Krypton

Community Archive

Bard

Description & Connections

A bright tune to soothe a party's wounds.... A brisk march to raise a party's spirits... A demoralizing lamentation to weaken a party's foes... The Bards of Vana'diel use music as their weapon.

A Bard (BRD) uses songs as the job's main advantage to boost the party's stats. Bards have many songs but only four non-meritable Job Abilities. A bard without an instrument or a player with the sub job bard can only keep one song up at a time, as opposed to instrument players that can use two. A party with multiple bards may stack more than 2 songs on the party as long as they are not the same song.

Job Abilities

Job Traits

Levels 01~49

Levels 50~99

Merit Point Categories

Group 1

Group 2

  • Nightingale: Halves the casting and recast times of all songs for 60 seconds. Each additional level increases the chance of instantaneous cast times by 25%.
  • Troubadour: Increases the casting times of songs by 1.5 times and doubles the effect duration of songs for 60 seconds. Each additional level increases song accuracy by 25%.
  • Con Anima: Reduces physical damage taken by the bard while under the effects of a beneficial song. Each level decreases physical damage taken by 1%.
  • Con Brio: Reduces magic damage taken by the bard while under the effects of a beneficial song. Each level decreases magic damage taken by 1%.

Bard Songs

Levels 01~49

Levels 50~99

Job Points

Main article: Job Points

Categories

  • Soul Voice Effect: Reduces the casting time of songs by 2% per rank while under the effects of Soul Voice.
  • Clarion Call Duration: Increases the effect duration of songs by 2 seconds per rank while under the effects of Clarion Call.
  • Minne effect: Increases physical defense granted by Minne by 1 per rank.
  • Minuet Effect: Increases the physical attack bonus granted by Minuet by 1 per rank.
  • Pianissimo Effect: Reduces the casting time of songs by 2% per rank while under the effects of Pianissimo.
  • Song Accuracy Bonus: Increases song accuracy by 1 per rank.
  • Tenuto Effect: Increases the effect duration of songs by 2 seconds per rank while under the effects of Tenuto.
  • Lullaby Duration: Increases the effect duration of Lullaby by 1 second per rank.
  • Marcato Effect: Increases effect duration of songs by 1 second per rank while under the effects of Marcato.
  • Requiem Effect: Increases damage over time of Requiem by 3 per rank.

Gifts

Data Table
Job Points Needed Name / Effect
5 Physical Defense Bonus
Increases physical defense by 3.
Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 5%.
10 Physical Evasion Bonus
Increases physical evasion by 3.
20 Physical Accuracy Bonus
Increases physical and ranged accuracy by 2.
25 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 7%.
30 Magic Defense Bonus
Increases magic defense by 3.
45 Magic Evasion Bonus
Increases magic evasion by 5.
50 Superior 1
Enables the player to equip items marked as Superior 1 (Su1).
55 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 9%.
60 Magic Accuracy Bonus
Increases magic accuracy by 5.
80 Singing Skill Bonus
Increases singing skill by 5.
95 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 11%.
100 New Songs
Grants eight new songs.

Reduces an enemy's resistance against the corresponding element.

