Bard BiS List for Classic Everquest

This page is my BiS (Best in Slot) list for Bards in Classic Everquest. I created this guide in 2024 after the Tower was released, this is a new zone which is available on Progression servers and it gives you an entire set of very powerful non-vis gear in early eras. For this reason I will have a (Pre-Tower) note for some items which let you know it was BiS before Tower. This makes the BiS list still useful for private servers.

Bards will typically want a full set of instruments to increase the effectiveness of their favorite songs along with Haste and an item to pull enemies. If you're in a raiding guild you may also want to As far as stats go you'll want AC, HP, Stamina, Strength and Dexterity. Everyone has their favorite but I would recommend the first three because keeping yourself alive is most important.

Weapon Slots

(Percussion 14) Instrument: Selo`s Drums of the March (Lord Nagafen in Nagafen's Lair)

(Brass 15) Instrument: Denon's Horn of Disaster (PoSky Bard Quest)

(Brass 14) Instrument: McVaxius` Horn of War (Lady Vox in Permafrost Keep during Kunark it drops off more dragons)

(String 14) Instrument: Kelin`s Seven Stringed Lute (Maestro of Rancor in Plane of Hate)

(Wind 14) Instrument: Lyssa`s Darkwood Piccolo (Dread, Fright and Terror in Plane of Fear)

(Wind 12) Instrument: Ervaj`s Flute of Flight (PoSky Bard Quest)

(Wind 12) Instrument: Unicorn Horn (Equestrielle the Corrupted in Lesser Faydark)

Primary: Spear of Harmony (PoSky Bard Quest)

Secondary: Serpent's Tooth (Master Yael in The Hole)

Range: Antonian Javelin (Made with Blacksmithing skill 112)

Ammo: Antonian Javelin (Made with Blacksmithing skill 112)

Visible Slots

Arms: Golden Efreeti Vambraces (Noble Dojorn, Overseer of Air and the Hand of Veeshan in Plane of Sky)

Chest: Imbrued Platemail Breastplate (a scorn banshee or thought destroyer in Plane of Hate)
Chest (Resist): Red Dragonscale Armor (Quest Reward)

Feet: Imbrued Platemail Boots (a scorn banshee or thought destroyer in Plane of Hate)

Hands: Gauntlets of Fiery Might (Lord Nagafen in Nagafen's Lair during Kunark it will drop from many other dragons)

Head (DPS): Hammerhead Helm (Cauldronbubble in Kedge Keep)
Head (Magic Res): Crown of King Tranix (King Tranix in Nagafen's Lair) or Skull-Shaped Barbute (the ghoul lord in Lower Guk)

Legs: Imbrued Platemail Greaves (a scorn banshee or thought destroyer in Plane of Hate)

Wrist (1): Granite Bracer (Petrifin in Rathe Mountains)
You can wear two of these if you'd like

Wrist (2): Imbrued Platemail Bracer (a scorn banshee or thought destroyer in Plane of Hate)
This is another bracer that you can wear two of, it's also regarded as BiS depending on what stats you want more

(Tower BiS) Non-Vis Slots

This section includes the best in slot items that come from Tower (aka Tides of Time), a dungeon added in 2024 which is available on the TLP servers. You can purchase a full set of non-vis armor from Tower which gets upgrades every 10 levels. During this era of EQ the best tower gear has the prefix "Excellent"; in order to make this gear BiS though you'll need to purchase the augs that go with it too. Each piece of gear from Tower has a slot 25, you'll need to put an aug in this slot to make the Tower gear exceptional.

If you're a melee class you'll want to use the aug with Vigorous on it. Casters will want to choose the aug with Brilliant on it.

Back: Excellent Cloak of Distant Echoes

Charm: Excellent Charm of Distant Echoes

Earring (1): Excellent Stud of Distant Echoes

Earring (2): Excellent Stud of Distant Echoes

Face: Excellent Mask of Distant Echoes

Fingers (1): Excellent Ring of Distant Echoes

Fingers (2): Excellent Band of Distant Echoes

Neck: Excellent Neck of Distant Echoes

Shoulders: Excellent Shawl of Distant Echoes

Waist(No Haste): Excellent Belt of Distant Echoes

Note: Allakhazam doesn't have links to this level tower gear atm, they have spotty database links to all of the Tower gear from what I have seen.

(Pre-Tower) Non-Vis Slots

Back (Haste): Cloak of Flames (Lord Nagafen in Nagafen's Lair and Talendor/Ixiblat Fer/Severilous during Kunark)
Back (Alternate): Shield of the Immaculate (Lord of Ire in the Plane of Hate)

Charm: N/A

Earring (1): Diamondine Earring (Lasna Cheroon & Princess Cherista in Castle Mistmoore)
You can use this in both slots if you'd like

Earring (2): Black Sapphire Electrum Earring (Jewelcrafting 140 Skill)

Face: Mask of Song (PoSky Bard Quest)

Fingers (1): Djarn's Amethyst Ring (Efreeti Lord Djarn in Nagafen's Lair)

Fingers (2): Platinum Fire Wedding Ring (Jewelcrafting 268 Skill)

Neck: Amulet of the Fae (PoSky Bard Quest)

Shoulders: Mantle of the Songweaver (PoSky Bard Quest)

Waist: Bone-Clasped Girdle (a dracoliche, Dread, Fright, Terror in Plane of Fear)

Gear Alternatives

This section includes some other gear ideas which may or may not be BiS during this era. During this early phase of EQ you can't cap all of your stats and what's BiS varies a bit depending on your situation. That's why I wanted to give you a couple more options for gear instead of only using what's best in slot.

[Group Gears]

Primary: Runed Falchion

Secondary: Sharkjaw Cutlass

Range: Dragoon Dirk, Runed Bone Fork

Ammo: N/A

Arms: Lambent Vambraces, Mithril Vambraces

Chest: Lambent Breastplate, Mithril Breastplate

Feet: Kobold-Hide Boots, Dwarven Work Boots

Hands: Elf-Hide Gloves, Charred Gauntlets, Lambent Gauntlets, Dark Mail Gauntlets

Head: Executioners Hood, Skull-shaped Barbute, Blackened Iron Crown, Crested Helm

Legs: Silver-Plated Leggings, Drake-hide Leggings

Wrists: Runed Mithril Bracer, Granite Bracer, Hero Bracers