Bard abilities | Character classes in The Bard's Tale 4 The Bard's Tale 4 Guide and Walkthrough
Last update: 08 October 2018
In this chapter, you will find the descriptions of all skills that are available for the Bard character class in Bard's Tale IV. They have been divided into particular categories which define the functions of the abilities. Each of the following skills has also been additionally described in terms of its properties and applications.
The Bard's skill tree.
Music
The skills in this category are available only to a bard. You will find various songs here, the aim of which is to make each fight much simpler for your team.
Name | Skill Type | Tier | Function | Application |
Spell Points 1 | Passive | 1 | +1 to Spell Points | This will allow you to accumulate more Spell Points, which in turn will boost your offensive capabilities |
Rabble-Rouser: Novice | Active | 1 | Unlocks the ability: Rhyme of Duotime, which reduces all ability cooldowns in your party by 1 | Thanks to this ability, you will be able to shorten the cooldown times for more powerful abilities, which will give you a huge advantage |
Troubadour: Novice | Active | 1 | Unlocks the ability: Wayland's Watch, which reduces enemy Strength by 50% for 1 turn | This ability is extremely useful for more difficult fights. Thanks to its properties, you can minimize the amount of damage received by your team |
Warchanter: Novice | Active | 1 | Unlocks the ability: Kael's Rudiment, which causes enemies that directly attack the character affected by this skill to suffer physical damage and be set on fire | |
Minstrel: Novice | Active | 1 | Unlocks the ability: Spellsong, which grants a spell point to all nearby party members | A useful ability if you are looking for a way of increasing the number of Spell Points available to your Practitioner or a different Bard |
Intelligence 1 | Passive | 1 | +2 to Intelligence | Intelligence increases the amount of mental damage you can take before your abilities are interrupted |
Spell Points 2 | Passive | 2 | +1 to Spell Points | This will allow you to accumulate more Spell Points, which in turn will boost your offensive capabilities |
Rabble-Rouser: Journeyman | Passive | 2 | +2 to Strength | It increases the strength of attacks dealt with weapons |
Rabble-Rouser: Master | Active | 2 | Unlocks the ability: Falkentyne's Fury, which deals additional, true damage to the target enemy if they are within the area of the song's effect | |
Troubadour: Journeyman | Passive | 2 | +1 to Intelligence | Intelligence increases the amount of mental damage you can take before your abilities are interrupted |
Troubadour: Master | Active | 2 | Unlocks the ability: Song of Compulsory Cavorting, which forces an enemy unit to dance together with the Bard for two turns | This skill will allow you to temporarily take stronger enemies out of the fight, however, you will not be able to control your Bard for the length of its duration. Attacking the dancing foe will interrupt this effect. |
Warchanter: Journeyman | Passive | 2 | +2 to Constitution | Increases the character's number of health points |
Warchanter: Master | Active | 2 | Unlocks the ability: The Archer's Beat, which creates a special area that reflects 50% of ranged attacks | This skill is a great tool when you need to defend against enemy Practitioners or archers |
Minstrel: Journeyman | Passive | 2 | +1 to Spell Points | This will allow you to accumulate more Spell Points, which in turn will boost your offensive capabilities |
Minstrel: Master | Active | 2 | Unlocks the ability: Lyric of Legends, which grants additional action points | |
Intelligence 2 | Passive | 2 | +2 to Intelligence | Intelligence increases the amount of mental damage you can take before your abilities are interrupted |
Intelligence 3 | Passive | 2 | +3 to Intelligence | Intelligence increases the amount of mental damage you can take before your abilities are interrupted |
Grand Rabble-Rouser | Passive | 3 | Adds a bonus action point (this effect does not stack) and +6 to Constitution | Thanks to this skill you will be able to perform more actions in a single turn |
Grand Troubadour | Passive | 3 | At the start of each fight, one of the enemies is charmed by the Bard for three turns. He will attempt to follow the Bard, but will not attack for the entire duration of the status effect | This ability allows you to temporarily neutralize one of the enemies, which will make the start of the fight much easier, however, you have no control over which enemy will be targeted |
Grand Warchanter | Passive | 3 | Causes the character to assume a battle stance, adds 5 armor points for as long as the stance is held, also gives a bonus of +5 to Constitution | |
Grand Minstrel | Passive | 3 | Grants the Bard a bonus Spell Point at the start of the fight | This skill will allow you to gain your first Spell Point in the very first turn, which will greatly accelerate the pace at which you acquire the points needed for your other abilities |
Intelligence 4 | Passive | 3 | +3 to Intelligence | Intelligence increases the amount of mental damage you can take before your abilities are interrupted |
Attack
In this section, you will find all of the skills associated with new combat techniques and some that allow you to increase the strength of your attacks.
