[Lore] [Weapons] [Magic] [Survival] [Armor] [Stats]

Welcome to my skill and stat training guide. This guide assumes that you are a Bard, but even if you're not, there's bound to be something useful for you. Send any comments or revisions my way!

Lore

Strings, Winds, & Percussions- How talented you are at playing instruments is determined by these. Also, enchantes performed on them will be easier to cap (use the maximum level of mana) with greater skill. To train them, use my Reckus script. Easy! If you want to learn the old-fashioned way, play a song style on your instrument that gives you the "slightest hint of difficulty" for maximum learning.

Vocals- You will learn this skill most easily by chanting Caress of the Sun, then upgrading to Merelew's Legacy. When in combat, the fantastic Desert's Maelstrom will teach you very nicely. Be sure to use an amount of mana that challenges you, but won't make you backfire or run out of mana. A more reliable and consistent way to learn vocals is by using hum. The difficulty is scalable through play styles (just like instruments), so find a style that gives you the "slightest hint of difficulty" for maximum learning. My Reckus script offers the option to train Vocals via hum.

Musical Theory- You'll learn this skill just by working the above four skills and tuning instruments. It's pretty common for this to be among the top three skills of any given Bard, and you don't even have to go out of you way to train it!

Appraisal- This is an extremely handy skill that allows you to accurately get information about items, namely weapons, critters, and instruments. Bards learn it way easier than everyone else, because we get a lot of information out of instruments that others don't. The more valuable and difficult to play an instrument is, the better it will teach Appraisal (eventually you may wish to pick up bagpipes from Outer Hibarnhvidar, and a gansa-gambang and zither from the Riverhaven peddler for this very reason). Also, while in combat, using appraise <critter> quick will nicely suppliment your Appraisal learning, but due to a long timer, usually only the first appraise of each critter will teach the skill to you. However, if you're quickly mowing down enemies, appraising each one once will provide excellent experience in no time.

Scholarship- This skill increases how well you learn from classes, and also dictates your ability to read and invoke spell scrolls. Unfortunately, it's hard to learn. Early in your career, it's advisable to go to the libraries and read through lots of books, and if you must, listen to classes taught by extremely good teachers. Don't forget to chant Faenella's Grace! You can also buy some embroidery patterns from Arthe Dale and study those. Once you can learn the Recall ability from your guildleader, go on some Recall runs and learn Scholarship the easy way! Also, you can use my Bard Spellbook Studying script for some supplimental learning. Studying anatomy charts will also provide absolutely amazing Scholarship learning, but they aren't effective until you have approximately 80 ranks in Scholarship.

Mechanical Lore- To train, braid ropes to about 50 ranks, then fold origami from that point on. If you're feeling crazy, you can put your skills to the test by forging weapons and armor!

Useful Mechanical Lore links:

• Origami: DR Traders calculator, Veii's Veranda, my origami script, instructions locations at DR Addicts
• Forging: Olwydd's, Mendasity's, forging factor calculator

Teaching- This determines how good you are at bestowing your knowledge of skills upon others. To learn, get good at something, then find some other characters and teach that skill to them. Chant Faenella's Grace while you're at it, and always attempt to teach as many students as you're able to. Students with higher scholarship will draw in better Teaching experience for you.. Remember, there's a bonus to teaching those of the same guild and race as you. Only three bards in the Realms are not elves, I think.

Animal Lore- The best way to learn this skill is fishing. If you wish not to do this, find a ranger and have them teach you.

Weapons

Bards need to train two weapons to meet circle requirments. A very popular lifestyle choice is to train one melee weapon and one ranged weapon. I am hoping that you will send in essays for weapon types not covered here! DR.Aveda@gmail.com

For learning actual weapons, I highly recommend finding a critter that is slightly too hard for you to kill without using Demrris' Resolve. If it takes more than 7 kills to mind lock a weapon, I'd say it's time to find a harder creature. As far as Parry, Multi Opponent, and all other defensive-combat skills, I recommend finding a critter that would really beat you up if you weren't using Desert's Maelstrom, but would barely ever touch you if you were. And ideally, you want to be training all of your combat skills on the same critter ; )

Remember, finding a good hunting groove for your character and play-style is a very organic process, so don't take that advice as scripture, just as a guide.

Parry Ability- To train Parry, hold a melee or pole-ranged weapon in your right hand and allow critters to beat on you. Parry them. If you find that you're not learning Parry because you're evading or blocking too many blows with your shield, check your stance and turn down evasion and shield until you're parrying more often.

