Barding Difficulty List

By Nadya Modavia of Catskills, Legendary Bard

(Updated for Ultima Online: Age of Shadows)

My grandfather Leurocian informed me that more creatures can now be swayed by a bard’s song and dance. This list has been updated based on the recollection of a conversation I recently had with him.

I want to give special thanks to Vex for providing me with a bard skill debugging option on Test Center. This allowed me to retrieve difficulty ratings quickly and accurately. I also want to thank Hanse for taking me to Green Acres on Test Center and summoning a bunch of hard to find critters for me. Lastly, I want to thank the UO community for helping me along the way with acquiring accurate barding information.

Click here to use Bard Skill Calculator

Update for Peacemaking in Publish 21. I asked Vex about this, and here are my questions to him and his responses:

Q: I wanted to update my UO bard page after Pub 21 with the new peacemaking adjustment. Do you know what the % chance for critters to break peace when hit will be? And how is it calculated?

A: Basically, with Pub 21, every time a monster is hit its chance to break the peacemake effect is increased by 0.1% for each point of damage taken, and the chance is tested right then. This means that if you peace a critter and don't attack, it's still likely to remain under peacemake effect for a good while. However, attacking it will break the effect pretty quickly.

Q: Is this 'amount of damage taken' reset after each successful re-peace?

A: The effect is cumulative, so the more you hit the target the greater its chance of breaking the effect.

As always, thanks Vex for the information!

% Success Formula

· 50 + 2 * (Bard Skill - Bard Difficulty after Modifiers)

· Look up creature’s base difficulty on list below (e.g., lich lord base difficulty is 106.4).

· Apply all Bard Difficulty Modifiers as described below (e.g., exceptional instrument and Peacemaking reduce base difficulty by 15 points, so the Bard Difficulty for the lich lord becomes 106.4 – 15 = 91.4).

· Subtract Bard Difficulty from Bard Skill (e.g., if Peacemaking is 100 then 100 – 91.4 = 8.6).

· Multiply result of the subtraction by 2 (e.g., 8.6 * 2 = 17.2).

· Add 50 to the result of the multiplication (e.g., 17.2 + 50 = 67.2).

· % Success in the above example = 67.2%.

Bard Difficulty Modifiers

· Instrument

· Reduce base difficulty by 5 (10%) when using an exceptional instrument.

· Reduce base difficulty by 10 points (20%) when using an enchanted instrument of aligned type.

· Increase base difficulty by 10 points (20%) when using an enchanted instrument of opposite aligned type.

· Musicianship

· If Musicianship is above 100, subtract 100 from your Musicianship skill and divide the result by 2. This is your Musicianship bonus.

· Reduce base difficulty by your Musicianship bonus (e.g., 10 points for Musicianship of 120, 20%).

· Skill

· Reduce base difficulty by 5 points (10%) when performing Provocation.

· Reduce base difficulty by 10 points (20%) when performing Discordance or Targeted Peacemaking.

Notes

To figure out % success for provoking two creatures to fight, calculate % success separately for each creature, add them together, and divide by 2.

The base range of all bard abilities is 8 tiles, with each 15 points of skill in the ability being used increasing this range by one tile.

As of Age of Shadows, Discordance no longer reduces a creature’s stats: strength, dexterity, intelligence, hit points, stamina, and mana. However, Discordance reduces physical resistance, all elemental resistances, and skills by up to 20% at Grandmaster and 28% and Legendary. Swing rate, damage, and chance to evade are directly reduced; this is in addition to the skill reduction of anatomy, tactics, lumberjacking, weapon skill, wrestling, parry, etc. Discordance still lowers a creature’s base barding difficulty.

To calculate a creature's base barding difficulty (before any modifiers are applied), go on Test Center, set Peacemaking to the absolute minimum skill allowed for a Targeted Peacemaking attempt, and add +35 to the minimum skill.

