The Minstrel is the Bard's primary healing spec. Minstrel Bards use a unique resource system called "Beats"; a sort of mixture between energy and combo points. A Minstrel Bard has four Beats that continuously fill up one after another (in 4/4 time) and are spent by the Bard's abilities.
While out of combat a Minstrel Bard has 4 available Beats. Upon entering combat, these Beats begin to count continuously. When 4 Beats have accumulated, the next Beat will reduce the count to 1 and the count will begin again.
Mastery - Downbeats: Each target marked with Tempo increases the rate that your Beats refresh by an additional X%, and Tempo has a Y% chance to heal its target each time a Beat refreshes.
2
Tempo
Mark the target with Tempo, healing them for a small amount every 2 seconds for 20 seconds.
Each target marked with Tempo increases the speed at which your Beats refresh by 10%, up to 20%.
Costs 2 Beats.
3
Harmony
A medium, instant heal. Each time Tempo heals a target there is a chance to reduce the cost of Harmony by 1 Beat.
Costs 4 Beats.
4
Crescendo
A large heal that increases based on the amount of Beats consumed, up to 4. Activate to begin casting, activate again to cast.
Each Beat increases the strength of the heal by 25%.
5
Medley
Channel for up to four beats to heal the lowest health nearby party member every Beat.
One Beat is consumed each time you heal a target this way.
14 second cooldown.
6
Chord
Instantly grant yourself two Beats. Can be used while channeling other abilities.
30 second cooldown.
7
Encore
Instantly refresh the duration of Tempo on all targets and cause those marks to heal their target every 1 second for the first 6 seconds of Tempo.
45 second cooldown.
8
POET (Healing)
Poet is the Bard's other healing spec, although it is focused more on a supporting role. Poets excel at controlling the pace of incoming damage, stretching it out by converting it into a damage over time effect and allowing themselves to deal with it at a predictable rate. Poets simply use mana.
Mastery - Prose: Your damage over time and healing over time effects last X% longer.
9
Haiku
A quick, weak heal. If cast again immediately its cast time and strength are increased. This bonus resets after the second cast.
First cast: 1 second cast.
Second cast: 1.5 second cast, 100% stronger.
10
Metaphor
Heal a target every 2 seconds for 16 seconds. Each time the target takes damage, Metaphor will heal them again. This effect has a 2 second cooldown.
1.5 second cast time.
11
Cadence
Mark an ally with Cadence for 10 seconds, granting them a large shield. After the effect ends or the shield is destroyed all damage prevented this way will be dealt to them over 10 seconds. Cannot be shielded again by Cadence for 12 seconds.
Instant cast.
4 second cooldown.
12
Refrain
Double the duration of all damage over time effects applied by Cadence to your allies, reducing the damage they take from that effect each second by 50%.
16 second cooldown.
13
Rhyme
Cause all allies taking damage from Cadence to heal themselves whenever they deal damage with a spell or auto-attack. Lasts 8 seconds.
24 second cooldown.
14
Couplet
Cast on a target ally to share the load of any damage over time effect they are suffering from Cadence, redirecting 50% of the damage to yourself until it expires.
Healing a target marked with Couplet also heals you for 35% of that heal.
15 second cooldown.
15
Ode
Reduce all damage taken by a friendly target by 20% and increase all healing you do to them by 40% for 8 seconds.
2 min cooldown.
16
FOLKLORE (DPS)
Folklore is the Bard's damage spec. They deal shadow damage over time, with the ability to augment the effects of their attacks by means of channeling certain songs. In addition they are able to shapeshift into the form of a Satyr, allowing them to move while channeling. Folklore Bards use mana.
Mastery - Vassal Of Pan: Increases the duration of your channeled Folklore abilities by X% and reduces your movement speed reduction while channeling by Y%.
17
Song Of The Satyr
Transform into a Satyr, increasing all shadow damage you deal by 50% and allowing you to channel abilities while moving. Your movement speed is slowed by 30% while channeling.
Instant cast. Lasts until canceled.
18
Wiles Of The Faun
Deal damage to a target enemy every second for 16 seconds. In addition Wiles Of The Faun will damage its target each time they deal damage. This effect has a 2 second cooldown.
Each time Wiles Of The Faun deals damage it has a 10% chance to grant you a charge of Fairy Hollow.
Instant cast. 6 second cooldown.
19
Fairy Hollow
Summon a Fairy that will race towards your target, dealing damage upon arrival and applying one stack of Fairy Hollow that deals damage every second for 16 seconds.
If the target receives 5 stacks of Fairy Hollow they will explode, dealing high damage and removing all marks of Fairy Hollow from that target.
Instant cast. Can bank a maximum of 3 charges.
20
Nocturne Of The Forest
Channel the Nocturne Of The Forest for 4 seconds, causing your damage over time effects to deal damage twice as fast on all targets.
16 second cooldown.
21
Hymn To Pan
Channel the Hymn To Pan for 4 seconds, spreading copies of your damage over time effects from your target to a nearby enemy every 0.5 seconds.
20 second cooldown.
22
Broken Ballad
Channel for 4 seconds, reducing the cooldown of your other channeled abilities by 1 second every second.
In addition, Broken Ballad empowers your damage over time effects, pausing their durations while you channel and increasing the damage they will deal for their remaining duration by 25% for each second you spent channeling Broken Ballad.
12 second cooldown.
23
Changeling
Leave behind a shadow of yourself with 300% of your current health, redirecting all damage dealt to you to this shadow form for 6 seconds or until it is killed.
45 second cooldown.
24
NEUTRAL ABILITIES
The following spells are neutral abilities that are available to all Bards regardless of spec.
25
Charisma
Pacify a humanoid enemy, preventing them from attacking for up to 1 minute. Can only effect 1 target at a time. Damage dealt to the target will cancel the effect.
15 second cooldown.
26
Clarity
Remove all harmful Magic effects from a friendly target, or all Enrage effects from an enemy target.
8 second cooldown.
27
Companion
Summon a Woodland Creature that will follow you for 1 hour, increasing your damage and healing by 6%.
While you have a Companion with you your healing over time spells and your channeled abilities have a chance to summon an additional Woodland Creature that will follow you for 5 minutes, further increasing this bonus by 2%. You can have a total of three Woodland Creatures at one time.
Woodland Creatures are randomly selected from the following:
Resurrect a dead target, causing them to return with 35% of their maximum health and mana. Cannot be cast while in combat.
10 second cast.
29
Evoke
Evoke a memory of the last town you were in, transporting you there for up to 10 minutes. When the effect ends or is canceled you will return to the location where you initially used Evoke.
30 minute cooldown.
30
Mask
Instantly removes all of your threat and prevents you from generating threat for 10 seconds.
30 second cooldown.
31
Rouse
Increase the movement speed of you and four nearby allies by 40% for 8 seconds.
1 minute cooldown.
32
Swan Song
Upon death you become a spectral version of yourself for 8 seconds. Abilities used during this time are 50% more effective and increase the duration of Swan Song by 0.25 seconds. When Swan Song expires you die.
5 minute cooldown.
33
Tongue-Tie
Interrupt an enemy's spellcasting. If successful their casting speed is reduced by 50% for 5 seconds.
I personally really like this class, but I have a couple questions. Do Minstrels and Poets have offensive abilities at all? I skimmed through the list and couldn't find any, not even in the Generic set. Are these two specs simply meant to group with others all the way through everything, or do they actually have something to solo with? Thanks in advance!
They would have something basic, like how every Priest spec can at least cast Smite (or could, I don't know if they can since the new specs went live). I just haven't thought of one yet. Maybe I'll add one later. Good observation!
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