Name | Skill Type | Tier | Function | Application |
Strength 1 | Passive | 1 | +1 to Strength | It increases the strength of attacks dealt with weapons |
Swordsman: Novice | Active | 1 | Unlocks the ability: Storm of Blades, which doubles the physical damage dealt to a unit within range | This ability is extremely useful throughout the entire game. It deals a huge amount of damage, especially if used by a character with a lot of Strength |
Axeman: Novice | Active | 1 | Unlocks the ability: Lumbering Strike, which causes heavy physical damage to the enemy that is closest to the character | Although this ability deals a lot of damage, it requires a turn to be carried out. Use it only if you are sure that no one will break through your mental armor at this time |
Bludgeon: Novice | Active | 1 | Unlocks the ability: Head Knocker which causes high physical damage to an enemy that stands in front of the character | It works very well when trying to break through the mental armor of your enemies |
Critical Hit: Swords | Passive | 1 | Gives a 20% chance to reset the cooldown timers of your other Sword skills | This skill will cause some of your attacks to reset the cooldowns on the character's other abilities |
Critical Hit: Axes | Passive | 1 | Gives a 30% chance to inflict the bleeding status effect on the target enemy | The status effect deals additional damage to the enemy, which is why it is worth investing in this skill |
Critical Hit: Bludgeons | Passive | 1 | Gives a 10% chance to inflict a stun on the target enemy | A stunned character will not be able to attack you |
Great Sword: Journeyman | Passive | 2 | +1 to Strength | It increases the strength of attacks dealt with weapons |
Heaving Blow | Passive | 2 | Increases the chance of inflicting critical damage by 15% | |
Blood Hunter | Passive | 2 | Increases the chance of inflicting critical damage by 20% | |
Flurry Of Blows | Passive | 2 | Increases the chance of inflicting critical damage by 20% | |
1-Handed Weapons: Journeyman | Passive | 2 | +1 to Strength | It increases the strength of attacks dealt with weapons |
Dual Wielding | Passive | 2 | You can equip your character with another one-handed weapon, held in the off-hand. | Thanks to this skill, you can wield two daggers at the same time |
Strength 2 | Passive | 2 | +1 to Strength | It increases the strength of attacks dealt with weapons |
Strength 3 | Passive | 2 | +2 to Strength | It increases the strength of attacks dealt with weapons |
Shockwave | Passive | 3 | Critical hits additionally knock the opponent back | |
Tireless | Passive | 3 | Critical hits inflicted with a sword have a 50% chance to recover an action point | |
Strength 4 | Passive | 2 | +2 to Strength | It increases the strength of attacks dealt with weapons |
Bludgeon: Master | Active | 3 | Unlocks the ability: Foe Dropper, which deals physical damage to the closest enemy, and then pushes him back into the second row | This ability is mostly useful for knocking back enemy Fighters into the second row, which limits their ability to counterattack |
Axe: Master | Active | 3 | Unlocks the ability: Eviscerating Gash, which deals physical damage to an enemy and inflicts the bleeding status effect | By itself, this attack deals a rather small amount of damage. This ability is only useful when you have fully invested in the skills which improve the crit chance of axes |
Swordsman: Master | Active | 3 | Unlocks the ability: Passing Slash, which targets the closest enemy within range and allows you to relocate to a nearby space | This ability works well in situations when you have to withdraw a character from a given field |
Defense
Only passive abilities appear in this category. Most of them unlock access to new types of armor that your character will be able to use.
