ArenaNet:Guild Wars 2 suggestions/Bard

Bard (Audiomancer) (Discussion)
The Bard is a master at using sound in combat and are proficient at dealing AoE damage. Bards would use use a new skill type, Rhythms, which cause party buffs or have ward like effects which effect everyone within earshot of you. Other types of skills that Bards would use are enchantments, spells, shouts, and chants that allow the bard to effectively weave the story of his/her adventures and exploits.

This class would be back line (4 pips of energy regeneration, 60 armor, ranged weapon) and would use weapons that utilize sound (such as flutes and horns, or lutes and other stringed instruments which hit a number enemies in earshot(see Flare attribute below). This weapon style would  be AoE (earshot) making it a super powered wand (2 handed).  The damage would be equivalent to wanding or slightly better (due to the AoE nature of sound).  Finally, there would be attacks in the Volume (wind instruments like horns and flutes) and Tempo (String instruments like lutes, harps, etc.)  attribute and would probably be one of the most common types of skills.

Some examples of skills using the attributes below:

"Ear shattering!": (Volume)(Shout) Deals 20...60 damage to all enemies in earshot.

Lightning ballad: (tempo)(Elite Rhythm) For 2...5 seconds, time moves 1...3 times its normal rate (effects recharge of skills and activation, rate of attack and movement speed for all allies within earshot). Lightning Ballad is disabled for 30 seconds.

Invigorating Beat: (Tempo)(Rhythm) For 15 seconds, party members gain +1 energy regeneration and +2...6 health regeneration. This ends if you move.

"You are the Chosen One": (Solo)(Elite Shout) Target ally's highest attribute is increased by 1...4 for 10 seconds

Possible Attributes:

Volume: Increases Proficiency with wind instruments, increases effectiveness of skills especially those involving harming the enemies.

Tempo: Increases Proficiency with wind instruments, increases the effectiveness of Rhythms and  skills involving giving party buffs and heals.

Flare (Primary): increases the number of enemies that you hit with each attack when using wind or string instruments (1 + 1 for every 3 levels in Flare) and increases your speed at casting rhythms and chants.

Solo: Effective for dealing with one target, Increases proficiency in dealing with non-AoE skills and has single target attacks and buffing effects.


 * Why this is a good idea
 * Thematically correct for the time/setting


 * Why it may not work out