From: 10563563@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au (ARTHUR GIANNAKIS)
Newsgroups: rec.games.moria
Subject: Re: Bard Class Description (Comments Wanted)
Date: 15 Oct 92 23:50:01 GMT
Organization: Faculty of Engineering, Monash University

In article <8#2zl-p@rpi.edu> petitc@nuge115.its.rpi.edu (Christopher Jon Petit) writes:
>From: petitc@nuge115.its.rpi.edu (Christopher Jon Petit)
>Subject: Bard Class Description (Comments Wanted)
>Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 17:05:53 GMT
>
> Well, I've revised the Bard class a bit, and am posting a description to see
>if you all think it's a reasonable, balanced class.  Anyhow, here's the info...
>
>		   ** Bard Class Information **
>
>Extra HP: 3
>Disarm: 20
>Search: 14
>Stealth: 4
>Freq-of-Search: 18
>Base-to-hit: 50
>Base-to-Bows: 15
>Save: 10
>
>Str: -1
>Int: -2
>Wis: +1
>Dex: +2
>Con: +0
>Chr: +3
>
>Extra XP: 20%
>
>Added Each Level:
>
>Base-to-hit: +3
>Base-to-Bows: +2
>Magic Device: +3
>Disarming: +2
>Save: +3
>
>This class is quite senesitive to heavy armor, and takes a -8 to Fighting
>and Bows/Throwing for each -1 to-hit that the bard wears.
>
>Also, each of the following attacks has the listed chance to reduce Charisma:
>
>Attack Type		How often will Chr get reduced
>
>Acid			1 out of 4 times
>Corrision		1 out of 6 times
>Fire			1 out of 20 times
>Lightning		1 out of 30 times
>
>
>			Song List for Bards
>
>
>Song	      Level   Mana	Description
>
>Bravery	  	1	1	Removes Fear
>Peace	  	1	1	Cures Light Wounds
>Sight	  	3	2	Detects doors/traps/stairs
>Light	  	3	2	Lights area
>Strength  	5	3	Slow Poison
>Confusion	5	3	Confuses a monster
>Love		7	4	Cures Medium Wounds + Cures Poison
>Shifting	7	4	Short-range teleport
>Despair		9	5	Does 4d7 points m.missile damage to a monster
>Silence		9	5	Puts a monster to sleep
>Knowledge	11	6	Identifies an item
>Truth		11	6	Magic Mapping
>Movement	13	7	Long range teleport
>Splitting	13	7	Stone-to-Mud
>Sleep		15	8	Sleep III
>Home		15	8	Word-of-Recall in 3d10+(1-20) rounds
>War		17	9	Add Infravision, See Invisible; 10-20 rounds
>Pain		17	9	6d8 points lightning damage
>Curing		19	10	Cure Major Wounds + Cure Poison
>Resistance	19	10	Resist Heat + Cold for (1-20)+level rounds
>Hunger		21	11	Makes caster full
>Disintegrate	23	12	5+level points acid damage to a monster
>Drain		25	13	20+level points damage to you and a monster
>Sloth		27	14	Slows a monster
>Doom		29	15	6d8+level points m.missile damage in an area
>Major Cure	31	16      Cures Poison, fear, 110 HP
>Detonate	33	17	Does 40+level points damage to monster and you
>Destiny		35	18	400 points damage to monster, 200 to you
>
>
>One annoying thing.  If a Bard ever loses his Lyre, he can't use any songs.
>
>
>
>
>-- 
>Trust:  A very precious social commodity, due both to high value and terrible
>scarcity.
>MATWDTM:  Mothers Against Teenagers Who Drink Too Much (failed name for MADD)
>
>
>
>

Just a few comments on this proposed Bard class............I know Bards are 
meant to be slightly magically inclined when they possess a musical 
instrument as their casting implement but, I feel, you are making the Bard a 
heavily dependant Magic User. I mean look at the number of spells you've 
given this class............Also I feel he learns the best spells far too 
early, like giving him Identify at level 11. I don't know about you but it 
takes me ( or most people who play) no time at all to get to this level.....
I don't feel he should be given Word of Recall at all let alone at level 15
Also with a lot of the spells you've done away with the need for scrolls and/
or potions. Like, see invisible, resistance to fire/cold etc.............
Also when facing the Balrog you just quaff an Invulnerability potion and 
keep casting Destiny spells at it. It suffers 400 damage EVERY time you 
cast it and you just laugh off the 200 damage meant for you...........No 
weapon or spell creates this amount of damage in one round.........The Bard 
class would become an instant hit. 

Enough analysing for now so I'll put some suggestions forward...............
By all means keep magic for the Bard but rethink the potency and access 
levels for the spells....say just a bit more powerful than a rogues.......
Also make him/her more a fighter/roguish class after all thats what a bard 
is when he/her isn't casting magic (isn't he?).............Then again if you 
think I'm full of it, it's just my opinion and you can disregard this post.


		Keep Hackin'..................
			The Metallian.
Newsgroups: rec.games.moria