Enhanced Bard Song

Falanen · Post by **Falanen** » Wed Aug 08, 2001 11:52 am

This ability makes ToB very easy.

I just had my bard sing this throughout the entire game while Sarevok, Korgan, and Jaheira (each with a -14 to -17 AC with the song) just ran up to the enemies and hacked away. In almost every single fight, these three handled everything while my bard, Edwin, and Jan just hanged around near the entrance to the area. If any enemies attacked them, my bard would just draw all the attacks away with his -21 to -24 AC. I did not really worry about spell protections of enemy mages because immunities and stoneskins only last for so long.

Even the last fight with Melissan was a joke. Sarevok, Korgan, and Jaheira just blindly charged towards Melissan all four times and beat her into a bloody pulp. The guardians of the essence also went down quickly, hardly damaging my fighters. Any damage that was taken would be regenerated within half a minute.

Is ToB normally this easy? My strategy was just sing+charge, but would a tank heavy party without the song still cleave through ToB? I started wondering why I even had a mage in my party when a fighter could take down more enemies much faster than a mage.

Leonidas · Post by **Leonidas** » Wed Aug 08, 2001 12:21 pm

Is the Jester's song replaced? If not, does it become better? (The jester is the one that has the song that confuses the enemy, right?)

Uther Pendragon · Post by **Uther Pendragon** » Wed Aug 08, 2001 12:34 pm

Right you are. Now imagine the incredible power (cheese) of a party consisting of 6 Bards. Let's say, 4 Skalds and 2 Blades (they can't all sing at the same time - jeez!

).

Let's see now, bearing in mind that Bard Songs ARE cumulative, that's -16 AC, +16 to hit, +16 to damage, 20% magic res., immunity to normal weapons, fear, stun and confusion to the 2 Blades. The other 4 in the back have -22 AC, 25% MR, etc., etc, etc...

Damn! That just don't seem right. One of the most powerful parties in the realm, a bunch of harp toters?!?

incandescent one · Post by **incandescent one** » Wed Aug 08, 2001 5:28 pm

Originally posted by Uther Pendragon:
Damn! That just don't seem right. One of the most powerful parties in the realm, a bunch of harp toters?!?

Now that is realism ! I mean look at real life ! N'Sync is complete and utter POP TRASH but it seems like no force on earth short of the U.S. Missile Defence system can stop them. Now, you see, the fact that the system can't tell the difference between two similarly destructive devices is ok. I mean I wouldn't mind, seeing a few misses wipe out the rest of the pop trash out there. 98 disease, and wackstreet boys come to mind. Now to mention that idiot group ho-town

Quark · Post by **Quark** » Wed Aug 08, 2001 6:22 pm

lol ...
if only it would work ...

fable · Post by **fable** » Wed Aug 08, 2001 6:29 pm

Originally posted by Falanen:
Is ToB normally this easy? My strategy was just sing+charge, but would a tank heavy party without the song still cleave through ToB? I started wondering why I even had a mage in my party when a fighter could take down more enemies much faster than a mage.

Well, it depends--did you read a lot of the strategy and tips posted up here, first? If so, then no, it's normally not that easy. If you start fresh and don't read, and avoid cheesy methods of getting ahead (which I'm not accusing you of doing, by any means), then the game, at least on the harder settings, is a pretty good challenge.

Of course, if you want to make it harder still, try a party with some of the more strategically challenging NPCs. Or build your own misfits, and wail away.

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 3:08 am

Originally posted by Falanen:
I started wondering why I even had a mage in my party when a fighter could take down more enemies much faster than a mage.

ToB does seem to go pretty easy on warriors. If every enemy Mage used Protection from Magical Weapons, Mislead and Teleport Field (throw in the odd Spell Immunity to Abjuration or Divination), it would be the other way around.

polaris · Post by **polaris** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 3:17 am

Xyx,

I will agree that the game is easy on warriors (because enemy magi don't use their spells *wisely*), but in fact almost all enemy magi DO use mislead and protection from magical weapons. The problem is that they KEEP using them even after they are dispelled by truesights and dispell magics thrown by inquisitors (or others).

A *real* mage would change tactics.

-Polaris

Vehemence · Post by **Vehemence** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 5:15 am

Aren't Skald's useless in TOB then? If the enhanced bard song replaces the old bard song, then essentially, skalds are getting the boot since the enhanced bard song is better than their really good song, and that's what makes them good, their song. So take that away from them and all your left with is a prancing half-wit.

Did that make any sense? Probably not... no more beer for me!

Ah bugger it, one more

polaris · Post by **polaris** » Thu Aug 09, 2001 5:48 am

Vehemence,

Skald's don't get the shaft. There should be big red warning signs around the improved bard song though.

The solution is simple: DON'T pick that ability if you are a skald. Pick something else.

-Polaris