Design-A-Profession Contest/Winning Entry

= The Troubadour =

Introduction
“He rolled up his sleeves, cleared his throat, tuned his violin and charged into battle.” – A Troubadour, trying to gain fame. Troubadours are excellent performers who are, originally, battle tested individuals. Their involvement with groups of heroes is not for the sake of entertaining. Troubadours have the power to put their soul into their craft, and with Song and Music they reach the Gods’ ears.

General Information
Troubadour is a unique profession that has a few similarities with caster types. Troubadours have the power to achieve the Gods’ blessings by dedicating Songs and Music, which are the main skills that make them worthy of their place in any party. Another strong point Troubadours have is their ability to deal damage with Musical Instruments. This Sound damage is unique to their class and all skills related to it prove very formidable and may not be taken lightly.

Song
One of the main purposes of Troubadours is singing. Songs have a semi-long duration and, usually, affect all allies or foes within earshot who are listening to them. Songs are vocal skills, which mean they abide by the governing rules of Shouts and Chants. Most Song skills have effects more beneficial (or harmful) to caster type professions.

Music
This is the other main purpose of Troubadours. Each Music requires the wielding of the appropriate Musical Instrument. Music may affect all allies or foes that are listening to it. Most Music skills have effects that are more beneficial (or harmful) to combat type professions. Note: You may sing a Song and play Music at the same time. You may be listening to a Song and hearing Music at the same time as well.

Dedication
Dedications are the means of achieving the Gods’ blessings. Once a dedication is in effect, it begins counting completed Songs and Music until the required number is achieved and the party is blessed.

Musical Attack
These skills utilize the range and effect of the three types of Musical Instruments to deal Sound damage to foes.

Deafness
While suffering from this condition, you are unaffected by Shouts, Chants, Songs or Music and any Sound damage you receive is halved.

Song and Music

 * Whenever a Song ends or is completed all your Song skills are disabled for 20 seconds.
 * A Song is completed if its duration is over or it has been sung for 60 seconds.
 * Songs end before completion if you use a Shout, Chant or you are knocked down or Dazed. Songs also end before completion when you are affected by a Hex or Condition which would normally prevent the use of Shouts and Chants.
 * Whenever Music ends or is completed all your Music skills are disabled for 20 seconds.
 * Music is completed if its duration is over or it has been played for 60 seconds.
 * While playing Music, you may not Attack with your Musical Instrument.
 * Music ends before completion if you change your weapon, use a Musical Attack skill, Preparation, Trap or are knocked down.

Order and Control

 * You may not switch Songs or Music before ending or completing the current one.
 * Songs and Music may be ended manually the same way an Enchantment is dismissed.

Conflict of Songs and Music
If you are in the range of more than one Song or one Music, you are only affected by the closest source. If both sources are at the same distance from you then you are affected only by the one you were already listening to. If they are at same distance, and have affected you at the same time, you are affected by none until the situation changes.

Dedication

 * Only completed Songs or Music may count towards dedication to a God. If that performance ends before it is completed, then it does not count towards dedication.
 * A performance (Song or Music) counts towards a Dedication even if the Dedication was not in effect when that performance began.
 * There may be only one Dedication in effect and switching to a new Dedication resets the count of dedicated performances.
 * Once a blessing is achieved via dedication of performances, the Dedication ends.

Sound damage and Musical Instruments

 * Sound damage is ranged and there is no armor against it.
 * Musical Instruments may not achieve a critical hit or miss.
 * Musical Instruments and Musical Attacks ignore obstructions.

Soul Voice (Primary)
Whenever you complete a Song or Music your Song or Music skills’ disable time is shortened by 1 second for each rank of Soul Voice. Many skills, especially those related to achieving the Gods’ blessings through Songs and Music, become more effective with higher Soul Voice.

Song Memory
For each rank in Song Memory your Songs’ duration is increased by 1 second. Many skills, especially those related to Songs and singing, become more effective with higher Song Memory.