Name | Skill Type | Tier | Function | Application |
Light Armor: Novice | Passive | 1 | Allows the character to wear: Leather Armor | |
Constitution 1 | Passive | 1 | +2 to Constitution | Increases the character's number of health points |
Medium Armor: Novice | Passive | 1 | Allows the character to wear: Chainmail Armor | |
Light Armor: Journeyman | Passive | 2 | Allows the character to wear: Reinforced Leather Armor | |
Light Armor: Master | Passive | 2 | Allows the character to wear: Elven Armor | |
Tumbler | Passive | 2 | Allows the character to wear: Jester's Shoes | |
Jester | Passive | 2 | Allows the character to wear: Jester's Cap | |
Constitution 2 | Passive | 2 | +3 to Constitution | Increases the character's number of health points |
Constitution 3 | Passive | 2 | +4 to Constitution | Increases the character's number of health points |
Medium Armor: Journeyman | Passive | 2 | Allows the character to wear: Berserker's Battlegarb | |
Medium Armor: Master | Passive | 3 | Allows the character to wear: Officer's Mail Armor. | |
Constitution 4 | Passive | 3 | +5 to Constitution | Increases the character's number of health points |
Brewing
In this part of the skill tree, you will find all of the skills related to the production of various types of potions and items. In addition, the Bard class also possesses the brewing ability, which allows you to create various types of alcoholic beverages.
Name | Skill Type | Tier | Function | Application |
Science | Active | 1 | Science allows you to create the following potions: the Lesser Draught of Power, the Lesser Elixir of Focus, and the Lesser Tonic of Armor | These potions will help your team temporarily improve their basic statistics |
Battle Brewer | Active | 1 | Allows you to brew: Elven Wine, which grants the Bard three Spell Points and 4 Drunk stacks | This is a simple draught which will allow you to quickly accumulate Spell Points |
Alchemic Enthusiast | Passive | 2 | Potions become twice as effective | Only useful if you frequently use potions. |
Master Pyrosmith | Active | 2 | Unlocks the recipe: Dragon's Bile Bomb, which creates areas that set foes on fire upon entering them | This ability is useful not only because of its obvious combat capabilities but also because of the possibility of removing environmental obstacles |
Master Craftsman | Active | 2 | Unlocks the recipes: Caltrops, which you can throw at an enemy to inflict physical damage. They are also scattered through empty fields, which gives them the potential to deal even more damage to enemies who move through said fields. Deploy Barricade, which creates a barricade with a certain number of hit points | These abilities are extremely useful in combat. The caltrops are a great source of additional damage against opponents moving along the first line. The barricade, on the other hand, will help reduce the power of the enemy's attack |
Master Chemist | Active | 2 | Allows you to brew such potions as the Greater Draught of Power, the Greater Healing Potion, the Greater Elixir of Focus and the Greater Tonic of Armor | These potions are upgraded versions of your previous concoctions and increase the basic statistics of your characters to an even greater extent |
Town Drunk | Active | 2 | Allows you to brew: Dwarven Stout, which grants the Bard two action points and two Drunk stacks | |
Mean Drunk | Passive | 2 | After drinking alcohol the Bard throws the mug dealing physical damage to an enemy straight ahead of him | The perfect skill if you are looking for a way to deal some extra damage |
Victory Shot | Passive | 2 | Gives the Bard a 50% chance to recover a Spell Point and receive a bonus of two Drunk stacks after killing an enemy | A great method of gaining bonus Spell Points |
Non-Alcoholic | Passive | 2 | Prevents Victory Shot from granting bonus Drunks stacks | |
Quick to Celebrate | Passive | 3 | Increases the chances of Victory Shot occurring to 100% | |
Brew Master | Active/Passive | 3 | Passive: At the start of each fight the Bard gains a Spell Point, a Drunk stack, +1 to Intelligence and +2 to Strength Active: Allows you to brew: Shot of Courage, which grants 2 Spell Points and 3 Drunk stacks. It also causes your next attack to deal extra physical damage | Shot of Courage can be very useful when trying to break through the physical armor of enemy units. |