For example: Dragon minimum difficulty that allows a Targeted Peacemaking attempt is 70.0. 70.0 + 35 = 105.0.

The difficulty numbers for Provocation, Discordance, and Peacemaking listed in the table below are the skill values required in those skills for 50% success. Other modifiers (Musicianship bonus over 100, exceptional instrument bonus, and magical instrument bonus) are not included in the table below. Difficulty ratings vary per creature and will generally fall within +/-2% of the values given below. At this skill level –25.0, the bard has no chance of success and can’t make the attempt. At this skill level +25.0, the bard is guaranteed success and cannot gain skill against this creature.

Creature (Alphabetical)	Difficulty	Creature (Numerical)	Difficulty
Acid Elemental	83.9	Vorpal Bunny	158.2
Agapite Elemental	72.9	Plague Beast Lord	144.5
Air Elemental	75.7	Ancient Lich (Khaldun)	135.9
Alligator	32.2	Sphinx	135.3
Ancient Lich (Khaldun)	135.9	Ancient Wyrm	131.4
Ancient Wyrm	131.4	Tentacles of the Harrower (Khaldun)	131.4
Ant Lion	77.8	Rotting Corpse	128.8
Arctic Ogre Lord	88.8	Serpentine Dragon	128.8
Balron	117.4	Shadow Wyrm	124.9
Betrayer	96.5	Skeletal Dragon	119.7
Bird	4.6	Balron	117.4
Black Bear	31	Devourer of Souls	114.3
Black Solen Infiltrator (Queen)	82.6	Gargoyle Destroyer	110.8
Black Solen Infiltrator (Warrior)	74.2	Exodus Minion Lord	110.6
Black Solen Queen	79.6	Meer Eternal	109.4
Black Solen Warrior	72.9	Phoenix	108.6
Black Solen Worker	58.3	Zealot of Khaldun (Summoner)	108.5
Black Widow	70.6	Ethereal Warrior	107.6
Blackthorn Juggernaut	82.2	Succubus	107.2
Blade Spirit	75.1	Lich Lord	106.4
Blood Elemental	94.9	Poison Elemental	105.1
Boar	7.5	Dragon	105
Bog Thing	86.1	Chaos Dragoon Elite	102.5
Bogling	61.5	White Wyrm	100.3
Bone Knight	69.1	Executioner	99.1
Bone Magi	71.4	Ophidian Matriarch	97.1
Brigand	72.6	Betrayer	96.5
Bronze Elemental	71.8	Juka Mage	96.3
Brown Bear	29.6	Fire Gargoyle	96
Bull	35.8	Zealot of Khaldun (Knight)	96
Bullfrog	29.2	Wandering Healer	95.8
Cat	6	Blood Elemental	94.9
Centaur	79.7	Orc Brute	94.3
Chaos Dragoon	83.8	Titan	93.6
Chaos Dragoon Elite	102.5	Exodus Minion	93
Chicken	3.4	Terathan Avenger	91.5
Controller	81.3	Terathan Matriarch	91.2
Copper Elemental	73.3	Elder Gazer	90.2
Corpser	37.8	Ogre Lord	90
Cougar	33.3	Daemon	89.8
Cow	6.6	Ice Fiend	89.3
Crystal Elemental	83.6	Juka Lord	89
Cursed (Khaldun)	72	Savage Shaman	88.9
