Would a bard class be good for the game??

Sparxlost · August 2023

i had made a bard class concept recently though it is unfinished

Bards of Tamriel are scholarly... so they might want to use things like clever potions and scrolls as their abilities... i like to think of their magic style being more vague than just "song magic" as they could cast a spell with a laugh, sob, or mighty roar.. through their studies and procliviations they would have great potential as mages so i do not think it would be unlikely for bards to help in times of great peril.. The moral support is at least going to make things more fun, right?

so would you personally like to see a bard class?

Calastir · August 2023

yes

Yes please!

My character Flannelflail was originally a Ravenloft bard in our Dungeons & Dragons game, but since that class wasn't available, I made him a Nightblade in ESO. Now if there'd been a bard class, I definitely would've used that!

notyuu · August 2023

no

Given The Elder Scrolls lore, we can already play as a bard, so no need for them to be a new class
step 1: Make a character
Step 2: Use one of the many instrument emotes
Step 3: "Sing" worth a damn while playing
Step 4: That's literally it, you are being a bard, sure there's no magic, but this isn't D&D, in TES a bard is literally just a minsteral song person.

On a side note, a lute melee weapon skin would be neat

All of the currently avaiable instrument emotes
/Lute
/Drum
/Flute
/keyharp
/esraj
/panflute
/qanun
/ragnarthered
/playtinyviolin
/trumpetsolo
/lute (with the passion dancer personaility, gives you a harp)

Calastir · August 2023

yes

notyuu wrote: »

Given The Elder Scrolls lore, we can already play as a bard, so no need for them to be a new class
step 1: Make a character
Step 2: Use one of the many instrument emotes
Step 3: "Sing" worth a damn while playing
Step 4: That's literally it, you are being a bard, sure there's no magic, but this isn't D&D, in TES a bard is literally just a minsteral song person.

On a side note, a lute melee weapon skin would be neat

All of the currently avaiable instrument emotes

/Lute

/Drum

/Flute

/keyharp

/esraj

/panflute

/qanun

/ragnarthered

/playtinyviolin

/trumpetsolo

/lute (with the passion dancer personaility, gives you a harp)

Those are like skins (which I did use), but not actual mechanics. We're talking an actual skill tree with noise blast, a charm spell, a song of healing, the ability to cast bardic inspiration...that type of stuff!

notyuu · August 2023

no

Calastir wrote: »

notyuu wrote: »

Given The Elder Scrolls lore, we can already play as a bard, so no need for them to be a new class
step 1: Make a character
Step 2: Use one of the many instrument emotes
Step 3: "Sing" worth a damn while playing
Step 4: That's literally it, you are being a bard, sure there's no magic, but this isn't D&D, in TES a bard is literally just a minsteral song person.

On a side note, a lute melee weapon skin would be neat

All of the currently avaiable instrument emotes

/Lute

/Drum

/Flute

/keyharp

/esraj

/panflute

/qanun

/ragnarthered

/playtinyviolin

/trumpetsolo

/lute (with the passion dancer personaility, gives you a harp)

Those are like skins (which I did use), but not actual mechanics. We're talking an actual skill tree with noise blast, a charm spell, a song of healing, the ability to cast bardic inspiration...that type of stuff!

Yes and what you are descirbing is D&D, not TES.
In TES the cloest you'd be able to get would the Thaumavocalism, Which would be more suited to a skill/weapon line than a class due to a small difference.

the difference is tiny and stupid to be perfectly honest with you, but my condition won't let me just sit on it without explaining in detail, so here we are, but basically D&D bard magic is charisma powered magicla music, meaning the vocial compents can be whatever, at least in theory and the results are unique spells. Thaumavocalism is magic channeled though music, meaning the spell effects would be the same as is avaiable without having to sing or play an instrument or whatever, ontop of that the vocal compents would be set in stone as it were.

Calastir · August 2023

yes

notyuu wrote: »

Calastir wrote: »

notyuu wrote: »

Given The Elder Scrolls lore, we can already play as a bard, so no need for them to be a new class
step 1: Make a character
Step 2: Use one of the many instrument emotes
Step 3: "Sing" worth a damn while playing
Step 4: That's literally it, you are being a bard, sure there's no magic, but this isn't D&D, in TES a bard is literally just a minsteral song person.