Multi Opponent- To best train Multi Opponent, find a critter that swarms a lot but hits very lightly, such as eels or morah vines/creepers. Chant Desert's Maelstrom and let a gang of them swing at you. When hunting critters at your level that may not swarm as much, try defending yourself with three critters engaged to you. If you're getting too beat up, move down to two critters. If two critters aren't teaching Multi Oppenent fast enough, try raising your Reflex stat and attempt to take three critters (Redeemer's Pride will give a very nice Multi Opponent boost to overcome the jump), or move down the critter ladder slightly and take on more foes at once. If you're still not learning favorably, it's time to move up the critter ladder.

Medium Edged, Heavy Edged, Twohanded Edged- These are the most popular weapons in the game, due to their excellent damage-to-roundtime ratios.

Short Bow- The fastest of the ranged weapons. If you use a Nisha short bow from the El Bain's Stop general store and hold your arrows in your left hand, you'll get a one-second load time. If you hunt primarily with Demrris' Resolve or Rage of Clans, this is an extremely effective strategy. Don't aim; just rapid fire your enemies to death. Macros will help your fingers keep up with the action.

Light Thrown- Bards have two very specific reasons to consider Light Thrown as a weapon choice: 

1) The LT skill determines success when throwing bottles of naphtha, which will explode on contact and engulf your enemy in flames if you're chanting Phoenix's Pyre, and

2) Bards are one of three guilds who reach throwing blade perks at an accelerated pace- fewer ranks are required to throw multiple blades, with the maximum of five blades being attained at 450 ranks, instead of 600 for other guilds.  (See the chart)

Useful weapons links:

Roundtime Calculator, a list of popular weapons forged by Mendasity, Olwydd's guide to understanding weapon stats, Critter database at DRPlat, Amagaim's What-To-Hunt list, Hanryu's Combat Equipment Compendium

Magic

Primary Magic, Harness Ability- These are really easy for Bards to work, as all you have to do is start up an enchante using a challenging amount of mana for you (without backfiring, of course), and stand there. Caress of the Sun and later Merelew's Legacy will work these (and Vocals) quite nicely during downtime, and Desert's Maelstrom should perform nearly as well on the battlefield.

Power Perception- This is an incredibly important skill that plays a big role in how much mana you're able to draw from the area into your magic. Go on power walks whenever you can; all this requires is that you travel room to room and type perceive in each one until you mind lock. I have some scripts for this available. This is one of those precious few skills that never requires you to change your training habits as it grows. Performing enchantes also provides a modest amount of Power Perception experience, but not enough to pay the bills with.

Magical Devices- While this skill is very undeveloped and there aren't a lot of nifty magical toys to play with, it's not a horrible idea to work. The best way to gain your first 50 ranks or so is to acquire sandalwood fans (available in the Crossing Estate-Holder-only curio shop; traders usually stock them) and tap them until you mind lock the skill. Simple as that. Once you get to the point where you're burning them out too quickly, simply buy two cambrinth orbs and run this script. Although Bards can now set how much mana is to drain from cambrinth, it's still a much more taxing process for us to use than for other magic users. Remember, when charging cambrinth, 11 mana is the magic number. Nobody knows why; it just teachest the best, no matter how skilled you are. Training Magical Devices using runestones takes too long and won't be worth the effort.

Targeted Magic- The only practical way for Bards to train TM at this time is to use the targeted Analagous Patterns spells Energy Bolt and Strange Arrow. Experience is based on damage dealt, so whatever you can do to disable your enemies will help (try performing Chorus of Madmen or Desert's Maelstrom). Alternately, simply go find a warrior mage, chant Faenella's Grace, and have them teach you.

Survival

Bards are required to work six (6) survival skills from square one. Careful planning ahead of time will save you many, MANY headaches in the future. I will try to make a case for each one.
Bandwagon Score- When asked in a poll, this is how many Bards (out of 18) had each skill in their Top 6. Are you in good company?

Evasion- A five star skill. Evasion is widely considered, pound for pound, the most effective of the defenses. To train, set your stance to favor Evasion (100%) and get some critters on you, preferably while chanting Desert's Maelstrom. Dodge them. If you find that you're not learning evasion because you're parrying or blocking too many blows with your shield, check your stance and turn down parry and shield until you're evading more often.
Bandwagon Score- 17 /18

Climbing & Swimming- These are incredibly useful skills that are easy to train if you know where to look, and will save you considerable amounts of time by bypassing major obstacles such as the barge and Faldesu River by Riverhaven, the gondola in Ilithi, and the Spiral Road in Ain Ghazul. There are excellent pages on Elanthipedia  outlining learning ranks and caps in these skills (Climbing; Swimming). Also, I've got some scripts for these.
Bandwagon Score- Climbing: 12/18; Swimming: 7/18

Perception- Indispensable. Perception helps prevent you from being victimized by theft, ambush, or backstabbing. It also aids in finding hidden trails and other stuff that doesn't meet the aloof eye. To train, just find some jugglies and juggle them. Put up any Perception boosters you have available, such as a Clear Vision rune or Eye of Kertigen to speed up your experience gain. Since you can train this skill anywhere, anytime, there's really no reason not to.
Bandwagon Score- 18/18!