Superior 2
Enables the player to equip items marked as Superior 2 (Su2).
125 String Instrument Skill Bonus
Increases string instrument skill by 5.
145 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 13%.
150 Wind Instrument Skill Bonus
Increases wind instrument skill by 5.
180 Physical Defense Bonus
Increases physical defense by 5.
205 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 15%.
210 Physical Evasion Bonus
Increases physical evasion by 5.
245 Physical Accuracy Bonus
Increases physical and ranged accuracy bonus by 5.
275 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 17%.
280 Magic Defense Bonus
Increases magic defense by 3.
320 Magic Evasion Bonus
Increases magic evasion by 8.
355 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 19%.
360 Magic Accuracy Bonus
Increases magic accuracy by 8.
405 Singing Skill Bonus
Increases singing skill by 8.
445 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 21%.
450 String Instrument Skill Bonus
Increases string instrument skill by 8.
500 Wind Instrument Skill Bonus
Increases wind instrument skill by 8.
Superior 3
Enables the player to equip items marked as Superior 3 (Su3).
545 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 23%.
550 Song Spellcasting Time
Reduces the casting time of songs by 5%.
605 Physical Defense Bonus
Increases physical defense by 6.
655 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 25%.
660 Physical Evasion Bonus
Increases physical evasion by 6.
720 Physical Accuracy Bonus
Increases physical and ranged accuracy by 6.
775 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 27%.
780 Magic Defense Bonus
Increases magic defense by 4.
845 Magic Evasion Bonus
Increases magic evasion by 10.
905 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 29%.
910 Magic Accuracy Bonus
Increases magic accuracy by 10.
980 Singing Skill Bonus
Increases singing skill by 10.
1045 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 31%.
1050 String Instrument Skill Bonus
Increases string instrument skill by 10.
1125 Wind Instrument Skill Bonus
Increases wind instrument skill by 10.
1195 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 33%.
1200 Song Effect Duration
Increases the effect duration of songs by 5%.
Superior 4
Enables the player to equip items marked as Superior 4 (Su4).
1280 Physical Defense Bonus
Increases physical defense by 8.
1355 Capacity Point Bonus
Increases acquired capacity points by 35%.
1360 Physical Evasion Bonus
Increases physical evasion by 8.
1445 Physical Accuracy Bonus
Increases physical and ranged accuracy by 8.
1530 Magic Defense Bonus
Increases magic defense by 5.
1620 Magic Evasion Bonus
Increases magic evasion by 13.
1710 Magic Accuracy Bonus
Increases magic accuracy by 13.
1805 Singing Skill Bonus
Increases singing skill by 13.
1900 String Instrument Skill Bonus
Increases string instrument skill by 13.
2000 Wind Instrument Skill Bonus
Increases wind instrument skill by 13.
2100 ★Master!
Grants the designation "Master Lyricist."
Decreases the recast time of one-hour abilities by 15 minutes.
Superior 5
Enables the player to equip items marked as Superior 5 (Su5).

Combat Skills

Master Levels increase player combat skill caps by +1 every level.

Skill Rank Caps
Lv. 1 Lv. 49 Lv. 99
Dagger B- 5 144 388
Staff C+ 5 139 378
Sword C- 5 139 368
Club D 4 133 334
Throwing E 4 124 300
Evasion D 4 133 334
Parrying E 4 124 300

See Bard Skill Caps for a by-level breakdown of Weapon Skill limits.

Magic Skill Ratings

Master Levels increase player magic skill caps by +1 every level.

Skill Rank Caps
Lv. 1 Lv. 49 Lv. 99
Singing Skill C 5 139 373
String Skill C 5 139 373
Wind Skill C 5 139 373

Job-Specific Equipment

To see a side by side comparison of Artifact/Relic sets visit Bard Artifact/Relic Sets Comparison.
To see a side by side comparison of Empyrean sets visit Aoidos' Sets Comparison.

Artifact Equipment

See Also: Painful Memory

Relic Armor

Empyrean Armor

Other JSE

Data Table
Slot Armor Level
Neck Choral Torque 30
Ring Minstrel's Ring 50
Waist Gleeman's Belt 60
Ring Getsul Ring 61
Neck Piper's Torque 69
Ear Minstrel's Earring 70
Feet Aoide's Pumps 72
Head Sha'ir Turban / Sheikh Turban 72
Body Sha'ir Manteel / Sheikh Manteel 72
Hands Sha'ir Gages / Sheikh Gages 72
Legs Sha'ir Seraweels / Sheikh Seraweels 72
Feet Sha'ir Crackows / Sheikh Crackows 72
Waist Marching Belt 75
Neck Barcarolle Medal 78
Back Mesmeric Cape 79
Hands Schellenband 82
Hands Bewegt Cuffs 99
Head Mousai Turban / Mousai Turban +1 99
Body Mousai Manteel / Mousai Manteel +1 99
Hands Mousai Gages / Mousai Gages +1 99
Legs Mousai Seraweels / Mousai Seraweels +1 99
Feet Mousai Crackows / Mousai Crackows +1 99
Neck Bard's Charm / +1 / +2 99
Neck Brioso Whistle 99
Neck Canto Necklace / Canto Necklace +1 99
Neck Moonbow Whistle / Moonbow Whistle +1 99
Ear Fili Earring / +1 / +2 99
Back Rhapsode's Cape 99
Back Intarabus's Cape 99

Ultimate Weaponry

Job Guides

Outdated Guides

Source entry: Bard. Cached on this server on 4 November 2026.

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