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Cruel Lullabies: The Bard Handbook (by Litigation)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nibelung" data-source="post: 6705349" data-attributes="member: 74499"><p><strong>Originally posted by Litigation:</strong></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 22px"><u>Ollamh at Last: Epic Tier Powers</u></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong><u>Lv. 22 Utility</u></strong></span></p><p></p><p>Lv. 16 sure could've used some of this love. It'd almost be easier to tell you what not to pick, because this epic utility level is a gold mine for Bards. <strong>Note of Aggression</strong>, <strong>Climactic Chord</strong> and <strong>Invisible Troupe</strong> probably have the most universal appeal. Those with a Skald's Aura and some melee buddies will take a good, hard look at <strong>Aura of Reverence</strong> and <strong>Words of Manipulation</strong>. Wayfarer Bards, who are likely to have enhanced their teleportation abilities, will flock to <strong>Queen's Clemency</strong>. Even those notwithstanding, there's a lot of quality left over. Take your pick.</p><p></p><p><strong>Class Powers</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p>Assured Recovery (AP): You let an ally reroll a failed save with your CHA-mod bonus. Fair enough, though a tad underwhelming compared to a lot of its competition here.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Aura of Reverence</span> (HotF)</strong>: Requires Skald's Aura, and this one is quite good, especially in a melee-heavy party. A bloodied enemy in your aura must move out of it first thing, which tends to result in a lovely fiesta of OAs. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff">Cherub's Song</span> (D 383): This daily is flight for you for a whole encounter, flat; you don't even have to sustain it. And if allies start their turns within 5 squares of you, they can fly, too (really fast if you're Valorous). Good one, especially if not everyone is investing in at-will flight items, but make sure that you stay within 5 squares of any allies in the air or they'll fall, although by this point your allies can at least buy Winged Boots for practically free so such a fall won't hurt them.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff">Climactic Chord</span> (AP): You mean this isn't an attack power? The nova potential from this daily is all sorts of ridiculous. Even better, it's all triggered from a mere minor action, with a huge 10-square burst that easily gets the whole party in on the focus-fire carnage. Great for larger parties, especially (6 or more).</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff">Elegy Unwritten</span> (PHB2): Probably the best class-related resurrection spell in the game, particularly because it's an immediate interrupt.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff">Invisible Troupe</span> (PHB2): Per-encounter minor-action mass invisibility for a round. Even if no one is trained in stealth it can still be almost as good as blinding all your enemies for a round for free. Close burst 3 makes for a decent chance to make everyone disappear.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #ff0000">Mirrored Entourage</span> (PHB2): Basically a mass casting of two-thirds of a Mirror Image. Which is crap.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff">Note of Aggression</span> (AP): With the advent of your basic attack-triggered powers like the Dimensional Step line, this encounter minor-action MBA/charge enabler has gained even more purpose than before. Namely, enable yourself with this one, and if you hit, trigger the teleportation and second attack from an ally with your Dimensional Step. Thus generating two attacks for the price of just your minor action and elevating this to perhaps the melee Bard's top power overall at this level.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff">Ode to the Daring</span> (AP): Surgeless mass-healing spell with a large burst and triggered as a minor action. Also lets everyone make a save. Solid.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff">Queen's Clemency</span> (D 387): This at-will, minor-action ally teleporation power does require teleportation optimization items to be worth taking, but if that was the route you went (probably because you took Bardic Wayfarer), this is nothing short of brilliant. All of a sudden the default 1-square teleport from this power becomes, like, 10 or more with teleport enhancers such as Eladrin Armor, Eladrin Boots, Gloves of Dimensional Repulsion, Eladrin Ring of Passage, Ring of Retreat and Incisive Dagger. And speaking of Bardic Wayfarer, the self-teleportation from that feat applies here, so have fun with that. If you're <span style="color: #800080"><strong>not taking any teleport enhancers</strong></span>, on the other hand, skip this one.