Reviving this old topic because I can.

Just like spells I think these songs could be recycled/renamed and given increased effects for higher levels.

I've got plenty more but that should do for now.

Alternatively/additionally, we could make it so that each bard can learn all available songs but could only memorize 3-8 at a time to use - maybe call it a setlist. This is more commonly found for spellcasters but I suppose it could work with bards as well.

Hey everyone, I'm using this list as a base list for Bards right now. What I would appreciate is people to add to the list. Overall I'm looking for this:

• Song Name


• Effect (What it does)


• (Optional) Instrument <Bonus/Required>


• Target Type <Group/Room/Self/Target/TargetAggro/TargetBeneficial/RoomAggro/RoomBeneficial>


• Level Required

Code:

Example:
Name: The Brown Note <TM>
Effect: Makes everyone in the room lose control of their bowels
Instrument: Recorder<Required>
Target Type: Room
Level Required: 15

Songs will be made available by quests from the bard college. Being as these will all need to be completed before bards can exit ptesting, it would be helpful if you could provide future builders with general quest ideas. It can be a general overview with some ideas or slightly more specific.

We'll also need some people who want to volunteer to build these quests! Dom's monster editor is 95% operational, and I'm sure we can get an object editor going soon! I'll see if I can't make a word document template for helping with rooms and the like. I'm sure some monetary or other rewards would be available for people who want to help with this

Example:

Quote:

Song: The Brown Note <TM> Quest Giver: Mr. Garrison Objects: Obtain a recorder and a sheet of music Monsters: Kill Cartman <1>, Kenny <1>, and the Annoying New York Kids <15> Rooms: Explore several key rooms in "South Park" Description: Mr Garrison has heard rumors of a new song. He wants you to Slay Cartman and Kenny, obtaining a recorder and a sheet of music for him. He also wants you to explore south park and see if you can find any inspiration for the song! Return to him when you have completed this quest and help him craft a new song, The Brown Note! <TM>

Okay here's my thought on the use of the skill system in conjunction with the new songs. As a bard progresses their skill would naturally raise given that they use the sing ability as they should. There could be a certain number of songs that would increase in efficacy as that skill increases - which I know you had planned to begin with. These increases can be set in tiers which would allow for easier balance tweaks further down the line.

Let's take Lumi's Song of Purification as an example:
A level 1 bard given that they have obtained this song would only be able to give themselves the equivalent of a slow-poison;
At level 13 this becomes an area of effect song;
At level 20 it becomes cure-poison;
At level 35 it becomes cure-poison and cure-disease.

Another example would be his Song of Haste;
At level 1 it has almost no effect and gradually increases in effect until say level 15 when it becomes an area of effect spell.

Or some songs can have no difference between low skill and high skill, it's just an idea to consider.

This would eliminate a lot of the redundancy in some of the songs that would have essentially the same effect. I can see some flaws in how this would be targeted and worked out, I'm not a coder nor a person that deals heavily in logic.

Or another option similar to the one you discussed would be having skill determine whether an AOE song is successful on a target. Say for example you're in a party of 4, your skill isn't up to par so your song only successfully effects person A and B while C and D are out of luck.

I'll be back with some song ideas and quests.

One other thing we need, is a list of instrument categories, and instruments. (Instrument Categories will correspond to skills which can be learned at the bard college!)

Example:

Strings: Violin, Banjo, Guitar, etc
Woodwinds: Clarinet, Flute, Recorder
Brass: Cornet, French Horn, Trumpet
Percussion: Drums, Triangle, Tambourine

Anyone know of some more medieval instruments?

-Bane

My suggestions for the result are weak, I'm better at coming up with just the names it turns out.
Beckoner's Ballad - summoning
Arabesque of Unveiling - could be used for D-I or infravision equivalent
Soothsayer's Solo - gives an indication of luck?
Muted Dirge of the Damned - silence
Traveler's Tarantella - teleport/word of recall?
Hymnal of the Holy - you know what I give up....you can add 'of the' to a lot of the following to fit the established cannon of the MUD
Cursed Cadence
Fugue of the Forsaken
Interlude of the Inebriated
Discordant Downbeat
Merrymaker's March
Anthem of the Ageless
Wanderlusting Waltz
Flourishing Finale
Jubilant Jive
Lively Litany
Vibrating Verses
Screaching Yodel of the Banished
Echoing Etude
Embellished Elegy of Aramon
Bravura of the Beaten
Bombastic Bugle Call
Call of the Wild?!?
Great Gesamtkunstwerk of the Gallant (just seeing if you're paying attention)
Gleeful Melody of the Dwarven
Metronomic Motif
Moving Medley
Loathsome Largo
Liturgy of the Inharmonious
Lengthy Lullaby
Luthier's Lament
Reckoner's Racket
Prophetic Processional
Recessional of the Raving Mad
Dragon's Death Rattle
Recital of the Wretched
Silvertoungue's Serenade
Imperfect Fifth of DOOOOOOM
Paradiddle of the Proud
Sleepwalker's Shuffle
Siren's Suite

Bane wrote:

