MInorSecond? Adept Music, I think. :P (Not even kidding.)

Enyalida:

It's more that Mages are not tied to demesne and Druids are. Pair that with the only real movement hindering being briars for druids, if we have a 10 room demesne, you can figure that you're at most 3 rooms from an exit at any given time, and if you leave the demesne... you're immune to druids.

EDIT: In other words, if the enemy isn't moving at all, it doesn't help. But to be effective in PK at all, you'll want more than 10 rooms, as the limited rooms will really be hurting.

EDIT2: Compare to the aforementioned TK thing, where the mage can chase out of their demesne without removing their chance at success. Druid chases out of demesne, loses access to their entire primary skillset (both specced and unspecced), and all of their supportive abilities, as well as losing the ability to use their instakill (thornlashes), put on their aff lock kill (sap), or maintain allergies (to support sap). Remember, leaving a forest actually cures out of all thornlashes!

If someone really wants to get away from you, they can. You can't stop someone from running away. There are things like demesnes and carcer to help try, but it's not guaranteed. Having a bigger demesne makes it take longer for someone to run away, but they're still probably going to get away. In Lusternia if you want to kill someone they either have to be so nooby they don't know how to get away, or they choose to stand and fight you. But whether you have a 10 room demesne or a 1 room demesne, if you are a druid and they leave your demesne, don't even bother chasing. You shouldn't be fighting outside your demesne regardless.

That's why I don't think a demesne rune is necessary. The instances where it's going to help you get a kill on someone trying to run away from you seem pretty small.

If it's someone skilled who choses to stand and fight, they are going to realize you aren't going to fight them outside your demesne. If it's someone nooby, you'll kill them regardless. If it's someone skilled who wants to run away, they're going to get away.

daganev:

I'm sensing why a list like this has not been made before. Too many different opinions about whats playable and what isn't. I feel that many of the opinions expressed so far are looking at the end game of the archetype rather than from the perspective of a new player who needs to understand what sort of play experience and investment they are getting themselves into. Many new warrior guild members are often overwhelmed by how much they need to get for their equipment. They proud and excited about their first 5,000 gold that they spent so much time to get, along with everything else, and then they are told to get another 50,000

I remember for myself, I couldn't hit anything until I transed either combat or knighthood, sounds like that was changed though.

How far up are the strong/est bashing skills in the various archetypes? Are they all at trans of the main skill, or are some lower down?

Well, you get a total of 6k from the collegium alone :P .
Druid's highest bashing attack is at Fabled +80% in Druidry.

@Deschain If we're talking investment to join mid range PK on an even field, you're going to want to at least have the lesser rune of demesnes as a druid, I promise you. That's not to say that at absolute minimum you can't get by without it, but having the least (outside of bards perhaps) ability to maintain any sort of offense while moving, the extra ten rooms makes an ENORMOUS amount of difference in terms of raw combat ability for a druid. As it's really the only artifact that's of any specific and large use, including it seems acceptable for druids, while mages need it FAR FAR less, as they have the option to use TK instead of their demesne.

Enyalida:

they have the option to use TK instead of their demesne.

Not every mage is TK(though the majority are yes)

Stag doesn't have any silly extra non-power costs. Both illuminati and institute do in flesh and gems respectively however.

It's not just a larger demesne, it also lengthens your effect times. I just know that for a long time I thought there was little point to a demesne rune, and then I got one. Now I don't know how I lived without it. And you're not going to get the chance to meld in group combat if the choice is between you with no rune and someone with one, so I don't think it's unreasonable to say you need it to be competitive.

daganev:
Archetype: Bard
Best At: Hunting/Bashing

I think "Influencing" should be on that last one.

Greleag:
Your bard info doesn't mention how bards kill.

That sounds pretty accurate! :)

One on they might not be the best, but in groups bards are pretty damn good at getting the kill and in general to be honest. Its not like 1v1 combat is relevant anymore in Lusternia except for the rarest of occasions or for egos.

Demesne rune is nice to have but hardly a requirement to be competitive.

Warriors probably require the most credit investment to be competitive.

A demesne rune being a necessity for any melder 1v1 situation of any kind is pretty much bunk. Especially with druids as they are after their substantial upgrades.

In addition, the argument that druids lose their primary skillset if outside of their meld is a peculiar one as all melders suffer from the same issue. There's nothing special to be seen here.

Druids are worse off outside their demesne than a mage is. Psionics is just better alone than any tert a druid gets.

That being said if you are a mage choosing to fight outside of your demesne instead of in it you are just being silly. No reason to give up half of your offense.

Druids also have access to Shamanism. Also Commune bards only get Ecology/Illusions and City bards get Illusion/Tarot.

For 1 v 1, Bards can work towards damage killing (aurics+dchord). For groups, Bards can work towards deathsong.

Nydekion:

In addition, the argument that druids lose their primary skillset if outside of their meld is a peculiar one as all melders suffer from the same issue. There's nothing special to be seen here.

What, you can't use elementalism outside of terrain?

Eh, there's nothing in elementalism you'll be using in a fight*, and 90% of *mancy has to be in the right terrain.

*That can't be enchanted and so everyone has it anyways.

You mean the skills that anyone with a piece of jewelry has access to? :P Apparently there needs to be a nature flow (and faeriefire) enchantment.

I think what Enyalida is shooting at is that Nature -requires- enchantments if there is no forest, while Elementalism/Cosmic can be used either as is or with enchantments, with or without proper terraining.

Nature flow and faeriefire enchants, let's do it.

I'll also settle for acrobatics dingbat arties.

KARMA BLESSING DRAWDOWN

Draylor:


That's pretty difficult and wholly dependent on what you are actually attaining, but a few things to take into consideration are:

Tri-trans. (This is generally a given, sure)
Trans Influence. (Bards are mostly high charisma.)

As for artifacts:

Gripping (150cr)
Custom Instrument (If you want this kind of thing - 50cr)
Influence Runes (100cr each)
Life Runes (Bards are generally very squishy, so this needs taking into account - 350-1400cr)
Magical Enhancement (400 - 1600cr)

None of the runes you listed are needed for a bard to be effective at combat. Tarot provides great escape utility with starleaper and hermit, and glamours provides tankiness with illusoryself. With my pitiful faeling con, I could still tank many a thing with illusoryself.