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff">Song of Transition </span>(PHB2): This daily creates a minor-action sustainable zone that lets you and your allies teleport literally all over the battle map. Can be quite handy.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Words of Manipulation</span> (HotF)</strong>: Requires Skald's Aura. Yet another quality power, this one letting your Striker buddy packing a multitude of focus-fire powers, a bad attitude and a ton of damage buffs take another standard action at the cost of your own. You can do this for the whole encounter, by the way.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong><u>Lv. 23 Encounter</u></strong></span></p><p></p><p>This level really treats Bards of all types right. Implement attackers become a Controller's best buddy with <strong>Chant of Bad Fortune</strong>. Prescient Bards with a bow grab the ranged weapon attack Reverberating Shot. Melee Bards love that <strong>White Wolves</strong>. And finally, any Bard will find<strong> True Prescient Warning</strong> an appealing option.</p><p></p><p><strong>Melee Weapon</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #800080">Song of Liberation</span> (PHB2): Too situational. Not too often that the whole party will be affected by immobilization, restraint or slow.</p><p></p><p>Weal and Woe (PHB2): Only the <span style="color: #0000ff">Valorous</span> should consider it at all, in which case it serves as a solid setup attack for a melee ally in position, with the granted saving throw a nice little extra.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">White Wolves</span> (D 396)</strong>: Another Arcane/Primal encounter power with an effect, hit or miss, and this one is actually pretty grand. The effect is a zone that immobilizes all enemies who end their turns in it (and deals them a little cold damage), created from the close blast 5 attack. This one's fantastic to pull off with other melee support threatening enemies in the thick of it, possibly forcing them to risk OAs to get out of the zone. If you do hit any enemies with the attack (which is versus Fortitude), they are also knocked prone, making life even more difficult for them.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Ranged Weapon</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff">Reverberating Shot </span>(AP): Excellent setup attack for potentially the whole party when used by the Prescient. All allies in 5 squares can get huge bonuses to attack rolls (or AC if they prefer). This shot also attacks Reflex, meaning it hits and grants the bonuses often.</p><p></p><p>Sound Strike (AP): The rare non-Prescient ranged weapon Bard might look at this one to set up an almost sure and possibly hard hit from an ally. Decent one.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Implement</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff">Chant of Bad Fortune</span> (AP): This large burst, party-friendly AoE is the perfect follow-up to or setup for an ally's AoE daily power that inflicted save-ends effects, thanks to the -5 debuff to enemy saves. As an added bonus, your allies in the burst get to make saves. An impressive Controller aid spell.</p><p></p><p>Echoes in Time (PHB2): Solid tactical power when used by the <span style="color: #0000ff">Cunning</span>, who give allies that elect to teleport back to their starting spots huge bonuses to all defenses.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff">Mind Game</span> (AP): Lets your allies target the enemy's Will with their attacks, which more often than not is a very good thing.</p><p></p><p>Rhythm of Disorientation (PHB2): This party-friendly area burst is for casting on a melee cluster, where you've got allies ready to tack on a second attack while the enemies are down. Decent.</p><p></p><p>Transference Tune (D 383): Hit with this and you get to save against all ongoing effects and then for a round inflict your enemy with the effects you successfully saved to end. Fair.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Special</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000">True Alter Fate</span> (HotF)</strong>: Its effect type was worthless at Lv. 7, and how much more so now. </p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">True Prescient Warning</span> (HotF)</strong>: This one, on the other hand, is still a winner. Immediate-interrupt powers granting extra attacks via a common trigger (e.g. getting hit) never go out of style. This one does a couple more dice worth of damage compared to its predecessor.