[Dyft]

Hey all, First off I think I know how /BST works with the charm functions at the main level of BST not its subbed level (ie: a 5 Brd/Bst could charm the same as a 5 Bst/Brd stats permitting).

I know both BRD and BST are CHA jobs so that definatly adds a a bonus to /BST as you will definatly have the +CHA to make charm effective. Currently my BST is 28 and I know that if i wanted to go past 28 BRD/BST I would have to level up BST some more.

My questions are this. I am currently 8 BRD/BST and have been using it since lvl 1. It has done wonders for my low level progression as I was getting about 7k/hr xp soloing on my BRD. I'm not sure what is a good number as everyone states how much bards suck at solo. I was thinking that maybe I found a bit of a work around for that at least in the low levels. So I guess my main question really is "If I had BST level 75, would BRD/BST be a good setup?" I have used this in my static low many party (3 of us) as we have a SCH and a DRG. Now my DRG is 70 so I know he wont be able to tank forever (then again with only 3 of us we can stick to T/VT for solid xp/hr in the 10-12k range.) I was actually supprised as I was BRD/WHM (until our SCH got Cure nativly (hes subbing BLM) ) our kill speed went up a good portion. We are all real life friends so we are more about playing the jobs we enjoy playing in our static then being effective, however we are all 3 experianced players that have been playing for a while.

Were running super low levels at the moment as I just unlocked BRD and my buddies just unlocked SCH and DRG. We have been unable to PT for the last 2 days as our works schedules / Significant others have been preventing that. This is when I found that I was getting what seemed to be insanely fast xp soloing on BRD compared to how hard I've heard it was. However I'm also not an idiot, I'm more then well aware that a tactic that works at 10 can just as easily suck horribly at level 30 etc. This is why I'm here asking for advice... None of us have ever played BRD so none of us know too much about it. Ive been all over the wiki and these forums trying to pick up every tidbit I can.

Another question I have is about the monster signa, I have one that I've had for i dunno seems like forever now, camped it forever ago when i unlocked BST. I know its got the -5 vit but +8 cha in 1 slot at level 17 is /drool for me. I have heard a lot of people say that its overrated or it sucks, and ive heard other people say how its the greatest thing since sliced bread. Just for kicks i checked the AH price for them yesterday and it was sitting at 40k for the last 7 sales over the course of a couple months from different sellers to different buyers that dident have shady names (In other words the price history looks legit from what I can tell) Due to the "low" price on it I have no need or intent to sell it as its worth much more then 40k to me when i solo Wings of Fury BCNM. To stop beating around the bush, How do you all feal about the monster signa for BRDs? At level 17 what is the single best weapon a BRD could use? Where does the Monster Signa place for level 17 weapons? If I dont fulltime the signa would it still be worth macroing in for charm?

Anyhow I'm a brand new spanking bard, Ive got my cornette +2 and my flute +1 (if I could get my hands on a +2 I would heh) So any advice you all might have would be great, also any insight into BRD/BST would be quite nice as well. I did notice the level 7 dot song is quite nice at these early levels... generally about 2-3% of total hp a tick on that bad boy! Im sure its not quite as sexy at later levels, but is there anyway outside of the Flute +2 or "magic skills" (capped) that can help improve the dmg from this puppy? or have I pretty much maxed it out?

Sorry for making such a long post but I have always had this secret desire to level my BRD but never have. I've partied with MANY MANY bards and absolutely love having one in a party. I guess you can say BRD is my secret obsession.

With that being said I absolutely LOVE pulling and have almost every sub to 37 (SCH 10 BLM 5 BRD 7 and DRK 10 are the ones that keep me from saying EVERY sub )

My RDM is 55 and I do enjoy playing him, Ive always kinda felt that after I hit 41 I've kinda been in a similar role to bard.. Refresh Haste Enfeeble.. toss some nukes or cures if you got some spare mp and time lol.. I almost think id rather buff / pull then buff / enfeeble (not that I dislike my RDM in any way... I just LOVED pulling on my THF) Anyhow yea, I do search the forums a lot and hang out reading a lot of the WIKI which , for better or worse, is where 95% of my VERY LIMITED knowledge about BRDs has come from.

[ShepardG]

Originally Posted by Dyft

To stop beating around the bush, How do you all feal about the monster signa for BRDs?

It's good. Chrasima helps land your spells on bard so +CHR is great.

Originally Posted by Dyft

At level 17 what is the single best weapon a BRD could use?

