So you wanna be a Bard eh? Or, maybe you are already playing one? Well either way, you are going to be one of the most useful and well-rounded characters in all of Norrath. Bards can do it all, period. They get spells, but don't spend mana. They can fight well in melee, and can heal dramatically faster than warriors. They can run like the wind, and they can breathe underwater forever, allowing acess to a couple of nasty places, including a 'hidden' dungeon!
You can be a Human, a Wood Elf, or a Half-Elf. I chose to be a Half-Elf simply b/c I wanted higher 'Bardic' stats such as dexterity (which I really don't see much of a use for) and agility and charisma. In the long run, there are more Wood Elves but I am not sure why. Maybe its because of their ultra high agility and dexterity, but I need some strength for my Platemail later in the game ;-p Humans seem to be few and far between for Bards, but since they have good stats and suffer no experience penalties other than being a hybrid, which is what the Bard is. Also they don't have infravision which helps a lot at night. Weigh the scales and decide for yourself. Whatever you choose, make sure you have ample agility, and decent strength, such as 100agi, 90 str. Don't forget charisma if you want better faction adjustments or like to buy cheap in stores!
Lets face it...we were all newbies once. Priority one for any Bard is to get the spellsongs! These are your lifeblood and make you much more than a weakling warrior, which is what you are without them. An excellent spell list can be found at either EQVault or EQSS. If you need to find where you can buy them check EQlizer's Bard Spell List. Next, scribe the spells you buy and memorize them so you can play them. Chant of Battle, the lvl1 spellsong is great in fights b/c you get bonus strength and dexterity with which to beat low lvl monsters. Fight anything and everything that cons white or blue up until lvl 4. This way, if you die its no big deal because you lose nothing and gain skill, er hopefully skill :-) At lvl 4 you should have the first 4 songs and a decent skill at some trade, probably fishing. *Song 3 is worthless. I have found zero use for it*. Also, Chords of Dissonance attacks in an AREA, so do not use it near guards or 'good' npcs unless you want to die instantly. Be wary because it will bring more than one monster in a fight with you if one happens to walk nearby while you are playing the song! No need for gangs at lvls 1-4!
Bards travel well. Extremely well. Its all because of the lvl 5 song-Selo's Accelerando. This is God's gift to Bards. People will love you, monsters will hate you. Play the song (which uses the 'percussion' skill...more on that later) and you can outrun any monster chasing you at that level. Note: you must be above 35% health and must be outdoors! Below 35% health, everyone incurs agility and dexterity penalties, and indoors Selo's Accelerando doesn't work! Keep fighting Even cons and definately Upperhands. You may die, but remember that Bard song's effects stay for a few seconds after you quit playing the song. Try to get into habit of cycling between two songs during a fight, and try to keep both effects going together...this is another great skill to master when becoming a full fledged Bard!
Ok, at lvl 6 you receive Hymn of Restoration, which some argue is THE best Bard song. Its effects include party healing and can be used in battle. You can cycle this song with Chant of Battle for good melee and good healing during fights to keep you alive with nearly EVERY even fight at this level! This simply leads to leveling up faster, which is great for anyone! Hymn of Restoration uses the String Instrument skill which you get at lvl 7 I believe. Using a mandolin (yes, forget the lute, grab the mandolin) gives you around 5 hps per round instead of your measly 1-2 you normally recieve! Super bonus indeed.
Right about now you gotta be thinking that a Bard isn't so bad after all. You are right. Keep fighting and taking on even fights all the time. Also, if you have been lucky enough to get full leather (which is a premium, and I had it at lvl 7) you can even take on most gambles, which con yellow. Most of these guys will get you really low in hps but if you are safe from mobs and sorta near a zone, fight them till they die, or you just can't see any health left for yourself. I made it to lvl 10 easily and didn't die once, fighting MANY gamble fights. At lvl 10, I started grouping and beating on wisps solo if I had the time.
Wisps are a godsend for making tons of money. You need a magic weapon though, and those are hard to find without much cash at hand. If you have one great. The Jonthan's Warsong (Lvl 7 song) is great for solo play in that it speeds your atk up and gives you some strength as well. Anthem de Arms is the lvl 10 song that does the same basic thing, except it applies to everyone in your group...very handy indeed. The underrated and difficult to master Kelin's Lugubrious Lament (Lvl 8 song) causes individual targetted enemies to sadden, thus losing the will to fight you, provided you haven't already pissed them off! I never even started using this song until lvl 12. Perhaps it didn't work enough for me to bother with it at lower levels, but now whenever I see 4 critters and I only wish to fight 1, I Lugubriously Lament the other 3, staying at a safe distance as to not tick them off. Then I simply pull the one that I wanted and repeat for the other 3 when done. :-)
xxxx