One other thing we need, is a list of instrument categories, and instruments. (Instrument Categories will correspond to skills which can be learned at the bard college!) Example: Strings: Violin, Banjo, Guitar, etc Woodwinds: Clarinet, Flute, Recorder Brass: Cornet, French Horn, Trumpet Percussion: Drums, Triangle, Tambourine Anyone know of some more medieval instruments? -Bane

Well Bane you nailed the generally accepted classification of most instruments, other classifications go into specifics like pitch i.e. soprano, alto, tenor etc.
Some of these are already level items;
Strings: Dulcimer, Fiddle, Cuatro, Bouzouki, Harp, Harpsichord (imagine carrying that around), Lute, Lyre, Mandolin, Ukulele, Zither, Sitar, Koto

Woodwinds: Fife, Whistle, Pan Flute, Slide Whistle, Piccolo, Oboe, Cornamuse, Crumhorn, Rackett, Hornpipe, Pibgorn

Brass: Bugle, Shofar, Alphorn, Conch Shell, Digeridoo, Buccina, Cornu, various natural horns (rams horn, minotaur horn etc.) and my favorite the rusty trombone.

Percussion: Chimes, hand bells, tabla, gong, cymbals, Tom, Djembe, castanets, bodhran, gamelon, or drums with the skin of certain creatures (dragon hide drum and etc.)

Some suggestions to get people started on the quests;
Use the fact that nearly every existing town has an inn or tavern the natural environment of the bard.
I think that Ft. Baludus could use a ruined amphitheater with spirits of bards past.
Dengari Towersmith in the Carlsbjorg Theater in Caladon doesn't seem to do anything, and same with the hidden rigging.
Ginger Aston could use a perm.
The entertainment district in HP could have something there.

munch wrote:

Bane wrote: One other thing we need, is a list of instrument categories, and instruments. (Instrument Categories will correspond to skills which can be learned at the bard college!) Example: Strings: Violin, Banjo, Guitar, etc Woodwinds: Clarinet, Flute, Recorder Brass: Cornet, French Horn, Trumpet Percussion: Drums, Triangle, Tambourine Anyone know of some more medieval instruments? -Bane Well Bane you nailed the generally accepted classification of most instruments, other classifications go into specifics like pitch i.e. soprano, alto, tenor etc. Some of these are already level items; Strings: Dulcimer, Fiddle, Cuatro, Bouzouki, Harp, Harpsichord (imagine carrying that around), Lute, Lyre, Mandolin, Ukulele, Zither, Sitar, Koto Woodwinds: Fife, Whistle, Pan Flute, Slide Whistle, Piccolo, Oboe, Cornamuse, Crumhorn, Rackett, Hornpipe, Pibgorn Brass: Bugle, Shofar, Alphorn, Conch Shell, Digeridoo, Buccina, Cornu, various natural horns (rams horn, minotaur horn etc.) and my favorite the rusty trombone. Percussion: Chimes, hand bells, tabla, gong, cymbals, Tom, Djembe, castanets, bodhran, gamelon, or drums with the skin of certain creatures (dragon hide drum and etc.)

You forgot ocarina...shame on you.

For shame!

Bard are jack of all trades master of none, so we have to make sure that although they can do a lot of different things, it's always at some trade off.

I would set them up like this:

Offensive, Defensive, Support; and each one with a single target, an area of effect(that could be just aggro, just your group, all mobs, all players, or just everyone), and a self only. Here's a spell I'd give to each.

This also assumes only one song can be performed at a time. I would make it longer for 30 seconds if they switch, so a bard could bend songs and get two benefits, but it saves their group if the bard drops somehow, either by a loss of connection or an accidental lag protect.

For instruments I'm assuming that the Bard can do whatever he wants without penalty while he's performing, and that all instruments are held items that are assumed to be played between attacks.

Offensive Target:

# Poem of Pestilence
# Deals damage as disease as long as it's performed.
# Bonus if used with dead man's mandolin
# Single target
# 10

Offensive AOE:

# Rhapsody of Rage
# Increasing strength by 2
# Bonus if used with brass drum (str+3)
# All in group
# 7

Offensive Self:

# Warsong
# Increases armor by (lvl*10) and doubles attack power.
# Bonus if used with steel harmonica
# Self
# 13

Defensive Target:

# Rejuvinating Jam
# Increases HP/MP as a weak rejuvinate.
# Bonus if used with lost sea lyre
# Target
# 16

Defensive Group:

# Hym of Healing
# Casts vigor on all group members periodically
# Bonus if used with soothing sitar
# Group
# 5

Defensive Self:

# Rhythm of Reflection
# Acts as reflect-magic
# Bonus if used with mirrored symbols
# Self
# 20

Support Target:

# Melody of Distraction
# Monsters will attack this target far less often
# Bonus if used with darkwood fiddle
# Target
# 10

Support Group:

# Brigand's Ballad
# Everyone is always prepared for traps.
# Bonus if used with pilfered flute
# Group
# 6

Support Self:

# Uplifting Lullaby
# Fly
# Bonus if used with iron chimes
# Self
# 8