1050: Summon Rick Astley.

Joking aside, I can't wait to hear all the interesting ideas that will spawn from this thread.


~Aulis
Forums Manager
QC'er

>Pipe dreams to follow...

1050 - Loremaster's Focus Chant.
Along with her deep understanding of history and lore, the Bard may along the way pick up scraps of languages foreign to her. By focusing her mind with the Loremaster's Focus Chant, the Bard may gain magical understanding of foreign tongues for a short while.

For every 10 spellsongs known after 1050, PC may select 1 new language as a one-time selection (ie at 50 ranks, select first new language, at 60 ranks, select second new language, etc). Sufficient training in Mental Lore - Telepathy will remove the "In broken Elven, Bard says" messaging. Duration: understand foreign language(s) for 1 minute for every 10 spellsongs known.

Guild languages are excluded. Understanding includes reading, writing and speaking.

New Bard profession title unlock at 50 spellsongs: Interpreter
at 70 spellsongs: Translator
at 100 spellsongs: Linguist
100 spellsongs + enough Telepathy: Dictionarist, Lexicologist, Philologist

/seo/

I love it. But I'd like to see some mechanical benefits added to this. Some examples:

· The ability to duplicate runestones, producing an identical copy of an existing rune.
· Significant bonus to Arcane Symbols skill (scroll reading, etc.)
· Ability to understand and speak hitherto unknown languages, i.e. troll, orc, goblin, etc.
· Enhanced Loresinging ability (i.e. additional info, and the ability to loresing in foreign languages).

I think this is all well within the expectations of a 50th level spell. The song wouldn't provide any big mechanical advantage, but still fills a void that fits very well within our profession. I think it's a grand idea. :)

~ Auntia and friends

My first thought on the language idea was "Sounds cool, but who wants to blow their 50th level spell on what is effectively an RP tool?"

But I'm impressed and surprised by the number of people interested in it. As an "outsider" to bards, I want nothing more than to see the Bard community get what they want for their last major spell.

With the overall effectiveness of 1030, 1035 and even 1040 (perhaps not as fun as the previous two but still very effective) it is hard to be asking for something of mechanical benefit at 1050. I think most bards have come to accept that 1050 won't be the combat spell we might secretly desire but something to use that fleshes out the class would be welcome. Almost all our ideas previous to this have seemingly been shot down or been met with silence. To be honest, I don't foresee bards ever having 1050 filled. I believe those in charge of the Semis feel that bards are as strong as they will ever need to be and further development of the profession is unnecessary. Anything that benefits bards will simply be in the form of role play or toys. While some bard songs are almost never used I don't even see them being replaced or upgraded, simply because when those spells are used they are effective (such as 1016).

I think the language idea is not only right up our alley but it's almost entirely about role playing which, in my mind, means it has a higher likelihood of passing muster by the NIR.

~Galenok

I guess I will be the first dissenting voice. I would be very disappointed with a level 50 spell being an RP tool. If being able to learn new languages is going to be implemented it should be through it's own system that everybody who is willing to put in the time can take advantage of.

>>enhanced loresinging

Enhanced how? The only thing I can think of is to go into assessment info, a.k.a. warrior turf...

>>copying runes

..Sorcerer turf...

>>arcane symbols bonus

..and Wizard turf.

>>understanding and speaking nearly any language

Should be available to anybody who is willing to put in the effort, not just bards and not just for typing "incant 1050."

Just my personal opinion. I'm not a fan of the blurring of the professional lines or limiting access to common sense things to a single profession.

>arcane symbols bonus
>..and Wizard turf.

I don't see how an Arcane Symbols bonus is invading anyone's territory. For the most part, all it will do is give them better scroll casting and, depending on duration and how much of a square the bard is, spell burst.

>copying runes
>..Sorcerer turf...

Copying runes, in my opinion, is less invading sorcerer turf as much as it would break the balance on 725 minor demon runes. Honestly, if bards could copy uncommon sorcerer runes indefinitely, it would just make it easier for Sorcerers to get these runes, and that would just make Sorcerers happier. Sorcerers will never be able to do it themselves because it breaks the uncommon system, so its not invading their territory. Besides, Wizards, Clerics and Empaths have runes too. I know that if I could take a lorae'tyr abyran'sa rune and just find any 50+ bard to dupe it onto as many smooth stones as I wanted . . . well, barring being able to do it ourselves (won't happen) Sorcerers would be quite pleased.

I'd be more concerned that rune copying wouldn't do ANY good for the Bards. Its an entirely service oriented bonus.

Can they do the Thriller dance?

-Marstreforn-
Icemule Trace Guru
Halfling Guru

See also uncroaked troops dance-fighting (when led by a master-class croakamancer):
http://www.erfworld.com/book-1-archive/?px=%2F127.jpg

>>I'm not as number oriented as Seomanthe apparently is. -Arpelli

HAHAHAHAHAHAH You're hilarious, effbee. Numbers are my sole nemesis (as I bet I can prove if I pasted my SKILL) - I just want to be Seo the Philologist so I can purposely mangle it every time I say it.

