classes

Bard

The Bard is Forsaken World's exclusive Elf class — lyre-wielding hybrid support with a unique note-and-melody system that produces party buffs from chained elemental skills. Three branches: Wind (PvE+speed), Water (PvP), Light (healer). Highest skill ceiling in the game.

Overview


Class	Bard
Available Races	Elves (exclusive)
Attack Type	Ranged
Armor	Cloth
Weapon	Lyre
Defense	Low
Attack	Medium
Role	Buffer, Healer, DPS (hybrid)

While other classes sharpen their blades, the Bard tunes their lyre and learns new melodies. Few realize the power music holds in the world of Eyr — but those who play with a competent Bard quickly understand. The Bard is a support and control class with a unique system of notes and melodies that reward planning and timing more than any other class in the game.

The Bard is exclusive to Elves, making it one of the most race-locked classes. Bards are widely considered the most flexible support class — capable of healing, buffing, debuffing, and dealing meaningful damage all at once. The trade-off is the highest skill ceiling in the game.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

Mass healing skills (Light branch)
Powerful party buffs (all branches)
Flexible — can flex between healer, DPS, and support roles
Indispensable for organized groups
Single-target control via slows, freezes, and sleep

Weaknesses

Limited mass offensive skills (except via "Frost Glimmers")
No reliable single-target healing skill (Light is mass-focused)
Buff durations are short — must be re-cycled actively
Needs DPS allies — a Bard can't carry a fight alone

The Note System — What Makes Bard Unique

Bards combine notes (Do/Re/Mi → C/D/E) into melodies that produce powerful party-wide buffs. Notes are generated when the Bard casts spells of corresponding elements:

Wind skills generate C (Do) notes
Water skills generate D (Re) notes
Light skills generate E (Mi) notes

Once a 3-note sequence on the panel matches a known melody, the buff fires automatically and the notes clear. Notes last about 30 seconds on the panel before expiring. Melodies last about 20 seconds when active (can be extended with talents).

The first melody, Courage, is unlocked at level 5 and consists of the notes C-C-D.

Playing a Bard well = chaining the right elemental skills in the right order to land the right melodies at the right moment. This is the highest skill ceiling in the game.

Development Branches

Wind Branch (PvE DPS + Group Speed)

The Wind Bard is comfortable in PvE — high air-element damage from Wind Chords, Wind Rhapsody, Requiem, and Frost Glimmers. Courage significantly buffs personal and group attack. The trade-off is survivability — Wind Bards are fragile to AoE.

In dungeons, Wind Bards speed up clears via Courage (group attack) and Wind (group speed). In PvP, they bring buffs, group control-cleansing (Song of Freedom, Song of Wind), the longest sleep among Bards, and Wind Aria for self-protection.

Main Wind Melodies (Pies)

Melody	Effect	Notes
Courage	Increases group attack	C-C-E
Dreams	Increases group evasion	C-E-E
Wind	Increases group speed by 170%	C-C-C + Pause

Water Branch (PvP Specialist)

The Water Bard is built for PvP. Slows and freezes keep mobs and players out of melee range. Water Aria provides a damage-absorbing shield. Damage flows from Water Chords, Water Melody, Ripple Rondo, and Frost Glimmers.

In PvE, Water Bards take on DPS more than support — group buffs are the weakest among branches, so Wind or Light is preferred for instances. In PvP, the Water Bard burns enemy mana, freezes them in place, and lands huge crits.

The Trio skill reduces water skill cooldowns but increases Light/Air cooldowns — pure-Water players can manage this trade.

Main Water Melodies (Notes)

Melody	Effect	Notes
Wave	Increases Bard's attack	C-C-D
Blizzard	Reduces target's movement speed	C-D-D
Water Song	Increases attack per D chord played	D-D-D + Pause

Light Branch (Healer-Hybrid)

The Light Bard is the most-wanted Bard variant in dungeons. Mass healing and in-combat resurrection (Resurrection Melody) significantly ease the Priest's job. Damage is light-element from Light Chords, Light Music, Light Fantasy. Mana-hungry — keep mana pots in stock for the Life Sonata mass heal.

In PvP, low-level Light Bards lack damage and can be controlled, but they self-heal aggressively (Light Aria) and survive far longer than expected. Past level 75, the Light Bard's PvP capability becomes formidable.

Main Light Melodies (Arias)

Melody	Effect	Notes
Majesty	Increases group defense	D-D-E
Healing	Restores group HP over time	D-E-E
Redemption	Instantly restores HP, removes last negative effect, increases max HP for 10s	E-E-E + Pause

The Pause Skill — Bard Identity Anchor

Pause is the Bard's signature ability. After use:

The Bard cannot play notes for a brief duration (scales with skill level)
All elemental skills instantly recharge
Elemental attack skill delay is reduced by 1 second
Resistance increases to all elements (scales with collected notes)

Branch-specific Pause bonuses:

Wind: Reduces skill cooldown, increases wind skill damage
Water: Increases crit chance and crit damage from water skills, increases freeze duration
Light: Reduces light skill cooldown; if attacked while paused, restores HP

Pause is what enables the C-C-C / D-D-D / E-E-E pure-element finisher melodies. Save it for the moments when one big melody decides the fight.

Skill Acquisition

Levels 1-60: Learned through the Skills and Talents menu (default key K → Class)
Level 60+: Sealed skill scrolls

Class trainer: Bard Norialas at the Tavern in Hossinger.

Best Race for Bard

Elves only — Bard is exclusive to Elves. Elven racial abilities (Elven Blessing, Absorption) compound well with Bard's caster-leaning kit.

FAQ

Q: Hardest class to learn? A: Yes — Bard has the highest skill ceiling in the game. The note system requires planning ahead and tracking melodies in real time. Reward for mastery is also the highest.

Q: Best branch for new Bards? A: Wind for the easiest PvE introduction (highest damage, group speed for instances). Light if you want to play healer. Water is the deepest dive — best in PvP but requires the most active management.

Q: Hybrid Bard builds — Wind/Light or Water/Light? A: Water-Light is a popular hybrid for PvP — combines Water's freeze/shield with Light's self-heal. Wind/Light is decent for groups that need both speed buffs and emergency healing.

Q: Why are Bards always picked for dungeons? A: Group buffs (Courage, Wind) cut clear time significantly. Mass healing (Light's Healing, Redemption) eases the Priest's load. Even a mediocre Bard adds 10-20% group efficiency.