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Hi all, I made a dwarven bard.
I want him to be a pole user, this is the basic plan I have laid out for him:
2x Pole 18/3
1x Armor 5/0
1x CM 8/4
1x Dodge 6/6
1x Spell 0/17
1x HP 0/5
1x PT 4/0
1x Lore 0/8
1x MOC 7/3
Total: 48/46
TPs are kinda high, I don't think I can get those at start, might have to sacrifice something ( don't know what to sacrifice though).
Anyhow, the reason I ask about Dwarf being a bad idea is when I did research about spells and songs, everything seems to rely on Aura and Influence, the 2 stats this guy gets a negative bonus to.
And then to top it off, I didn't know I couldn't get a giftbox after deleting my lvl 6 ranger, I lose a +5 dex item!
So... yeah, before I get past lvl 4, wondering if I should consider rerolling.
Any input?
I'm not keen on a dwarven bard, however most folks would argue that basing race on mechanics is either very good or very bad. I think the hits you take on stats are very bad for a polearm using bard. This can be mitigated a fair amount via enhancive items. If you have plenty of silvers or get very fortunate, you can avoid some of the negatives. After ages of discussing bards, dwarves make perhaps the worst ones...mechanically speaking. They make adequate sword and boards users. Any big weapons are going to take huge hits to both current RT and future potential RT. I've had to get about five enhancives for my giantman bard in order to get his RT with a lance down to 5 seconds on every swing. I've gone back to being a hybrid pure/sword & boarder now. I'm still up in the air on my current design.
~Galenok
~Galenok
I think singling MOC is a bit excessive, certainly more so considering the RT hit you take as a dwarf with multiple swings. You could be plenty adequate by just going .5x in MOC. Alternatively, you should make some effort to be more than 1x in lores, if possible. I'm thinking 1.33x minimum, so you can get telepathy lore (to 18+ ranks) while being as close to singled in air lore as possible.
Effects of a weak influence will be a less effective 1105, a primary song for many bards. Additionally, less starting mana and a lower renewal time.
I'm positive there are some few advantages to being a dwarf. I just don't believe they outweigh the costs. There are some old dwarven bards around, though not many. Maybe they'll chime in as I can't think of any names currently. If you have a solid RP reason, then give it your best effort.
~Galenok
Effects of a weak influence will be a less effective 1105, a primary song for many bards. Additionally, less starting mana and a lower renewal time.
I'm positive there are some few advantages to being a dwarf. I just don't believe they outweigh the costs. There are some old dwarven bards around, though not many. Maybe they'll chime in as I can't think of any names currently. If you have a solid RP reason, then give it your best effort.
~Galenok
>I'm positive there are some few advantages to being a dwarf.
Dwarfs have quite a few defensive advantages, and their discipline gives them advantages in a lot of secondary systems. Spirit recovery is strong too. However its really squares and spiritual casters that get the best use out of them.
Dwarfs have quite a few defensive advantages, and their discipline gives them advantages in a lot of secondary systems. Spirit recovery is strong too. However its really squares and spiritual casters that get the best use out of them.
Mental lore: telepathy does several things for you. I would say that the two most obvious things are that it increases the time between your spellsong renewals and it boosts the AS you gain from 1107. I indicated 18 ranks as a decent stopping point, albeit not the only one, as that's one of many plateaus for AS boost.
Is sword and board bland? No more so than polearms. Precisely the opposite to tell the truth. With a polearm, it's pretty much CMAN SWEEP (1105, feint, charge or trip) then bludgeon it to death with your lance. This typically takes one or two swings. With a sword and shield, it does take more work and usually more swings. I like the ability to better aim my weapon, even just being singled in CM, from the open. An axe to the neck is very effective. Using a sword and shield probably increases the flexibility in your training regimen, too. I can already tell I've lost a step in hunting prowess by switching away from polearms, but I am finding more ways to kill things with my new build. I don't think being a shield user means you need to 1x MOC. 30 ranks is enough, while more is fine to do.
~Galenok
Is sword and board bland? No more so than polearms. Precisely the opposite to tell the truth. With a polearm, it's pretty much CMAN SWEEP (1105, feint, charge or trip) then bludgeon it to death with your lance. This typically takes one or two swings. With a sword and shield, it does take more work and usually more swings. I like the ability to better aim my weapon, even just being singled in CM, from the open. An axe to the neck is very effective. Using a sword and shield probably increases the flexibility in your training regimen, too. I can already tell I've lost a step in hunting prowess by switching away from polearms, but I am finding more ways to kill things with my new build. I don't think being a shield user means you need to 1x MOC. 30 ranks is enough, while more is fine to do.
~Galenok
I have always taken the stance of RP first.
