Provocation:
The provocation skill is useful around groups of creatures. It allows a bard to incite beasts into a frenzy and encourage them to attack other creatures in their vicinity. It has to be kept in mind though that a failed attempt results in the creature attacking the bard.
To use the provocation skill:
- use skill Provocation (either set a macro or open skills and drag from the word
"Provocation" to get a shortcut icon)
- target the first creature, then
- target the creature you want it to fight
Provocation is difficulty-based. That means that some creatures are more difficult to provoke than others based on the creature's attributes, skills, and special abilities.
Peacemaking:
The Peacemaking skill allows a bard to attempt to soothe fighting creatures in the vicinity.
There are two possible ways of Peacemaking: Area mode or Targeted mode.
Area mode is used to attempt to stop all fights in the immediate area:
- use skill Peacemaking (either set a macro or open skills and drag from the word "Peacemaking"
to get a shortcut icon)
- target yourself
If successful, the bard will temporarily halt all combat in that area.
Targeted mode is used to stop a specific creature from fighting:
- use skill Peacemaking
- target the creature
Like Provocation, Targeted Peacemaking is difficulty based. If successful, the targeted creature will stop fighting. Thereafter, until the effect is ended, whenever the affected creature is attacked or for whatever reason tries to start fighting, there is a chance (based on bard skill and creature difficulty) that the creature will instead return to a peaceful state. Over time, the Peacemaking effect weakens, so eventually the creature will break the effect no matter how skilled the bard and how weak the creature.
While this ability does not guarantee lack of retaliation from a monster, it does make it a much easier opponent to handle.
Discordance:
This skill is used to weaken a creature. Like Provocation and Targeted Peacemaking, Discordance is difficulty based.
To use the skill:
- use skill Discordance (either set a macro or open skills and drag from the word
"Discordance" to get a shortcut icon)
- target the creature
If successful, your target will lose a percentage of its skills and stats. The percentage lost is dependant on the bard's Discordance skill. For instance, at 50.0 skill, the target loses 10% from all stats and skills; and at 100.0 skill the target loses 20% from all stats and skills. Once the effect wears off, the target's skill and stats will return to normal.
Discordance will also make a creature easier to provoke.
Fire Horns:
The fire horn does damage that is scaled based on the bard's Provocation, Discordance, and Peacemaking skills. How exactly is the fire horn's damage calculated, and how do the other bard skills (including musicianship) influence its damage?
Provocation, Peacemaking, and Discordance give the fire horn the brunt of its power. Provocation is responsible for 5/7th of the damage done, and the other two skills each account for 1/7th of the overall damage. Targets have a chance to resist the effect based on their Magic Resistance skill. This is where Musicianship comes into play -- the higher the user's Musicianship skill, the lower the target's chance to resist.
General Bard Information:
Musicianship is the skill that gets checked before any other barding ability - that means if a bard fails this skill check he fails the skill check of the secondary barding skill (Provocation, Peacemaking, Discordance) automatically.
To use an instrument you have to double-click it. If you have previously used a musical instrument, and that instrument is still in your backpack, you automatically use that instrument when using the Provocation, Peacemaking, or Discordance skills. To switch to using a different instrument simly double click the one you want to switch to.
To make exceptional instruments, Carpentry (at least 57.8 - best of course is at GM) and Musicianship (45.0) are required.
Using an exceptional instrument adds a 10% chance of success.
Using an aligned Slayer instrument adds a 20% chance of success.
Using opposite aligned Slayer instruments subtracts 20% from your chance of success.
Slayer instruments are more effective against a certain groups of creatures and less effective against other groups. For example: An instrument of Daemon Dismissal will increase the chance to use a barding ability against any variety of daemons by 20% when this instrument is used whereas it will reduce the chance of success by 20% when used against elementals (since those are the opposite aligned group). See the Slayers page for details.