/seo the phigolalist. seo the phonomist. seo the phonemist...../

Seo Foot-Stomper and Sammich maker

-farmer

Hi everyone and belated Happy New Year, I'm late chiming in, but I wanted to say while I love the idea of being able to learn other languages I would be very upset if it was implemented as our 50th level spell rather than as a guild skill, since it gives no mechanical benefit, and arguments about bards being just fine notwithstanding, any 50th level profession circle spell should be beneficial in more than just an RP sense.

I was hesitant about posting any ideas here because quite honestly most of the ones we've suggested before ended up being used for the monk spell list, i.e.,
we wanted song of echoes which would provide a chance for a foe to attack a mirror image instead of the bard and possibly attack another foe in the same room on a success, or song of mana streaming which became sorcerer's cross realm teleportation spell, or the idea of using our air lore to change our appearance which was turned into 1212. Now don't get me wrong I'm always happy to see player ideas getting added to the game, but I'd have liked for some of those ideas to be useful to the group that suggested them (gets off soapbox).

I do have a suggestion for 1050, I would like to see a lore mastery skill or song made available to bards, to return us to our rightful place as the most magical of the semis and the profession with the best lore development. This would be a very elaborate utility spell to justify its being at the 50th spell slot. I'm thinking along the lines of six lores (air, telepathy, manipulation, music, combat, and arcane) in which you could focus. Maybe a bard can learn a new lore focus every 25 songs, or alternatively have no limit on focus training, but only allow two to be active at a time. Each lore mastery would have a utility ability when used alone, and for an increased mana cost and/or limited duration a small extra benefit when combined with a second lore mastery. For example:

Air lore focus could remove vulnerability to impact attacks from sonic armor (1014), and/or make sonic gear not disappear from strong wind (nightmare gorge, or wind wraiths) or from attacking elemental foes (skayls, fire elementals, etc.)

Manipulation lore focus could remove the possibility of catastrophic failures from purification song (1004) and song of power (1018), and provides a bonus to using animated weapon (1025) (improved RT or ability to sing a non-weapon item like an instrument)

Telepathy lore focus could remove the possibility of failure with traveler's song (1020), or makes it easier to discover the lore inside of items, reducing loresinging RT or increasing the amount of information gleaned each verse.

Musical lore focus could provide bards the benefits of using an instrument for 1001, 1020, and 1030 without needing to actively play until their songs renew, or while playing an instrument the bards songs are more responsive, 1025 could have reduced RT, and spells like 1008 and 1016 would knock creatures down faster.

Combat lore focus could provide a bonus to stamina recovery and or a bonus to defending against unarmed attacks and combat maneuvers (similar to about 1 rank in cunning defense)

Arcane lore focus could provide a bonus to using magic items, and/or allow bards to increase the number of charges held in arcane circle magic items.

Now for the fun part combining the lore focuses:

Air + Telepathy Lore could increase the radius to adjacent rooms or focus onto a single target, for song of peace (1011), song of noise (1017), and increase the range for traveler's song (1020).

Air + Manipulation lore focus could allow bards to channel additional mana into vibration chant (1002)(shatter both weapons on a high enough endroll) and purification song (1004) (increased chance to destroy the gem)

Air + Music lore focus could allow the group to cast slightly faster -1 second to soft RT

Air + Combat lore focus speeds up health and stamina recovery for the group or enable reactive flares on sonic equipment for the song's duration

Air + Arcane lore focus speeds up mana recovery and increases the durability of song of noise (1017) so creatures can't cast through it as easily, reduces RT from V'tull's fury (1730?).

Telepathy + Manipulation lore focus could make it easier for the group to manipulate mana flows in the area so all spells costs are reduced by 25% while active.

Telepathy + Music lore focus while playing an instrument allows a bard to hit one additional creature per play skill level with lullabye (1005) and song of rage (1016)

Telepathy + Combat lore focus could allow a chance for any magical or physical attack aimed at the bard to strike a mirror image, and on a success possibly pass through the image and hit another foe (magical duck and weave).

Telepathy + Arcane lore focus might allow bards to channel additional mana into lullabye(1005) or song of rage (1016) to target additional foes.

Manipulation + Music lore focus no spell hinderance while playing an instrument and the ability to tune an instrument so finely a non-bard could play better than they other wise could.

Manipulation + Combat lore focus could allow additional commands for animated weapon (1025) such as defending the bard, or changing its shape randomly (I'm visualizing an animated meatwad from a.t.h.f. here) or a more robust list of possible weapon bases.

Manipulation + Arcane lore focus should allow bards to drain items and foes with song of unravelling (1013) more efficiently by allowing us to target the mana and bypass any spells they may be wearing. I would also like to see this combination increase the strength of song of unravelling to allow the removal of sheer fear, curses, and the clerical spell interdiction.

Combat + Music lore focus could provide a bonus to warding spells or evading attacks while playing an instrument.

Combat + Arcane lore focus could provide resistance to magical attacks, particularly maneuver like spells such as stone fist or boil earth.

Arcane + Music lore focus could allow a bard to infuse a slight temporary enhancive property into a favorite instrument.


Okay so that came out way longer than intended and not terribly clear...;(
Archales

P.S. Maybe I should have just asked that we be allowed multiple targets with 1002, 1005, 1008, and 1016 while playing an instrument, that 1017 be changed to allow us to focus it on a single foe or onto one of our sonic items to make them absorb magical damage that isn't elemental, and that 1025 be sped up and given the option for flares and to be commanded to defend the bard.