Monster Signa, if you engage, which you probably shouldn't, a dagger or a low delay sword.

Originally Posted by Dyft

Where does the Monster Signa place for level 17 weapons? If I dont fulltime the signa would it still be worth macroing in for charm?

ummm don't attack anything with it. it's a staff, and i don't think bards even have over a D rating in staff (could totally be wrong on that, and probably am) and yes. if your subing /bst always stack charisma for charms. macro it when you don't have TP

Originally Posted by Dyft

is there anyway outside of the Flute +2 or "magic skills" (capped) that can help improve the dmg from this puppy? or have I pretty much maxed it out?

Nope that's about the max

Another good idea if you want to level bard, is to put up your party flag, and wait 1-2 minutes. 70% of the time you will get an invite within 2 mins, if it's prime time hours for NA, EU

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

The greatest benefit Monster Signa provides is the gil morons will give you to buy it. Monster Signa is trash for its level and outshined by Light/Apollo staff by the time it might actually have been useful. Sell it for some classy gear you'll need to invest in later.

Why people to this day insist upon recommending that piece of shit is beyond me. The stat curve isn't high even enough for you to benefit from it at the level you can equip it and you'd see the same level of resists any BRD would pre-Light Staff. Its even more trash for BST.

I can tell you having taken BRD to 75 and BST almost as high that you only invest in CHR for IT++ kinds of mobs and even with loads of it on BST, you'll still have trouble charming high level even match mobs - especially amorphs and the ones that have light affininty to start with. So even then, Light Staff reigns for BST charm more than CHR does.

If you're going to solo BRD/BST - I can't understand why anyone would want to, soloing BRD with any combo is slower than watching paint dry, but whatever - you're better off assisting your pets with a sword or dagger melee than hitting it with a staff.

By the way, its very easy to blow through the first ten levels of BRD even without a subjob. After you've learned Paeon and Minuet, you're nigh unstoppable til you get past level 12. So I think you're just imagining /BST speeding things up there, its more liable to kill you than help you at those levels.

Finally, unless you're a PUP, CHR is the LOL stat of FFXI. As I said, it does pose some benefit to BRD when PTs are engaging IT++ mobs and HNMs, but since we commonly EXP on VT and T these days at the intermediate and high levels, there's not much need for CHR.

[ShepardG]

Hell everything he ^ said except for CHR on pup. It's fucking just as stupid as any other job.

So CHR dosen't increase charm duration? I thought on BST it would, but I think I see what your saying BBq, your better off just using an actual weapon, is what i'm gathering from this.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Charm gear increases Charm duration, CHR only mildly helps determine charm success. So there's more reason to want charm gear than CHR for BST.

Oh, and CHR sucks for PUP manuvers, too? Hm, I stand corrected. So its officially the LOL stat of FFXI.

[KingOfZeal]

CHR does nothing on PUP. Maneuvers are still exactly 1 minute in duration, and you still only get the +1 or +2 stat bonus for that maneuver (depending on gear). Maneuvers trigger the attachments, and that's generally the only things that effect them.

[Icemage]

CHR does nothing for just about everyone. It has a very, very slight effect on the accuracy of offensive Bard songs (Finale, Lullaby, Threnody, Elegy), and a very, very slight effect on the accuracy of the Charm ability of a Beastmaster. But it's too small to worry about unless you have absolutely nothing else to support on that slot; Monster Signa is only mildy amsuing up until around level 51, when you can use elemental staves. I think a few of the higher level weaponskills use CHR as a secondary modifier (again, mild boost), and a couple of Blue Magic spells trigger off of CHR, but those tend to suck anyhow.

Monster Signa is totally not worth the investment. Get something else decent in your hands that will help you more (by definition, that pretty much means any weapon with any sort of special boost, like a bonus to Evasion or whatnot) and save yourself the money.


Icemage

[Dyft]

Sorry, Been really busy with work..... however, I *LOOTED* the Monster Signa... never bought it, it only sells for 30k on my server.... id rather mog house it than sell it at this point. So the real question is if i have one should i macro it in for things? Its not should i get one, as i already have one.

[Icemage]

If you already have a Monster Signa, then knock yourself out and macro it. It certainly won't hurt, just don't expect it to be a night and day difference.


Icemage

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

30k is 30k, man. You should at least put it toward some better gear in your 40s. If you're not sick of BRD by then. Most people find BRD fun until they get to merit level, only the insane continue to enjoy it from there.