Shattered Kingdoms

CAVEAT: Please note that the below is NOT an official imm-sanctioned idea, but a personal idea that I've been giving some thought to and thought I'd throw up here as a potential framework for how instrument objects could be organized.

Item type: Instrument

Instrument Types:
• Brass / Horns

o Valved
o Slide
o Keyed
o Natural

• Percussion

o Concussion
o Hand Drums
o Struck Drums

• Strings

o Plucked
o Bowed
o Striking

• Woodwinds

o Reed
o Double-Reed
o Flute

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Instruments:
Instruments are musical “tools” that are used for a variety of effects. Armies may use horns to rally armies or for solemn ceremony; their drummers may lead the soldiers in their march. The vibrant melodies of the violin may help the troubled to rest, and some pipers have been rumored to lead victims willingly to their own doom. Each instrument sub-type must be studied and practiced separately to attain proficiency. Any bard can learn and practice multiple instrument types at a time. Non-bards can learn and practice 1 instrument sub-type at a time, with a maximum that is determined by int and dex, and a maximum number of trainable songs that is determined by int and cha. Most instruments require two-hands for use, though some horns can be used proficiently with one. Some instruments restrict the ability to sing, and most impede the ability to dance. Any skilled instrument-player can learn to play any bard song in support of a bard in his/her group, though non-bards do so at a greatly diminished rate (35% effectiveness?). Bards can choose to “play” a song instead of and/or along with “singing” a song, its effectiveness based upon the bard’s song skill and instrument sub-type skill. Mentor bards with superb skill with an instrument can play it ad-lib, improvising songs to draw magically on the instrument’s natural powers. Bards can play improv together, though it rarely creates any impact of notable power until both bards are master-level and their instrument sub-type skills nearly mastered.

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Brass / Horns
Qualities specific to the “Horn” type are that the player must blow air through the instrument to use it, preventing the user from using the “sing” skill in concurrence, and subject to the limitations as the “sing” skill (ie- inability to speak). Bards can use the “dance” skill while playing a horn, albeit with a slight penalty. Horns can be 1- or 2-handed, depending on sub-type. Horns depend upon the user to use their lips, buzzing/vibrating them to produce their sound, from which their power emanates.
Subtypes:

• Valved: Use finger-operated valves. Trumpets, horns, tubas. 1- or 2-handed. Can “dance” with moderate penalty. Can’t sing + play.
• Slide: Uses a slide to change tube length. Trombones. 2-handed. Can “dance” with moderate penalty. Can’t sing + play.
• Keyed: Uses finger-holes. Cornet, Ophicleide. 2-handed. Can “dance” with moderate penalty. Can’t sing + play.
• Natural: Can only play notes in its harmonic series. Bugle, horn, shell. 1- or 2-handed. Can “dance” with slight penalty. Can’t sing + play.

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Percussion
Percussion instruments make a sound when they are hit, rubbed, or shaken. They utilize vibrations to produce their sound. They’ve historically been very useful for organizing and leading groups. By keeping time, many percussion instruments are foundational to an orchestra’s framework or to a group’s collective rhythm. Bards can use the “sing” skill while playing a percussive instrument, and they can “dance” with some percussive instruments, albeit with a slight penalty. All percussive instruments are two-handed, and some require a mallet or drumstick of some type.
Subtypes:

• Concussion: Played in pairs, beaten against themselves. Cymbals. 2-handed. Can “dance” with slight penalty. Can sing + play (enhanced).
• Hand Drums: Held in secondary hand and beaten free primary hand. Bongo, hand drums. 2-handed. Can “dance” with slight penalty. Can sing + play (enhanced).
• Struck Drums: Beaten with a stick or mallet. Drums, bells, xylophone. 2-handed. Requires “mallet” held in primary hand. Can “dance” with moderate penalty. Can sing + play (enhanced).

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Strings
All stringed instruments have strings. Those strings are the source of the sound, whether they are plucked, bowed, or struck. Most stringed instruments prevent the user from dancing, though bards can “dance” while playing some, at a great penalty. All stringed instruments are two-handed, either requiring both hands to manipulate the strings or the keyboard. In some cases, a musical bow must be used. Bards can use the “sing” skill with no penalty while playing a stringed instrument, and can even use the stringed instrument to boost the power of their song similarly to singing while dancing, but to produce different effects. Strings have a unique ability among instruments to create a musical chord, and a skilled bard can tap into that to play power chords (not unlike singing them), or to enhance the range or effectiveness of chords sung by members of the bard's group. The powers of stringed instruments are often more complex and mystical due to this ability to tap into multiple musical and magical frequencies at one time.
Subtypes:

• Plucked: Strings plucked by hand or with a “pick”. Harp, sitar, banjo. 2-handed. Can “dance” with moderate penalty. Can sing + play (enhanced).
• Bowed: Strings are vibrated by running a bow across them. Viola, fiddle. 2-handed. Requires “bow” held in primary hand. Can “dance” with high penalty. Can sing + play (enhanced).
• Striking: Strings are vibrated by striking them, typically within a keyboard casement. Piano, organ. 2-handed. These should typically be relatively “fixed” in a room, not mobile-wielded like most instruments, but operated akin to a room-mounted ballista. Can’t dance. Can sing + play (enhanced).

