Bard Songs: Jonthan's Line

[Rorne]

The Jonthan's line of songs are self only haste + combat stat songs a bard gets at levels 7, 45, and 58 respectively. The problem with these are you rarely have the luxury to dedicate a beneficial song slot to hasting just yourself in a group and when soloing it's usually more efficient to kite things or later on (if meleeing) to play superior songs like blademaster or what have you. My suggestion is to change the Jonthan's line from a pulsing song to a one-off cast temporary combat buff with a mana cost similar in style to the Yaulp line. What this would accomplish is:

-Provide you with more options on what to spend your mana on at low levels
-Provide bards with a limited self-hasting option that does not require the dedication of a beneficial slot
-Give you a mana-using damage-increasing alternative when fighting mr immune/highly resistant mobs

Anyways here is a mock-up of the old versions compared to the new versions I am suggesting.


*=Affected by mod




CURRENT
Song:Jonthan's Whistling Warsong
Level:7
Target:Self
Mana Cost:0
Instrument Type:Singing
Duration: 3 ticks
Recast:0
Effect 1:Increase Attack Speed by 16% (L7) to 25% (L40)
Effect 2:Increase Armor Class by 8 (L7) to 37 (L65)*
Effect 3:Increase Strength by 8 (L7) to 37 (L65)*

NEW
Song:Jonthan's Whistling Warsong
Level:7
Target:Self
Mana Cost:25
Instrument Type:Singing
Duration: 4 ticks
Recast:18
Effect 1:Increase Attack Speed by 10% (L7) to 20% (L40)
Effect 2:Increase Armor Class by 8 (L7) to 37 (L65)*
Effect 3:Increase Strength by 8 (L7) to 37 (L65)*




CURRENT
Song:Jonthan's Provocation
Level:45
Target:Self
Mana Cost:0
Instrument Type:Singing
Duration: 3 ticks
Recast:0
Effect 1:Increase Attack Speed by 48% (L45) to 50% (L47)
Effect 2:Increase Strength by 13 (L45) to 18 (L65)*
Effect 3:Increase Attack by 13 (L45) to 18 (L65)*

NEW
Song:Jonthan's Provocation
Level:45
Target:Self
Mana Cost:50
Instrument Type:Singing
Duration: 4 ticks
Recast:18
Effect 1:Increase Attack Speed by 27% (L45) to 37% (L55)
Effect 2:Increase Strength by 10 (L45) to 15 (L65)*
Effect 3:Increase Attack by 10 (L45) to 15 (L65)*




CURRENT
Song:Jonthan's Inspiration
Level:58
Target:Self
Mana Cost:0
Instrument Type:Singing
Duration: 3 ticks
Recast:0
Effect 1:Increase Attack Speed by 61% (L58) to 66% (L63)
Effect 2:Increase Strength by 17 (L58) to 19 (L65)*
Effect 3:Increase Attack by 15 (L58) to 17 (L65)*

NEW
Song:Jonthan's Inspiration
Level:58
Target:Self
Mana Cost:125
Instrument Type:Singing
Duration: 4 ticks
Recast:18
Effect 1:Increase Attack Speed by 38% (L58) to 45% (L65)
Effect 2:Increase Strength by 17 (L58) to 20 (L65)*
Effect 3:Increase Attack by 15 (L58) to 18 (L65)*
Effect 4:Increase Attack Speed (Bard Overhaste) by 2%*

The haste values would be reduced to be comparable with other bard haste options around similar levels. The final installment would receive a minor modifiable overhaste component to keep it relevant. For anyone projecting the power of these through the tiers keep in mind they are all singing based songs so they would follow a more gradual power curve compared to instrument mods.

 

[Zaela]

I guess my question is whether all this would be worth the bother.

The level 7 one--at least when you first get it--seems fine as is; you may well still be soloing at that level and won't have anything better to play in a group for a few levels at least. But I guess it does get replaced by group haste pretty fast--although again, at those levels even if you're in a group you may not even have any other melees. Also tiny mana pool at those levels plus no way to regen faster for a while yet would limit its usage quite a bit.

The level 45 one might be okay.

As for the level 58 one, Bards already have a 45% group haste song at 54. If they aren't already playing that they and their group probably already have haste buffs. I guess the scaling 2% overhaste is something... I'm not sure if it would be worth adding the code to make just that one song and no other scale from 2% to 3%... and maybe, some day, all the way to 4%! Just to be replaced by Relic: Fiery Warcry of Tarhyl's 22%.

I don't see how it will add any options for resistant/immune mobs because by the time you fight anything like that you'll already have both haste parts replaced. I guess ~40 ATK might be something, but for a crappy melee like Bards I doubt it'd be a whole lot.

 

[Rorne]

As for the level 58 one, Bards already have a 45% group haste song at 54. If they aren't already playing that they and their group probably already have haste buffs. I guess the scaling 2% overhaste is something... I'm not sure if it would be worth adding the code to make just that one song and no other scale from 2% to 3%... and maybe, some day, all the way to 4%! Just to be replaced by Relic: Fiery Warcry of Tarhyl's 22%.

Yeah I had the erroneous thought that overhaste could be made to stack with itself, and as for there being no code support for things like haste scaling with mods I figured that would be the case since it doesn't happen anywhere else but really that was just something to spice the last one up and I'm sure there could be easier alternatives to be explored explored. I'd just like to change these into something useful and interesting instead of forever collecting dust along with Cassindra's Elegy and pals.

 

[Zaela]

Yeah I had the erroneous thought that overhaste could be made to stack with itself

It could just be made the third haste type. That's mostly just used on haste clickies iirc.

I could see doing something with the non-level 7 ones though, sure.

 

[Rorne]

It could just be made the third haste type. That's mostly just used on haste clickies iirc.

I could see doing something with the non-level 7 ones though, sure.

That would be fantastic. One thing I did want to add about the level 7 one and mana usage is that currently I don't think you have any way to spend your mana until the level 25 Bellow so that would at least give you something to put it towards although you bring up a valid point about it being good as-is for when you get it.