Bards: Why ware there no ranged options

[unbongwah]

And..and...well actually thats about it, because that's the only non-SWF Swash weapon

CHA-based thrower builds.

Why would you do it? I dunno. But it'll be possible.

[droid327]

Bard/Sorc/FvS Inquisitive combo; just saying =)

WF Sorc EK sure maybe. You'd still be looking at 3 levels in Bard though so no L18 cores and no L9 spells, sadface. Would still be the ugly stepsister to 18 Wiz/2 Arti...

FvS can already do CHA to dmg with Inqui

CHA-based thrower builds.

Why would you do it? I dunno. But it'll be possible.

Eh I wouldnt call a CHA throwing build complete until there's also a CHA based STWE :P

[katz]

Spoiler for what's in u47: Different Tack now requires you to be Swashbuckling rather than Single Weapon Fighting for its stat-to-damage modification.

oh Lynna... you just made my bardy heart happy... ^_^

even when i'm not playing the aforementioned flavorful attempt at a thrower bard.. that change will come in SO much handy for my little stablefull (which currently sits at FIVE bards now >.> ) so thank you so much

[unbongwah]

Eh I wouldnt call a CHA throwing build complete until there's also a CHA based STWE :P

Meh, STWE is about to be nerfed so its time in the sun is already about to end: https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...ew-2-8-26-8-28

Feats: Removed an old implementation of Simple Thrown Expertise that was causing players with the feat to throw extra, unintended projectiles.

Time to move onto whatever's the next OP Flavor of the Month.

Silver lining: Feydark Illusionist will be the next Universal tree and it will contain CHA to-hit and damage; the latter will be only tier-2 making it cheaper than other options but there's no Battle Trance AFAICT.

[CeltEireson]

I doubt it'll affect to-hit but it would be cool to get something that lets us use cha to hit and dmg other than the PDK enhancement (nothing wrong with that, except that you can't use it for very many weapons). If they make another universal tree anytime soon I'd actually guess it will have cha to hit and dmg like harper has int and falconry has wis because we got harper (tree with int to hit/dmg and a Trance based on int) then a tree that focused on a specific weapon, then falconry (wis to hit/dmg and a Trance based on wis) and then another tree focused on a specific weapon. Of course this pattern may be totally coincidental but it's interesting and fun to speculate about. Fingers crossed for a universal with cha to hit/dmg and a cha Trance! Would be nice not to have to use a +1 heart of wood for that on a non-fighter tank...

Personally id be happy if they put in a dex to hit somewhere in there, even if its a level 5 enhancement and thematically, given the melee weapons they use are all light possibly more correct than charisma to hit. Of course you could take weapon finesse but bards are rather feat starved to start with. I suspect they have some issues with class enhancement trees allowing for one stat that covers to hit, damage and spell casting ability but then again it may simply about trying to sell enhancement trees. Perhaps there 'll be a new equivalent to harper/falconry in the next expansion that has cha to hit/damage and a cha trance

[katz]

the new fey tree has charisma to hit and damage...and pretty low and easily accessible in the tree... but it's a caster centric tree, it requires the magical training feat, which bards don't inherently get, to start using

[thunir]

While doing some research on Bards I came to the realization that Bards have not ONE viable ranged option. Even on the various forum threads (online) they bluntly indicate that Bard-Ranged is too weak for even a flavor build.

Yet clearly the Developers intent was for Bards to have Ranged as shown within the Swashbuckling description...



With that being said, the reason for the lack of ranged potential is simple, just look that the Swashbuckling Enh tree for Different Tack. (https://ddowiki.com/page/Swashbuckler_enhancements) While the Swashbuckler tree allows for some limited ranged use, it does not account for Different-Tacks requirement of "Single Weapon Fighting" and thus cripples any significant use of ranged. What is needed here is to change Different-Tact from "Single Weapon Fighting" to "Swashbuckling". Thus at least this way a Bard would have the means to use their primary stat-to-damage as several races / classes do already.

Furthermore, Bards are limited to throwing weapons and "light" crossbows to still be considered Swashbuckling yet I was very surprised to not at least see short-bows make this list. If short-bows were an option, at least then maybe someone would have a reason to use a short-bow. Currently as is, I can't think of a single player I've encountered in-game that has a build that uses one. (from 2006 on)

You can Swash in Inquisitive with light Xbows

[Smokewolf]

Spoiler for what's in u47: Different Tack now requires you to be Swashbuckling rather than Single Weapon Fighting for its stat-to-damage modification.

@Lynnabel: Looking forward to U47 then. (Thank you)

Making the case for Short-Bows: Currently, i can't think of a single reason to have / use a one in DDO regardless of class / enhancements used. Yet a Swashy short-bow would be very cool indeed, is there any hope of adding short bows to the list of whats Swashbuckled? ... Thinking Elf-AA Bard Swash.

Side-note: Bards can already select short-bows as their Martial weapon so being able to swash a short-bow fits in with what already exists in game.

[Smokewolf]

You can Swash in Inquisitive with light Xbows

The lack of Bard-Ranged stat-to-dmg makes the inquisitive build really pointless midway through Heroics. The U47 update should make the Inquisitive stat-to-dmg option viable. I for one will be using it to its fullest.

[unbongwah]

the new fey tree has charisma to hit and damage...and pretty low and easily accessible in the tree... but it's a caster centric tree, it requires the magical training feat, which bards don't inherently get, to start using

Bards can spend 4 APs in Spellsinger for Magical Training feat.