Untrained Melody IV: Level 4
Bard Spells
By Ralsu
Fourth level bard spells provide access to some solid crowd control
spells, but the rest of the list is slim pickings. The only healing
spell, Cure Critical Wounds, is regarded as the least efficient healing
spell in Dungeons & Dragons Online. Shout, the lone damage spell on
the list, has shotty performance and requires your bard to be right in
the thick of a group of enemies--an unwise position at best. Even the
useful Break Enchantment can make things go bad if you accidentally
remove a helpful buff from a party member at the wrong time.
Bards who enjoy crowd control should be pleased with Dominate Person
and
Hold Monster. Both have long durations and good effects. These two
become easy choices for the two 4th level spell slots a bard will have
by the time he is Level 10. The only decision that must be made from
the remainder of the list is for those bards who reach Level 12 after
the release of Module 3: Demon Sands.
The table below identifies and describes the 7 Level 4 bard
spells. Like all of our
href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?meid=5#Guides">DDO Guides,
all spells are rated on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being best).
Break
Enchantment
Cool down (seconds): 6
Casting Time: short
School: abjuration
Range: medium
Components: somatic, verbal
Area: 20 radius circle
Target: friend, self, foe, positional
Official Description: “Affected allies and foes are freed from
enchantments, transmutations, and curses, whether helpful or harmful.”
Notes: This spell will remove one negative status effect and one buff
when it hits a target. The effects removed will be the most recent
ones. If you think you might need to cast this on the party during your
quest, ask the cleric or wizard to put up a less useful buff last. Good
choices are buffs to elements you wont encounter in the dungeon or
Remove Fear. Overall, this can be a useful spell, but clerics and
wizards will have it, too. Considering the other spells available on
this list, it's one of the 3 a Level 12 bard should know. Pick it at
Level 12.
Rating: 3
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(219, 201, 125);"> style="font-weight: bold;">Cure Critical Wounds
Cool down (seconds): 4
Casting Time: short
School: Conjuration
Range: Short
Area: Single target
Components: somatic, verbal
Duration: Instant
Target: Self. Friend, undead
Official Description: “Positive energy is channeled to heal critical
wounds of your target or damage undead for 4d8 +1 per caster level.”
Notes: With a long cool down time and poor return for the spell points
used compared to a lower heal spell, picking this spell would be
wasting a slot.
Rating: 1 Dominate
Person
Cool down (seconds): 12
Casting Time: medium
School: enchantment
Range: medium
Components: somatic, verbal
Duration: special (extendable)
Save: will to avoid
Target: foe
Official Description: “Telepathically controls the actions of a
humanoid enemy, causing it to change sides. Dominate acts like Charm,
but the target gains additional saving throws only every 10d6+30
seconds hand has less chance to break free.”
Notes: This is a great crowd control spell in that it can last 40-90
seconds minimum. It doesn't work on all creatures, but try it on
minotaurs and giants for good fun. It's definitely one of the three
spells a Level 12 bard should know.
Rating: 4
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(219, 201, 125);"> style="font-weight: bold;">Hold Monster
Cool down (seconds): 6
Casting Time: fast
School: enchantment
Range: long
Components: focus, material, somatic, verbal
Duration: 6 seconds per level (save every 2 seconds) (extendable)
Save: will to avoid
Target: foe
Official Description: “An enemy becomes paralyzed and freezes in place.
It is aware, but can take no actions for a maximum of 6 seconds per
caster level.”
Notes: A Level 12 bard can potential hold an enemy for 72 seconds with
this spell! What kind of damage can your party do in 72 seconds? You'll
do well to make this your first selection from 4th level bard spells
Rating: 5 Neutralize
Poison
Cool down (seconds): 4
Casting Time: Short
School: Conjuration
Range: Medium
Area: single target
Components: focus, somatic, verbal
Duration: Instant
Target: Self, friend
Official Description: “Detoxifies any sort of venom in an ally, causing
him to suffer no additional effects from the poison. Additionally, it
immunizes the ally from any poison he is exposed to during the duration
of the spell.”
Notes: This is an okay spell, but your party's cleric will have it
available, too. Pick this one over Cure Critical wounds if you are
building a href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=190">Singing
Sawbones and manage to end up with access to 4th level bard spells.
Rating: 2 style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(219, 201, 125);"> style="font-weight: bold;">Shout
Cool down (seconds): 4
Casting Time: Short
School: Evocation
Range: Medium
Area: 20ft burst
Components: somatic, verbal
Duration: 6 seconds
Save: Yes, negates deafness effect
Target: Foe, Positional
Official Description: “Emits an ear-splitting yell that does 5d6 damage
to targets in its path.”
Notes: The damage on this spell is not enough to make it a "nuke." The
deafness effect does not consistently interrupt casters in my opinion.
The range is short enough to get your bard into trouble. If you're
looking for a spell that is good for interrupting casters, try
Soundburst from the href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=211">2nd
level bard spells list. Soundburst costs fewer spell points and
performed more consistently in my testing.
Rating: 1 Summon
Monster IV
Cool down (seconds): 240
Casting Time: long
School: conjuration
Range: medium
Components: material, somatic, verbal
Duration: 240 seconds
Target: self, positional
Official Description: “Summons a fiendish spider to fight for you for a
brief time. Casting this spell locks out casting any other Summon
Monster spell for 4 minutes.”
Notes: The spider that is summoned stays at range and spits poison and
webbing at opponents about half the time. It is fairly durable, and
functions moderately well as a distraction and blocker in combat. I
just don't think it is worth your spell points to summon this creature.
You're much better off using Hold Monster.
Rating: 2
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