WoW Bard Class Concept

[Triceron]

I've already explained.
But, if you're so insisting on a single ability, then sure, i guess...

Right.

So Heavy Metal could possibly fit the WoW aesthetic, if it's done in moderation like a single ability.

If you weren't being such a hard-ass about it, we could have concluded this pages ago since we've been literally circling the topic for days just to reach this one point. You can go back to the beginning of the conversation and you'll see this is singular point we've been making for Heavy Metal fitting into the WoW aesthetic, as long as Blizzard is willing integrate Heavy Metal references directly into the lore. It already exists in the game, just not canonically through any class mechanics.

[DatToffer]

And why is that?

We have 12 of them and apparently it's too hard to balance them.

Adding more would be too much bothersome, so I personally stopped expecting them.

[ThatsOurEric]

Magic schools is how you pick them?

I mean classes that do more than physical damage are more numerous than the latter. You already have
a dedicated Phys Melee Class that doesn't do much (if any) elemental DPS. You also have a Phys Melee
Ranged Class that is in the same boat, minus maybe one or two elemental abilities.

So the only route left to go is representation via schools of magic.

[Teriz]

We have 12 of them and apparently it's too hard to balance them.

Adding more would be too much bothersome, so I personally stopped expecting them.

Has Blizzard ever stated that they have a hard time balancing classes?

[FossilFree]

Bards could actually be the holy ranged dps class. That would be way more interesting than another holy spec for priests or pallies.

[Amunrasonther]

I would like to play a support for an alt char - maybe this could also help with some toxic fixations on dps meters lol.

That's one thing I love about Classic/TBC - everyone is so chill and there isn't such an obsession over dmg meters. Thanks for the bump btw!

Thanks for bumping this. It's hilariously awful and lifted right from FF14. No one wants bards any more than they want "tinkers" or whatever. WoW needs class balance not more classes to screw everything up. And certainly not some flute-toting furry skipping through the fight and "healing" them with music.

Just wanted to let you know I've never played or looked into FF14. Everything was constructed around the idea of an unused "element" of magic found in wow - sound.

Hey guys, we've been having a few instrumental toys in Shadowlands, with brand new musical animations.

Definitely a sign that Blizzard is preparing something *wink wink*

I think the next Class will surely be the Bard, hehe.

That's interesting to know, ty!

People hyperfocus on the supportive aspect of Bards which would be neat but definitely wouldn't work in WoW but that doesn't mean that the entire class can't.

We forget that just because Bards are supportive in other videogames or settings, they don't have to be in WoW since really they're not defined as anything concrete since they don't really exist as a class except maybe in the non-canon TTRPG.

You could make the argument "Well how would they be Bards if they aren't supports?" to which the response in my eyes would be a question; is the supportive aspect of them really the most interesting or iconic?

I don't think so.

Completely agree. I do find it amazing how fixed people are with the idea that Bards are a support class -only-. I don't want nor think Blizzard would ever add a support role to the trio system (tank/heals/dmg) they've had since the inception of the game. My Bard can also do dmg and heal - it's not a crazy concept lol.

I respect the work you've done on this, but i hope blizzard'll never add an actual bard into WoW, never liked the overall idea of bard nor would it fit into the game itself imho.

Thanks for the respect and I respect your opinion too. The Bard certainly isn't for everyone but no class is.

There's some weird parts with this incarnation of the class though. Some of the passives are really strong. One that really caught my eye is the one that increases xp and honor gains. That alone probably makes bards mandatory in anything but max level content.

I'm not familiar with retail WoW sadly anymore. I quit near the start of BFA. I disagree that a class that increases xp gains would matter much. How important is honor to the PvP scene?

Another is there's no mention of lorewalkers at all, which are the bards we already have in WoW. They're wandering storytellers who sometimes play instruments. Those are the bards we're looking for and bringing a major lore character, like Lorewalkers Cho in as a representative of the class is well needed.

To me, Loresingers and Lorewalkers are interchangeable. They both accomplish the same thing.

Finally, I have issues with the healer spec. While I like the way the resource works generally, I really don't like the lack of mana on the healer. All healers are built around the idea of mana as their limiting resource. Many items specifically for healers help with their mana management. This spec lacks that, and while their charisma generation looks to have had some effort in addressing this, I'd really just like to see the healer spec modified to use mana. You could even have them use a lot of mana per ability and when they get all the charms and activate Allure, they'd get a huge boost to mana regen.

For the Minstrel Bard spec, Charisma is simply mana but renamed. It would function exactly like mana does for other healers in retail however that is, haha.