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">True Urge to Victory</span> (HotF)</strong>: Just like its predecessor, this one lets an ally who was incapacitated and couldn't attack last turn make a basic attack (melee or ranged) or charge, with more extra damage attached this time. Considering such effects are more commonplace in Epic Tier, this one is worth a look. </p><p>[/sblock]</p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong><u>Lv. 25 Daily</u></strong></span></p><p></p><p>It must be something about levels ending in "5." Another loaded level for implement-based powers. Go for Frenzied Rhythm, Virtuoso of Misfortune or Vision Distortion.</p><p></p><p><strong>Melee Weapon</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p>Fraught with Failure (PHB2): Mostly used against an Elite or Solo. The immobilization and weakening must be saved against separately. Fair.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Ranged Weapon</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000">Leave it Dead</span> (AP): When it hits, it basically gives the whole party, yourself included, the Vorpal property for all attacks. Too bad the Vorpal property sucks.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Implement</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #0000ff">Adversarial Song</span> (PHB2): Likely, your chosen ally will be a Defender, helping him do his job a lot better, and deal more damage, until the enemy saves. The effect is applied hit or miss.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff">Frenzied Rhythm</span> (PHB2): Nothing is as much fun as getting your enemies to fight each other, and you've got a nice area of effect for the mayhem. Ideally, you want to work it out so that one enemy gets gang-beaten by his cronies. And for good measure, the survivors are stunned for the round. You want some setup to be able to score as many hits as possible with this power, since a miss isn't as much fun: merely dazing enemies for a round.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #ff0000">Intimidating Visage</span> (AP): Feeble damage on hit, and feeble conditional one-time extra damage that only takes place if you hit. Just plain garbage, even if the AoE is huge.</p><p></p><p>Sculpt Fate</p><p>(AP): Best cast on a melee cluster. The effect is very nice indeed, assuming you hit enough of the allies in the area burst, giving you some d20s you can screw over some enemies with. Situational, but nice when it works.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff">Virtuoso of Misfortune</span> (AP): An area burst 2 that when it hits, drops -5 save penalties on enemies until they save to end this, which, oops, they'll have a tough time doing. Making for a vicious little conundrum that ensures your Controller allies love you.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff">Vision Distortion</span> (PHB2): Best cast on a melee cluster, this area burst 2 can work out to being nearly as good as inflicting save-ends blinding on a group of enemies.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Skald's Aura</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><strong>Chant of Devastation (HotF)</strong>: Tack on 15 ongoing damage to any attack that hits in the aura once per round. Pretty decent, as such damage can add up quickly.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Zeal-Inspiring Tale</span> (HotF)</strong>: If an enemy misses your ally with a melee attack, that ally gets an OA. Has some pretty good synergy with defense boosts, Defender marks and the like. Best in a melee-heavy party with a strong debuff-inclined Defender.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong><u>Lv. 27 Encounter</u></strong></span></p><p></p><p>Sort of a mixed bag at this encounter capstone level, but there are definitely some standouts. If you have reliable ways to do a basic attack on something besides your standard action every encounter (and by this point, all Bards have ample means of getting those), <strong>Greater Dimensional Step</strong> and <strong>Greater Flash of Distraction</strong> are both winning options. The Valorous do fine with Surge of Valor in a melee-heavy party. Pounding Rhythm is also quite powerful for any Bard if you've got someone in the party with strong AoE capability.</p><p></p><p><strong>Melee Weapon</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000">Crescendo of Victory</span> (AP): Only a +2 power bonus to attack rolls? Really? Only against the target? Really? At Lv. 27? Really?