of success or failure), in which they must prepare the spell by putting it into an empty spell slot, then they have to rest to get the spell ready. Since Bards can't wear armor when trying to cast mage spells and can't wear most mage robes, Bracers of Defense and Ring of Protection or a Bard Spell like Ghost Armor are required for AC .until Elven Chain Mail or similar is found..

Only humans and half-elves can become bards.

Bards may not dual class.

Character abilities table
During character creation, rolls below the minimum value for the class will be increased to that value. This table uses the values for Humans, other Races have modified ability scores.

Bard song
The signature ability of the bard is their battle song. While active, the party will be fortified against fear, both natural and magical. Specifically, the party will be rendered immune to magical fear, will have any such existing effects removed from them and their morale will be gradually restored to its baseline while they hear the song. All Bard songs work within a limited range, roughly 5 to 6 meters, and the singer’s view must not be blocked by doors, corners.

In EE version 2.0+, Bard song of the same type no longer stacks, and all songs break invisibility, but the patch does give unkitted normal bard song a +1 Luck bonus to allies who hear them at Bard level 1, +2 at level 15, and +3 at level 20

Gameplay
 * The song effects take 1 to 6 sec to kick in, so do they when they go away, if you're feeling lucky, you may distract the bard to do something else, switch back to singing while still maintain the song benefits
 * There's an exploit in classic versions to chorus using Vhailor's Helm's sim and/or Mislead images, granting massive THAC0 and damage rolls bonus to the entire party

Pick pockets
A bard can attempt to steal items from other characters. The chance to steal an item depends on the percentage, which automatically increases with the Bard's level, up to a maximum score of 115 at level 16, plus dexterity modifier.

Lore
Bards have the highest Lore rating of any class, allowing them to identify many of the magical items they or their party discover.

Wizard spellbook
Bards begin to advance in wizard spells slots when they reach level 2, up to the 6th spell level.

Bards are known for their quick levelling, which gives them a slight advantage over mages when using spells that indefinitely scale with the caster's level – like Skull Trap, Dispel Magic, Remove Magic, Flame Arrow, Lower Resistance, Pierce Magic, etc. As the level difference between mages and bards always favors the latter, bards surprisingly get the upper hand when casting those spells and keep their advantage all the way up to reaching the level cap, as mages cannot progress past lvl 31, while bards can get to lvl 40.

The advantage fades when using spells with effects that are capped at a certain level, like Fireball – the bard will be the first to get the maximum possible effect at lvl 10, but loses all advantage once the mage reaches the same level.

Bard
The Bard is a rogue, but is very different from the Thief. The Bards' strength is their pleasant and charming personality. With it and their wits, they make their way through the world. Bards are talented musicians and walking storehouses of gossip, tall tales, and lore, they learn a little bit about everything that crosses their paths and are jack-of -all-trades but master of none. While many Bards are scoundrels, their stories and songs are welcome almost everywhere.

Class features: Gameplay
 * May not wear armor heavier than chain mail (Spells cannot be cast while wearing armor)
 * May not equip shields larger than bucklers
 * May only become Proficient (one slot) in any weapon class
 * May only become Proficient (one slot) in any fighting style
 * Thieving abilities: Pick Pockets
 * Increased Lore score
 * May cast arcane spells starting at 2nd level
 * May use Bard Song ability. While active, the Bard Song has the following effects: Restore morale to its average value, remove fear, protection from fear. Up to +3 Luck bonus in EE version 2.0+
 * Alignment restricted to any neutral
 * Hit Die: d6
 * All four bard companions in game are males, with Eldoth and Garrick being unkitted bards

Blade
The Blades are the expert fighters and adventurers whose bardic acting abilities make them appear more intimidating and fearsome. This Bard's fighting style is flashy and entertaining, but is also lethally dangerous.

Advantages:
 * May place 3 slots in Two-Weapon Style
 * May use the Offensive Spin and Defensive Spin abilities once per day. Gains one use each at level 1 and an additional use each every 4 levels thereafter.

Disadvantages:

Gameplay
 * Only has one half the normal Lore value
 * Only has one half the normal Pick Pockets skill, the dex modifier to this skill is also halved. Blades will reach up to 57 in pickpocketing at lv16, and with 25 dex, they’ll have the combined score of 80.
 * Bard Song does not improve when a blade gains levels
 * Companion Haer'Dalis is a blade
 * The Bard song restriction is irrelevant once Enhanced Bard Song HLA is chosen late in the game.
 * Aside from uses of Offensive Spin and Defensive Spin abilities, Tenser's Transformation is well designed for Blade, though you have to cast the spell after activating Offensive Spin as the spins are counted as spells
 * Offensive Spin is powerful in early game, while Defensive Spin remains useful until late game.
 * For more info, please refer to the Blade#gameplay page

Jester
Jesters are well versed in the arts of ridicule and hilarity, and use their abilities to distract and confuse their enemies, cavorting madly during combat. Do not mistake them for true fools, however, as they can also be quite deadly.

Advantages: Gameplay
 * The Jester's song does not help allies, it humbles the opponents instead
 * If Enhanced Bard Song is chosen, the HLA will overwrite the Jester song

Skald
Skalds are Nordic bards who are also warriors of great strength, skill, and virtue; their songs are inspiring sagas of battle and valor, and the Skalds devote their lives to those pursuits.

Advantages:

1st level: Grants allies a -2 bonus to THAC0, +2 bonus to damage rolls, and a -2 bonus to AC 15th level: Grants allies a -4 bonus to THAC0, +4 bonus to damage rolls, -4 bonus to AC and immunity to fear 20th level: Grants allies a -4 bonus to THAC0, +4 bonus to damage rolls, -4 bonus to AC, immunity to fear, stun, and confusion
 * -1 bonus to THAC0 and  +1 to damage rolls with all weapons
 * The Skald's song is different from the typical Bard's and varies with level:

Disadvantage:

Gameplay
 * Only has one quarter the normal Pick Pockets score, and one-fourth of the dex modifier to the score. At lv16 skalds will reach up to 28 in pickpocketing, and with 25 dex, they’ll have the combined score of 40.
 * The bonus from singing is barely better than then Bless and arguably less than Chant.
 * If Enhanced Bard Song is chosen, the HLA will overwrite the Skald song
 * Companion Voghiln is a skald

High-level class abilities
Bards have almost the same high-level class abilities as thieves, but instead of Assassination, they have enhanced bards song and magic flute, despite no skill points into Set Traps the traps HLAs available to the Bard will never fail or accidentally trigger on the Bard.
 * Alchemy
 * Avoid Death
 * Enhanced Bard Song
 * Evasion
 * Greater Evasion, requires evasion already selected
 * Magic Flute
 * Scribe Scrolls, use any item is a requirement
 * Set Spike Trap
 * Set Exploding Trap
 * Set Time Trap
 * Use Any Item

Stronghold
Bards protagonists may run the Five Flagons Inn stage after they rescue Raelis and Haer'Dalis from the planar prison

Bard specific items
Some instruments, such as The Captive Audience and Methild's Harp, and some other items are only usable by bards. Among them the Bard's Gloves, that have no ability by themselves but can be upgraded to the Wondrous Gloves.

Bugs


Gameplay (community)
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