Troubadour - Power Troubadour

This is a test build. You may comment and rate it.

Focused on: Strike damage

Designed for: Open World and Open World General

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Hard

This build was last updated on January 16, 2026.

Overview

Quickness support power troubadour build for open world. Troubadours can provide Quickness and Fury to themselves and nearby allies. Much like virtuoso, troubadours do not use clones nor shatters, replacing them for notes and instruments. As a downside, you no longer have clones that could distract and ocasionally tank enemies for you, and your instruments are melee range.

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Skill Bar

Spear

Dagger/Sword

Utility

Weapon Variants

Usage of Spear requires Janthir Wilds. Usage of Dagger requires Secrets of the Obscure. Other weapon options you can consider are:

• Sword + Sword
• Sword + Focus
• Greatsword

Skill Variants

Heal skill

We default to Signet of the Ether, an offensive heal that resets your Phantasm skills for much higher burst damage. As a downside, you lack a heal on demand, as the Signet becomes part of your damage rotation. Other alternatives are:

• Ether Feast - trades damage and note generation for more healing and condition cleanse. Generally not worth it.

Utility skills

We suggest:
Tale of the Soulkeeper for boons and note generation. Don't replace it.
Tale of the Tortured Mastermind for damage and note generation. Can be replaced if really needed.
Blink as a generic stun break and mobility skill. Can be easily replaced.
Other skills can be considered:

• Mantra of Pain - more damage.
• Tale of the Valiant Marshal - stunbreak and stability.
• Mantra of Resolve - condition cleanse.
• Portal Entre - situationally useful.

Elite skill

We default to Tale of the August Queen as it activates all instruments, activating Symphonic Resonance and Fortissimo. In specific situations, another skill can be considered:

• Signet of Humility - situational, if crowd control is required.

Specializations

Variants

• Bountiful Blades - if using greatsword.
• Shredding - if playing in a group and someone else is already providing Quickness.

Equipment

Ascended gear is not required.

Head
Berserker

Shoulders
Assassin

Chest
Berserker

Hands
Berserker

Legs
Berserker

Feet
Berserker

Backpiece
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Amulet
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Spear
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Dagger
Berserker

Sword
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Relic

If you are gearing this character from zero, start with exotic quality gear. Search the trading post for "Zhed" armor, "Uzoku" dagger, "Bonetti" sword, "Impaler" spear, and "Ebonblade" greatsword. Upgrade to ascended gear as you progress. See also: Guide:How to Gear a Character.

• If you don't have access to land spear with Janthir Wilds, replace it with Focus or Greatsword.
• If you don't have access to dagger with Weaponmaster Training from Secrets of the Obscure, replace it with Mainhand sword.
• Note that you get extra attributes from Fortissimo. In open world, it isn't realistic to have all four instruments playing all the time, but we default to the same gear set used for group content for simplicity and monetary reasons. If you have the resources for a gear set tailored for open world, increase your Precision by using 2 Assassin accessories and your concentration by eating .
• Other relic options include Relic of the Thief for an easier to use damage relic, or Relic of Zakiros to trade a minor amount of damage for sustain.
• For defense, equip the highest tier Jade Core you can afford.

Consumables

Budget consumables are acceptable for use in open world.

DPS

• Prioritize Steak Ascended food.
• /
• /

Farming

• Prioritize Steak Ascended food.
• /
• (and variants)

Notes and instruments

As a troubadour, clones are replaced by notes, so you no longer have those NPCs that would ocasionally tank an attack for you. In exchange, you can expend your notes to cast Instruments, which replace your Shatters. Unlike Shatters, Instruments have a cast time, so be careful with that, although F4 Harmonious Harp does provide its Distortion instantly.

After using an Instrument skill, a phantasmal Instrument continues to play on the background, providing you with passive bonuses due to Symphonic Resonance. These Instruments playing in the background buff the damage of Crescendo, and all your attributes due to Fortissimo. As a power build, you are going to focus on F1, Lively Lute, for its damage and its damage increasing buff.

Damage

Always cast Lively Lute off cooldown with three notes. Spend extra notes on Deafening Drum for damage and crowd control. Remember crowd control triggers Syncopate and Relic of the Claw.

Cast Tale of the Soulkeeper off cooldown for boons and notes. You should always cast it with the Lute playing, and 0 or 1 notes, as it generates 2 notes when cast while the Lute is playing.

Cast Flustering Flute and Tale of the Tortured Mastermind one after the other. This generates 1 note. Be careful with spending notes on the Flute if the Lute is coming off cooldown.

Cast Crescendo off cooldown for boons and damage. It also generates 1 note every second for five seconds.

Due to Harmonize, casting a phantasm provides 1 note. When the phantasm expires, it provides another 1 note as normal.

Dagger/Sword

On dagger/sword you want to spam all your skills except Illusionary Riposte which should be saved for blocking.

If using sword instead of dagger, Illusionary Leap deals no damage and should only be used if you're missing a third note before playing an instrument.

Spear

On spear, try to always hit your target with the outer edge of Mind the Gap to deal more damage, if you hit with both the outer and inner halves it will count as an outer edge hit, so it's easy to always deal empowered damage. Hitting with Mind the Gap gives you Clarity, which empowers your next spear skill. You want to always cast Phantasmal Lancer empowered by Clarity. Imaginary Inversion should be saved for an extra dodge or to cleanse conditions.

If using greatsword instead of spear, use all skills except Illusionary Wave which should be saved for defiance bars.

Quickness

You provide quickness with Lively Lute and Crescendo due the trait Life of the Party. Remember that Fortissimo increases your concentration for more boon duration, but in open world it's not realistic to have four instruments playing all the time, so you might considering using more boon duration such as by consuming .

You provide Fury with Master Fencer, and Fury and Might with Tale of the Soulkeeper.

Defense

• Harmonious Harp - distortion.
• Tale of the August Queen - distortion with a cast time.

CC

• Deafening Drum
• Illusionary Riposte ⇒ Counter Blade
• Mental Collapse when empowered by Clarity.