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Male and female bards playing instruments in Dark and Darker
Image via Ironmace

Dark and Darker Bard Guide: Best Perks and Skills

Dark and Darker's Bard is one of hte most unique characters in the game and they have amazing perks and skills.

Bards feel like a given in a fantasy-based game like Dark and Darker; however, their passive nature and need to boost other players’ attributes make Bards one of the stranger additions. Even still, there are certain Perks and Skills that make them a standout should you decide to tackle the Bard.

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Dark and Darker: How to Play as Bard

There’s no denying that playing as a Bard is unconventional, to say the least. Bards are best known for passive buffs and access to a wide array of melee weapons. However, the Bard’s greatest strength, music, is also going to be your biggest challenge. As a result, there are certain skills that will make a difference for a character that thrives on buffs.

SkillsEffects
DissonanceFor 3 seconds, an unpleasant sound will silence and keep enemies from using spells.
EncoreThe next song played by a Bard will play to he end without inputs at the maximum 50% play speed
Music MemoryCan store 5 sheets of music
Music Memory 2Can store 5 sheets of music
Party MakerRemoves drunk effects from allies
Bard from Dark and Darker playing instrument
Screenshot by Gameskinny

Best Bard Perks in Dark and Darker

By being a support character, Bards have to be used in a way where you are versatile enough to cover all bases and have a bit of advantage from every class. This includes buffing allies while also being capable enough in your own skills to fight off enemies. However, there’s also the added benefit of luck that helps parse through Bard’s long list of perks.

PerksEffects
Reinforced InstrumentsPhysical Power Bonus increased by 50% when using an instrument as a weapon.
Melodic ProtectionPhysical Damage Reduction is increased by an additional flat +30% while playing an instrument.
Superior Dexterity50% faster switching between utility items and weapons
War Song“Buff” Weapon Damage increases for you and allies within 4.5 meters by +3 for 6 seconds when playing an instrument.

Best Bard Songs in Dark and Darker

Bards come with instruments that play songs, rather than spells like a Warlock, that can impact a player and their team when played correctly. Of course, there’s an inherent risk while playing the minigame in battle, and as such, hitting the notes perfectly isn’t always guaranteed. However, with four instruments to choose from, these are the ones I feel are the best choices for each instrument.

MusicInstrumentEffectsRangeDmg/Persuasiveness/ScalingCast TimeCost
Beats of AlacrityDrumGrants yourself +5/+7/+9 additional flat Move Speed for 30/60/120 seconds but doesn’t stack3/4.5/6 meters
Persuasiveness:
2x/4x/8x
Total:
2.4s
Intervals:
1.2 > 0.6 > 0.3 > 0.3
1
Piercing ShrillFlute15/20/25 Physical Damage to enemy and 3 seconds of the echo effect if the target is another player5.5/5.5/5.5 meters
Physical Damage:
100%
Total:
6.2s
Intervals:
1.0 > 1.0 > 1.0 > 1.0 > 1.0 > 1.0
3
Song of Silence LuteKeeps enemies from using magic for 1/1.5/2 seconds4.5/4.5/4.5 meters
No Persuasiveness scaling
Total:
3.83s
Intervals:
0.8 > 1.0 > 1.0 > 1.0
2
TranquilityLyreRestores 1 Recoverable Health every 10/20/30 seconds 3/4.5/6 meters
Persuasiveness:
0.667x/1.333x/2x

Any Healing:
0%
Total:
3.38s
Intervals:
0.8 > 0.8 > 0.8 > 0.4 > 1.1
3

There are other classes to explore in Dark and Darker besides a Bard. Be sure to stay tuned for more Dark and Darker tips and tricks articles right here.


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Nicholas Brooks
Nick is a Freelance Writer at Gameskinny and brings with him over a decade of writing and editing experience from sites like CBR and Gameskinny. He also runs a small podcast called Popsubclub, where he interviews individuals in the entertainment industry as well as talks with peers. Nick's love of video games is only a small part of his passions as he's also an avid fan of movies, comics, music and theme parks. Make sure to follow his Instagram (@Comicsubclub) for more.