On a side note, a lute melee weapon skin would be neat

All of the currently avaiable instrument emotes

/Lute

/Drum

/Flute

/keyharp

/esraj

/panflute

/qanun

/ragnarthered

/playtinyviolin

/trumpetsolo

/lute (with the passion dancer personaility, gives you a harp)

Those are like skins (which I did use), but not actual mechanics. We're talking an actual skill tree with noise blast, a charm spell, a song of healing, the ability to cast bardic inspiration...that type of stuff!

Yes and what you are descirbing is D&D, not TES.
In TES the cloest you'd be able to get would the Thaumavocalism, Which would be more suited to a skill/weapon line than a class due to a small difference.
the difference is tiny and stupid to be perfectly honest with you, but my condition won't let me just sit on it without explaining in detail, so here we are, but basically D&D bard magic is charisma powered magicla music, meaning the vocial compents can be whatever, at least in theory and the results are unique spells. Thaumavocalism is magic channeled though music, meaning the spell effects would be the same as is avaiable without having to sing or play an instrument or whatever, ontop of that the vocal compents would be set in stone as it were.

TES has taken inspiration from D&D since the very beginning. Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, skills and attributes, there's already been a seperate bard class in most of TES games and Tamriel has always kept changing and evolving, so I'd say let's go for it.

LunaFlora · August 2023

there are better options for new classes

i really would not like to have another class and i don't see bard working as a class.

it would be more fun to have a skill line of musical channeled support skills, they could use instrument emotes for the animations.
my main character is already a bard and i Love using the music emotes, if i could use them in a different way that would be nice.

really don't want to level up new skills with an entirely new character instead of my main character again though

LunaFlora · August 2023

there are better options for new classes

Calastir wrote: »

notyuu wrote: »

Calastir wrote: »

notyuu wrote: »

Given The Elder Scrolls lore, we can already play as a bard, so no need for them to be a new class
step 1: Make a character
Step 2: Use one of the many instrument emotes
Step 3: "Sing" worth a damn while playing
Step 4: That's literally it, you are being a bard, sure there's no magic, but this isn't D&D, in TES a bard is literally just a minsteral song person.

On a side note, a lute melee weapon skin would be neat

All of the currently avaiable instrument emotes

/Lute

/Drum

/Flute

/keyharp

/esraj

/panflute

/qanun

/ragnarthered

/playtinyviolin

/trumpetsolo

/lute (with the passion dancer personaility, gives you a harp)

Those are like skins (which I did use), but not actual mechanics. We're talking an actual skill tree with noise blast, a charm spell, a song of healing, the ability to cast bardic inspiration...that type of stuff!

Yes and what you are descirbing is D&D, not TES.
In TES the cloest you'd be able to get would the Thaumavocalism, Which would be more suited to a skill/weapon line than a class due to a small difference.
the difference is tiny and stupid to be perfectly honest with you, but my condition won't let me just sit on it without explaining in detail, so here we are, but basically D&D bard magic is charisma powered magicla music, meaning the vocial compents can be whatever, at least in theory and the results are unique spells. Thaumavocalism is magic channeled though music, meaning the spell effects would be the same as is avaiable without having to sing or play an instrument or whatever, ontop of that the vocal compents would be set in stone as it were.

TES has taken inspiration from D&D since the very beginning. Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, skills and attributes, there's already been a seperate bard class in most of TES games and Tamriel has always kept changing and evolving, so I'd say let's go for it.

the bard class in other elder scrolls games has had some proficiency in speechcraft and illusion but never used instruments or anything else people want from a bard class.
i don't get why people keep pointing to that class, it's not the same as bards from other rpgs.

RandomUser123 · August 2023

no

There already is one!

1) Pick any class
2) /trumpetsolo

Done.

Calastir · August 2023

yes

LunaFlora wrote: »

Calastir wrote: »

notyuu wrote: »

Calastir wrote: »

notyuu wrote: »

Given The Elder Scrolls lore, we can already play as a bard, so no need for them to be a new class
step 1: Make a character
Step 2: Use one of the many instrument emotes
Step 3: "Sing" worth a damn while playing
Step 4: That's literally it, you are being a bard, sure there's no magic, but this isn't D&D, in TES a bard is literally just a minsteral song person.

