Class deep dive
The Bard
The Bard at a glance
| Role | Hybrid: support, pulling, crowd control |
| Armor | Plate |
| Key stats | Charisma, Dexterity |
| Arrived | Launch class (1999) |
Allakhazam’s class guide sums the bard up as a unique hybrid who supports any party with songs that work like spells, mostly at no mana cost, runs extremely fast, and is the only class that can use non-instant abilities while running.
Sources: Allakhazam: EQ:Classes (wiki)
What a bard does
Bards are jacks-of-all-trades who make magic with music. They often fight with melee weapons, but they are mainly a magic class, able to wear plate and wield many weapons and instruments.
Their songs can regenerate health and mana, increase attack speed and accuracy, briefly charm angry enemies, help friends resist many kinds of damage, and damage enemies directly. They are best known for greatly increasing their group’s running speed.
Only bards can create several effects at once, weaving songs together to suit the situation. The official text says nimble fingers and quick thinking are a must.
Bards do well both alone and in groups, and suit players who enjoy variety and adapting quickly.
Sources: Library of Erudin: EverQuest Library — The Classes of Norrath (official text) · Allakhazam: EQ:Classes (wiki)
The epic: Singing Short Sword
Epic quests came to EverQuest in September 2000, shortly after The Ruins of Kunark. They were modelled on the paladin’s Fiery Avenger quest: long, multi-step journeys through the highest-level dungeons, usually needing groups to kill powerful creatures. Each ended in a unique weapon with its own model and particle effects. The bard’s reward was the Singing Short Sword, with the effect Dance of the Blade.
Who could be one
In the classic era recreated by Project 1999, the bard epic could be used by all races allowed to be bards. The Iksar appear there because they joined with The Ruins of Kunark.
Sources: Project 1999 Wiki: Class Epic Quest List
Titles
After level 50, each class earns titles that show in /who. A bard became a Minstrel at 51, a Troubadour at 55 and a Virtuoso at 60.
Sources: Project 1999 Wiki: Character Classes and titles
Playing a bard today
The class is still in the game on Daybreak’s live and time-locked progression servers. Project 1999 recreates the Classic, Kunark and Velious eras, so it has the original fourteen classes. See EverQuest Today for where the game stands now.
All class deep dives → The Shaman
Illustrations are original fan art made for this site, not in-game screenshots.