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Woodwinds
Qualities specific to the “Woodwind” type are that the player must blow air through the instrument to use it, preventing the user from using the “sing” skill in concurrence, and subject to the limitations as the “sing” skill (ie- inability to speak). Bards can use the “dance” skill while playing a woodwind, albeit with a slight penalty. Woodwinds are all 2-handed. Woodwinds depend upon the blown air crossing over an edge (a “reed”), and air vibrates to produce their sound, from which their power emanates. They can create enticing sounds that command the mind's attention and have often been known to be used by magical beings in the purpose of manipulating, dominating, or charming its audience, whether they be travelers, animals, children, or any other number of victims.
Subtypes:

• Reed: Air crosses a single reed. Clarinet, saxophone. 2-handed. Can “dance” with moderate penalty. Can’t sing + play.
• Double-Reed: Air crosses a double reed. Oboe. 2-handed. Can “dance” with moderate penalty. Can’t sing + play.
• Flute: Internal reed. Flute, pan-pipe, recorder. 2-handed. Can “dance” with slight penalty. Can’t sing + play.

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I've left out more specific suggestions of what the various types of instruments could do, or any more specifics about how they might operate within the group, and against the outside-of-group, etc. I figure the above opens up 13 potential potential basic powers inherent that could be brain-stormed and fleshed out.

I would see a bowed as having no more dance penalty than a plucked or, even more likely, having less penalty than a plucked. A fiddle is very frequently played while dancing yet dancing with a banjo or especially a harp would be very difficult.



A double-reed instrument is very delicate and probably should have a heavy penalty to dance or not able to dance while playing.


All in all, I think this is an awesome way to look at the instruments and put them into subsets and some of the ideas you put forth for potential uses fall in line with what I was envisioning as well. Looking forward to see any other players/staff input on this as well.

I understand that there is a very real difference between horns and woodwinds when applied to real instruments. But not seeing if there is any reason to distinguish them mechanically in the game. I think in terms of how they would restrict the bard they are largely identical. When it comes to what type of power they might provide, then perhaps we could have a way to actually differentiate them.

One thing that always bugged me about bards, is that your chords are not reliable in PvE if your part of a group.
C chord (single target) can be used, but making sure not to shatter certain items like keys in difficult places (dracolich for instance) can often limit use of this.
What if horns were allowed to alter blast shape?
To where F chord could be focused into a cone, acting no different than an in room flamestrike or cone of cold.
Maybe B augmented could be focused similarly, acting like a fireball cast a room away?
(Would be cool to apply the electric guitar into this category however.)

From a previous discussion there was the idea of maintaining a started song through use of playing an instrument.
I think some string could easily fall into this role.
The basic complaint was that in a dangerous situation, singing becomes even more dangerous, as it removes your ability to quaff/eat/drink etc.
Example:
A bard in the Iron Citadel, second rank in a formation, wielding a battle-whip in one hand, holding a shield in the other.
The party moves and walks into a group of daemons, combat begins. The bard begins dancing, and starts singing Songs of Sleep.
During the first few rounds of combat Gas blasts hit, wounding the party.
The bard switches to performing with a string instrument [they had to remove the whip/shield and hold the instrument and are now performing] they stop singing giving them enough time to quaff a few heal vials.
They then switch back to singing, and swap the instrument back out for the whip/shield combo.
Songs of Sleep would continue through the entire period uninterrupted.

I am absolutely in agreement here. Well said.

Bump for sheer lack of love on a bard. I would like to see this put in the game. If dulrik would come back and do some coding. Use an instrument as a type of sonic damage element, simply because its a bard. That or have a split some instruments do sonic damage, some buff songs. Every song would be great if it could be buffed in a way. This looked like a great plan that fell flat on its face. bards need a little love.

also can we adjust the cords a little to make them more useful in a pve environment.

Do both. Allow bards wearing an instrument to be able to sing chords that don't hit members of their own party.

just throwing this out here for sheer awesomeness. Does anyone remember the battle of the bands fight in Scott Pilgrim. Nuff said.

When I read yeds post on stringed instruments I think of lindsey stirling with a violin. She can mesmerize with her violin and dance skills.

for realz though.

Strum.

strum <stringed instrument>

Instead of the bard being able to dance he instead plays his instrument to amplify his singing abilities.
Songs of healing improved healing
Songs of war improved accuracy
etc. It more or less improves the first stat instead of the danced effect, or a new feature is added.

New feature ideas.
songs of protection, the enemy is slightly demoralized by the music causing them to miss.
songs of war causes the enemy to do less damage as they are unfocused by the bards music.

instead of sing f minor they can strum f minor so they can aim the chord at the enemies and not their team mates. (higher pe usage, less damage than sing f minor) same with b sixth.