On a side note, a lute melee weapon skin would be neat

All of the currently avaiable instrument emotes

/Lute

/Drum

/Flute

/keyharp

/esraj

/panflute

/qanun

/ragnarthered

/playtinyviolin

/trumpetsolo

/lute (with the passion dancer personaility, gives you a harp)

Those are like skins (which I did use), but not actual mechanics. We're talking an actual skill tree with noise blast, a charm spell, a song of healing, the ability to cast bardic inspiration...that type of stuff!

Yes and what you are descirbing is D&D, not TES.
In TES the cloest you'd be able to get would the Thaumavocalism, Which would be more suited to a skill/weapon line than a class due to a small difference.
the difference is tiny and stupid to be perfectly honest with you, but my condition won't let me just sit on it without explaining in detail, so here we are, but basically D&D bard magic is charisma powered magicla music, meaning the vocial compents can be whatever, at least in theory and the results are unique spells. Thaumavocalism is magic channeled though music, meaning the spell effects would be the same as is avaiable without having to sing or play an instrument or whatever, ontop of that the vocal compents would be set in stone as it were.

TES has taken inspiration from D&D since the very beginning. Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, skills and attributes, there's already been a seperate bard class in most of TES games and Tamriel has always kept changing and evolving, so I'd say let's go for it.

the bard class in other elder scrolls games has had some proficiency in speechcraft and illusion but never used instruments or anything else people want from a bard class.
i don't get why people keep pointing to that class, it's not the same as bards from other rpgs.

Don't stick to past or present, think in future possibilities. A reworked bard class could literally rock!

LunaFlora · August 2023

there are better options for new classes

Calastir wrote: »

LunaFlora wrote: »

Calastir wrote: »

notyuu wrote: »

Calastir wrote: »

notyuu wrote: »

Given The Elder Scrolls lore, we can already play as a bard, so no need for them to be a new class
step 1: Make a character
Step 2: Use one of the many instrument emotes
Step 3: "Sing" worth a damn while playing
Step 4: That's literally it, you are being a bard, sure there's no magic, but this isn't D&D, in TES a bard is literally just a minsteral song person.

On a side note, a lute melee weapon skin would be neat

All of the currently avaiable instrument emotes

/Lute

/Drum

/Flute

/keyharp

/esraj

/panflute

/qanun

/ragnarthered

/playtinyviolin

/trumpetsolo

/lute (with the passion dancer personaility, gives you a harp)

Those are like skins (which I did use), but not actual mechanics. We're talking an actual skill tree with noise blast, a charm spell, a song of healing, the ability to cast bardic inspiration...that type of stuff!

Yes and what you are descirbing is D&D, not TES.
In TES the cloest you'd be able to get would the Thaumavocalism, Which would be more suited to a skill/weapon line than a class due to a small difference.
the difference is tiny and stupid to be perfectly honest with you, but my condition won't let me just sit on it without explaining in detail, so here we are, but basically D&D bard magic is charisma powered magicla music, meaning the vocial compents can be whatever, at least in theory and the results are unique spells. Thaumavocalism is magic channeled though music, meaning the spell effects would be the same as is avaiable without having to sing or play an instrument or whatever, ontop of that the vocal compents would be set in stone as it were.

TES has taken inspiration from D&D since the very beginning. Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, skills and attributes, there's already been a seperate bard class in most of TES games and Tamriel has always kept changing and evolving, so I'd say let's go for it.

the bard class in other elder scrolls games has had some proficiency in speechcraft and illusion but never used instruments or anything else people want from a bard class.
i don't get why people keep pointing to that class, it's not the same as bards from other rpgs.

Don't stick to past or present, think in future possibilities. A reworked bard class could literally rock!

you pointed out the past bard.

Ragnarok0130 · August 2023

no

No, first there’s no need for bard class and second can you imagine how grating hearing the same song over and over ad inifinitum would be while pronging a trial or running PVP would be? The trumpet solo emote is already a horrible experience.