Rhythm
Rhythm increases the damage you do with instruments. For each rank in Rhythm your Music duration is increased by 1 second. Many skills, especially those related to Music and dealing Sound damage, become more effective with higher Rhythm.

Technique
No inherit effect. Many skills, especially those related to increasing Song and Music efficiency, become more effective with higher Technique.

Weaponry
Note: All Musical Instruments are two-handed weapons.

Base Instrument

 * Maximum damage range: 5 - 10 (to all foes in the area)
 * Damage type: Sound Damage.
 * Attack rate: 1.2 seconds.

Note
Although Beat Instruments deal damage to all foes in the area, one foe must be targeted to attack, and in the case the attack steals Health or is Zealous in nature, it behaves as though only the targeted foe is being hit.

String Instrument

 * Maximum damage range: 10-15
 * Damage type: Sound Damage.
 * Attack rate: 1 second

Wind Instrument

 * Maximum damage range: 15-20
 * Damage type: Sound Damage.
 * Attack rate: 1.3 seconds

Upgrades
Musical Instruments are unique and require some different effects to their upgrades than those found commonly in martial or spell casting weapons.
 * Musical Instruments’ upgrades may not alter their damage type, give critical % increase or Armor Penetration % increase.
 * The upgrades, also, may not lengthen Condition duration on foes.

Examples of Musical Instrument-specific upgrades include % increase to Sound damage dealt with Musical Attacks, % chance of Music or Song duration increasing by %20, and % chance that Musical Attacks recharge instantly.

Status

 * Maximum Health is 500 points.
 * Maximum Energy is 30, with 4 Energy regeneration.
 * Troubadours have a maximum armor of 60, same as that of Monk class. They wear colorful, fashion statements, befitting a star.

Class-specific Insignias

 * Vocalist’s Insignia: 10 armor while singing.
 * Performer’s Insignia: 10 armor while playing music.
 * Commercial Break Insignia: 3 armor for each recharging Song and Music skill.
 * Cotton Insignia: Reduces Sound damage you receive by 3.

Soul Voice

 * Private Channel: Enchantment spell. While you maintain this enchantment, target other ally is affected by your Song and Music skills even outside the normal range. 5 energy, 2 second activation time, 4 second recharge.
 * Protective Whisper: Enchantment spell. Target touched ally and all nearby allies are cured from Deafness and cannot suffer from that condition for 1…17 seconds. 10 energy, 5/4 second activation time, 12 second recharge.
 * Shrike: Shout. All your skills are disabled for 20…3 seconds. All foes within earshot are interrupted.  This skill causes exhaustion. 25 energy, 30 second recharge.
 * Soul Amplifier: Elite Stance. For 0…16 seconds, the range of your Shout, Chant, Song and Music skills is increased by %50. When this Stance ends it causes exhaustion.	10 energy, 30 second recharge.
 * Steady Nerves: Stance. For 4…20 seconds, your Songs and Music do not end if you are knocked down. 5 energy,	15 second recharge.
 * To Balthazar: Dedication. After 5 performances (Songs or Music) are completed while this Dedication is in effect, your party receives the blessing of Balthazar and deal %15 more damage with physical attacks for 20…120 seconds. 3 second activation time.
 * To Dwayna: Dedication. After 5 performances (Songs or Music) are completed while this Dedication is in effect, your party receives the blessing of Dwayna and all Health gain is increased by %10 for 20…120 seconds. 3 second activation time.