</p><p></p><p>Strike from Legend (AP): Best geared toward the Valorous who have the CON to grant extra healing on the mass-surge triggering that's most likely to happen with this power. Decent for that.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff">Surge of Valor</span> (PHB2): A power similar to the Warlord's Hail of Steel that only enables melee allies. Which still isn't bad, mind you, if you're in a melee-heavy party. And they get a free 2-square shift to get into position. If you're <span style="color: #00ccff">Valorous</span>, the beatdown is pretty much guaranteed, and extra-damaging.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Ranged Weapon</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #0000ff">Binding Rhyme</span> (AP): Attacks Reflex for an easy hit, immobilizes the enemy and encourages his cronies to cluster next to him and set his whole squad up for an AoE. Automatic 20 force damage for refusing to cluster is no joke.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Implement</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #800080">Bond of Malediction</span> (PHB2): Best employed by a Cunning Bard, but even then it's somewhat underwhelming compared to other options at this level.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #ff0000">Kaleidoscopic Burst</span> (PHB2): At this point, a modicum of AoE damage with a 2-square shift for allies is pretty damn weak.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff">Pounding Rhythm</span> (AP): This close blast 3 can result in a lot of stunned enemies if you've got an ally ready to follow up with an AoE of his own.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff">Second Chances</span> (AP): Cast this when your allies are in position to tee off on the target, granting all of those within 3 squares a chance to reroll an attack. Good setup for a focused assault involving allies' encounter and daily powers.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Basic Attack Triggered</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Greater Dimensional Step</span> (HotF)</strong>: Same as its Lv. 13 counterpart, with an extra d10 on the ally's attack enabled by this power. But this is still as good a choice as any, provided you have a means to make a basic attack on something besides your standard action. Plus there's something to be said about taking this one and also keeping its Lv. 13 predecessor in your arsenal (considering you can trigger them both off the same hit).</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Greater Flash of Distraction</span> (HotF)</strong>: Stun an enemy until the end of your next turn after you hit him. Stunning's great, as always. </p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000">Greater Ringing Weapon</span> (HotF)</strong>: Third time is absolutely not a charm for this effect. </p><p>[/sblock]</p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong><u>Lv. 29 Daily</u></strong></span></p><p></p><p>Hero's Beacon is a great capstone for melee weapons and almost makes up for the rough treatment they've gotten throughout the Bard's career. Ranged weapons get the crit-generating mayhem Arrow of Destiny so lovingly provides. And implements get two winners in Horrifying Truth and Spellbind.</p><p></p><p><strong>Melee Weapon</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff">Hero's Beacon</span> (PHB2): Turn an enemy into a walking battery of automatic radiant damage for him and his surrounding cronies and healing for your allies. Awesome especially for leading the attack on the Elite or Solo in the enemy party. Even more awesome if you've got a Divine character geared toward setting up radiant vulnerability in the party.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Ranged Weapon</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff">Arrow of Destiny</span> (AP): You get to guarantee at least one crit every round against the target while the condition lasts, using your immediate action. Don't have too much fun.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #ff0000">Saga of Foretold Doom</span> (AP): You took this instead of Arrow of Destiny, because?</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Implement</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff">Horrifying Truth</span> (AP): Mass save-ends dazing hit or miss, and if it hits it can result in a lot of save-ends stunned enemies with follow-up hits. Nice blast area, too. The classic follow-up AoE from an ally always works. Aside from that, this may be one of the few cases where the party spreading out its attacks is, in fact, justified.