Calastir · August 2023

yes

LunaFlora wrote: »

Calastir wrote: »

LunaFlora wrote: »

Calastir wrote: »

notyuu wrote: »

Calastir wrote: »

notyuu wrote: »

Given The Elder Scrolls lore, we can already play as a bard, so no need for them to be a new class
step 1: Make a character
Step 2: Use one of the many instrument emotes
Step 3: "Sing" worth a damn while playing
Step 4: That's literally it, you are being a bard, sure there's no magic, but this isn't D&D, in TES a bard is literally just a minsteral song person.

On a side note, a lute melee weapon skin would be neat

All of the currently avaiable instrument emotes

/Lute

/Drum

/Flute

/keyharp

/esraj

/panflute

/qanun

/ragnarthered

/playtinyviolin

/trumpetsolo

/lute (with the passion dancer personaility, gives you a harp)

Those are like skins (which I did use), but not actual mechanics. We're talking an actual skill tree with noise blast, a charm spell, a song of healing, the ability to cast bardic inspiration...that type of stuff!

Yes and what you are descirbing is D&D, not TES.
In TES the cloest you'd be able to get would the Thaumavocalism, Which would be more suited to a skill/weapon line than a class due to a small difference.
the difference is tiny and stupid to be perfectly honest with you, but my condition won't let me just sit on it without explaining in detail, so here we are, but basically D&D bard magic is charisma powered magicla music, meaning the vocial compents can be whatever, at least in theory and the results are unique spells. Thaumavocalism is magic channeled though music, meaning the spell effects would be the same as is avaiable without having to sing or play an instrument or whatever, ontop of that the vocal compents would be set in stone as it were.

TES has taken inspiration from D&D since the very beginning. Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, skills and attributes, there's already been a seperate bard class in most of TES games and Tamriel has always kept changing and evolving, so I'd say let's go for it.

the bard class in other elder scrolls games has had some proficiency in speechcraft and illusion but never used instruments or anything else people want from a bard class.
i don't get why people keep pointing to that class, it's not the same as bards from other rpgs.

Don't stick to past or present, think in future possibilities. A reworked bard class could literally rock!

you pointed out the past bard.

You're right, I stand corrected. I guess that means change is impossible and out of the question.

Darkstorne · August 2023

Reminder to all the "bards don't fit in the TES universe!" folks, that the bard was a class selection option in both Morrowind and Oblivion. In Oblivion it even had class artwork:

TaSheen · August 2023

yes

I played bards in the older games - they were kind of a sub-class of "rogue" IIRC. They were fun. I think they could be added with some tinkering.

LunaFlora · August 2023

there are better options for new classes

Calastir wrote: »

LunaFlora wrote: »

Calastir wrote: »

LunaFlora wrote: »

Calastir wrote: »

notyuu wrote: »

Calastir wrote: »

notyuu wrote: »

Given The Elder Scrolls lore, we can already play as a bard, so no need for them to be a new class
step 1: Make a character
Step 2: Use one of the many instrument emotes
Step 3: "Sing" worth a damn while playing
Step 4: That's literally it, you are being a bard, sure there's no magic, but this isn't D&D, in TES a bard is literally just a minsteral song person.

On a side note, a lute melee weapon skin would be neat

All of the currently avaiable instrument emotes

/Lute

/Drum

/Flute

/keyharp

/esraj

/panflute

/qanun

/ragnarthered

/playtinyviolin

/trumpetsolo

/lute (with the passion dancer personaility, gives you a harp)

Those are like skins (which I did use), but not actual mechanics. We're talking an actual skill tree with noise blast, a charm spell, a song of healing, the ability to cast bardic inspiration...that type of stuff!

Yes and what you are descirbing is D&D, not TES.
In TES the cloest you'd be able to get would the Thaumavocalism, Which would be more suited to a skill/weapon line than a class due to a small difference.
the difference is tiny and stupid to be perfectly honest with you, but my condition won't let me just sit on it without explaining in detail, so here we are, but basically D&D bard magic is charisma powered magicla music, meaning the vocial compents can be whatever, at least in theory and the results are unique spells. Thaumavocalism is magic channeled though music, meaning the spell effects would be the same as is avaiable without having to sing or play an instrument or whatever, ontop of that the vocal compents would be set in stone as it were.

