Umbire the Phantom: /* Starting inventory */ correction

2026-03-23T23:20:02Z

‎Starting inventory: correction

Umbire the Phantom: forgot the attributes

2026-03-19T09:01:54Z

forgot the attributes

Umbire the Phantom: /* See also */ detail

2026-03-19T06:20:46Z

‎See also: detail

Umbire the Phantom: /* Gods */ detail

2026-03-19T06:20:03Z

‎Gods: detail

Umbire the Phantom: /* Skills */ tweaks

2026-03-19T06:13:32Z

‎Skills: tweaks

Umbire the Phantom: split off from patch and dnh - magic resistance was never an intrinsic for them except perhaps in SLEX, make sure to retain other variant-specific details that aren't just carryovers from the patch...

2026-03-18T19:33:34Z

split off from patch and dnh - magic resistance was never an intrinsic for them except perhaps in SLEX, make sure to retain other variant-specific details that aren't just carryovers from the patch...

New page

{{tocright}}
In [[SlashTHEM]], the '''Bard''' is a [[role]] available to the hero that is incorporated from the original [[Bard]] patch by André Bertelli Araújo.

Bards can start as neutral or chaotic in [[alignment]], and can be played as [[Human (starting race)|humans]], [[Gnome (starting race)|gnomes]], [[Elf (starting race)|elves]], [[Drow (starting race)|drow]], [[Incantifier (starting race)|incantifiers]], [[Hobbit (starting race)|hobbits]], [[Orc (starting race)|orcs]], or [[Clockwork automaton (starting race)|clockwork automata]].

==Starting inventory==
Each Bard starts with the following equipment before racial adjustments:

* a +1 [[silver dagger]]
* +1 [[Leather cloak|cloak]]
* +0 pair of [[high boots]]
* 3–6 uncursed [[apple]]s
* 3–6 uncursed [[orange]]s
* 5–6 [[potions of booze]]
* two [[musical instrument]]s:
** a [[wooden harp]] or a [[wooden flute]] with equal probability as their default main instrument
** a [[bell]] ({{frac|3|20}} chance) or a [[pea whistle]] ({{frac|17|20}} chance) as their secondary instrument

Orcish Bards have a roughly equal probability of starting with either a [[bugle]] or a [[tooled horn]] as their main instrument rather than the default, and are given two additional stacks of 1-2 random [[comestible]]s.

Bards start with knowledge of all musical instruments and will have knowledge of the [[spellbook]]s for the {{+ of|sleep}}, {{+ of|confuse monster}}, {{+ of|slow monster}}, {{+ of|cause fear}}, and {{+ of|charm monster}} spells. They are also given knowledge of 5–15 random non-[[tool]] [[magical item]]s.

The Bard's default starting [[pet]] is a [[little dog]] or [[kitten]] with equal probability.

==Intrinsics==
Bards gain the following abilities upon reaching the following [[experience level]]s:

*XL 5: [[Sleep resistance]]
*XL 10: [[Stealth]]

==Skills==
Bards have the following [[skill]]s available to them before racial adjustments:
{| class="prettytable"
! colspan="2" style="font-size:larger" | Bard skills
|-
! Max !! Skills
|-
| Basic
|
* ''Weapons:'' [[knife]], [[short sword]], [[scimitar]], [[flail]], [[polearm]], [[spear]], [[unicorn horn]]
* ''[[Spellcasting|Spells]]:'' [[Body spells|body]]
|-
| Skilled
|
* ''Weapons:'' [[dagger]], [[club]], [[quarterstaff]], [[javelin]], [[sling]], [[crossbow]]
* ''Spells:'' [[Enchantment spells|enchantment]]
|-
| Expert
|
* ''Weapons:'' [[dart]]
* ''Combat:'' [[bare hands]]
* ''Spells:'' [[#Musicalize spell|musicalize spell]]
|}

Bards start with Basic skill in bare-handed combat and the musicalize spell skill. They use the use the [[charisma]] attribute when calculating the success rate of casting enchantment spells outside of using the musicalize spell skill, and use [[intelligence]] when casting other spells. Their [[special spell]] is {{+ of|sleep}}.

===Bard songs===
Bards also start the game with knowledge of all songs that can be played on [[tonal instrument]]s via the musicalize spell skill:

{|class="prettytable"
!Song
!Description
!Spell
!Preferred Instrument
!Alternative Instrument
!Duration
|-
|Lullaby
|Puts enemies to [[sleep]]
|[[Spellbook of sleep|sleep]]
|[[wooden harp]]
|[[wooden flute]]
|4 turns
|-
|Cacophony
|[[Impaired|Confuses]] enemies
|[[Spellbook of confuse monster|confuse monster]]
|[[leather drum]]
|[[tooled horn]]
|5 turns
|-
|Drowsiness
|Slows enemies
|[[Spellbook of slow monster|slow monster]]
|[[wooden flute]]
|[[wooden harp]]
|5 turns
|-
|Despair
|Causes enemies to [[flee]]
|[[Spellbook of cause fear|cause fear]]
|[[tooled horn]]
|[[leather drum]]
|6 turns
|-
|Friendship
|Temporarily [[tame]]s monsters
|[[Spellbook of charm monster|charm monster]]
|[[wooden harp]]
|[[wooden flute]]
|6 turns
|-
|Inspire Courage
|Increases the damage done by pets
|[[Spellbook of cause fear|cause fear]]
|[[bugle]]
|[[leather drum]]
|6 turns
|-
|}

