Wait no shaman on the list so far? The difference between one with and one without is practically the difference between two different classes altogether.

Different.

Yea I was trying to get at what changes the class fundamentally and sounds like Bard epic is probably it, though I don't really understand why. Isn't its multiplier weaker than some instruments? Can you layer in instruments on top of it?

Cleric epic seems one of the weakest from this perspective. All it does is save a bit of time and mana after a wipe doesn't it?

Rogue also seems pretty weak to me. There are weapons out there with basically the same ratio as the Ragebringer and haste items with almost as much haste, so all in all it doesn't seem to add much.

You don't understand rogues then. The answer is 40 atk if you were wondering why its so good.

If by a bit of time and mana you mean only 18,000 mana saved per 30 dead people, yeah it's not that great.

Many songs have a singing modifier that is not affected by an instrument. The bard epic improves all songs that are singing only by 180%. Look at the bard list of songs: http://wiki.project1999.com/Bard
Any song that lists "Singing" next to it can now be improved 180% which might make these songs more effective than other instrument modified songs. Therefore, the bard has to rethink what songs are best to twist now. For example, on raids that require only MR, it's better to play "Singing" songs and not equip the drum and do percussion resist songs anymore. Another example, by twisting some DS songs, bard epic can easily have their group DS on players be over 50 damage. That's super helpful to a tank.

Furthermore, the epic proc is group buff that is:
Spell haste 55%
Str +30
Atk + 30 (this is the winning one which is awesome for rogue dps groups)

Once the epic gets switched to the modifier working in offhand in Velious, bards will be able to equip all useful instruments (horn, lute, and drum) in the primary slot and the epic in the offhand slot to maximize instrument/singing modifiers on all songs. This will be nuts in terms of how overpowered songs will be able to be.

Bard epic is important because its the only item until Luclin that modifies the Singing skill. It also acts as a weak (1.8) version of any instrument, but the singing is what matters.

Rogue epic will still be used far into Velious (I think its only sent to off-hand after NToV) because of its contribution to Dps.

You're underselling it. There's a reason every guild wants every one of their clerics to be epic'd.

Bard epic provides a modifier that covers all instruments at the same time. even though the modifier is weaker it allows you to use every type of song under the sun without wasting time swapping instruments in and out, creating an incredible cumulative effect.

This also allows you to melee while still getting a great bonus from your songs, which brings into play the procing of the bard epic which is unique in itself. its a group haste proc that also adds atk that stacks and you cant get anywhere else.

Also bard epic is the only thing in the game that also increases your singing mod. If you look at the songs listed under singing only you will see that a lot of them are some of the best songs in the game.

It does not completely eliminate the need to use other instruments sometimes but it greatly cuts down on how necessary they are and because of that the class becomes a lot easier and fun to play

Bard epic modifies Singing, which you can not replicate on any item. It also allows modification of any song without swapping instruments in exchange for slightly smaller boosts over the top end instruments. It does change the way bards approach numerous encounters and settings.

Cleric epic is basically a requirement of the class post 50, especially if you intend to raid at all. It isn't a little bit of time and mana, it is a ton of time and mana. It is the difference between a 45 minute recovery and a 5 minute recovery. Does it "change" the class? Not really, something they already do. Does it define them? Certainly.

Rogue epic is their strongest weapon in Kunark and provides easy 40% haste and +40 attack. The attack bonus doesn't get replicated (in near that amount) on any item in Velious or Kunark. Rogues are certainly defined by their epic in Kunark and it still has huge potential in Velious for a while.

to answer why bard epic, because a) singing mod doesnt exist outside of epic and b) allows you to mod all songs of different instrument types, while meleeing, without having to switch instruments. That 2nd one opens up a lot of possibilities considering the bard class is largely about doing as many things as possible in the limited time alloted to you with song duration. Certain things that you wouldnt have time to do due to switching or different song types immediately become feasible and effective.

Shaman drastically has the most class/game changing effect on it.

A bard doesnt swap insterments with its epic, and gets to hit things while it sings, ok.. but you're still providing the same group features as you are with instruments, just wtih more ease.

a cleric can rez more, sure.. but again its just taking what they usualy do, and makes it easier.

An epic shaman changes from a group centric buff/heal/utility party member.. to a solo, dps, killing machine.

I mean the # of things you can kill that you couldn't kill before, goes from 0 to 8+ at a time.. that's a drastic change. More drastic of a change of game-play than I can think any other epic provides.