The Bard profession

There's no bard in GW yet, so here's my ideas of how I think one would work:

Weak armor and low hitpoints, but the ability to hide and run faster

A variety of instruments to use instead of weapons

Can play tunes that boost the skills of allies or harm the skills of enemies

Higher levels/Better instruments could increase the range of skills, allowing the bard to avoid enemies and increase his AOE

Attributes could include Singing, Instrumentation, Earshattering, Soothing

Just an idea...

It's been brought up many times.

Also, Paragon's use Shouts that boost the skills of allies. A good example would be 'Ballad of Restoration', sounds like something a Bard would sing.

1. It's not that other games have a certain profession, that this one should have it too.

2. Been done before: Shadow Arts

3. Instruments would just work like any other weapon... you wouldn't be able to 'wand' opponents, but guess what? That has been done before: Item Spells.

4. Warrior/Paragon shouts.

5. Eh... you want to turn this game into something that makes the guy with the expensive equipment be better than all the rest? Hell no.
Investing attribute points into... your attributes, is enough to give a character (balanced) strength.

6. Paragons!

1. It's a time-honored RPG role. It's not like other games don't have warriors, archers, monks, elementalists

2 & 4. There's a lot of skills/categories that are similar to others

5. Expensive? Doesn't have to be. Instruments could be common, but make the requirements for the better ones level appropriate

Anyhow, a bard eventually is probably inevitable if they keep adding four professions a year.

right, thats exactly the point... Its a time honoured profession... guess why its NOT in guild wars, cos the games different!

Paragons are bards. Assassins are ninjas/rogues.

Silly transforming Druids will be another archetype they'll use soon. They have to appeal to Furrys for long term success, just like everyone else.

AL 60 is the standard for a caster class.

All level 20 characters have the same health, a warrior has no more than a mage.

Hiding or running are skills that are to be used, not inherent abilities.

Weapons and other gear do not have level requirements in guild wars, this game is skill-based. Some items do have requirements to get full benefit out of them, based upon attributes (AL 16 req. 9 Tactics).

Skills are increased by putting more points into attributes, not by using better gear - other than the Attribute +1 (20%) upgrades. Perhaps there are skills that boost attributes though.

What, no rapier? How do they do a normal attack? I'd think the instuments need to be focus items so are trumpet, tamborine, etc and they use an itty bitty pointy sword in their primary hand.

All in all I'd say a paragon already fills the role nicely.

i just dont think the bard is a cool idea.... kinda .....stupid .....if you dont mind me saying so...

we have this class, its called a paragon.

I hate to be the cheap shrewd person who just claims this is already spent on another class, but.... Paragon.

Silly entertainment classes are not combat professions, they do not belong on the battlefield, Paragon is the only kind of "musician" that should be on the field, using songs of empowerment and lending a combatant hand.

Bards, Jesters, Mimes, and silly nonsense makes combat unreal, they are not real combat professions, and even if someone who was a jester was fighting, their combat talents are of a trade outside their entertainment features.

This can also be applied to loosely connected titles like Theif, Rogue, and Pirate, which are really professions and alignments, not a profession class. A warrior can Steal, a Ranger can live like a rogue, and a Monk can be a pirate. See Corsair for examples.

Paragon and Dervish do set standards of unrelated or mildly related identities to a combative class, so it isn't unacceptable, but a class name should still portray a combative feature.

1. Not really an argument that killed mine. You're basically using his opinion to back up your opinion.

2 & 4. I know, I know... but I took the most particular ones (Shadow Arts: shadow stepping to get the heck out; Paragons have chants/echoes)

5. Perhaps I used the wrong word (expensive, that is; I meant... 'rare', as in, 'ultimate weapon' stuff, this would hurt the balance)
Besides, you're minimalising my statement to only the 'weapon', yet I have stated that investing into a certain attribute works as well to gain effectiveness at one's job: GW isn't about 'level' (higher level= stronger? The level cap is 20, period, no surpassing that for any regular players), but having a decent build AND getting to work with it (= skill).

Even if it'd work like the Rangers have different ranges for their bows, it has been done before in another aspect: inscriptions.



Oh, sorry for trying to kill all your guys statements, but I have an exam coming up in which I need to kill all kinds of arguments (being a law student ftl, I watched a documentary on tv earlier today, and some major bozo only used fallacies... kind of pathetic that he had so many followers who didn't see it )

Nothing personal

btw, I already created a Bard concept class... complete with sample skills. I'm getting sick of people not using the search.

Why would you bring up your failure helcaraxe?, it is a bad idea.

(I know this has not been a warmly received topic so far, but I'll try this additional post anyhow...)

Why a Paragon is not a Bard

A Bard is not known for using heavy armor, a Paragon can use AC80 warrior-like armor

Who ever heard of a Bard with a spear?

People have a good idea what a bard is. A Paragon is a mystery that most players haven't bothered to solve. I usually only see about one Paragon a week in gameplay and I'm on a lot.

A bard is usually not considered a leader.

Only the Motivation skill sounds bard-like.



OK, I've had my say and I'll let this go. I actually would prefer no new classes, we have enough. I just thought this one would be interesting if indeed they have to add new classes.

OK, ready, set... flame away

Actually, I don't agree with you on this. Most of the time when I see a concept class, I think about it for a bit, then get a much better idea.

Ofcourse, the bard is so standard there isn't a lot of variation. Bards have been made countless times in here.

You have been playing to much final fantasy to want a bard class be satisified wiht Edward and his lame skillz in ff

hmm, my own class /ponder
sure why not ^__^

I'm tired of concepts seen since the first dungeon n dragons in the 80 guys, please be creative, give a reason to guildwars to be something better than the other 200 rpgs wich includes a bard.

Look at the ritualists, oriental temple clerics and exotic classes. Paragon are obviously the one closest to a bard, since they bolster by singing (yes shouts! thats what they are!) and dervishes, warriors of the deserts and semi-paladin like fighters. theirs nothing that guildwars intend to lose at time as planning on doing an overplayed classe such as a bard. Be creative guys, thats the base of a concept.

+1 for Paragon = Bard
If you don't see why not, please leave my Guild Wars

Thats how it should be... current system kinda fails...