I want to introduce one to my group - someone who drops in from time to time in towns in the area, memorable - would love to borrow an idea if you have one
Cicero from Skyrim and bard ideas makes me want to say a lore bard that talks and acts like J'zargo from Skyrim, and does Spanish guitar strums when he talks.
I use a group of bards as diplomats that travel from city to city. Upon arriving at the next city they inform the governor and are invited to dine with the governor that evening so they may trade news. The diplomat bard shares messages he has been asked to deliver and the governor shares info he wants conveyed to other governors or the emperor. The bard stays in the city a few more nights entertaining in pubs but also gathering "man on the street" impressions of how things are going and picking up rumors of things. He then moves on to his next city.
Being a bard they are quite popular among the townsfolk and spend morning hours playing for children and teaching them to play instruments and looking for talent. In the afternoons they talk with merchants or even PCs to see what is going on at that level.
I think it is a great way to have popular but mysterious characters roaming around.
You could borrow from "A Knights Tale", where Geoffrey Chaucer was forced to wander the roadside completely naked because he'd lost all his money and possessions gambling.
Bards can be flawed. Maybe the bard can't stop gambling.
Perhaps a Lore Bard who had spoken out against a local baron, who was a tyrant and oppressed his people. And so his tongue had been cut out (yikes).
However, as a Ghostwise Halfling, he is still able to communicate telepathically if people are nearby.
Maybe a bard operates the bell tower within a town; but secretly the bard is a Glamour Bard; and the bells are being used to charm and manipulate the towns inhabitants.
You can pick an interesting mechanic; and build a character's personality around it.
1. A Bard who uses summoned creatures as a traveling sideshow/circus
2. Bard who's people worship the Lord of the mountains and storms and is out to get vengeance on a demon that has stolen his soul (heavy metal bardbarian)
3. A seductive belly dancer/***** type Bard who distracts people with her performances while she or her troupe rob them
4. A whisper Bard who fakes seances and hauntings just to charge people
5. A lore Bard archeologist who travels the world studying ancient ruins
6. A pompous paladin/bard who over exagerates his deeds and claims to be the greatest hero there is
7. A Bard who makes a living collecting and selling secrets
8. A Bard that travels from town to town displaying his skill with a sword and offering a bag of gold to anyone who can defeat him in a duel, they just have to pay 1 gold to enter the duel
9. A cleric/bard who travels the land using their faith and dialogue to inspire the masses
10. A Bard/warlock who acts as a recruiting agent for his patron. Making deals (crossroads demon ala Supernatural)
1. A Tabaxi Lore bard. A true jack-of-all-trades/wandering soul type. He can serve as a patron or source of clues. He's exotic enough that he's always noticed in town (for good or ill).
2. A female noble Whispers bard. A schemer who wants power but doesn't want to be on the throne. She's a proper lady, courteous to a fault, but will always get revenge on those who cross her.
an insane chaotic nuteral bard. the players will never know what they will do. to make it even cooler, make it the college of whispers, and have it always talking about the voices in their head. however, make sure you have the right party for this. if they do not feel comfortable with this kind of dread maybe use another option.
-Bard who's less of a musician/singer and more of a stand-up comedian
-Bard who just invented freeform jazz and REALLY wants the party to be into it.
-Bard who acts like the seductive stereotype... but has none of the charisma to back it up. Talented when it comes to music, but NOT when it comes to the ladies and/or gentlemen, but is completely oblivious to how bad he's doing.
-Fresh-out-of-schooling Lore Bard who's SO enthusiastic about the world now that he's out adventuring at last that whenever the party runs into him, they have to pull him back from running headfirst into the extreme danger he doesn't notice, when he's blinded by the beauty of this new place.
-Planetouched bard who's always willing to help the party... but rarely straightforward in giving that help.
I saw this somewhere else but it fits too well here: a bard who is a dad that instead of singing, tells bad dad jokes.
Now for my spin:
He's a traveling teifling bard who sends all of his coin back home to his wives and children which is why they run into him so often. What could make him memorable would be him always having a bad dad joke on hand, especially one about the area they are in.
"I'm a dyslexic bard. It all started when I first wrote my name down on the job form. Never got why nobody would just call me Brad."
"why did I decide to be a bard?" *points to his teifling head* "simple. I'm always horny."
"be careful in this town.. lotta halflings. And you know what they say: 'old hobbits die hard.'"
"A wyrm has been terrorizing this orchard of late and the only thing worse than a worm in your apple is a wyrm in your apple."
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Full of rice, beans, and bad ideas.
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I want to introduce one to my group - someone who drops in from time to time in towns in the area, memorable - would love to borrow an idea if you have one
Cicero from Skyrim and bard ideas makes me want to say a lore bard that talks and acts like J'zargo from Skyrim, and does Spanish guitar strums when he talks.
Also known as CrafterB and DankMemer.
Here, have some homebrew classes! Subclasses to? Why not races. Feats, feats as well. I have a lot of magic items. Lastly I got monsters, fun, fun times.