</p><p></p><p>Satire of Leadership (PHB2): Hit or miss, you inflict on the enemy a -2 penalty to all defenses and vulnerability 5 all until a save ends it. Not bad.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff">Shockwave Strike</span> (AP): Best for Valorous Bards who can turn into a walking battery of thunder damage and -2 AC debuffs to enemies within 5 squares of him. Minor-action sustainable, and usually worth it to do so.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #800080">Song of the Deadly Dancer </span>(D 372): A summon spell. Too bad it summons a weak attempt at a Defender, complete with marks without a way to punish them.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff">Spellbind</span> (PHB2): Save-ends domination on hit. Need I say more?</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Skald's Aura</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Climactic Crescendo</span> (HotF)</strong>: Lets you turn one ally hit (or yours) into a crit automatically for the encounter. Arrow of Destiny does have the greater potential if you can debuff the enemy's save somehow, but this one is still pretty good. And unlike Arrow of Destiny, the automatic crit effect from this doesn't require you to spend an immediate action.</p><p></p><p><strong>Demoralizing Dirge (HotF)</strong>: Makes your party inflict ongoing CHA-mod psychic damage all around, with every attack. Fair.</p><p>[/sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nibelung, post: 6705349, member: 74499"] [b]Originally posted by Litigation:[/b] [CENTER][SIZE=6][u]Ollamh at Last: Epic Tier Powers[/u][/SIZE][/CENTER] [Size=4][b][u]Lv. 22 Utility[/u][/b][/size] Lv. 16 sure could've used some of this love. It'd almost be easier to tell you what not to pick, because this epic utility level is a gold mine for Bards. [b]Note of Aggression[/b], [b]Climactic Chord[/b] and [b]Invisible Troupe[/b] probably have the most universal appeal. Those with a Skald's Aura and some melee buddies will take a good, hard look at [b]Aura of Reverence[/b] and [b]Words of Manipulation[/b]. Wayfarer Bards, who are likely to have enhanced their teleportation abilities, will flock to [b]Queen's Clemency[/b]. Even those notwithstanding, there's a lot of quality left over. Take your pick. [b]Class Powers[/b] [sblock] Assured Recovery (AP): You let an ally reroll a failed save with your CHA-mod bonus. Fair enough, though a tad underwhelming compared to a lot of its competition here. [b][COLOR=#00ccff]Aura of Reverence[/COLOR] (HotF)[/b]: Requires Skald's Aura, and this one is quite good, especially in a melee-heavy party. A bloodied enemy in your aura must move out of it first thing, which tends to result in a lovely fiesta of OAs. [COLOR=#0000ff]Cherub's Song[/COLOR] (D 383): This daily is flight for you for a whole encounter, flat; you don't even have to sustain it. And if allies start their turns within 5 squares of you, they can fly, too (really fast if you're Valorous). Good one, especially if not everyone is investing in at-will flight items, but make sure that you stay within 5 squares of any allies in the air or they'll fall, although by this point your allies can at least buy Winged Boots for practically free so such a fall won't hurt them. [COLOR=#00ccff]Climactic Chord[/COLOR] (AP): You mean this isn't an attack power? The nova potential from this daily is all sorts of ridiculous. Even better, it's all triggered from a mere minor action, with a huge 10-square burst that easily gets the whole party in on the focus-fire carnage. Great for larger parties, especially (6 or more). [COLOR=#0000ff]Elegy Unwritten[/COLOR] (PHB2): Probably the best class-related resurrection spell in the game, particularly because it's an immediate interrupt. [COLOR=#00ccff]Invisible Troupe[/COLOR] (PHB2): Per-encounter minor-action mass invisibility for a round. Even if no one is trained in stealth it can still be almost as good as blinding all your enemies for a round for free. Close burst 3 makes for a decent chance to make everyone disappear. [COLOR=#ff0000]Mirrored Entourage[/COLOR] (PHB2): Basically a mass casting of two-thirds of a Mirror Image. Which is crap. [COLOR=#00ccff]Note of Aggression[/COLOR] (AP): With the advent of your basic attack-triggered powers like the Dimensional Step line, this encounter minor-action MBA/charge enabler has gained even more purpose than before. Namely, enable yourself with this one, and if you hit, trigger the teleportation and second attack from an ally with your Dimensional