Knowledge of the spell is not required to play a corresponding song. The chance of a song successfully taking effect is dependent on the hero's experience level, their relevant attributes ([[strength]] for drums, [[dexterity]] for other instruments, [[charisma]] for song strength level), and their skill level:

ATTRIBUTE x 2 x MUSICALITY_SKILL + experience level

The musicalize spell skill gives a value of 1 if the hero is at Unskilled, 2 if they are at Basic, and so on. Bonuses are applied in the following order:

* If the instrument is an artifact '''or''' the instrument is the song's preferred type, increase the chance by 50%.
* If your health is lower than 30% of your maximum, increase the chance by 100%.
* If the instrument is a drum or a harp, and you are wearing a shield, decrease the chance by 50%.
* If you are blind, increase the chance by your experience level.
* If you are using the Lyre of Orpheus (Bard's quest artifact) and you are '''not''' playing one of: Rally, Meditative Healing, Lullaby, or Friendship, decrease the chance by 50%.

{{todo|Ensure this matches SlashTHEM mechanics, and detail some more precise effects of the songs (e.g. pets helping with singing, enemies counter-singing).}}

==Techniques==
Bards can learn the [[disarm]] [[technique]] by reaching Skilled in any weapon, and also gain the following techniques at the listed experience levels:

{|class="prettytable"
|'''Level'''
|'''Technique'''
|-
|1
|[[Primal roar]]
|-
|10
|[[Booze (technique)|Booze]]
|-
|20
|[[Rage eruption]]
|}

==Rank titles==
The [[status line]] displays one of the following ranks for the corresponding experience levels:

* XL 1-2: Bard
* XL 3-5: Lyrist
* XL 6-9: Sonneteer
* XL 10-13: [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/jongleur Jongleur]
* XL 14-17: Troubadour
* XL 18-21: Minstrel
* XL 22-25: Lorist
* XL 26-29: Well-known Bard
* XL 30: Master Bard

==Quest==
{{main|Bard quest}}
The Bard's [[quest]] sees a Bard hero traveling to the island of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthemoessa Anthemoessa] to fight the siren [[Aglaope (SlashTHEM)|Aglaope]] for [[The Lyre of Orpheus (SlashTHEM)|the Lyre of Orpheus]], an [[artifact]] magic harp. While carried, The Lyre of Orpheus grants [[magic resistance]]. Applying The Lyre of Orpheus can play music or improvise as with a normal wooden harp, and it can be used to play any song for the [[musicalize spell]] skill. [[Invoking]] The Lyre of Orpheus behaves the same as [[reading]] an uncursed [[scroll of taming]], with a chance of [[taming]] monsters adjacent to the hero.

Applying or invoking The Lyre also gives a random [[rumor]] dependent on its [[beatitude]]: the rumor will be true if The Lyre is blessed, false if cursed, and can be either if uncursed.

==Gods==
{{main|Religion}}
The Bard pantheon in SlashTHEM is based on classical-era gods of music. Their first [[sacrifice gift]] is [[Shimmerstaff]].

* Lawful: Minerva
* Neutral: Apollo
* Chaotic: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_(mythology) Linus]

==Strategy==
{{todo|Structure and fill out similar to other SLASH'EM and SlashTHEM role strategy sections, and differentiate accordingly.}}

==See also==
* [[Musician]], another music-themed role, from an early version of [[SLASH'EM]]
{{variant-343}}
[[Category:SlashTHEM roles]]

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 * a +1 [[silver dagger]]
 * +1 [[Leather cloak|cloak]]
 * 3&ndash;6 uncursed [[apple]]s
 * 3&ndash;6 uncursed [[orange]]s

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 *XL 5: [[Sleep resistance]]
 *XL 10: [[Stealth]]
 ==Skills==

@@ Line 173: / Line 173: @@
 ==See also==
-* [[Musician]], another music-themed role, from an early version of [[SLASH'EM]]
+* [[Musician]], another music-themed role in SlashTHEM that originates from an early version of [[SLASH'EM]]
 {{variant-343}}
 [[Category:SlashTHEM roles]]

@@ Line 163: / Line 163: @@
 ==Gods==
 {{main|Religion}}
-The Bard pantheon in SlashTHEM is based on classical-era gods of music. Their first [[sacrifice gift]] is [[Shimmerstaff]].
+In contrast to the original patch, the Bard pantheon in SlashTHEM is based on various classical-era gods of music. Their first [[sacrifice gift]] is [[Shimmerstaff]].
 * Lawful: Minerva