Hiding & Stalking- If you plan to train these, I strongly urge you to do so from the beginning. Being able to train Hiding and Stalking on the same critters that you train your weapons and defenses on will be a blessing that you'll probably mention when you say grace at dinner. To work these skills, unburden yourself, unhinder yourself (even if that means removing all your armor), sing Misdirection, and hide in front of critters. Then stalk one of them, engage it, then once you're at melee range, attack it (or poach it, if you're using a bow). Retreat and repeat.
Bandwagon Score- Hiding: 7/18; Stalking: 1/18

Lockpicking & Disarm Traps- Wealth will be yours if you choose to learn these skills. As with Hiding and Stalking, you will do well for yourself by ensuring that they are up to speed with the boxes dropped by the creatures you normally hunt. To work, get some boxes, disarm them, then with a lockpick pick them. If Disarm experience starts to peter out, you can disarm <box> quick to milk a bit more experience out of it. Know where empaths are, as you may hurt yourself a lot. Also, Drums of the Snake will help you if you're having a particularly hard time with a box, though you'll probably need another Bard to perform it for an extended picking session. Markhor has made a good guide of box messaging.
Bandwagon Score- Lockpicking: 9/18; Disarm Traps: 10/18

Stealing- This is a very hard skill to work. Practice at first by finding willing participants and attempt to steal from them while hidden. The Misdirection enchante may help. Eventually, you'll need to start stealing items from shops to learn at all. Typically, the more valuable the item, the tougher it will be to steal. Getting caught will most likely get you thrown in jail. Unless you are very passionate about being a Bard of thievery, I don't recommend taking on this skill. Note: Stealing almost certainly won't count for one of your Top 6 survival skill requirements because it's evil and mean.
Bandwagon Score- 3/18

First Aid- This is another difficult skill to learn if you go about it the old-fashioned way. It requires that you have have access to either bleeding patients willing to let you tend to them, or have bleeding wounds yourself, which will eventually become infected if not healed soon enough. Even if you don't mind the hassle of learning this skill, it is merely cosmetic to a Bard since we possess Hodierna's Lilt, which keeps our vitality up until we can get our bleeders healed. However, studying anatomy charts is a great way to learn First Aid without some of the risks; it merely requires that you have decent Scholarship (around 80 ranks or so) to start studying the easier ones.
Bandwagon Score- 6/18

Foraging- This skill can be quite useful, as herb shops are not always convenient if healing herbs are needed, and rare woods can be a boon to those who enjoy carving bows and arrows and stuff. Unfortuantely, it can be difficult to learn for survival-tertiery guilds (like Bards) since we lack the ability to forage carefully. Kythryn's site will tell you what to forage if you're up to the challenge, and her maps should show you where to find them. Try to find at least five different things that are challenging for you to find, and keep cycling through them. But if you truly want to learn Foraging like a champ, do so by fishing.
Bandwagon Score- 4/18

Escaping- Train this skill by using the flee command in combat. Remember, you won't learn Escaping very well if your ranks in Escaping far outweigh or are outweighed by the weapon ranks of your enemies. Having multiple enemies engaged to you, as well as being at melee range with them, will teach you even better. While this may carry the risk of death for lesser guilds, you can first immobilize your gang of assailants with Demrris' Resolve to flee scratch-free. This skill has a timer between 3-5 minutes, so you must carefully splice flee attempts into your combat regimen to learn it effectively. Also, you can train this skill by getting webbed in certain hunting grounds, namely the Breach Tunnels under Theren Keep, around the Unyn fellas in Aesry and Riverhaven, and if you're exceptionally skilled in Escaping, the mud in the black apes area of Forfedhdar. There was a fine post outlining the other locations to learn Escaping.
Bandwagon Score- 1/18

Skinning- An amazing skill, and one that is very easy to train; most likely you will be able to find a creature in your hunting skill range that is skinnable. Skinning can be quite lucrative down the line, and can be useful in tanning, if that strikes you at all. A tip I have: set two macros, the first will sheathe or stow your weapon, wield your skinning knife, and skin, then the second one will sheathe your skinning knife, empty your left hand, and wield your main weapon again. Or just put all six commands on one macro. Whatever. Also, if you wish to learn Skinning away from the battlefield as well, save your pelts and skins for later, then scrape them with your hide scraper.
13/18

Armor

Bards are required to work an armor skill right from the get-go, and a second at circle 31. Light Chain, Shield Usage, and Leather appear to be the most popular among Bards, as we cannot fully work down the hindrance on heavier stuff like Heavy Plate, though that hasn't stopped some from loving it.