Step. Thus generating two attacks for the price of just your minor action and elevating this to perhaps the melee Bard's top power overall at this level. [COLOR=#0000ff]Ode to the Daring[/COLOR] (AP): Surgeless mass-healing spell with a large burst and triggered as a minor action. Also lets everyone make a save. Solid. [COLOR=#00ccff]Queen's Clemency[/COLOR] (D 387): This at-will, minor-action ally teleporation power does require teleportation optimization items to be worth taking, but if that was the route you went (probably because you took Bardic Wayfarer), this is nothing short of brilliant. All of a sudden the default 1-square teleport from this power becomes, like, 10 or more with teleport enhancers such as Eladrin Armor, Eladrin Boots, Gloves of Dimensional Repulsion, Eladrin Ring of Passage, Ring of Retreat and Incisive Dagger. And speaking of Bardic Wayfarer, the self-teleportation from that feat applies here, so have fun with that. If you're [COLOR=#800080][b]not taking any teleport enhancers[/b][/COLOR], on the other hand, skip this one. [COLOR=#0000ff]Song of Transition [/COLOR](PHB2): This daily creates a minor-action sustainable zone that lets you and your allies teleport literally all over the battle map. Can be quite handy. [b][COLOR=#00ccff]Words of Manipulation[/COLOR] (HotF)[/b]: Requires Skald's Aura. Yet another quality power, this one letting your Striker buddy packing a multitude of focus-fire powers, a bad attitude and a ton of damage buffs take another standard action at the cost of your own. You can do this for the whole encounter, by the way. [/sblock] [Size=4][b][u]Lv. 23 Encounter[/u][/b][/size] This level really treats Bards of all types right. Implement attackers become a Controller's best buddy with [b]Chant of Bad Fortune[/b]. Prescient Bards with a bow grab the ranged weapon attack Reverberating Shot. Melee Bards love that [b]White Wolves[/b]. And finally, any Bard will find[b] True Prescient Warning[/b] an appealing option. [b]Melee Weapon[/b] [sblock] [COLOR=#800080]Song of Liberation[/COLOR] (PHB2): Too situational. Not too often that the whole party will be affected by immobilization, restraint or slow. Weal and Woe (PHB2): Only the [COLOR=#0000ff]Valorous[/COLOR] should consider it at all, in which case it serves as a solid setup attack for a melee ally in position, with the granted saving throw a nice little extra. [b][COLOR=#00ccff]White Wolves[/COLOR] (D 396)[/b]: Another Arcane/Primal encounter power with an effect, hit or miss, and this one is actually pretty grand. The effect is a zone that immobilizes all enemies who end their turns in it (and deals them a little cold damage), created from the close blast 5 attack. This one's fantastic to pull off with other melee support threatening enemies in the thick of it, possibly forcing them to risk OAs to get out of the zone. If you do hit any enemies with the attack (which is versus Fortitude), they are also knocked prone, making life even more difficult for them. [/sblock] [b]Ranged Weapon[/b] [sblock] [COLOR=#00ccff]Reverberating Shot [/COLOR](AP): Excellent setup attack for potentially the whole party when used by the Prescient. All allies in 5 squares can get huge bonuses to attack rolls (or AC if they prefer). This shot also attacks Reflex, meaning it hits and grants the bonuses often. Sound Strike (AP): The rare non-Prescient ranged weapon Bard might look at this one to set up an almost sure and possibly hard hit from an ally. Decent one. [/sblock] [b]Implement[/b] [sblock] [COLOR=#00ccff]Chant of Bad Fortune[/COLOR] (AP): This large burst, party-friendly AoE is the perfect follow-up to or setup for an ally's AoE daily power that inflicted save-ends effects, thanks to the -5 debuff to enemy saves. As an added bonus, your allies in the burst get to make saves. An impressive Controller aid spell. Echoes in Time (PHB2): Solid tactical power when used by the [COLOR=#0000ff]Cunning[/COLOR], who give allies that elect to teleport back to their starting spots huge bonuses to all defenses. [COLOR=#0000ff]Mind Game[/COLOR] (AP): Lets your allies target the enemy's Will with their attacks, which more often than not is a very good thing. Rhythm of Disorientation (PHB2): This party-friendly area burst is for casting on a melee cluster, where you've got allies ready to tack on a second attack while the enemies are down. Decent. Transference Tune (D 383): Hit with this and you get to save against all ongoing effects and then for a round inflict your enemy with the effects you successfully saved to end. Fair. [/sblock] [b]Special[/b] [sblock] [b][COLOR=#ff0000]True Alter Fate[/COLOR] (HotF)[/b]: Its effect type was worthless at Lv. 7, and how much more so now. [b][COLOR=#00ccff]True Prescient Warning[/COLOR] (HotF)[/b]: This one, on the other hand, is still a winner. Immediate-interrupt powers granting extra attacks via a common trigger (e.g. getting hit) never go out of style. This one does a couple more dice worth of damage compared to its predecessor. [b][COLOR=#0000ff]True Urge to Victory[/COLOR] (HotF)[/b]: Just like its predecessor, this one lets an ally who was incapacitated and couldn't attack last turn make a basic attack (melee or ranged) or charge, with more extra damage attached this time. Considering such effects are more commonplace in Epic Tier, this one is worth a look. [/sblock] [Size=4][b][u]Lv. 25 Daily[/u][/b][/size] It must be something about levels ending in "5." Another loaded level for implement-based powers. Go for Frenzied Rhythm, Virtuoso of Misfortune or Vision Distortion. [b]Melee Weapon[/b] [sblock] Fraught with Failure (PHB2): Mostly used against an Elite or Solo. The immobilization and weakening must be saved against separately. Fair. [/sblock] [b]Ranged Weapon[/b] [sblock] [COLOR=#ff0000]Leave it Dead[/COLOR] (AP): When it hits, it basically gives the whole party, yourself included, the Vorpal property for all attacks. Too bad the Vorpal property sucks. [/sblock] [b]Implement[/b] [sblock] [COLOR=#0000ff]Adversarial Song[/COLOR] (PHB2): Likely, your chosen ally will be a Defender, helping him do his job a lot better, and deal more damage, until the enemy saves. The effect is applied hit or miss. [COLOR=#00ccff]Frenzied Rhythm[/COLOR] (PHB2): Nothing is as much fun as getting your enemies to fight each other, and you've got a nice area of effect for the mayhem. Ideally, you want to work it out so that one enemy gets gang-beaten by his cronies. And for good measure, the survivors are stunned for the round. You want some setup to be able to score as many hits as possible with this power, since a miss isn't as much fun: merely dazing enemies for a round. [COLOR=#ff0000]Intimidating Visage[/COLOR] (AP): Feeble damage on hit, and feeble conditional one-time extra damage that only takes place if you hit. Just plain garbage, even if the AoE is huge. Sculpt Fate (AP): Best cast on a melee cluster. The effect is very nice indeed, assuming you hit enough of the allies in the area burst, giving you some d20s you can screw over some enemies with. Situational, but nice when it works. [COLOR=#00ccff]Virtuoso of Misfortune[/COLOR] (AP): An area burst 2 that when it hits, drops -5 save penalties on enemies until they save to end this, which, oops, they'll have a tough time doing. Making for a vicious little conundrum that ensures your Controller allies love you. [COLOR=#00ccff]Vision Distortion[/COLOR] (PHB2): Best cast on a melee cluster, this area burst 2 can work out to being nearly as good as inflicting save-ends blinding on a group of enemies. [/sblock] [b]Skald's Aura[/b] [sblock] [b]Chant of Devastation (HotF)[/b]: Tack on 15 ongoing damage to any attack that hits in the aura once per round. Pretty decent, as such damage can add up quickly. [b][COLOR=#0000ff]Zeal-Inspiring Tale[/COLOR] (HotF)[/b]: If an enemy misses your ally with a melee attack, that ally gets an OA. Has some pretty good synergy with defense boosts, Defender marks and the like. Best in a melee-heavy party with a strong debuff-inclined Defender. [/sblock] [Size=4][b][u]Lv. 27 Encounter[/u][/b][/size] Sort of a mixed bag at this encounter capstone level, but there are definitely some standouts. If you have reliable ways to do a basic attack on something besides your standard action every encounter (and by this point, all Bards have ample means of getting those), [b]Greater Dimensional Step[/b] and [b]Greater Flash of Distraction[/b] are both winning options. The Valorous do fine with Surge of Valor in a melee-heavy party. Pounding Rhythm is also quite powerful for any Bard if you've got someone in the party with strong AoE capability. [b]Melee Weapon[/b] [sblock] [COLOR=#ff0000]Crescendo of Victory[/COLOR] (AP): Only a +2 power bonus to attack rolls? Really? Only against the target? Really? At Lv. 27? Really? Strike from Legend (AP): Best geared toward the Valorous who have the CON to grant extra healing on the mass-surge triggering that's most likely to happen with this power. Decent for that. [COLOR=#0000ff]Surge of Valor[/COLOR] (PHB2): A power similar to the Warlord's Hail of Steel that only enables melee allies. Which still isn't bad, mind you, if you're in a melee-heavy party. And they get a free 2-square shift to get into position. If you're [COLOR=#00ccff]Valorous[/COLOR], the