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Question Regarding Bards

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yaanathn
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Question Regarding Bards

Post by yaanathn »

I just started a new game, as a female this time (did you know it's easier to find a fitting portrait since there are less female NPC's in the game?). This is the group I plan to have:

main/sorceress
Minsc
Aerie
Haer Dalis'
Valygar Corthala
Mazzt Fentan

Now here's my question, as every group, in my opinion, needs a thief who can pick locks: can Haer Dalis' do that? I know that he can do at least some of the skills thieves can, but can he pick locks?

Also, about bards... who do their song thingies work? Do they have any clerical effects? I'd like to have another cleric to complement Aerie (Minsc never gets too good at spell casting).

Oh yeah, and the last three on that list I chose to be with because I don't have much experience with those guys, and so I tried to pick the ones that help for a good group. This is NOT my ideal group.

- Jon, retired 19th kensai, 7th sorceress
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Weasel
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Post by Weasel »

Bards can only pickpocket.
"Vile and evil, yes. But, That's Weasel" From BS's book, MD 20/20: Fine Wines of Rocky Flop.
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Elenias Nal'nair
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Post by Elenias Nal'nair »

...and because of that bards can hardly be called thiefs in that respect. Better think of them as multiclassed bad_fighter/mages...
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Hannwaas
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Post by Hannwaas »

But you don't really need a thief, they're just a waste of space. Many locks can be forced open, or you can use a knock spell.
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Craig
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Post by Craig »

you can get xp for comlpeating various theiving tasks
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Drakron Du´Dark
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Post by Drakron Du´Dark »

I read that the class quest is a real laugth. besides that a bard can be a usefull class, his spellcasting abilities and figthing skills make him a balaced class (unlike the "sorcerer" class)and you get a armor that alows casting spells.(useble by Bards Only. Damn)
Plus thy can sing (something I Can´t) and their Bard song is efective in battle. check the kits for chosing a bard kit (if you don´t whant to go with the general bard) to suit your type of gameplay.

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Vieldar
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Post by Vieldar »

how do one disarm traps
without a thief?
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Drakron Du´Dark
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Post by Drakron Du´Dark »

Sorry. Only a thief (Normal, Dual-class or multiclass) can desarm traps on this game (in real AD&D if you have traps skill you can disarm one).

------------------
"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not became a monster... when you gaze long into the abyss the abyss gazes into you..."
Friedrich Nietzsche
- Waterdeep city constrution.

- Shadowdale low level adventure module.

- Rashmare /Thay high level adventure module.
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Weasel
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Post by Weasel »

Originally posted by Vieldar:
how do one disarm traps
without a thief?
Most of the ones who don't use a thief let their Char with the best saving throws find the traps and set them off . At lest this is my understanding

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(I would betray the world before i let the world betray me.) Chao Chao 192 a.d.
"Vile and evil, yes. But, That's Weasel" From BS's book, MD 20/20: Fine Wines of Rocky Flop.
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Drakron Du´Dark
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Post by Drakron Du´Dark »

I do that (stupid planar sphere trap,golen opens door, don´t set up the trap, I walk in ,set stupid trap off, get kill, stupid death spell, reload, check who has best saving throws, make him set the trap off, din´t get kill, we all go to the next room), but if you disarm a trap you get some XP for it.

------------------
"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not became a monster... when you gaze long into the abyss the abyss gazes into you..."
Friedrich Nietzsche
- Waterdeep city constrution.

- Shadowdale low level adventure module.

- Rashmare /Thay high level adventure module.
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Caernarvon
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Post by Caernarvon »

You can't disarm traps without a theif, but you can get by them with other classes:

1. Send summoned creatures as trap fodder.
2. Send in a high magic resistant char (high level monks, Viconia). Still a bit risky though.
3. Spell turning/deflection variants

The big problem is traps that can fire continuously, like the ones in the shadow theives guildhall that maze your party. Fortunately, there aren't very many traps like this in the game, and you can almost always go around them.

That said, it's much easier to keep a theif in your party Image


Does anyone know where the effect of the "ordinary" bard song is described? I can't seem to find it described anywhere.
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Lucian
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Post by Lucian »

and bards have a powerfull tool in the harp of pandemonium...blow a group of enemies away and confuse them....and totally disrupting their spellcasting....a skald with it are the perfect support char
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yaanathn
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Post by yaanathn »

Okay, thanks for the information, everyone. I've decided to start over, and make a male thief/mage, multi-classed.

My only real reluctance towards doing this was having to memorize spells again. Ugh.

- Jon, level 7 thief/mage.
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