There are a few different versions of dirge AA's that people use. Before you look at AA's make sure your casting speed, MA, reuse, and recovery are sorted out. For example, if you know you are going to get a casting speed buff then you don't need to max out casting speed on your own. Here is my spec: http://u.eq2wire.com/soe/aas/442383990486 This is just one example and I am still tweaking it to go from grouping to raiding spec. Some people like to put more points into poison concoction or go down the right side of prestige. Your rotation and the buffs you receive are also very important. Make sure you know why you are picking certain AA's and how they affect your abilities.I would find other bards and compare/contrast why they picked certain things. Go down each line and ask "Why did they pick this?". You may find that a certain spec does not fit your group comp. I know you may not have asked for all this information but this kind of stuff is just useful for any class you play. Good luck -Lettles
Excellent advice: build it to how you play and with whom you play. Many specs will be similar, mine included, but there are differences. As my guild continues to progress, some of this will change. For mine: http://u.eq2wire.com/soe/character_detail/502512056700 Bard I run a nearly full strength, intelligence, wisdom columns/paths. I run Heroic Storytelling for the chance to resist stifle, and precise blade for improvement to resistibility. Dirge Add (Dirge) Enhance Keen of Despair: to improve disease resist reduction improvement, since bards songs/spells/CA are heavily disease resist based. Enhance Shroud: It is kind of a weak, questionable buy, but it seems to make it easier to pair bump with scream of death, and shroud with misfortune's kiss (or vice versa) when ya shave a second off its cast time. Enhance Bria: for the situations, I need to assist in providing power, which was often enough, either grouping, or in mana intense raid fights, it might be the difference to get that extra bit of power regen. Enhance Nox Symph: despite having this for a while, it will probably go away in a respec sooner or later. I just don't use it... could but generally other options work. There might be a time as we progress further that I would add it back, but not now. Enhance Hymn of Horror (2 points): I know, I know.. groans all around. I rarely see any specs with anything in this, but it works great for grouping and soloing in so many cases. Without the two points, the resists just seemed too high, and consequently reliability too low. Delete, or I don't run (Dirge) Enhance Jael's...: frankly, I don't use Jael's, so why enhance something I don't use. The reuse is too long, and the situation is rare enough, and when the situation is there, the small enhancement just won't be a difference maker for such an otherwise limited skill (for me). Enhance Daro's ...: a 5 percent DPS reduction when there are so many other DPS reducing debuffs that are more effective in other classes just does not make much sense. Enhance Howl of Death: because unless I am soloing, I am not saving myself with that heal... and when I am 'soloing' I have a merc that's typically way better at keeping me up. Similar to Jael's, something I don't use a lot of, so why enhance it. Shadows Add (Shadows) Sacrificial Oration: I use the heck out of oration of sacrifice. I won't say I am making the heal parse with it, but I know I have saved a lot of lives with it, so making it more effective and less penalizing made sense. Delete/I don't run (Shadows) Deathly howl: the improvements are somewhat nice, but not worth it to me for the points, I was spreading around, since I do not rely it on it for the self-healing and the damage improvements very marginal. Heroic Aside from basically the end line, it really depends on progression and gear, and play style more than anywhere else. The only three I think 8 out of 10 dirges should run is max CB, 1 point to veil of notes, and CoD. Otherwise, fill in the rest with what you need at the time. Prestige This is kind of up in the air as far as any consensus on what is usually best. I think predominately though the lower left can be eliminated, which effectively leaves the top half or the right half.