I use a group of bards as diplomats that travel from city to city. Upon arriving at the next city they inform the governor and are invited to dine with the governor that evening so they may trade news. The diplomat bard shares messages he has been asked to deliver and the governor shares info he wants conveyed to other governors or the emperor. The bard stays in the city a few more nights entertaining in pubs but also gathering "man on the street" impressions of how things are going and picking up rumors of things. He then moves on to his next city.
Being a bard they are quite popular among the townsfolk and spend morning hours playing for children and teaching them to play instruments and looking for talent. In the afternoons they talk with merchants or even PCs to see what is going on at that level.
I think it is a great way to have popular but mysterious characters roaming around.
You could borrow from "A Knights Tale", where Geoffrey Chaucer was forced to wander the roadside completely naked because he'd lost all his money and possessions gambling.
Bards can be flawed. Maybe the bard can't stop gambling.
Perhaps a Lore Bard who had spoken out against a local baron, who was a tyrant and oppressed his people. And so his tongue had been cut out (yikes).
However, as a Ghostwise Halfling, he is still able to communicate telepathically if people are nearby.
Maybe a bard operates the bell tower within a town; but secretly the bard is a Glamour Bard; and the bells are being used to charm and manipulate the towns inhabitants.
You can pick an interesting mechanic; and build a character's personality around it.
Thanks everyone
A major flirt always hitting on one of the PC's
1. A Bard who uses summoned creatures as a traveling sideshow/circus
2. Bard who's people worship the Lord of the mountains and storms and is out to get vengeance on a demon that has stolen his soul (heavy metal bardbarian)
3. A seductive belly dancer/***** type Bard who distracts people with her performances while she or her troupe rob them
4. A whisper Bard who fakes seances and hauntings just to charge people
5. A lore Bard archeologist who travels the world studying ancient ruins
6. A pompous paladin/bard who over exagerates his deeds and claims to be the greatest hero there is
7. A Bard who makes a living collecting and selling secrets
8. A Bard that travels from town to town displaying his skill with a sword and offering a bag of gold to anyone who can defeat him in a duel, they just have to pay 1 gold to enter the duel
9. A cleric/bard who travels the land using their faith and dialogue to inspire the masses
10. A Bard/warlock who acts as a recruiting agent for his patron. Making deals (crossroads demon ala Supernatural)
A time/space traveling doppleganger who likes to collect tales from the past and future. Travels through the spacetime continum with a circus troupe.
Has a thing for performing ambiguous songs about the future of the adventuring party in front of them.
1. A Tabaxi Lore bard. A true jack-of-all-trades/wandering soul type. He can serve as a patron or source of clues. He's exotic enough that he's always noticed in town (for good or ill).
2. A female noble Whispers bard. A schemer who wants power but doesn't want to be on the throne. She's a proper lady, courteous to a fault, but will always get revenge on those who cross her.
Thanks smartest monkey !!
an insane chaotic nuteral bard. the players will never know what they will do. to make it even cooler, make it the college of whispers, and have it always talking about the voices in their head. however, make sure you have the right party for this. if they do not feel comfortable with this kind of dread maybe use another option.
-Bard who's less of a musician/singer and more of a stand-up comedian
-Bard who just invented freeform jazz and REALLY wants the party to be into it.
-Bard who acts like the seductive stereotype... but has none of the charisma to back it up. Talented when it comes to music, but NOT when it comes to the ladies and/or gentlemen, but is completely oblivious to how bad he's doing.
-Fresh-out-of-schooling Lore Bard who's SO enthusiastic about the world now that he's out adventuring at last that whenever the party runs into him, they have to pull him back from running headfirst into the extreme danger he doesn't notice, when he's blinded by the beauty of this new place.
-Planetouched bard who's always willing to help the party... but rarely straightforward in giving that help.
-SURPRISINGLY charismatic goblin bard.
Use Gaepora Kaepora from The Legend of Zelda but never implicitly state they are talking to a wise talking owl
Full of rice, beans, and bad ideas.
Half-Elf Glamour Bard that often charms town officials and tavern proprietors to give them things that they shouldn't who then regret it afterwards.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I saw this somewhere else but it fits too well here: a bard who is a dad that instead of singing, tells bad dad jokes.
Now for my spin:
He's a traveling teifling bard who sends all of his coin back home to his wives and children which is why they run into him so often. What could make him memorable would be him always having a bad dad joke on hand, especially one about the area they are in.
"I'm a dyslexic bard. It all started when I first wrote my name down on the job form. Never got why nobody would just call me Brad."
"why did I decide to be a bard?" *points to his teifling head* "simple. I'm always horny."
"be careful in this town.. lotta halflings. And you know what they say: 'old hobbits die hard.'"
"A wyrm has been terrorizing this orchard of late and the only thing worse than a worm in your apple is a wyrm in your apple."
Full of rice, beans, and bad ideas.