I choose the race I want to play and then decide on the profession, or the opposite way, but I do not think I have ever decided on a race because of mechanics.
Don't second guess what you chose, just find a way to RP around your choices. You may find that that belching, drinking dwarf who makes up wierd songs while drunk is a hoot to play!
Mod Valrylia
I choose the race I want to play and then decide on the profession, or the opposite way, but I do not think I have ever decided on a race because of mechanics.
Don't second guess what you chose, just find a way to RP around your choices. You may find that that belching, drinking dwarf who makes up wierd songs while drunk is a hoot to play!
Mod Valrylia
Hey All, perhaps you can chime in on my updated "Idea"
So I have this concept in mind, that's roughly skipping Lores until I'm maybe 25, or 30 trains. The goal is to be a polearm user and maintain 1.5x spells til 425.
My goal is to be a beast! Thankfully my brother is a paladin so I don't see that being an issue between my songs, 425, and his spells as well.
New Training Plan:
2x Pole Arms
1.5x Spells
1x CM
1x Dodge
1x PT
1x HP
1x climb/swim
Total: 44/52 TP's
Now I know this doesn't quite look "doable" to anyone, but I train different. I actually save my 0 train points to help keep flexability as a I grow. It works out nicely everytime.
Anyhow, with that said. After 25, I could either 1x bard spells, and 2x lores (to bring these back up to par), or I could 1.5x bard circle to bring it back up to par real fast, then 2x lores until it's caught up, drop back down to 1x spells/lores a piece.
As far as lore's go, I'd get 18 ranks of telepathy first (thanks Galenok), and then single air for life.
I'd like to throw a little MOC in there, might even just get 5 ranks, THEN start training in climbing/swimming. Overall, I think it'll work. Just wanted to hear some input from the rest of you.
So I have this concept in mind, that's roughly skipping Lores until I'm maybe 25, or 30 trains. The goal is to be a polearm user and maintain 1.5x spells til 425.
My goal is to be a beast! Thankfully my brother is a paladin so I don't see that being an issue between my songs, 425, and his spells as well.
New Training Plan:
2x Pole Arms
1.5x Spells
1x CM
1x Dodge
1x PT
1x HP
1x climb/swim
Total: 44/52 TP's
Now I know this doesn't quite look "doable" to anyone, but I train different. I actually save my 0 train points to help keep flexability as a I grow. It works out nicely everytime.
Anyhow, with that said. After 25, I could either 1x bard spells, and 2x lores (to bring these back up to par), or I could 1.5x bard circle to bring it back up to par real fast, then 2x lores until it's caught up, drop back down to 1x spells/lores a piece.
As far as lore's go, I'd get 18 ranks of telepathy first (thanks Galenok), and then single air for life.
I'd like to throw a little MOC in there, might even just get 5 ranks, THEN start training in climbing/swimming. Overall, I think it'll work. Just wanted to hear some input from the rest of you.
All of this is a little late, I just got bored and started reading threads here. I have a few comments. Until I went pure casting, I was a polearm swinger.
As far as mechanics of fighting goes, Lullabye followed by ambush head with a polearm generally results in death.
Dwarven stamina regen + GoS Sigil of Power = awesomeness. I trained PF up to 150 stamina and I can generally pull off three Sigil of Power casts over the course of a hunt. I rarely ever run out of mana before I fry pure casting.
>I'd like to throw a little MOC in there, might even just get 5 ranks,
I went to 55 as a polearm bard with 0 ranks of MOC the whole time. I saw no negative effect.
~Ifor, the tone deaf bard
Give a man a torch, he will be warm for an hour. Light a man of fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life.
As far as mechanics of fighting goes, Lullabye followed by ambush head with a polearm generally results in death.
Dwarven stamina regen + GoS Sigil of Power = awesomeness. I trained PF up to 150 stamina and I can generally pull off three Sigil of Power casts over the course of a hunt. I rarely ever run out of mana before I fry pure casting.
>I'd like to throw a little MOC in there, might even just get 5 ranks,
I went to 55 as a polearm bard with 0 ranks of MOC the whole time. I saw no negative effect.
~Ifor, the tone deaf bard
Give a man a torch, he will be warm for an hour. Light a man of fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life.
10 MoC always seemed to me a low investment for a high reward, with regard to force on force offset. Then again, I'm kinda wacky, I put 1 point into almost every skill I have. Basically I'm hedging my bets that formulas have been implemented in such a way that having trained a skill at all - even a single point - is disproportionately advantageous compared to not having trained the skill at all. Air lore and sonic weapons are a good example of where this theory seems to hold up, where even a single point of lore gives you the opportunity to get flares. Also it's just good reasoning that some formulas are sloppy in this regard.