Cyclopean Warrior	73.2	Arctic Ogre Lord	88.8
Daemon	89.8	Dark Guardian (Lich)	88.1
Dark Guardian (Lich)	88.1	Giant Beetle	88.1
Deep Sea Serpent	77	Gargoyle Enforcer	88
Desert Ostard	32.3	Meer Mage	86.6
Devourer of Souls	114.3	Ophidian Avenger	86.6
Dire Wolf	50.3	Ophidian Knight-Errant	86.2
Dog	18.7	Unicorn	86.2
Dolphin	35.6	Bog Thing	86.1
Doppleganger	65.4	Juka Warrior	85.6
Dragon	105	Lysander Gathenwale (Khaldun)	85.5
Drake	80.6	Nightmare	85.2
Dread Spider	84.9	Efreet	85
Dull Copper Elemental	73.8	Dread Spider	84.9
Eagle	22	Lich	84.8
Earth Elemental	65	Ki-Rin	84.7
Efreet	85	Acid Elemental	83.9
Elder Gazer	90.2	Chaos Dragoon	83.8
Energy Vortex	77.7	Crystal Elemental	83.6
Enslaved Gargoyle	70.8	Fire Steed	83.6
Ethereal Warrior	107.6	Pixie	83.4
Ettin	47.3	Red Solen Infiltrator (Queen)	83.1
Evil Mage	72.2	Black Solen Infiltrator (Queen)	82.6
Evil Mage Lord	79.6	Blackthorn Juggernaut	82.2
Executioner	99.1	Wisp	82
Exodus Minion	93	Ophidian Zealot	81.8
Exodus Minion Lord	110.6	Kraken	81.7
Fire Elemental	74.5	Ophidian Justicar	81.5
Fire Gargoyle	96	Plague Beast (Not Fed)	81.5
Fire Steed	83.6	Controller	81.3
Flesh Golem	57	Ophidian Shaman	80.7
Forest Ostard	31.6	Drake	80.6
Frenzied Ostard	56.2	Ophidian Apprentice Mage	80.5
Frost Ooze	14.5	Silver Serpent	80.1
Frost Spider	45.4	Centaur	79.7
Frost Troll	67.7	Black Solen Queen	79.6
Gargoyle	72.5	Evil Mage Lord	79.6
Gargoyle Destroyer	110.8	Ratman Mage	79.3
Gargoyle Enforcer	88	Red Solen Queen	79.3
Gazer	73.3	Golem	78.4
Gazer Larva	56.7	Savage Rider	78.3
Ghoul	41.5	Snow Elemental	78.2
Giant Beetle	88.1	Wyvern	78.2
Giant Ice Serpent	53.1	Spectral Armor (Khaldun)	78
Giant Ice Worm	75	Ant Lion	77.8
Giant Rat	25.8	Energy Vortex	77.7
Giant Serpent	71	Meer Captain	77.5
Giant Spider	57.5	Deep Sea Serpent	77
Giant Toad	27.3	Ice Elemental	76.9
Gibberling	58.7	Whipping Vine	75.9
Goat	5.4	Air Elemental	75.7
Golden Elemental	73.9	Sand Vortex	75.6
Golem	78.4	Lava Serpent	75.5
Gore Fiend	48.8	Grimmoch Drummel (Khaldun)	75.3
Gorilla	31.1	Blade Spirit	75.1
Great Hart	27.3	Tavara Sewel (Khaldun)	75.1
Grey Wolf	30.2	Giant Ice Worm	75
Grimmoch Drummel (Khaldun)	75.3	Red Solen Infiltrator (Warrior)	74.8
Grizzly Bear	47.4	Savage Warrior (Male)	74.7
Harpy	56.4	Fire Elemental	74.5
Headless One	23.8	Savage Warrior (Female)	74.3
Hell Hound	62.8	Black Solen Infiltrator (Warrior)	74.2
Hell Hound (Leader)	65	Reaper	74.1
Hellcat (Large)	71.2	Ophidian Warrior	74
Hellcat (Small)	50.2	Valorite Elemental	74
