Author: SearchLightSoul

The purpose of this document is to provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the Minstrel class. The information presented in this FAQ is the product of many hundreds of discussion threads posted on the Camelot Vault forums & at Bards of Camelot, plus the information compiled by Camelot players on various fansites and private websites as well as information provided to the community by Mythic through the Camelot Herald.

In the interest of giving proper credit, I have linked the original source documents where I got my information wherever possible. If I have linked to, or referenced, any of your work in this document and neglected to credit you for your contribution, please send me a Private Message and I will do my best to make amends. Additionally, if you have Minstrel-related questions or comments/suggestions about the contents of this document, feel free to contact me.

If you wish to use this document on a website, please feel free to do so. The author requests that you do not modify the document from it's original form, and that you give me credit for my work. Also, please send me a PM letting me know where you're putting it -- so I can visit your site.

Special thanks to:

Bowzercat, MongoBongo, Oakleif, Wyrd, Sanya Thomas & Mythic Entertainment, EddyCurrents, Voleure, Myscha_Sleddog, Insolant_Ant, Danyan_, Thronsen, Moonshyn, Faltina2Heavenly, Daz-Pell, RedVirtuoso, Rogers101, DanakV, Keersdan, Koneg, Los_Ortiz, Ghoest9 & everyone who I forgot (I'm sorry, there's just too many!)

For their thoughtful contributions to our IGN discussions which have led to the production of this document.
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Q: How should I choose my race?

A: A Minstrel has three choices for race: Highlander, Briton or Saracen. The races vary in three ways.

Information about racial resistances can be found at Classes of Camelot on this page.

Information about the starting stats for each race can be found at the Camelot Vault on this page.

When choosing a race, one should consider what weapon type you will be using and what your stat caps will be at level 50.
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Q: What do I need to know about placing my starting points?

A: Stat bonuses from items and magical effects go a long way in this game. When choosing your starting race and placing your starting stats, you are essentially setting up your future stat-caps. I'll explain.

A Minstrel's primary stat is Charisma. This means that each time a Minstrel reaches a new level, she gains one point of Charisma. A Minstrel's secondary stat is Dexterity, which means she will gain one point of Dexterity every other level. A Minstrel's tertiary stat is Strength. Strength raises every third level. All other stats will not raise with level, and may only be raised by items and by magical effects (buffs).

The following links will direct you to four charts on EddyCurrent's homepage. They indicate how starting stat and stat-priority (primary/secondary/tertiary/neutral) affect your stat-caps:

Primary (Charisma) Stat-Caps by Level
Secondary (Dexterity) Stat-Caps by Level
Tertiary (Strength) Stat-Caps by Level
Neutral (Con/Quick) Stat-Caps by Level

**NOTE: Stat-increases due to buffs and Realm Abilities go on top of the values in these charts.
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Q: Is there a way to hotkey my instruments?

A: You may equip one instrument in to the 2-Handed Weapon slot of your character inventory, and one instrument in to the Ranged Weapon slot. Once you have done that, you can make hotbar icons for them by dragging the icons from your equipped-weapon slots to your hotbar.

In order to use a third instrument, you will need to manually swap that instrument in to one of the two equipped-weapon slots.
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Q: What effects do quality and bonus have on Minstrel instruments?

A: According to the Camelot Herald Grab Bag:

Enchanting an instrument doesn't do anything for it, so save your money.

The effect of quality is less clear. A higher quality instrument will have more imbue points for use with spellcrafting, and higher quality items take longer to wear out. In terms of practical effectiveness, Instrument quality does not seem to matter.
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Q: What effect does instrument level have on Minstrel instruments?

A: Higher level drums and lutes create longer pulses. A pulse is the unit of time for which a song will continue to effect you after you have stopped playing it. Higher level flutes will increase the duration on your single-target mez spell.

As with all items, instruments that are too high for your level will degrade rapidly.
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Q: What affects the duration of Minstrel mez effects?