Leather, Light Chain, Light Plate, Heavy Chain, Heavy Plate, Cloth Armor, Bone Armor-Once you work down your hindrance of your main (torso) armor to an acceptable level (check by appraising it with full armor on), adding pieces of other armor types to your hands, head, and legs might not be a bad idea if you fancy more TDPs down the line. To work any of these skills, have your gear on, chant Desert's Maelstrom, get a couple of critters on you, and stand there defending yourself. Contrary to popular belief, you can mindlock all your armors without taking a single hit. If you're getting hurt a lot, even while using Desert's Maelstrom, it's probably wise to find an easier hunting ground.

Shield Usage- To train Shield Usage, either hold a shield in your left hand or wear one on your left arm and allow critters to beat on you. If you find that you're not learning Shield Usage because you're evading or parrying too many blows with your weapon, check your stance and turn down evasion and parry until you're blocking more often. Since Bards are an armor-tertiary guild, we can only use small-sized arm-worn shields. However, since you can wear one and still wield a two-handed weapon, they can be quite a boon to your combat setup.

Stats

Well, perhaps more than any other guild, Bards need to be extremely balanced in their stat training; neglecting any of them may be detrimental to your existence. Charisma, however, is our big killer. It plays a huge role in the effectiveness of our magic and special Bardic abilities like bluffs. Here's the handy stat training TDP calculator.

Strength+Stamina- Make sure that these are high enough to where you have no encumbrance while carrying your normal load of gear. Encumbrance is evil and it penalizes just about everything you do, from hiding to swimming to hunting.

Strength+Agility- These are used to lower the roundtime on your weapons. Depending on your race, you may need to imbalance these to minimize your roundtimes with the fewest TDPs spent. See the weapon roundtime calculator.

Agility- Agility is key in boosting the accuracy of your weapons and will help you greatly if you decide to become a locksmith-Bard.

Stamina- Train this up if your fatigue is getting the best of you. You want to get to the point to where you become fully rested between every swing of your weapon. Don't, however, train stamina simply for fear of bleeding to death. Bards have the Hodierna's Lilt enchante and should virtually never have to worry about such a tragedy so long as there's some mana around.

Reflex- Reflex is a magical stat that helps you evade, parry, block with your shield, and jump from one ferry to another. If you're getting beat up even though the hunting guides out there tell you your skill ranks are good enough, it's probably time to train Reflex.

Wisdom+Intelligence+Discipline- Train these up to where you're learning at a decent rate. Remember the old bucket-and-water analogy, folks: Think of each skill having its own bucket, and all these buckets are sitting on a tray. In the bottom of each bucket is a hole that also passes through the tray. Intelligence (and to a much lesser extent, Discipline) dictates the size of the buckets, and Wisdom dictates the size of the hole in the bottom of each bucket. When you use a skill, you're pouring water into that skill's bucket. Every 200 seconds, the hole opens and lets some water pour out to become permanent experience toward ranks in that skill. Careful, if the bucket becomes full (mind lock) and you continue to pour water into it (train that skill), the bucket will overflow and the water goes into your Overall State Of Mind tray which surrounds your skill buckets, and as the tray fills up your learning starts to slow down significantly. This water will evaporate... eventually. So don't overtrain your skills past mind lock! Be warned that the GMs have changed the experience gain formulas and the classic mental stat calculator is no longer accurate.

Charisma+Discipline- These are the "wonder stats" that seem to affect a lot of things, most of which aren't completely obvious to the naked eye. As a Bard you'll want to keep these near the top of your stats. Also, as stated above, Charisma strongly factors in to the effectiveness of your enchantes and bluffs.

Intelligence+Discipline+Charisma- These are the key stats in the Will vs. Will contests throughout the game. From increasing the power of your Demrris' Resolve, to your ability to resist barbarian roars or a moon mage's Mental Blast, these stats should be strong.

Pertinent Links

Zairius's Circle Calculator- Incredible. How close are you?

Title Caluculator- See what titles you qualify for.

Saracus' Skill Difference Calculator- Track your progess over a period of time. Provides a unique perspective on your training habits.