New player looking for Bard help

[spymasterx]

Hello, just started playing yesterday and I'm having fun so far w/ my Human Virtuoso of the Sword Bard.I play solo mostly (i will hire help) , but after reading a lot of posts Im not sure I chose wisely. Would Warchanter be a better choice?I just dont want to find out 10 lvls later that I made huge mistake and should have gone another route. Thanks

[Valezra]

Warchanter and Spellsinger are the builds you see most Bards running around with. Great thing about DDO is its flexibility. Just because you selected the prebuilt Virtuoso doesn't mean you're locked into that enhancement line... you can always veer off the path they set out and change your character over to one of the others if you like.

Best thing to do is post your starting Stats and current level:

Str:
Dex:
Con:
Wis:
Int:
Cha:

Val

[spymasterx]

Sorry bout that, my stats are Srt 8, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 18, Im only lvl 2 atm so biggie if you recomend a reroll

[FoggyKnight]

I would recommend a re-roll. That stat build you described doesn't look as if it was even a 28 pt. build.

Go under customise this time. You can max out Cha, but I would suggest putting some points into Dex, Int or Con, at the very least.

[Valezra]

Definately reroll real quick. Make sure you spend all your points too at creation.

If you like the sound of a bard and are new to the game I recommend Human as the race since they are so flexible and can correct a lot of flaws by changing around some enhancements.

I also recommend the starting stats:

Str: 14
Dex: 12
Con: 14
Int: 10
Wis: 8
Cha: 16

As you level up you will get an additional attribute point to spend at each 4th level. For first time bards you really can't go wrong by placing those points into Charisma only.

Those stats will give you nice decent defense with a shield and allow you to hit things with some confidence. This should also allow you to go down any of the Bard paths. hope this helps.

Val

[szaijan]

The advice you got on starting a Bard is solid, though Warchanters need less Charisma and better physical stats, as they tend to melee a lot.

However, if you plan to mostly solo, I don't recommend Bard, or even DDO as a game, for that matter. Being able to charm mobs and self heal makes the Bard a decent solo option, but your song bonuses affect an entire group and you're giving up a lot of potential impact by having no companions to buff. Moreover, DDO's best game features require a group to realize. MOB collision detection (i.e. monsters can't just run through you, they have to go around), for instance, is mostly irrelevant when soloing. If you must solo, for whatever reason, stealth based characters play to some of DDO's unique strengths. I had great fun with my stealth specialized halfling Wizard, for 8 levels or so, but it quickly grows stale compared to playing with a good group.

[Creeper]

Best part about solo bard = fascinate

Bards make decent low/mid level soloers but GENERALLY start to suck around level 10 compared to other solo builds because of low saves, low armor, and low hps. However, there are some high level dungeons that can be soloed just by using fascinate.

You definatly should have some type of melee ability as a bard.
Be it via str or dex, with weapon finesse or a repeater. Bards are very limited in their ability to do damage with spells outside of shout spells and charms which many things are immune to, and you will not have enough mana to complete most quests this way.

This game is actually fairly solo friendly even at cap if you have the right build and equipment. I play solo 90% of the time and enjoy it much more than group play.

[Pwesiela]

The advice you got on starting a Bard is solid, though Warchanters need less Charisma and better physical stats, as they tend to melee a lot.

However, if you plan to mostly solo, I don't recommend Bard, or even DDO as a game, for that matter. Being able to charm mobs and self heal makes the Bard a decent solo option, but your song bonuses affect an entire group and you're giving up a lot of potential impact by having no companions to buff. Moreover, DDO's best game features require a group to realize. MOB collision detection (i.e. monsters can't just run through you, they have to go around), for instance, is mostly irrelevant when soloing. If you must solo, for whatever reason, stealth based characters play to some of DDO's unique strengths. I had great fun with my stealth specialized halfling Wizard, for 8 levels or so, but it quickly grows stale compared to playing with a good group.


Sorry, disagree. DDO is a fine game to solo, and bard, expecially the warchanter, is a very viable solo option. Songs effect the group, but they also effect you, the singer. Further, when you get to the point where you're comfortable in quests and in groups, then a bard is always a welcome addition to anyone who's worth their salt.

It will become tough to solo the higher content, for sure. It is, however, very doable. The recomended bard stats given are a great place to start. Max your "use magic devise" skill for later when you need to use scrolls, and go to town.

btw: what server you on?