A: There are two Minstrel mez spells, and one stun spell.

The duration of both the Minstrel Area Effect Mez (the Lullaby spell line), and the Minstrel Stun Shout (the Stunning Yell line) are determined by five factors:
  1. The level of the target relative to your level. The duration of your crowd-control spell will suffer a penalty, proportional to the difference in level, between you and a higher level target.
  2. The presence of Body Resist on your target. Body resistance will decrease the duration of the crowd-control effect.
  3. The presence of Realm Abilities such as Determination, which mitigate the duration of crowd control-type spells.
    4. PvE-Only There is a system of diminishing returns applied to crowd control spells that are re-applied (cast again) to the same NPC target. NPCs can be re-mezzed (or re-stunned), but the duration of the effect will be halved with each consecutive application of the spell.
  4. PvP-Only There is a system of crowd control immunity which applies to players who have been stunned, mesmerized or rooted/snared. Once a player has been 'crowd controlled' by one or more of these effects, there are indepedant 60-second immunity timers (one for each effect-type) within which that player may not be hampered by that kind of effect again.

    The duration of the Minstrel single-target flute mesmerize spell is affected by all 5 of the above variables, plus:
  5. The level of the flute you are using will confer a rather substantial bonus to your mez-duration. For example, the level 42 Minstrel single-target mez song (Commanding Cadence) has an in-game delve duration of 29 seconds. Using a level 50 instrument, however, most Minstrels experience a 58-second duration (under optimal conditions).
See Also: this thread.
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Q: Does Dexterity affect the time it takes to play a song? What about the castable spells?

A: Minstrel songs are hard-coded to take 3 seconds to play. Dexterity will not decrease this 'casting time'.

Minstrel spells such as the castable Area-Effect Mez and castable Dispel (unmez) are affected by dexterity and can have their casting times reduced by a high dexterity score.

See Also: This thread.
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Q: What affects Minstrel shout-damage, and how can I improve the damage on my shouts?

A: The relationship between Charisma, Instrument level and Shout Damage is known � but the actual formula for the determination of Shout Damage remains somewhat unclear.

A good 'ballpark' figure is that each point of Charisma can be expected to raise your shout damage by around 1 point of damage per 2 points of charisma. Each level of Instrument spec up to a value equal to your character level will reduce your damage variance, while Instrument spec levels exceeding your character level can be expected to add around 1 point of Shout Damage each.

See Also This thread.
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Q: What do the various levels of Minstrel charm do (what can I charm)?

A: There are six levels of the Minstrel charm chant. Of the first four levels, each new level gives access to a new NPC type, plus all the types from the lower versions. The fifth and sixth songs simply offer improved resist-rates. For more information about charming, see Jjoe Nitro's Guide to Minstrel Charm.
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Q: What is over-charming, and how does one do it?

A: Overcharming is the ability to charm an NPC which is higher than your level. Your ability to charm is directly related to your Instrument skill. Generally, it is advisable to keep your Instrument skill-level greater than or equal to the level of the NPC you are attempting to keep charmed.

Overcharming can be risky. A high Instrument score will help, but you may still experience difficulty with pets that are significantly higher level than you.
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Q: What is twisting, and how/why would I do it?

A: Twisting is when a Minstrel takes advantage of song pulses in order to play two or more songs simultaneously. In order to do this, a Minstrel must alternate between her songs � first playing one song, and then another, and then going back to the first song (or continuing on to a third song, in the case of triple-twisting). With practice, a Minstrel can successfully keep several songs playing at once.

The most common use for twisting is to allow you to play the Charm Chant and Motivational Anthem (speed) at the same time. This allows you to move at maximum speed while keeping a pet charmed.
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Q: Is it possible to Stealth while I have a pet charmed?

A: Yes, but it takes a good internet connection and a fair amount of practice. One may not enter Stealth while using an active, pulsing effect. Likewise, one may not cast a pulsing effect and remain stealthed. These rules are part of the game mechanics and cannot be broken.

