bard songs

[jworf999]

do they need a drink after each song

how long do spells last

[kaypy]

Initially its one song per drink. As your level increases you get more songs between drinks. (Plus you can get items to help with it too)

The song length is variable, but generally on the long side. It can be cut short though: Songs played in combat will only last the combat, and you can get silenced by external effects.

Starting out, its well worth starting a new song when you are at the tavern and can immediately refresh (for 1 gp if you take the cheap option)

[jworf999]

what items help
how many Drinks do wine skin give

can I friend you

[Marcycle]

Originally posted by jworf999:

what items help
how many Drinks do wine skin give

can I friend you

A single drink (either from a wine skin, or from drinking alcohol at the bar) will "fill up" your song gauge. At Lv. 1, you can sing 1 song, and I believe you san sing an additional song per level? If you look at the status page of your bard, you should be able to see how many more songs you can sing. You should also be able to see this tally when you select a song to sing.

There are many items, and even some instruments that, when equipped by your bard, allow your bard to sing without needing to take a drink. These items typically need to be identified by Roscoe or an identification spell.

[bluemonkey]

If I remember right, the earliest item allowing unlimited songs is Lak's Lyre. The bardsword is another item with the same effect.

[Baraz]

There are two or three items* in BT1 that allow the Bard unlimited songs, which is a huge game changer. - Most songs can stack (like the healing song. I have gone up to x6 that song).
- In combat, you won't need to hesitate to buff resistances, etc.
So later in the game the bard becomes, sort of, like a caster with only a few spells, but unlimited mana.

* nb: the Bardsword is the most recommended, as you can then use the many instruments that do huge damage against a group at range (20 to 40 range).

[Marcycle]

Originally posted by Baraz:

There two or three items* that allow the Bard unlimited songs, which is a huge game changer. - Most songs can stack (like the healing song. I have gone up to x6 that song).
- In combat, you won't need to hesitate to buff resistances, etc.
So later in the game the bard becomes, sort of, like a caster with only a few spells, but unlimited mana.

* nb: the Bardsword is the most recommended, as you can then use the many instruments that do huge damage against a group at range (20 to 40 range).

A lot more than just 2-3 items if you consider the entire trilogy, but yes, there is more than one item that allows you to do that.

IMO, stacking Bard Songs is what makes the Bard the best support character in the game, hands-down. So long as your characters can survive 2 or more rounds, stacking armor bonuses (protects against melee attacks), luck bonuses (protects against spells), healing bonuses (can heal a heck of a lot of damage per round when maxed), reducing damage from attacks from Foes that are guaranteed to hit, etc. The Bard can allow an underleveled party take down overleveled Foes through strategic stacking.

One of the Legacy options allows a Bard to use unequipped instruments to attack while equipping an instrument that removes the limit on songs, but tbh wine skins are super cheap and it's not really THAT much of a burden to quaff a wineskin to recharge songs. The main limit is inventory space, so just fill up your Bard's inventory with wineskins until you can find a good song item.

[Baraz]

Originally posted by Marcycle:

A lot more than just 2-3 items if you consider the entire trilogy, but yes, there is more than one item that allows you to do that.
....

Updated my message to specifiy "in BT1" :P

In BT1 non-legacy, the AC song could not be stacked, but it scaled as my Bard leveled, so it was rather OP around level 30. The other songs stacked.

If the AC song stacks in non-legacy, I did not experience that, but it does not matter as enemies could not hit my party at all even with a single combo of that song and the AC spell.

EDIT : in BT2, I noticed the AC song can stack (not sure how much, but enemies miss anyhow).

[jworf999]

will mp's regen in sewwer or dungeons in daytime

[Baraz]

Originally posted by jworf999:

will mp's regen in sewwer or dungeons in daytime

Hello,

No, mana does not regen in dungeons and sewers. It is part of the challenge at lower levels, so your casters are not "shelling" every battle. But, later on, you can find items that give mana regen (game changer!).

[jworf999]

Originally posted by Baraz:

Originally posted by jworf999:

will mp's regen in sewwer or dungeons in daytime

Hello,

No, mana does not regen in dungeons and sewers. It is part of the challenge at lower levels, so your casters are not "shelling" every battle. But, later on, you can find items that give mana regen (game changer!).

should I get some long range stuff for my casters and bard

[Baraz]

Originally posted by jworf999:

Originally posted by Baraz:

Hello,

No, mana does not regen in dungeons and sewers. It is part of the challenge at lower levels, so your casters are not "shelling" every battle. But, later on, you can find items that give mana regen (game changer!).

should I get some long range stuff for my casters and bard

I keep my bard out of melee since they do too little melee damage anyhow. They get ranged-groupe cold/fire damage early on from magical bardic items and you can make them shoot arrows at casters for example.

Casters cannot use any ranged weapons as far as I know in BT1.

[jworf999]

can casters use melee

[kaypy]

Yes, but mostly pretty badly. Although if you go for a full reset, there is a short period of the start of BT2 where your mage can be the best melee class...

[Marcycle]

Originally posted by jworf999:

can casters use melee

During a standard playthrough, your casters won't do anything in the beginning. They'll just absorb XP and may cast the occasional healing spell or trap disarm spell. Later, they may summon some decent allies or cast support spells, like YMCA or STSI.

Magic users are traditionally glass cannons. Useless near the beginning of the game, and able to one-shot Foes or counter really awful status effects later, but may get one-shotted themselves if a melee player gets near them. However, the way BT works with the back row unable to be hit by melee, they're less glassy than in other games.

[kaypy]

Accumulating the hit points of half a dozen class changes also makes them a bunch less glassy than they might otherwise be.