TES has taken inspiration from D&D since the very beginning. Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, skills and attributes, there's already been a seperate bard class in most of TES games and Tamriel has always kept changing and evolving, so I'd say let's go for it.

the bard class in other elder scrolls games has had some proficiency in speechcraft and illusion but never used instruments or anything else people want from a bard class.
i don't get why people keep pointing to that class, it's not the same as bards from other rpgs.

Don't stick to past or present, think in future possibilities. A reworked bard class could literally rock!

you pointed out the past bard.

You're right, I stand corrected. I guess that means change is impossible and out of the question.

it isn't impossible, but that bard class is not musical and it was in four elder scrolls games. we don't have an elder scrolls bard class to point to if we want a bard class like other rpgs have.

classes in eso are very different compared to tes 1-4 classes, those were more just bundles of proficiencies in skills with names.

we have bards in eso, they play music with instruments and we have thaumavocalists who channel magicka through song. we can already play music with emotes and i doubt we'll get thaumavocalism as it requires song.

a class would be fun, but without an instrument? i think it would be better as a skill line so any character can be a bard and each skill uses an instrument emote animation

Kiralyn2000 · August 2023

no

Darkstorne wrote: »

Reminder to all the "bards don't fit in the TES universe!" folks, that the bard was a class selection option in both Morrowind and Oblivion. In Oblivion it even had class artwork:

Was curious, so I looked it up.

In Oblivion, the Bard's "Major" skills were: Blade, Block, Illusion, Alchemy, Light Armor, Mercantile, Speechcraft

In Morrowind:
Major skills: Block, Long Blade, Alchemy, Acrobatics, Speech
Minor skills: Medium Armor, Enchant, Illusion, Mercantile, Security

So, it's a Thief/Stealth sub-class, with the only notable 'defining' skills being Illusion spells & talking. Speech & Mercantile have no real bearing on ESO. Blade/Block/Light Armor is a standard agile fighter class. Alchemy & Security (Pickpocket/Legerdemain/etc) are generic skill lines already.

Not a lot there to make a whole "class" out of for ESO. Especially since Nightblade already has some Illusion (invisibility/etc) in it's makeup.

I think what the people you were replying to meant is that, "D&D/EQ/etc style Bards who SING! magic at you" don't fit the TES universe.

They're also frequently support/buff classes (with the songs helping the party in various ways), and those have little place in ESO with it's only-4-person party system.

Tornaad · August 2023

no

I just don't understand the draw to a bard or their role in combat at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2dCzFZ9qcM

SpacemanSpiff1 · August 2023

no. what eso desperately needs is a chef class.

Calastir · August 2023

yes

Tornaad wrote: »

I just don't understand the draw to a bard or their role in combat at all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2dCzFZ9qcM

That sketch isn't an complete representation, you can mock any class if you want to. Just use your imagination and you'll find that bards can be awesome. With their whole performance they can boost the morale of allies, drop the morale of enemies, heal wounds or cause them, break crystal, eardrums and arteries, create illusions or destroy them, put crowds to sleep or revive them and more.

Like in D&D my bard had a magical mandoline which could burst into flame and be used as a melee weapon. His flaming mandoline!

menedhyn · August 2023

there are better options for new classes

I would prefer a skill line or similar than a new class. That way, I get to maintain my two characters and add new flavour to their abilities. But it sounds fun, and I really enjoyed playing a bardish rogue in ES IV.

(my poll choice is probably irrelevant btw)

Calastir · August 2023

yes

SpacemanSpiff1 wrote: »

no. what eso desperately needs is a chef class.

Agreed!

And you gave me another idea; Bards could learn new songs as if they were recipes, and build their own repertoire!

wilykcat · August 2023

there are better options for new classes

I replied to a forum post similar to this one I found in the category Combat and Character Mechanics.

Calastir · August 2023

yes

wilykcat wrote: »

I replied to a forum post similar to this one I found in the category Combat and Character Mechanics.

Yes I've seen it: Bard class concept... Unfinished.
I like that 'Crescendo' ability concept, where the right chord stuns the enemies and forces them to dance in a way which damages them.