However, through twisting, it's possible to stay hidden and keep a pet charmed without breaking either rule. Set up a hotbar with four buttons like this:
  1. Target Pet
  2. Charm Chant
  3. Charm Chant
  4. Stealth
Pressing the keys in order (quickly) will target the pet, activate the Charm Chant, deactivate the Charm Chant and then put you in to Stealth. Done correctly, the time during which your character is visible (just long enough to cast charm, cancel charm and re-stealth) is so short, you will not become visible. Experiment with your timing. Some Minstrels report better results if they hesitate between activating the Charm and Deactivating the Charm/Stealthing.

As long as you repeat these keystrokes before the end of each Charm pulse, you can remain stealthed and your pet will not attack you.
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Q: What is the difference between the Albion Slash and Albion Thrust lines, and what should a Minstrel consider when picking one over the other?

A: In addition to your character class, character level and trained weapon spec, Weaponskill for Albion Slashing weapons is based on your Strength score, while Weaponskill for Albion Thrusting weapons is based on your Strength and your Dexterity score equally [(Str + Dex) / 2].

Weaponskill is an important factor for your damage output, and for your ability to penetrate the defenses (shield/parry/evade) of your target.

Additionally, the Albion Slashing and Albion Thrusting lines differ in their combat styles. You can view a list of Slash styles here, and a list of Thrusting styles here. Also you can view a chart explaining damage growth-rates for Slash and Thrust styles at Wyrd's Style Spreadsheet InfoFAQ.

When evaluating the utility of a combat style, be sure to take note of any Attack Bonus that the style confers, and whether the style offers any sort of Defensive Bonuses or Penalties to you after you use it.

Finally, Slashing and Thrusting weapons differ in their effectiveness against various armor types. The relationship between damage types and armor types is indicated on this Camelot-Seer Chart.

See Also: This thread.
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Q: What are some good Realm Abilities for a Minstrel?

A: You can access a list of Realm Abilities through the Game Documents section of The Camelot Herald.

Some good primary Realm Abilities to consider when planning your Minstrel are: Speed of Sound, Purge, Ignore Pain and/or Avoid Pain. Sven Neuhaus has created an excellent utility for planning your Realm Abilities which can be found here.

See Also: This thread.
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Q: What is Speed of Sound, and how does it work?

A: Speed of Sound is a Minstrel-only realm ability. The description of this ability on the Camelot Herald says:

Your group moves at twice normal speed for 30 seconds. This ability will not break in combat. This ability also bypasses the movement penalties from mesmerize, root/snare, and stun, although other effects such as inability to attack will remain.

Like all spells, Speed of Sound cannot be cast while you are mezmerised or stunned. Speed of Sound will not make you immune to crowd control attacks, it will only allow you to bypass the movement penalty. If you are stunned or mesmerized, you will be unable to cast or attack until the crowd control spell has been broken or expired.

Be aware that many crowd control spells have a longer duration than Speed of Sound. Once Speed of Sound has expired, you will no longer be able to bypass the movement penalties of these effects.
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Q: Are Minstrels affected by the Mastery of the Arcane Realm Ability?

A: Somewhat.

MoA does not affect our speed song, but it does seem to affect our other songs. The trouble is that a 3% bonus to our rather subtle effects ends up translating to an increase of only a few points.

See Also: This thread & This thread.
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Q: Will raising my Stealth score increase my ability to detect enemy stealthers?

A: No. Minstrels do not get the Detect Hidden stealth ability, and therefore do not receive any detection benefits from their stealth score.
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Q: Will raising my Stealth score increase the speed at which I move while hidden?

A: The fastest possible Stealth movement-rate is reached when your Stealth score and your character level are on a 1:1 ratio. This means that a level one character with one point of stealth moves at the fastest possible Stealth rate (similarly, a level 50 character with 50 stealth moves at the fastest possible rate).

Having a Stealth spec over your level will not increase your movement speed beyond this hard cap.

