Virtuoso

[Xyfiel]

Just curious how many people also have this, seems like it is barely mentioned on the forums. I personally enjoy the free spell foci and extra songs, and hit a 50 diplomacy with boost.
It was a tough choice not taking 100 sps and +1 dc for everyone. Not the deciding factor but I hate having those notes over my head.

[TEK]

i did

i have two bards so i made one of them a virtuoso.

there's a few minor kinks to get out. like if use the new "enthrall" song that the virtuoso has it doesnt count as a fascinate for the purpose of using suggestion on them. also the new songs can get dispelled.

outside of that the virtuoso rocks:)

[spifflove]

I was running madstone elite and the enthrall didnt work. I didnt try normal fascinate but I never failed with songs before.

Anyone shed some light on this?

[Snike]

They changed madstone recently, disco balls dont work on that stuff anymore either.

I use Virt and like it. I especially liked the fact that it allowed me to take undead facinate at level 7. I was very useful in a quest many bards feel useless in, delara's.

[Lo_Pan]

Been playing around with Virtuoso recently, and I have to say it does have some weak points, but the crowd control and -2 to all saves ect, is really nice. Enthral is 'harder' to use, and requires more of a mobile mindset (than the plain old fascinate!), but other than that: It's been fine!

[Schmackdown]

I swapped Spellsinger for Virtuoso on my 14 bard. FWIW you can't take a full load of IC enhancements, ES IV, Virtuoso, MotD and MoM at the same time, so I dropped Heighten for Negotiator and just went to ES II.

MoM is useful for bypassing certain parts of the new content.

MotD is great for the new raid, as you can occupy the undead on the platform indefinitely while everyone fails at the puzzles.

Enthrallment is handy for the Reaver raid, as often there will be a Spellsinger/Enchantment-spec bard already in party. You can further assist those disco balls with the -2 hit to will saves, and with 19 songs you have plenty to go around. Duration isn't really an issue w/Otto's in there everywhere.

Fascinating mixed mobs is still a PITA and it'd be nice to have Enthrallment wrap all of your available mez songs into one tune. Or otherwise beef up Enthrallment- have it hit orange-named foes, for example.

[sigtrent]

I was running madstone elite and the enthrall didnt work. I didnt try normal fascinate but I never failed with songs before.

Anyone shed some light on this?

Some of the Mobs in Madstone have the madstone rage and it keeps them from being "Mezed" in any way.

"Mez" = Mezmerized, a term genericly used in MMO slang to imply an effect that makes them stand around doing nothing but doesn't actualy hurt them.

[Maegin]

Ive rolled toons from rogues to wizard to barbs, and by far my fav is the bard virt. With enthrallment, your pug zerging buddies will appreciate the -2 to attack and whatnot. With easy access to song of undead and making, and more songs you'll know what to do with, the most common response when you easily CC an entire room will be "Oh, nice song, i didn't see that coming-" Thus saving the cleric sp to over heal the fighter who agro the entire room at once, and the arcanes sp to do other things. Leaving the whole room stunned (just about) gives the rest of the party a tactical choice on taking out a room 1 by 1. As my virts quote goes," I'm here to make your job easier."

On top of which, the bard is the ultimate CC'er. Songs are free, you have a lot of them, no DC, and a sp pool for even more CC or anything you want. 1 lvl into cleric for Dv's anyone?