EverQuest has fourteen separate character classes, seven of which are available for Erudites. Why just these seven? Well, look at the ones from which we are excluded.
We really couldn�t have Erudite warriors. Erudites exist on a higher plane of consciousness, one that precludes simple sword swinging for anything other than a higher cause. Besides, our intellect is such that you just couldn�t keep control of magic completely out.
Barbarians, Trolls, Ogres and similar primitives are Shamans. No race has both Shamans and Clerics. Obviously we have gone beyond the early stage of evolution.
The life of a Rogue is a tawdry one, and unseemly for a race that prizes purity and/or sheer power. Hiding, sneaking, backstabbing�no follower of Erud�s vision could countenance such things. And even �Heretics� follow Erud�s vision - they�ve just modified it a bit.
Rangers? Druids? Beastlords? Give me a break. The lot of them are woolly-minded, tree-hugging, anti-intellectuals that rely on �natural knowledge� (whatever that is). An Erudite reads books to learn. A Ranger would use it to light his campfire, a Druid would mourn the tree from which the paper came and I don�t want to even THINK how a Beastlord would use one.
But, a Bard - now that is a possibility. Are Erudites not the highest pinnacle of Norrathian evolution? Are we not the cleverest, the most learned, the most concerned with the nuances of existence? And is it not said that music is the highest expression of creativity, a greater magic than anything that our esteemed wizards, mages and enchanters can weave? Does not music soothe the savage beast?
Obviously we are not talking of some simple itinerant busker here, sprawled across a street corner picking out some bawdy ballad for a few coppers! Oh no. Our Erudite bard would be an artist, a practitioner of the highest forms of sentient expression. A maker of music that pierces the soul, a writer of lyrics that stir the emotions, a peddler of tunes that calm the angry, uplift the depressed and justify the righteous.
What would an Erudite Bard be? Well, they would have the same privileges and restrictions that Bards enjoy (or endure) today. The starting Statistics can be worked out by careful examination of the figures from other classes (it's not hard to crack the code).
Strength 65
Stamina 70
Agility 70
Dexterity 80
Wisdom 83
Intelligence 107
Charisma 75
With the standard 25 bonus points that Bards get.
A quick look at these figures might prompt the cynical to ask why anyone would WANT to play an Erudite Bard, but it�s not too bad. Intelligence is important for Bards and an Erudite version would certainly top any other race. An Erudite Bard would have the highest Wisdom too, although Wisdom is of little use to Bards. The remaining Statistics are of varying importance to the class and all are below what the other races have. The usual way of recompensing this (well, it happened with Paladins anyway) is to provide some good Erudite-only Bard items. Not too many would be needed (not judging by what Paladins get, anyway).
As for the practical aspects, the Bards would need a headquarters. The library would be an ideal location but the noise levels would probably preclude using it! I would settle for an informal gathering of music-makers, possibly on one floor of the Erudin palace, providing a gentle meditative strumming to the inhabitants therein. Obviously, they would not be allied to any organisation like the Antonican league.
The range of Bardic armor is not wildly dissimilar to that of Clerics. The graphics mostly already exist. It would not be hard to set up. You might need more quests, but quests specifically for a particular class and race are quite rare and usually only low-level. At higher levels, our Erudite Bards could join in the existing quests.
Bring on the Bards! Let us hear sweet music in Erudin!