Basics

Table of Contents:

Chapter 3 - Songs, Spells, and Abilities (Spell List)

Chapter 4 - Methods and Techniques

Chapter 5 - Weapons Configurations (1H vs. DW)

Chapter 6 - Where to Hunt (Solo)

1.0 - Credits

Contributors to this guide
include:

• Bing Crosby
  (Half-Elf Troubador on the Oggok/Blackburrow Server and scribe of this guide)
• Jarkun (for
  his comments on "Weapons Configurations")
• Iccon of
  Oggok/Blackburrow (for his tremendous contribution on "A Scout's HO Primer")
• Maris of Everfrost (for contributions to the Qeynos Troub
  Hallmark quest steps)
• Tessaire (for a great writeup in the SOE forums about Troub 10-20 training spell choices, reprinted here by permission)
  
• Clawtia of Oggok/Blackburrow, for comments on how to solo via bow-kiting
• Fafherd of Neriak, for comments on using the Troub pet charm after the Combat Changes

Thanks to everyone for their
contributions!



Have something you'd like to add? href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=Troubador%20guide%20updates">Email
me directly or href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=index&c=11&sid=e9c00f68c7c1338978db2b21e2b96119">post
in the TTH Troubador forums!

1.1 - The Basics: Getting off to a
good start

First of all, do you want to make a start of it? Is Troubador a
good class-fit for you?



Troubadors are emphatically a support class. We can survive
while solo, but we shine at helping our groupmates do their jobs
better. If you enjoy the bard look and feel, but think you'd be more
comfortable going it alone much of the time, please consider choosing
a different class. Dirges, Swashbucklers, Assassins and Rangers are given much more in terms of putting the
hurt on a mob, and as a solo scout-class, its about taking down the
mob as quickly as possible (meaning, scouts can't take much damage).



Please note that Troubador DPS (meaning damage-per-second, a raw and
effective measure of a player's damage-dealing ability) is arguably no
better (and probably worse) than any other scout-class player
similarly equipped. Happily our songs/spells/abilities cover the gap
rather nicely, even while solo. Still, don't expect much in the way of
melee performance.



Another caveat- to play a troubador well, you pretty much have to give
it your undivided attention. As your song library grows, you'll find
some spells work better in and out of combat. You'll likely be
switching out spells while the off-tank grabs a drink and the mage
rests and continues watching a movie. It's a pretty involved class, as
they go.



About our
spells/songs/abilities (hereafter I'll just call them spells:)



Troubadors get several spells which set them apart:



Attack speed buffs (called "haste" line spells by us EQLive old-timers)
such as "Merciless Melody" increase melee damage for your entire group.



Power regeneration buffs (sometimes called "breeze," however
inaccurately) such as "Bria's Stirring Ballad" increase power
production, especially in combat. Out of combat, you won't notice much
difference. This might seem like a letdown, but as you progress and
battles lengthen, buffs like this are group-savers.



Group stat buffs such as "Rousing Tune" which increase AGI, STR, STA,
and at later levels: WIS, INT, parry, Magic resistance, attack,
defense, pretty much everything!



Mental damage procs (a proc is an ability which gives you (and possibly
your group) a certain chance to do additional damage on each successful
hit) such as "Aria of Excitement."



Health regeneration buffs such as "Quiron's Joyous Celebration" at
level 30.



Power damage / DoT / leech spells that instantly decrease a mob's
power, reduce it over time, or return a portion of drained power to
you, respectively. (Note: Dirges get a very similar line that targets
health rather than power)



Snare combo spells (such as "Sybil's Shuddering Sonnet" at 23) slow the
movement speed of your target, thereby allowing a timely retreat.



Escape evacuates your
entire group to a safe location with a 5 second cast, thereby saving
the group from a probable wipe.



Fun spells like "Rousing Celebration" at 20 that make your entire group
dance!

Does my choice of race
matter?



To a certain extent, yes. Before I go on, I share Ethec's and
Boomjack's sentiment that you can't go far wrong when choosing a race
that you'd simply like to look at and play.



But if you want a troubador given all the advantages from the start,
AGI is our definitive attribute, followed closely by INT. AGI is the
primary variable in our class abilities and it helps us bob-and-weave
to avoid taking damage (very important for scouts). INT
determines how much power we can pack. STA and STR are probably the
next most important attributes, since the first defines how much damage
you take when you get hit, and STR works with AGI to determine how much
damage you do when you hit something else.



Based on this information, here's my top five races for troubador (and
really, any scout class)!

Good or evil - if you're on the fence, there's a few reasons to choose

Freeport and the dark side. The Freeport Troubador hallmark quest
reward is a dual-wield weapon (DW is popular among many scouts, but
we'll get into that later), while the Qeynos reward is a one-handed
weapon. And the level 40 fun spell is a self-only High Elf illusion,
which only really has a practical purpose if you need to sneak into
Qeynos.



What is the #1
tip you can give me, Bing?



It's all about using the right spell at the right time. Get to know
what you've got, customize your buffs to the makeup of your group to
maximize its potential, and then use the debuffs and DDs that hurt the
most. Study your spell lists, load up and organize your hotbars to
cover any foreseeable circumstance. Who's in your group? Whether your
group is tank- or caster-heavy may affect the loadout of your buffs
which use concentration points. If you're fighting casters, use your
power-draining abilities in tandem to empty their power pool more
quickly. If combatting fighters, concentrate more on procs. Use your
melee abilities when the opportunity arises, and don't forget about
Heroic Opportunities (HOs). As a scout-class, you have the ability to
turn simple 2-step blah HOs into multi-step HOs with astounding effects
(that is, if you can get a lot of cooperation- talk it up!).



You'll get the tools, but its up to you to make it happen! Troubador
isn't an easy class to play, but have fun and sing pretty!



1.2 - The following guides, though not Troubador-specific, are
very informative and well-written, and I strongly encourage you to read
them:

• href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=8&meid=47">Display
  Settings Guide (Making the game run smoother and faster.)
• href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=12&meid=53">All
  Paladin, All of the Time (A detailed resource discussing one
  of our favorite tanks)
• href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=15&meid=56">The
  Total Templar (Another great guide dedicated to our holy
  healer friends)
• href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=7&meid=44">Priestly
  Tips (A primer for your role in the group)
• href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=6&meid=48">Heroic
  Opportunities Summary (The short of it)
• href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=9&meid=49">Heroic
  Opportunities Guide (The long of it)
• href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=10&meid=50">Tradeskill
  Guide (This is the tradeskill bible)
• href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=11&meid=52">Guild
  Guide (Guilds in EQ2 are complex. This guide is superb)