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Bard Template Issues!! PLease help!

R

Razzputon

Guest
So I just came back to UO from a 4 year Hiatus. It's been so long I have forgotten everything from back in the day. UO has changed so much it's like a whole new different game with familiar graphics. =P So here is my problem I'm having.

I am trying, in vain I think, to make a Archer Bard. here is my template:

Disco - 120
Prov - 120
Music - 120
Resist - 100
Archery - 115
Chiv - 70
Hiding - 70

*I know it's not 720 cap. Still a work in progress*

I'm not sure how effective Archery is going to be without Tactics or even with tactics.
Should I even skill up on resists? If I were to get all 70 resist gear would skilling up on resist even matter?
Will Chiv take care of heals or should I skill up on Healing instead?
What is the minimum amount of str and int I would need for this temp to work?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated =)

*Update* So read up in resists. Seem if you have 70 resist armor set the resist skill is pretty much worthless. I think I'll find the gear and use my points elseware. Maybe try out tactics afterall.
 
T

Trukx

Guest
First of all, Resist -- the Skill "Magic Resistance" and the five type of damage resistance are only slightly related, but in the end almost not at all.

1. The skill "Magic Resistance will provide you a level of of the five damage resistances based upon your skill; at GM you have 40/40/40/40/40, at 120 you have 44/44/44/44/44. The benefit of the skill is to avoid being poisoned, avoid and/or decrease the effects of paralysis, decrease the effects of curse/clumsy/weaken.
2. Your armor (the 5 base damage resists) only factor into the amount of damage you take. If your total for 6 pieces of armor is LESS than the amount given by the resist skill then the resist skill shows, they dont stack. If your armor is more than your magic resist damage resistance, then it takes the armor. Again, they dont stack.

Disco Archers are solid, and for that template I would keep resist. But furthermore, as an archer, the only way you are killing things in through direct damage, and by and large you want to do the most possible, or at least figure out your skills to derive the max payoff for skills invested. Alot of sammys dont use tactics, but they have strength, bushido (Honor) and chiv to bump damage. You have nothing other than strength, chiv and whatever your weapon is to bump damage. Disco provides a bit of additional damage, but its benefit is the ability to hit way more often, a good trade except that it burns 240 points to get. But if you want to be a disco archer, well....its a given you have disco.

What I personally think you dotn need is provoke or hiding. If you have alrady worked 120 provoke, I understand the idea of keepign it based upon dedication and satisfaction of having done so, although I personally wouldnt. I stone off provoke almost every other day from a normal mage/bard because I just dont find it that useful for areas I hunt. That really leaves hiding.....gives you a break from teh game, breaks target but really supplies no offensive benefit. Id drop that, pick up 90 tactics, so that you can perform both primary and secondary wep specials as well as get a nice bump in damage increase; and find jewels or skill mod'ed armor to get 15 points of something else (hunters headress jumps right out w/ ok resists, 20 archery, night site, dexincrase and HCI).

Stats.....archery is all about how fast you can shoot......dex dex dex......125 without a doubt with increase bonuses from your gear to get it higher. Str, I would go with 110 with some bonuses from equipment and the rest in intel (I went elf to get 20 additional mana) since intel doesnt affect chiv except for mana. I say this with the only caveat that you need leeching on your bow (another reason for doing more damage each shot) to maintain mana for Close Wounds and Cons Wep. (balanced bow for drinking pots would also be helpful).

Just some thoughts, its a fun template. hope you enjoy it.
 
R

Razzputon

Guest
Thanks for the tips Trukx. seems I'll be keeping my resist then. =)

The only problem is this guy isn't an archer. He is a bard. I'm just torn between a secondary damage skill. Most of the Bard Templates I see use Magery. I'm trying to avoid Magery because I'm kinda tired of that skill. So this is my attempt to try the archer skill.

That being said. Do you think I would be better off dropping Discord for Tactics?

I'm also concerned that I don't have healing skill. Will Chiv healing replace healing well enough?

I few test temp tweaks to consider:

Disco - 120
Prov - 100 +20 on items = 120
Music - 120
Resist - 100
Archery - 115
Chiv - 70
<font color="blue"> Tactics - 95 </font>

or

Disco - 120
Prov - 100 +20 on items = 120
Music - 120
Resist - 100
Archery - 115
Chiv - 70
<font color="blue"> Healing - 95 </font>

or

<font color="blue"> Tactics - 115 </font>
Prov - 100 +20 on items = 120
Music - 120
Resist - 100
Archery - 115
Chiv - 70
<font color="blue"> Healing - 100 </font>
 
T

Trukx

Guest
If you want to be a bard and an archer, disco is for sure the way to go.....you will hit for more damage, you will hit more often (mobs melee skill is lowered) and it will hit for less on spells (lower EI). You dont want to swap disco for tactics, you really want them both.

The idea of provoke, because you want to be a bard first is interesting, and probably ends up being your real dilema. I just dont find it to be useful any more now that doom is packed and in almost any other room in any dungeon I can take things down quicker w/ EV's and disco than I will by provoking.

You are already leaning toward the bard first, I focused on being a chiv archer with disco, still a bard, but as a complimentary skill to archery. That said, if you'd like to kill effectively you need damage (as a mage has EV's to tank while you cast, you on the other hand have to hit hard and fast because its going to lock on you regardless....ie you need to kill fast). Tactics coupled w/ chiv and disco is a powerful combo. If you have a decent leeching bow (particularly for mana) you can succeed w/ chiv healing and emergency pots....but you gotta leech. As a final note, healing is pretty much useless unless you have anatomy as a complimentary skill.
 
R

Razzputon

Guest
So I ended up with:

Disco - 120
Prov - 90 +30 on items = 120
Music - 120
Resist - 100
Archery - 120
Chiv - 70
Tactics - 100

Took healing out completely. For now I'm finding Chiv can cover all cures, curses and heals just fine.

only went to 90 Prov because it will be asecondary skill. I can always stone it forsomething else if I want to in the future.
 
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