Avoiding spoilers; In one of Tolkien's stories a bard character sings the whole demonic court of the big bad to sleep.

Thee_Cheshire_Cat · August 2023

there are better options for new classes

notyuu wrote: »

Given The Elder Scrolls lore, we can already play as a bard, so no need for them to be a new class
step 1: Make a character
Step 2: Use one of the many instrument emotes
Step 3: "Sing" worth a damn while playing
Step 4: That's literally it, you are being a bard, sure there's no magic, but this isn't D&D, in TES a bard is literally just a minsteral song person.

On a side note, a lute melee weapon skin would be neat

All of the currently avaiable instrument emotes

/Lute

/Drum

/Flute

/keyharp

/esraj

/panflute

/qanun

/ragnarthered

/playtinyviolin

/trumpetsolo

/lute (with the passion dancer personaility, gives you a harp)

There is also the The Minstrel Personality, people can get, which is pretty much as bard-y as one can get.

Lumenn · August 2023

there are better options for new classes

A d&d bard does not fit in elder scrolls. If we just start borrowing from other games against lore I want to bring Wolverine, Superman, or even Raziel from Legacy of Kain. Magneto could could solve some of pvps tank meta. I would say Liu Kang but for some reason MONK, which is LORE keeps getting overlooked.

Might as well bring Mario and Luigi while we're at it. Why not.

wilykcat · August 2023

there are better options for new classes

Lumenn wrote: »

A d&d bard does not fit in elder scrolls. If we just start borrowing from other games against lore I want to bring Wolverine, Superman, or even Raziel from Legacy of Kain. Magneto could could solve some of pvps tank meta. I would say Liu Kang but for some reason MONK, which is LORE keeps getting overlooked.

Might as well bring Mario and Luigi while we're at it. Why not.

And also to add on the list: League of legends, they got two characters that have musical abilities.

Holycannoli · August 2023

Good for the game? Who knows

Fun? Who knows

But probably

Calastir · August 2023

yes

Lumenn wrote: »

A d&d bard does not fit in elder scrolls. If we just start borrowing from other games against lore I want to bring Wolverine, Superman, or even Raziel from Legacy of Kain. Magneto could could solve some of pvps tank meta. I would say Liu Kang but for some reason MONK, which is LORE keeps getting overlooked.

Might as well bring Mario and Luigi while we're at it. Why not.

That's a huge exaggeration, a slippery slope fallacy.

We've already shown how TES took inspiration or borrowed from D&D from it's very conception. The bard class has always been in there, and the concepts we're discussing would not clash with the game as it is now.

Lumenn · August 2023

there are better options for new classes

Calastir wrote: »

Lumenn wrote: »

A d&d bard does not fit in elder scrolls. If we just start borrowing from other games against lore I want to bring Wolverine, Superman, or even Raziel from Legacy of Kain. Magneto could could solve some of pvps tank meta. I would say Liu Kang but for some reason MONK, which is LORE keeps getting overlooked.

Might as well bring Mario and Luigi while we're at it. Why not.

That's a huge exaggeration, a slippery slope fallacy.

We've already shown how TES took inspiration or borrowed from D&D from it's very conception. The bard class has always been in there, and the concepts we're discussing would not clash with the game as it is now.

It is not.

TES did not take D&D bard. TES decided to CHANGE Bard for Tamriel. Bard is a smooth tongue spy/thief/assassin who possibly could use illusion spells(or even slight of hand). Bard has never been a person skipping around playing with their flute. Some want to change a whole class because they want to shake their maracas. I get it. Bard was a fun class in EQ when I played. It isn't lore in Tamriel though.

emilyhyoyeon · August 2023

no

If the bard class that they add focuses on themes relating to TES alchemy, blade (swords), block, illusion, medium armor, mercantile, speechcraft, lockpicking, and acrobatics for their skills, then yeah, I'd be for it.

Could actually be a good option for people who want to play a less magicka-based rogue style character without the shadow/siphoning aspects that nightblade has, which is a much more magicka-based TES class. I've seen many people say over the years that they wish they could play a more stamina-based class.

The Elder Scrolls Online

Would a bard class be good for the game??

Would a bard class be good for the game?? 118 votes