Hind	18.2	Golden Elemental	73.9
Horde Minion (Haven)	27.3	Dull Copper Elemental	73.8
Horse	26.5	Ophidian Enforcer	73.6
Ice Elemental	76.9	Ratman Archer	73.5
Ice Fiend	89.3	Copper Elemental	73.3
Ice Snake	20.6	Gazer	73.3
Imp	70	Cyclopean Warrior	73.2
Jack Rabbit	5.9	Orcish Mage	73.2
Juka Lord	89	Sea Serpent	73.2
Juka Mage	96.3	Morg Bergen (Khaldun)	73
Juka Warrior	85.6	Water Elemental	73
Ki-Rin	84.7	Agapite Elemental	72.9
Kraken	81.7	Black Solen Warrior	72.9
Lava Lizard	58.8	Verite Elemental	72.9
Lava Serpent	75.5	Red Solen Warrior	72.8
Lava Snake	26.5	Brigand	72.6
Lich	84.8	Orcish Lord	72.6
Lich Lord	106.4	Gargoyle	72.5
Lizardman	50.3	Shadow Iron Elemental	72.3
Llama	17	Evil Mage	72.2
Lysander Gathenwale (Khaldun)	85.5	Cursed (Khaldun)	72
Meer Captain	77.5	Bronze Elemental	71.8
Meer Eternal	109.4	Skeletal Mage	71.8
Meer Mage	86.6	Orc Captain	71.7
Meer Warrior	65.9	Bone Magi	71.4
Mongbat (Strong)	31.3	Stone Gargoyle	71.4
Mongbat (Weak)	9.9	Hellcat (Large)	71.2
Morg Bergen (Khaldun)	73	Giant Serpent	71
Mountain Goat	26	Orc Bomber	70.9
Mummy	63.1	Enslaved Gargoyle	70.8
Nightmare	85.2	Black Widow	70.6
Ogre	48.8	Terathan Warrior	70.6
Ogre Lord	90	Stone Harpy	70.3
Ophidian Apprentice Mage	80.5	Imp	70
Ophidian Avenger	86.6	Shade	69.4
Ophidian Enforcer	73.6	Bone Knight	69.1
Ophidian Justicar	81.5	Wraith	68.2
Ophidian Knight-Errant	86.2	Spectre	67.8
Ophidian Matriarch	97.1	Frost Troll	67.7
Ophidian Shaman	80.7	Skeletal Knight	67.4
Ophidian Warrior	74	Orc Chopper	67.3
Ophidian Zealot	81.8	Meer Warrior	65.9
Orc	49.1	War Horse	65.7
Orc Bomber	70.9	Doppleganger	65.4
Orc Brute	94.3	Scorpion	65.1
Orc Captain	71.7	Earth Elemental	65
Orc Chopper	67.3	Hell Hound (Leader)	65
Orc Scout	57.9	Mummy	63.1
Orcish Lord	72.6	Hell Hound	62.8
Orcish Mage	73.2	Ravager	62.8
Pack Horse	32.9	Bogling	61.5
Pack Llama	24.2	Wailing Banshee	60
Panther	36.5	Patchwork Skeleton	59.7
Patchwork Skeleton	59.7	Swamp Dragon	59
Phoenix	108.6	Treefellow	58.9
Pig	5.9	Lava Lizard	58.8
Pixie	83.4	Gibberling	58.7
Plague Beast (Not Fed)	81.5	Black Solen Worker	58.3
Plague Beast Lord	144.5	Orc Scout	57.9
Plague Spawn	53.9	Giant Spider	57.5
Poison Elemental	105.1	Flesh Golem	57
Polar Bear	38.9	Gazer Larva	56.7
Rabbit	6	Harpy	56.4
Rat	6	Frenzied Ostard	56.2
Ratman	49.9	Troll	54.5
Ratman Archer	73.5	Plague Spawn	53.9
Ratman Mage	79.3	Red Solen Worker	53.8
Ravager	62.8	Giant Ice Serpent	53.1
Reaper	74.1	Dire Wolf	50.3
