Comments on: PHB2 Class Review: Bard On the Run

By: mhelmes

mhelmes — Sun, 03 May 2009 03:23:34 +0000

Overall, I like the new bard in PH2 – I played a bard in our last campaign, and she was known for charging into melee combat yelling/singing a norse saga about a$$kicking. The new 4E bard seems to fit into my imaging of a bard better than the previous editions – maybe bards can get a little respect now!

By: mordicai

mordicai — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:32:47 +0000

I mostly meant, as a rule, that in 4e I absolutely MUST ignore the flavor-text & description of the various powers; too many glowing swords & spectral multi-coloured flames & whatnot. No subtlety at all!

By: Ed Grabianowski

Ed Grabianowski — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:52:19 +0000

Seriously, whenever some news anchor uses disconnect as a noun, I come *this close* to reaching right through the screen to strangle them with my bare hands.

Just because it’s in a dictionary doesn’t mean it’s right. We can fix this, people! Stop using disconnect as a noun!

By: ggodo

ggodo — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:57:03 +0000

Well, She’s a poet with initials instead of a first name, which means she’s probably very artistic, which means she’s communist, and therefore untrustworthy. SAVE ME NORSEMAN!

By: Ed Grabianowski

Ed Grabianowski — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:18:42 +0000

Professors can be wrong. You gonna believe some academic, or an actual, professional writist like me?

By: ggodo

ggodo — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:11:50 +0000

Not what my English prof said.

By: Ed Grabianowski

Ed Grabianowski — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:15:24 +0000

I had no idea bards would be so controversial.

Disconnect is not a noun!

By: ggodo

ggodo — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:30:44 +0000

I’m referring to the Flashes of blue light he referred to. I haven’t read the PH2, but from what I have read there seems to be a greater disconnect between flavor and rules in fourth ed.

Now with improved spelling!

By: ggodo

ggodo — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:30:08 +0000

I’m referring to the Flashes of blue light he refferred to. I haven’t read the PH2, but from what I have read there seems to be a greater disconnect between flavor and rules in fourth ed.

By: Nephelim

Nephelim — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:31:35 +0000

Bards CAN take any number of Multiclass feats, which enhances their versatility immensely, and sounds a lot worse than it is.

You could have basic multiclass feats from any number of classes (modeling a lot of breadth of knowledge), but you have to qualify for them, you’re burning feats to do it, and most importantly, you can still only get ONE Novice, Acolyte, and Adept Power feat. Still, having a number of them does open up lots of Encounter power slots, which can’t help but be yummy. Combine that with, for instance, the Warlock dual-pact feat and you can get some very bizarre combinations.

I love the new Bard, and I’ve NEVER liked bards.

By: ALB

ALB — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:52:39 +0000

What “flashes of blue lights” are you talking about? I think he’s referring to “Invisible Troupe,” the flavor text of which reads “As you whisper a word, you and your allies fade from view.” Not exactly amazing flavor text, but it isn’t any more strange than 90% of the abilities from the more fantastic power sources.

By: ggodo

ggodo — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:19:36 +0000

I think his point was more about the disconnect from the spell’s flavor description and it’s actual effect. Blue lights do not mean invisibility, and older editions had spells that just made blue lights for the sake of blue lights and invisibility spells that granted invisibility. Giving a spell that causes one thing according to the game a description that
looks like something else in the setting is bad in my book.

By: Ed Grabianowski

Ed Grabianowski — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:27:42 +0000

Oh god, improper use of the possessive. Bards, not bard’s. Agh!

By: Ed Grabianowski

Ed Grabianowski — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:26:11 +0000

In the bard’s defense, there’s only one funny song. And the rest have pretty cool flavor text, like, “You chant a verse of a saga about a mighty hero,” and everyone gets +2 damage or something.

As far as the invisibility and stuff, bard’s are actually spell casters. While some of the effects are more natural, like just inspiring people with a good song, many of the more esoteric effects are really spells channeled through song. Which is no different than 3rd edition bards and their access to the arcane spell lists.