Song Memory

 * Feel The Breeze:	Elite Song. For 0…16 seconds, allies listening to this Song recover from exhaustion twice as fast.  10 energy. 1 energy upkeep.
 * “Listen to me!”:	Shout. All allies within earshot may only be affected by your Shouts, Chants and Songs for 4…12 seconds.  10 energy, 30 second recharge.
 * No Faith: Song. For 0…4 seconds, foes listening to this song lose 1…3 Energy every 4 seconds.	10 energy, 1 energy upkeep.
 * Top Hit: Skill. Your next Song skill does not disable once it completes or ends, but all your other Song skills will be disabled for an additional 9…1 seconds. 5 energy, 1 second activation time, 60 second recharge.
 * We Have The Power: Song. For 0…4 seconds, allies listening to this Song gain 1…3 Energy every 4 seconds. 10 energy, 1 energy upkeep.
 * Remember Again: Song. For 0…8 seconds, whenever an ally uses a skill while listening to this Song, that skill recharges %20 faster. 10 energy, 1 energy upkeep.

Rhythm

 * Final Note: Musical Attack. If wielding an Air Instrument, you deal 30…70 Sound damage to target foe. 10 energy, 1 second activation time, 10 second recharge.
 * Palm Slam: Musical Attack. If wielding a Beat Instrument, you deal 20…35 Sound damage to all foes in the area. 15 energy, 1 second activation time, 5 second recharge.
 * Record: Skill. Your next Music skill does not disable once it completes or ends, but all your other Music skills will be disabled for an additional 9…1 seconds.	5 energy, 1 second activation time, 60 second recharge.
 * Solo Shred: Musical Attack. If wielding a String Instrument, target foe takes 10…30 Sound damage per second for 3 seconds. 5 energy, 1 second activation time, 15 second recharge.
 * Speed Melody: Music. If wielding an Air Instrument, for 0…16 seconds, allies listening to this Music move %10 faster. 10 energy, 1 energy upkeep.
 * War Beat: Elite Music. If wielding a Beat Instrument, for 0…8 seconds, whenever an ally uses an Adrenaline skill while listening to this Music, that ally gains 1…3 strikes of Adrenaline. 10 energy, 1 energy upkeep.

Technique

 * Deep Breath: Skill. Your next Song’s duration is increased by 0…16 seconds. 5 energy,		2 second activation time, 20 second recharge.
 * High Static: Elite Hex Spell. Target foe and all nearby foes are Hexed with High Static for 3…19 seconds and all Sound damage they receive is doubled.  Whenever this Hex ends on a foe, that foe suffers from Deafness for 3…19 seconds. 15 energy, 2 second activation time, 20 second recharge.
 * Minor Vibrations: Hex Spell. For 5…13 seconds, Sound damage dealt to target foe is increased by %50.	5 energy, 2 second activation time, 10 second recharge.
 * Sound Barrier: Spell. All your Music and Musical Attacks are disabled for 10 seconds. You create a Sound Barrier in the area that lasts 2…10 seconds.  All Sound damage within the Sound Barrier is negated. 10 energy, 1 second activation time, 10 second recharge.
 * Tune Up:	Skill. Your next Music’s duration is increased by 0…16 seconds. 5 energy,		2 second activation time, 20 second recharge.
 * Warm Up:	Skill. Your next 5 performances’ (Songs or Music) total duration are each increased by %5…%50. 5 energy, 5 second activation time, 60 second recharge.

Troubadour as primary

 * A Troubadour may benefit from utility skills and protective stances of various combat professions to keep from being pressured while performing.
 * However, a Troubadour may, usually, dedicate 3 to 4 skill slots for supportive skills such as Protection Spells, Blood Magic Spells or Mesmer Spells. It gives them something to do while performing.
 * When not going for a full performance of Song and Music, a Troubadour usually goes for a Song-Musical Attack combination or a Music-Paragon Chants, for full utilization of Primary advantages.
 * When not focused on support, Troubadours – when there’s more than one – can become a serious threat by spiking with Musical Attacks.

Troubadours as secondary

 * Typically, Warriors and Paragons would not venture to have Troubadour as secondary because their scarce energy resources.
 * But having a specific Song or Music equipped by each spell caster in a party may contribute highly to team work.