Stated simply: If you want to move as fast as possible, you have to keep your Stealth score equal to your level.
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Q: What Stealth abilities does a Minstrel get, and at what level do we get them?

A: Minstrels get access to the following Stealth abilities, at the indicated levels:

(5) Distraction
(8) Danger Sense
(10) Safe Fall I
(20) Safe Fall II
(25) Climb Walls
(30,40,50) Safe Falls III, IV, & V, respectively.

For more information on what these abilities do, see the Infiltrator Class FAQ.
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Q: What is Auto-Training, and how does it work on a Minstrel?

A: Autotraining is the automatic advancement of a spec line that you have failed to train to the minimum-allowed level. In the case of Minstrels, it is the Instrument spec line that can be autotrained.

Each time you level, the game checks to make sure that your Instrument spec level is greater than or equal to your level divided by four. If your Instrument spec level is less than one fourth of your level, the skill line is automatically advanced � at no cost to you.

Some Minstrels do this because it allows them to achieve end-game character templates that they would otherwise not have enough points to get. Autotraining a Minstrel can be done, but it is usually not recommended.
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Q: What happens when I respec my instrument line? How is this affected by Auto-Training?

A: When you respec a skill that autotrains, it will drop to the minimum 'allowed' level (your level divided by four, rounded up). In the case of a level 50 Minstrel respec'ing the Instrument line, this is 13 Instrument spec.

If you did not autotrain, you will be charged for those minimum 13 levels of training -- and receive the balance of the points as a refund for respec'ing and zeroing out the line. If you did autotrain, you will have the line reduced to the minimum levelss, and will be refunded the balance of the points plus the points for the bottom 13 levels.

Stated simply: You don't lose autotrained points when you respec.
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Q: What does Confuse do in Player-versus-Player encounters?

A: The Minstrel Confusion Shout works against some pets, but not against others. For example, Confusion can be used against a Druid's pet, but not against a Bonedancer's. Confused pets will randomly seek enemy targets. They will not attack their owners.

Confusion has no effect on players, but it will interrupt casters if you confuse them while they are casting a spell. This is widely regarded as the best use for Minstrel Confusion in PvP.
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Q: What is the Ablative Chant, and how does it work?

A: An Ablative Effect is a magical barrier which absorbs a portion of incoming physical damage. There are three levels of the Minstrel Ablative Chant, and each absorb a different amount:

30 Barrier of Sound 25 hp
40 Shield of Melody 40 hp
50 Wall of Song 70 hp

The Minstrel Ablative Buffer refreshes itself once every 6 seconds. The Buffer will absorb 100% of incoming physical damage until it is used up. This means that the level 50 Ablative Chant will absorb, at maximum, 70 hit points worth of damage every 6 seconds.
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Q: Does the Ablative Chant stack with other Ablative effects?

A: No.
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Q: If my character is under the effect of a damage-reducing realm ability (Bunker of Faith, Avoid Pain, Soldier's Barricade etc), at what point does the game calculate the damage reduction from my Ablative Chant?

A: The Ablative Chant is calculated last, and works to mitigate whatever damage has passed through the other effects.
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Q: What should I consider when deciding on a character-skill template?

A: The first thing to consider is what level you want your Instrument spec. Most Minstrels decide their Instrument spec first, and then place their other skills as points allow. Some things to consider when choosing how high you want your Instrument spec to be: The second thing to decide is whether you will be using Slash or Thrust styles. This subject was addressed in an earlier question.

Lastly, you will have to decide how high you want to bring your Stealth score. Some things to consider when looking at the Stealth line are: I want to stress that there are many ways to spec a Minstrel, ranging from heavy support to heavy stealth to heavy melee (and several very viable hybrid variants of the three). Each spec-type has it's own following, and deserves your consideration.

Use the Character Builder at the Catacombs and be sure to ask questions if you need advice. (Hint: The more specific you make your question, the better answer you will get!)