I was trying out a 4x bard template just to see how effective the mastery spells actually were. Needless to say, I gave up on the idea after I found out that they're only good if used on other people (or if your not the one being hit). With the high mana requirement for say despair and tribulation, or any of the others for that matter. Once you activate the mastery it periodically uses mana and that's fine but it sucks that the spell is removed as soon as you take damage or get hit. Even despair and tribulation are removed when you take damage and that affects another target, not the player.
Another problem is i've noticed that when you left click the bard mastery book you can't switch between masteries every 10 seconds, you cant even do it every 20 seconds... It had to of been about 5 minutes before I could switch to the other mastery to use.
A suggestion would be to also allow players to mix masteries... They should be able to use say Despair with Perserverence or Tribulation with Resilience. Especially if the person is spending 4x 120 skill points to become a full fledged bard and has the ability to use disco, peace, or provoke at any given time but not mix match the mastery spells? (doesn't maky any sense). Despair also needs to last longer cause from a pvp perspective, on a player with 120 resist it only ticks for about 3-4 times and it's gone, and against a player in all 70s it only does like 11-12 damage per tick as a 4x bard. Now that may sound like a lot of damage (33-48), but seeing as how despair falls off once you take damage it doesn't always even last that long. Not to mention the mana you burn through so quickly because it's so expensive just to re cast the spell.
On a 2x bard despair ticks for like 7 every 2 seconds, and yes the mana is the SAME (NOT LESS) then what a full fledged bard has to spend, and it falls off just the same when used...
In PvM despair damage seems to hit pretty hard. In PvP however the whole fact that these spells can be interupted, where as for example "PROTECTION" or "BLESS" (mage spells) can't get interupted. Those spells are cast and can benefit the caster but when taken damage they don't fall off like a bards mastery spells do when taking damage. It doesn't really make sense imo.
Another problem is i've noticed that when you left click the bard mastery book you can't switch between masteries every 10 seconds, you cant even do it every 20 seconds... It had to of been about 5 minutes before I could switch to the other mastery to use.
A suggestion would be to also allow players to mix masteries... They should be able to use say Despair with Perserverence or Tribulation with Resilience. Especially if the person is spending 4x 120 skill points to become a full fledged bard and has the ability to use disco, peace, or provoke at any given time but not mix match the mastery spells? (doesn't maky any sense). Despair also needs to last longer cause from a pvp perspective, on a player with 120 resist it only ticks for about 3-4 times and it's gone, and against a player in all 70s it only does like 11-12 damage per tick as a 4x bard. Now that may sound like a lot of damage (33-48), but seeing as how despair falls off once you take damage it doesn't always even last that long. Not to mention the mana you burn through so quickly because it's so expensive just to re cast the spell.
On a 2x bard despair ticks for like 7 every 2 seconds, and yes the mana is the SAME (NOT LESS) then what a full fledged bard has to spend, and it falls off just the same when used...
In PvM despair damage seems to hit pretty hard. In PvP however the whole fact that these spells can be interupted, where as for example "PROTECTION" or "BLESS" (mage spells) can't get interupted. Those spells are cast and can benefit the caster but when taken damage they don't fall off like a bards mastery spells do when taking damage. It doesn't really make sense imo.