Bard Base
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The Bard Base spell circle is unique in that the magic is actually manipulated through a bard's singing. Consequently, all bardic magic is sung as opposed to cast. Bardic vocals manifest as a hybrid of both mental and elemental spheres, which is also a unique blend. Spells in this circle consist of a variety of offensive, defensive, and utility purposes all designed around the needs of a bard. Bard Base casting strength and target defense relies on a character's Aura bonus.
Renewing Continuous Songs
Spellsongs do not simply consume mana once per initiation as most other spells. They cost the regular initial expenditure of mana, and then a renewal cost upon expiration in order to keep the magic going. The length of your renew cycle is given by the following formula:
- 120 seconds
- +4 per level 1-25
- +3 per level 26-50
- +2 per level 51-75
- +1 per level 76+
- +Logic Bonus
- +Influence Bonus * 3
- +Mental Lore, Telepathy Ranks * 2
- SING STATUS or SONG STATUS displays which songs are currently being sung, and an approximation of their remaining duration.
- RENEW ALL will renew all of the songs at once.
- RENEW {spell#|mnemonic} will renew an individual song.
- STOP SINGING to cease all spellsongs.
- STOP [SINGING] {spell#|mnemonic} to cease a specific song. (Use of "singing" is optional; "stop fortitude" suffices to cause Fortitude Song (1003) to be removed from the Bard's medley.)
Note that the offensive songs require manual renewal, but when the medley renewal occurs these spellsongs will, all, STOP completely. (Until that renewal, they will be displayed as in your medley, with Song Status. However, they will NOT be included in the calculated renewal mana cost, nor count towards Multi-Song Penalty.) You will no longer be able to renew the Song, but must re-start it at the full mana cost. These songs are:
- Holding Song
- Unravel
- Song of Depression
- Song of Rage
- Song of Sonic Disruption
Note also that Unravel has a unique, particularly short duration--not more than 20s and possibly as little as 15s--the first 3s of which are eaten up by the original casting time.
- Failure to activate a renewal during that time will cause the spell to end, and you will have to re-cast at full mana cost.
- Should your medley as a whole renew during an active Unravel, then Unravel will also end at the medley, and you will have to re-cast at full mana cost.
Multi-Song Penalty
Singing more than three spellsongs at a time results in an increased renewal cost. The increase is 12 per song beyond the first, modified by your Bard Base ranks, Discipline bonus and Logic bonus, to a minimum of zero.
Enhancements by Rank
Bard Base Casting strength
- +1 CS for each rank up to and including the bard's level.
- +0.75 CS for ranks level+1 through level+20.
- +0.50 CS for ranks level+21 through level+60.
- +0.25 CS for ranks level+61 through level+100.
- +0.125 CS for ranks level+101 and greater.
- Affects one additional target for every 7 ranks after the first.
- Additional ranks increase the chance for this song to aid the Bard (but not non-bard party members) at a rate of 1% for every three songs known. +1 to mana cost per four songs known after 1006. Renewal cost is half the mana cost.
- This song gives +1 attack strength (AS) for each song known after the seventh, until it reaches +20 AS when seventeen songs are known. Once nineteen songs are known, this song also affords the Bard's party increased health recovery; +1 to mana cost and renewal cost for each additional point of AS.
Sonic Equipment songs (Sonic Shield Song (1009), Sonic Blade Song (1012), Sonic Armor Song (1014))
- Sonic equipment begins at a bonus of +10 (+15 for armor) and gains +1 for every two songs known, up to a maximum of +35 at 50 songs known (or 40 songs known for armor).
- +1 defensive strength (DS) per two songs known after 1010; +1 mana cost for every 2 additional DS; +1 renewal cost for every 5 additional DS.
- Increased song knowledge increases the amount of mana drained by each use of this song.
- Increased effectiveness.
- +1 Dodging rank per two songs (+1/2) known after 1019; +1 to mana cost per five songs known after 1019; +1 to renewal cost per ten songs known after 1019.
- Additional songs known add to the animated weapon's AS.
Limitations
When using a runestaff, either one summoned with Sonic Weapon Song or a more normal version, the flares occur ONLY for
- single-target spells, to include the single-target version of Disruption/1030 as well as spells that will have none of their normal effect (Vibration Chant/1002 against a target with neither weapon nor shield, say), and
- only with the specific verb 'cast', not any of the other relevant verbs. Specifically, neither 'incant' nor 'renew' will trigger a flare.
So a Bard can generate flares from the runestaff, but only by issuing two commands (such as "prep 1030"/"cast at warrior") rather than only one (by having previously targeted a creature, either directly with the 'target' verb or by having attacked/cast at that particular creature, and using "renew 1030"). This means the Bard needs to be aware of being subject to the vagaries of internet connectivity if trying to take advantage of a flaring runestaff.