Matthew Hayward wrote:
Another way of looking at is is that Bards have been using a "class based legendary" since 2008, when it was accidentally printed at UR.
I guess it depends on if you're trying to measure distance from prior UR, or dead reckoning on power level.
Widseth's Legendary provides, as a slotless* effect:
1. Two standard actions per round, as long as one of them is Bardsong. Unlimited free actions necessary to get your hands right allowing you to do things like perform bardsong, perform a two handed bow ranged attack, and read a scroll off shield of the scholar all in the same turn.
2. +2 to hit and damage for the entire party. That's like upgrading everyone's uncommon weapons to UR, or rares to Relics, or Relics to Legendaries.
Again... slotless*.
This is enormously powerful. It's also not a tremendous difference from UR Widseth's Mystical Lute.
Whether to measure based on prior BiS or based on total power level is a matter of opinion I suppose, without having an otherwise defined goal to optimize for.
* Not technically slotless, but practically slotless - if you disagree please propose a scenario where this token's behavior differs materially from what it would be if it was technically slotless.
Uh... Not exactly. You are making a few equivalencies here that are messing around with what is actually going on rules-wise, and that can lead to some misunderstandings, so I'm just trying to clarify.
With the Legendary Lute, Bard can Bardsong and perform any standard action at the same time. While Bardsong is normally a standard action, and it is easy to draw a practical equivalency here, the Legendary does not in fact grant two standard actions as long as one of them is Bardsong. Bardsong happens at the same time while the Bard does any standard action. The Lute is still a two-handed token, and as such whatever you do with your standard and one free action has to agree with what you could do without the Lute. So, in your example, if I were to use a two-handed ranged weapon to attack (a former attack strategy of mine with which I am very familiar), I would not have access to the Shield of the Scholar to cast a scroll in the same round, as the Shield cannot be equipped in the off-hand ranged slot. This means I would need to use my one free action that round to change the ranged weapon out for my melee set which includes the Shield. If I had started the attack with a one-handed melee weapon and the Shield in off-hand melee slot, I could use my free action to cast a scroll from the Shield, just like normal.
One free action, always and forever, and hands count, even through the magic of the Lute.
That's why it might seem practically slotless, but it isn't when it comes to switching out what you would have in your hands while using the Lute. Think of it more like the Lute creates a magical pair of hands to do what you would normally do. It does not allow you to break the rules of equipped items or switching things out to do something else.
The big thing that the Lute does with regard to the free action is free it up a bit by not having to swap instruments each round to do the standard action you want to do while maintaining Bardsong. For example, previously I would start with Lyre of Lore, Bardsong as a standard and do the Monster Lore check at the same time, then use my free action to switch to Widseth's or use a free-action-unlocker token to do something in prep for the next round (Tulz, Quiver of Annointment, etc.). I couldn't use the Shield because the Lyre of Lore took up both hands to use. Next round with Widseth's equipped I could use my melee or ranged set. Bardsong as a standard and attack at the same time, free action to do whatever I have available (I was ranged, so I would usually choose to down a Cat's Grace potion and then attack with +1 ammo so I wouldn't have to slide very high to hit the creature). If I didn't use my free action to swap out for Widseth's, I could use my free action in the second round to make the swap and attack as usual. After that there wasn't much point in switching instruments, so the free action was free to do whatever utility needed to be done for third round, which was usually nothing as the combat would typically end in the third or fourth round.
With the Legendary Lute, the same strategy applies, only now I don't have to switch out the instrument in the first round. So now my strategy is Bardsong and Monster Lore as standard action, free action to drink a potion or cast a spell from Ring of Spell Storing (especially if Troubadour). If I was a combat sliding Bard, I'd use that free action to switch to either ranged or melee, and if melee I'm set up to use the Shield next round. Second round, Bardsong and cast two scrolls with Lenses of Sage Speed, one as standard and the other as a free action. If sliding, Bardsong and attack slide, and Shield for a scroll as a free action.
The Legendary Lute acts sort of like a wild instrument, allowing me to do Bardsong and any standard action at the same time, but I still have to obey the rules of what's in my hands and one free action. I understand how it might seem practically slotless, but there's more going on behind the rules of the Legendary Lute than first appears.
As to your second point, I agree completely, only your number is off slightly. A 5th level Bard with Legendary Lute grants everyone in the party +4/+4, which effectively results in everyone wielding near legendary weapons at a minimum, and since legendary equipment is typically reserved for nightmare runs, we're talking potential +9 uber-legendary weapon levels over normal here. Having that Legendary Lute-wielding Bard in the party can cause a huge swing in everyone's favor, and is the reason why Incognito has an exterminate with extreme prejudice policy towards all Bards in Grind.
The save reroll has already saved the party once, during a run at Origins. Turning that nat 1 into a nat 15 felt great.
I love my Legendary Lute. But I also acknowledge that it "goes to 11" as regards the level of power it brings to the party. For PUGs, I purposely dial it down to be appropriate, and sometimes don't take all the actions that are available to me, playing as if I had an uncommon instrument for the room. I want to support the other players in having fun, not turn the dungeon into a cakewalk. Unless cakewalks are what the other players think is fun. Either way, I'm good.
So while directly to me personally as an individual player it doesn't do a whole lot, it definitely does a lot for the whole party, and that's why it is possibly in the top tier of the legendary tokens rating meter for some experienced TD players.
