The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep – Glossary

Glossary

Adventurer

Each character you control is an adventurer.

Stats

Adventurers have 5 core stats: Strength, Constitution, Armor, Intelligence, and Spell Points.

Party

This refers to all the adventurers under your control collectively.

Party Bar

This refers to the User Interface element at the bottom of your screen that has all your adventurers on it.

Item

Items are found in the Inventory. They can sometimes be equipped, used, inspected, bought, and sold.

Ability

Abilities are actions you can take in combat. Melee attacks, magic spells, and even using potions are all Abilities. Key Ability types:

Arcane – This Ability’s damage is determined by Intelligence rather than Strength.

Battle Ready – This Ability starts off cooldown in combat.

Channel – The combatant will become inactive for the number of turns listed while preparing the Ability, rendering them incapable of acting. Can be ended prematurely by Mental damage.

Drunk – When your Bard reaches this number of Drunken stacks, they unlock their songs’ secondary effects.

Stance – A channeled Ability that allows the combatant to keep acting.

Skill Tree

Each adventurer has their own Skill Tree based on their archetype. The Skill Tree is populated with Skills that can be bought for one Skill Point each. Each time an adventurer levels up, they earn one Skill Point.

Skills

Skills are purchased within the Skill Tree to improve your character. Skills can grant stats, passives, crafting recipes, and Abilities.

Passive

Passives are properties of an adventurer that are always in effect. Many passives have trigger conditions under which they’ll activate.

Status Effect

Status Effects are bonuses or penalties that have a limited duration. For example, being poisoned is a status effect which only lasts for a few turns.

Boon

Boons are special passives that are granted by correctly solving elven puzzle weapons. There are special enhancements to the puzzle weapon that will grant your adventurer extra Abilities to aid in combat.

Luck Stone

Luck Stones are magical pillars where you can save your game and restore your party’s health. They come in two varieties, Gold and Ancient. Gold Luck Stones can be saved at as often as you like. You can choose to bind an Ancient Luck Stone to turn it into a regular golden Luck Stone, or consume it for bonus Experience Points. If you consume it then it is removed for the rest of the game.

Standing Stone

Standing Stones are massive stonehenge-like circles of ancient carved rock. You can activate them by singing the Wildland Whistle. Once you have two or more unlocked, you can use the Wildland Whistle to open up the fast travel menu and warp between them. We call this the High Road.

Standing Stone of Gratitude

Standing Stones of Gratitude are ancient monuments to great heroes of Skara Brae. Interact with them to gain bonus experience.

Merchant

Merchants are characters who you can buy and sell items with. Review Board The Review Board is located on the bottom floor of the Adventurer’s Guild. Whenever you have spent 8 Skill Points in a skill tier, you may return to the Review Board to unlock your next tier.

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Classes – The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep Race / Culture – The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep – Damage Types The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep – Defense Types The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep – Abilities The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep – Combat Guide The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep – Exploration The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep – Important Stats The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep – Party and Companions The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep – Skill Trees The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep – The World The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep – Weapons