Overall, it's a cool concept, but I think it'd need some modifications to be useable on live. I'll probably come back to this later and give a more thorough review of the abilities, since this is something I'm really interested in.

I would -love- -love- -love- any suggestions and especially a full ability/spec review!!

I think power infusion kind of shows how a buff class wouldn't work well in wow. To many moving parts that single cd already causes issues.

There are many buff/support abilities in current WoW, are there not? Does Windfury Totem not exist anymore? For my concept, I tried to make -most- buff abilities random in their application. You can't fight over or hog what's completely random! haha.

A dying game that lacks cool archetypes can't afford to add joke classes. If I'm wrong, guess that speaks volumes for those who still support this. Imagine not having a Void class or Night Warrior/Dark Ranger not being playable and getting a freaking support Bard class or an Engineer instead.

You underestimate the power of my BARD!

The NECROMANCER of course

The OP has a Necromancer class concept in his sig

Thanks Trice! Yes, DatToffer, please check out my Necromancer concept, too! I'd love your feedback on it!

I don't want a Bard made up of abilities from bards of other games.

I want Bards like ETC, with guitars you can call axes !

A Rock Spec for DPS with monstrous Riffs.

A Metal Spec to Tank mobs with a Moshpit ability.

And a Jazz Spec to heal your allies with smooth melodies.


This is way more silly than the usual Bard archetypes, but at least it's Warcraft silly.

I would certainly incoporate some of that punk and rock flare within talents if I was ever inclined to make them like I did for my Necromancer concept.

Bards would fit perfectly in WoW and I really hope they come, that'd bring me back.

Thank you!

This is amazing, and I hope it happens. 10/10

Blizzard devs, if you're reading this, STOP ACTING INAPPROPRIATELY AND DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR A CHANGE.

TYSM!

Ngl, I did not read all of this, but from what I did read it looks really fun. I would probably consider coming back and at least trying it out.

I'd love a full review if you find the time! Thank you for looking at what you did, though!

I think the whole "bard as a class" concept is dumb, but I'd be lying if I didn't like the "Loresong" spells you came up with.

The Loresinger spec was definitely the hardest for me. I knew only that I wanted it to work a bit like a summoner of sorts. I had a eureka moment when I came up with the "loresong" term, haha. Then deciding which lore figures would be the most appealing was the next step. I found that cool picture of Arthas and Illidan side by side, and then I plugged in Gul'dan at the bottom of them. It worked perfectly! lol

The mechanics look very interesting, but the class fantasy itself just doesn't mash well with WoW, specially the idea that there's like a cosmic necessity for their role. It just seems unnecessary, and the Magician spec really doesn't fit in that whole backstory.

I like the idea of sound magic and harmonics, Bastion already touches a lot on those aspects, but yeah, I can't get past the set up that we need the power of music to destroy Murmur.

If you look again at my class/expansion theme section, you'll see that the people of Azeroth aren't exactly sure what's causing the maddening sounds and attacks. They think that something like Murmur is nearing their world. Murmur is really insanely powerful if you looked into his lore, and his beginnings are an absolute mystery. My Magician spec is also capable of song and sound through their general class abilities. I could however reason though that the visual spectacle of their craft also has a cleansing attribute for the maddening sickness.

Once again showcasing that Bards add nothing to the game. We already have multiple classes providing this buff, and we have other classes that provide other buffs.

Whaattt?! A class that uses song and elemental sound to heal and deal dmg, with the power to summon figures from WoW lore to be your guardian, and a melee arcane spec brings nothing to the game?! I couldn't disagree more!

He’s a Lorewalker, not a Bard. He’s more like a Pandaren librarian. People here are advocating for the guys playing lutes and wearing puffy outfits.

Also Bards aren’t only musicians. They’re also storytellers and entertainers.

Indeed.

[MyWholeLifeIsThunder]

If you look again at my class/expansion theme section, you'll see that the people of Azeroth aren't exactly sure what's causing the maddening sounds and attacks. They think that something like Murmur is nearing their world. Murmur is really insanely powerful if you looked into his lore, and his beginnings are an absolute mystery. My Magician spec is also capable of song and sound through their general class abilities. I could however reason though that the visual spectacle of their craft also has a cleansing attribute for the maddening sickness.

It's just more the whole set up that there's a whole cosmic and dire reason that why Bards must come together what doesn't sit well with me I think.

[username993720]

We have 12 of them and apparently it's too hard to balance them.

Adding more would be too much bothersome, so I personally stopped expecting them.

Yet, they are the biggest selling point of an expansion and are crucial for the enjoyment of the game (as they are literally what defines your character).