Red Solen Infiltrator (Queen)	83.1	Lizardman	50.3
Red Solen Infiltrator (Warrior)	74.8	Hellcat (Small)	50.2
Red Solen Queen	79.3	Ratman	49.9
Red Solen Warrior	72.8	Orc	49.1
Red Solen Worker	53.8	Skeletal Mount	49.1
Restless Soul	19.8	Gore Fiend	48.8
Rideable Llama	18.9	Ogre	48.8
Ridgeback	29.1	Vampire Bat	48.4
Rotting Corpse	128.8	Swamp Tentacle	48
Sand Vortex	75.6	Grizzly Bear	47.4
Savage Rider	78.3	Ettin	47.3
Savage Shaman	88.9	Shadow Wisp	46.4
Savage Warrior (Female)	74.3	Frost Spider	45.4
Savage Warrior (Male)	74.7	Ghoul	41.5
Scorpion	65.1	Polar Bear	38.9
Sea Serpent	73.2	Skeleton	38.9
Serpentine Dragon	128.8	Skittering Hopper	38.8
Sewer Rat	5.5	Corpser	37.8
Shade	69.4	Terathan Drone	36.9
Shadow Fiend (Khaldun)	22.1	Panther	36.5
Shadow Iron Elemental	72.3	Bull	35.8
Shadow Wisp	46.4	Dolphin	35.6
Shadow Wyrm	124.9	Snow Leopard	34.3
Sheep	6.5	Zombie	34.2
Silver Serpent	80.1	Cougar	33.3
Skeletal Dragon	119.7	Pack Horse	32.9
Skeletal Knight	67.4	Slime	32.5
Skeletal Mage	71.8	Desert Ostard	32.3
Skeletal Mount	49.1	White Wolf	32.3
Skeleton	38.9	Alligator	32.2
Skittering Hopper	38.8	Forest Ostard	31.6
Slime	32.5	Mongbat (Strong)	31.3
Snake	30.3	Gorilla	31.1
Snow Elemental	78.2	Black Bear	31
Snow Leopard	34.3	Snake	30.3
Spectral Armor (Khaldun)	78	Grey Wolf	30.2
Spectre	67.8	Brown Bear	29.6
Sphinx	135.3	Timber Wolf	29.4
Stone Gargoyle	71.4	Bullfrog	29.2
Stone Harpy	70.3	Ridgeback	29.1
Succubus	107.2	Giant Toad	27.3
Swamp Dragon	59	Great Hart	27.3
Swamp Tentacle	48	Horde Minion (Haven)	27.3
Tavara Sewel (Khaldun)	75.1	Horse	26.5
Tentacles of the Harrower (Khaldun)	131.4	Lava Snake	26.5
Terathan Avenger	91.5	Mountain Goat	26
Terathan Drone	36.9	Giant Rat	25.8
Terathan Matriarch	91.2	Pack Llama	24.2
Terathan Warrior	70.6	Headless One	23.8
Timber Wolf	29.4	Shadow Fiend (Khaldun)	22.1
Titan	93.6	Eagle	22
Treefellow	58.9	Ice Snake	20.6
Troll	54.5	Restless Soul	19.8
Unicorn	86.2	Rideable Llama	18.9
Valorite Elemental	74	Dog	18.7
Vampire Bat	48.4	Hind	18.2
Verite Elemental	72.9	Walrus	18.2
Vorpal Bunny	158.2	Llama	17
Wailing Banshee	60	Frost Ooze	14.5
Walrus	18.2	Mongbat (Weak)	9.9
Wandering Healer	95.8	Boar	7.5
War Horse	65.7	Cow	6.6
Water Elemental	73	Sheep	6.5
Whipping Vine	75.9	Cat	6
White Wolf	32.3	Rabbit	6
White Wyrm	100.3	Rat	6
Wisp	82	Jack Rabbit	5.9
Wraith	68.2	Pig	5.9
Wyvern	78.2	Sewer Rat	5.5
Zealot of Khaldun (Knight)	96	Goat	5.4
Zealot of Khaldun (Summoner)	108.5	Bird	4.6
Zombie	34.2	Chicken	3.4