Hey Stream Defense community! I’m excited to announce a new bard specialization that’s currently in testing: The Friar! This support-focused spec brings a unique twist to the bard class by sacrificing their own experience to empower their allies.
💭 Design Philosophy: The Friar introduces a fascinating risk-reward dynamic to the bard class. By sacrificing their own progression to empower allies, they create interesting strategic choices about when to attack versus train. The guaranteed special attacks on every 5th hit provide a predictable rhythm to their support capabilities.
I’m excited to see how the you use this new spec and look forward to your feedback during the testing phase! The numbers are still being tweaked, so your experience and insights will be valuable in reaching the final version.
Stay tuned for updates as I continue to refine the Friar spec! Remember to check out the full details on the Classes page under the bard tab.
📜 Key Features:
Weapon: Rosary
- Attack Period: 1.5s
- Range: 12 meters
- Basic Attack: “Tribute” – Deals 18 damage per second for 6 seconds (non-stacking)
- Special Attack: “Final Collection” – Deals 240 damage with temporary weaken (600 damage, 6s recovery) and shares sacrificed XP with tower allies
Unique Mechanics:
- Holy Sacrifice: Each attack costs XP equal to 10 seconds of barracks training
- Retribution: Every 5th attack guarantees a special attack
- Penance: Sacrificed XP is split between all units in the Friar’s tower
Ability: Benediction
- Fires a holy prayer hitting 3 targets (100 damage primary, 50 damage secondary)
- Attack Period: 2s
- Range: 12 meters
- Power Cost: 4 per attack
- Includes Weaken (200 temporary damage, 6s recovery)
- Sacred Returns: Each power spent grants 2 seconds of training XP split between tower allies
Spec Effect: Monastery
- +100% training XP
- +100% power train XP
- Stacks additively with other similar buffs
Mastery Benefits:
- Weapon Mastery: Gain 0.04 seconds of training XP per attack
- Class Mastery: Increases Penance XP sharing by 1% per point
🔍 Testing Phase Info:
- Currently only available on twitch.tv/archonthewizard for initial testing and balance
- Temporarily replaces the Minstrel as the default bard spec during testing
- Veteran players might recognize some mechanics similar to the old “Scout” spec