I mean classes that do more than physical damage are more numerous than the latter. You already have
a dedicated Phys Melee Class that doesn't do much (if any) elemental DPS. You also have a Phys Melee
Ranged Class that is in the same boat, minus maybe one or two elemental abilities.

So the only route left to go is representation via schools of magic.

There's no melee arcane archetype in lore that i know of.
Holy spell dps would be the Discipline Priest or a 4th Paladin spec.
There's no melee fire archetype in lore that i know of except for Shamans.

Class additions are more than just missing magic school classes.
They are usually based on missing famous archetypes like the Death Knight, Monk and Demon Hunter.

[DatToffer]

Has Blizzard ever stated that they have a hard time balancing classes?

You don't need to make a statement on their inability to balance them.

Yet, they are the biggest selling point of an expansion and are crucial for the enjoyment of the game (as they are literally what defines your character).

Good. Remind them of that.

And while you're at it both of you, don't forget to show them your thesis about how Tinker is the sole possible class to be released next. I'm pretty sure they'd be glad to know that.

[Teriz]

You don't need to make a statement on their inability to balance them.

Except class imbalance has always been an issue and they've added classes anyway.

Further, if imbalance was a hinder on game design, Blizzard wouldn't reset multiple classes each expansion.

And while you're at it both of you, don't forget to show them your thesis about how Tinker is the sole possible class to be released next. I'm pretty sure they'd be glad to know that.

Who said that Tinker is the SOLE possible class next? It's the most likely due to it having the same pedigree as the previous three expansion classes (something NO other class concept currently has).

- - - Updated - - -

Indeed.

I do think a more plausible Bard class would be the more Librarian/Storyteller concept than the musical based one. Deckard Cain in HotS is probably the most serious Bard-like character Blizzard has ever made, and unlike the standard Bard concept, I can see a class with Cain's abilities actually working within WoW's trinity system.

[DatToffer]

Who said that Tinker is the SOLE possible class next? It's the most likely due to it having the same pedigree as the previous three expansion classes (something NO other class concept currently has).

That's pretty much your discourse when you come crap on every class concept to ever open in this here place.

[Teriz]

That's pretty much your discourse when you come crap on every class concept to ever open in this here place.

Well some concepts simply don't make sense given Blizzard's history of class inclusion. It's rather hard to believe that Blizzard would introduce a Bard class into WoW when they have shown close to zero interest in such a concept for multiple decades now.

[Sin of Pride]

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't power infusion alone already kind of fuck up the game as a single dps cooldown at the highend?

The idea of making a buff based class seems utterly disastrous.

[draugril]

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't power infusion alone already kind of fuck up the game as a single dps cooldown at the highend?

The idea of making a buff based class seems utterly disastrous.

Which is precisely why Shaman and Paladin were gutted.

As much as I love - and prefer - the Support playstyle, Blizzard doesn't want that in WoW. Period. They made the decision to not have that playstyle in their game two decades ago, and built the game for the next two decades on the trinity. You can't inject another corner without upending the rest of the game.

This is why, as much as I absolutely love Bard, I don't want them in WoW. Even if they fit in thematically, or could easily carve out their own space, there is no place for them mechanically. Any implementation would be a mockery. I don't want them to do to Bard right out of the gate what they did to Shaman.

[Vilendor]

The last thing we need is another melee spec for the 3 raid spot and permanent ranged favoring raid design. Turn their third spec into a tank.

Otherwise nice job but mehhhh idea, i don't see how it belongs in the WoW universe.

Also if they balance it around the supporting buffs then it will be a shitty dps/healer to compensate, see FFXIV where bard is a joke

[Kumorii]

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't power infusion alone already kind of fuck up the game as a single dps cooldown at the highend?

The idea of making a buff based class seems utterly disastrous.

Oh god, i hope PI gets reworked and/or removed.

[username993720]

Good. Remind them of that.

And while you're at it both of you, don't forget to show them your thesis about how Tinker is the sole possible class to be released next. I'm pretty sure they'd be glad to know that.

Oh, don't worry. I'm not a fanatic like the other guy. I believe that other classes would be added as well.

[Aucald]

This is not a thread about a potential Tinker class, so let's drop the irrelevant and derailing back-and-forth and return to the actual topic of the thread.

[damonskye]

To the OP:

This is remarkable. Best fan-created class concept I have EVER seen. Blizzard should take notice.

[FossilFree]

Bards don't need to be support to exist you know. They can "support" their team with heals on one spec and dps on the other two.

Just because other games or DnD made them that way doesn't mean that is the only way they can be. Do something new and unique instead of copying how other games make it work.