2e Bard [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

2e Bard [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Deus_Proelii
03-23-05, 05:31 AM I've noticed that some people consider the 2nd edition bard to be overpowered... Can anyone explain why? As far as I remember, the only thing different was that there was no limit to the number of times a day he could use bardic music, and he could learn and cast wizard spells...
spyderfreek
03-23-05, 05:36 AM ALL WIZARD SPELLS, including: Magic Missile, Fireball, L-bolt, and so on and so on, plus bardic abilities.
Largegnome
03-23-05, 05:57 AM I've noticed that some people consider the 2nd edition bard to be overpowered... Can anyone explain why? As far as I remember, the only thing different was that there was no limit to the number of times a day he could use bardic music, and he could learn and cast wizard spells...

2e was mostly played at low levels. The PHB and DMG encouraged starting at 1st level, to "grow up" with your character. When you reached 8th /10th level, you had to gain a set amount of xp to gain a new level, regardless of your current level. For exemple, a 10+ level paladin needed 300000 xp to level up each time. Killing a Tarrasque single-handedly would net you 107000 xp, IIRC. A Pit fiend was worth 47000 xp, IIRC, and Great Wyrms were around 25000. Leveling up was kinda difficult at those levels.
Furthermore, weapon and armor proficiency did not work as they do in 3e; either your class allowed you to use a weapon/armor, or it didn't. So, a rogue could not wear a full plate armor at all, and there was no way around that, short of dual classing.

In this context, a low level bard could use light and medium armor, could use weapons generally restricted to warrior-types, used the most favorable level advancement table, and could learn to cast arcane spells as well as some thieving skills.
IMO, at higher levels bards were not overpowered at all; but at, say, level 3-5 (that, BTW, they generally reached before most other PCs) they were both versatile and "strong". BTW, most 2e games I've seen stopped at level 5/7. So, while IMO the class was not overpowered over 20 levels, it was in the short run, when the best class abilities of the other classes were not yet strong or different enough.
A 10th level bard was a crappy fighter (fighters had more HP, better THAC0 and more attacks/round, as well as better AC), a mediocre caster (since wizard cast 5th level spells by then, and bards only cast 4th level spells), and the pale imitation of a thief.

Just my 2 cents :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Deus_Proelii 03-23-05, 05:31 AM	I've noticed that some people consider the 2nd edition bard to be overpowered... Can anyone explain why? As far as I remember, the only thing different was that there was no limit to the number of times a day he could use bardic music, and he could learn and cast wizard spells...
spyderfreek 03-23-05, 05:36 AM	ALL WIZARD SPELLS, including: Magic Missile, Fireball, L-bolt, and so on and so on, plus bardic abilities.
Largegnome 03-23-05, 05:57 AM	I've noticed that some people consider the 2nd edition bard to be overpowered... Can anyone explain why? As far as I remember, the only thing different was that there was no limit to the number of times a day he could use bardic music, and he could learn and cast wizard spells... 2e was mostly played at low levels. The PHB and DMG encouraged starting at 1st level, to "grow up" with your character. When you reached 8th /10th level, you had to gain a set amount of xp to gain a new level, regardless of your current level. For exemple, a 10+ level paladin needed 300000 xp to level up each time. Killing a Tarrasque single-handedly would net you 107000 xp, IIRC. A Pit fiend was worth 47000 xp, IIRC, and Great Wyrms were around 25000. Leveling up was kinda difficult at those levels. Furthermore, weapon and armor proficiency did not work as they do in 3e; either your class allowed you to use a weapon/armor, or it didn't. So, a rogue could not wear a full plate armor at all, and there was no way around that, short of dual classing. In this context, a low level bard could use light and medium armor, could use weapons generally restricted to warrior-types, used the most favorable level advancement table, and could learn to cast arcane spells as well as some thieving skills. IMO, at higher levels bards were not overpowered at all; but at, say, level 3-5 (that, BTW, they generally reached before most other PCs) they were both versatile and "strong". BTW, most 2e games I've seen stopped at level 5/7. So, while IMO the class was not overpowered over 20 levels, it was in the short run, when the best class abilities of the other classes were not yet strong or different enough. A 10th level bard was a crappy fighter (fighters had more HP, better THAC0 and more attacks/round, as well as better AC), a mediocre caster (since wizard cast 5th level spells by then, and bards only cast 4th level spells), and the pale imitation of a thief. Just my 2 cents :)