beatdown is pretty much guaranteed, and extra-damaging. [/sblock] [b]Ranged Weapon[/b] [sblock] [COLOR=#0000ff]Binding Rhyme[/COLOR] (AP): Attacks Reflex for an easy hit, immobilizes the enemy and encourages his cronies to cluster next to him and set his whole squad up for an AoE. Automatic 20 force damage for refusing to cluster is no joke. [/sblock] [b]Implement[/b] [sblock] [COLOR=#800080]Bond of Malediction[/COLOR] (PHB2): Best employed by a Cunning Bard, but even then it's somewhat underwhelming compared to other options at this level. [COLOR=#ff0000]Kaleidoscopic Burst[/COLOR] (PHB2): At this point, a modicum of AoE damage with a 2-square shift for allies is pretty damn weak. [COLOR=#00ccff]Pounding Rhythm[/COLOR] (AP): This close blast 3 can result in a lot of stunned enemies if you've got an ally ready to follow up with an AoE of his own. [COLOR=#0000ff]Second Chances[/COLOR] (AP): Cast this when your allies are in position to tee off on the target, granting all of those within 3 squares a chance to reroll an attack. Good setup for a focused assault involving allies' encounter and daily powers. [/sblock] [b]Basic Attack Triggered[/b] [sblock] [b][COLOR=#00ccff]Greater Dimensional Step[/COLOR] (HotF)[/b]: Same as its Lv. 13 counterpart, with an extra d10 on the ally's attack enabled by this power. But this is still as good a choice as any, provided you have a means to make a basic attack on something besides your standard action. Plus there's something to be said about taking this one and also keeping its Lv. 13 predecessor in your arsenal (considering you can trigger them both off the same hit). [b][COLOR=#00ccff]Greater Flash of Distraction[/COLOR] (HotF)[/b]: Stun an enemy until the end of your next turn after you hit him. Stunning's great, as always. [b][COLOR=#ff0000]Greater Ringing Weapon[/COLOR] (HotF)[/b]: Third time is absolutely not a charm for this effect. [/sblock] [Size=4][b][u]Lv. 29 Daily[/u][/b][/size] Hero's Beacon is a great capstone for melee weapons and almost makes up for the rough treatment they've gotten throughout the Bard's career. Ranged weapons get the crit-generating mayhem Arrow of Destiny so lovingly provides. And implements get two winners in Horrifying Truth and Spellbind. [b]Melee Weapon[/b] [sblock] [COLOR=#00ccff]Hero's Beacon[/COLOR] (PHB2): Turn an enemy into a walking battery of automatic radiant damage for him and his surrounding cronies and healing for your allies. Awesome especially for leading the attack on the Elite or Solo in the enemy party. Even more awesome if you've got a Divine character geared toward setting up radiant vulnerability in the party. [/sblock] [b]Ranged Weapon[/b] [sblock] [COLOR=#00ccff]Arrow of Destiny[/COLOR] (AP): You get to guarantee at least one crit every round against the target while the condition lasts, using your immediate action. Don't have too much fun. [COLOR=#ff0000]Saga of Foretold Doom[/COLOR] (AP): You took this instead of Arrow of Destiny, because? [/sblock] [b]Implement[/b] [sblock] [COLOR=#00ccff]Horrifying Truth[/COLOR] (AP): Mass save-ends dazing hit or miss, and if it hits it can result in a lot of save-ends stunned enemies with follow-up hits. Nice blast area, too. The classic follow-up AoE from an ally always works. Aside from that, this may be one of the few cases where the party spreading out its attacks is, in fact, justified. Satire of Leadership (PHB2): Hit or miss, you inflict on the enemy a -2 penalty to all defenses and vulnerability 5 all until a save ends it. Not bad. [COLOR=#0000ff]Shockwave Strike[/COLOR] (AP): Best for Valorous Bards who can turn into a walking battery of thunder damage and -2 AC debuffs to enemies within 5 squares of him. Minor-action sustainable, and usually worth it to do so. [COLOR=#800080]Song of the Deadly Dancer [/COLOR](D 372): A summon spell. Too bad it summons a weak attempt at a Defender, complete with marks without a way to punish them. [COLOR=#00ccff]Spellbind[/COLOR] (PHB2): Save-ends domination on hit. Need I say more? [/sblock] [b]Skald's Aura[/b] [sblock] [b][COLOR=#0000ff]Climactic Crescendo[/COLOR] (HotF)[/b]: Lets you turn one ally hit (or yours) into a crit automatically for the encounter. Arrow of Destiny does have the greater potential if you can debuff the enemy's save somehow, but this one is still pretty good. And unlike Arrow of Destiny, the automatic crit effect from this doesn't require you to spend an immediate action. [b]Demoralizing Dirge (HotF)[/b]: Makes your party inflict ongoing CHA-mod psychic damage all around, with every attack. Fair. [/sblock] [/QUOTE]
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