I had a Kalashtar Druid/Bard who used their telepathic ability to inspire people by telling them trivia about various animals directly into their minds.
yes, I prefer to flavor my bards as skalds rather than song and dance men.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Because I can’t sing worth a damn and my table always wants the bards to sing I made one that has a horrible singing voice so he tells stories, recites poetry or does instrumentals but never sings. Many of his inspirations are fairly “pun ny”.
It always hit me that people think bard must be artistjust because they have an instrument proficiency.
Bard is just the class name. You can entertain by many way without singing and doing music. Dance or storyteller for example. Shérazade was a badass bard for sure.
Alos, I believe politics, charlatans, herald, guru, pamphleteer, demagogue and more are bard.
I believe politics, charlatans, herald, guru, pamphleteer, demagogue and more are bard.
That moves away from the historical and mythological components but I can see it. A herald for sure.
Bards would include genealogists and eulogists and seers or prophets, keepers of history and custom, and the people who travelled spreading and bringing back news.
The modern investigative journalist would have fallen under the Bard roles, as a modern example. Bards were more than praise givers for there patrons and much more than musicians.
If you want a modern mythological example then Marvel's Loki is a bard. He's a magician story-teller who's stories impact the world around him. He's even referred to as the Skald of Asgard and recently had some rivalry with Bragi, also an Asgardian bard.
Loki is a good representation of the storyteller magician as an inspiration for Bard characters.
Because I can’t sing worth a damn and my table always wants the bards to sing I made one that has a horrible singing voice so he tells stories, recites poetry or does instrumentals but never sings. Many of his inspirations are fairly “pun ny”.
Great. Now I want to make a bard whose main skill is telling stories using finger puppets...a little kooky, always having his index fingers talking to each other...
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"...at worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
I like the idea of a Bard who can do other things than 'music'. And I guess with performance, Sleight of Hand, and Acrobatics; you can. It just seems like there was always the idea of something other than just a instrument player; like a juggler, fire-eater, etc.
As a Bard you get proficiency in 3 instruments, if you take the Entertainer background you get one more plus the Musician Feat that adds 3 more. Really who cares? I'm not saying that a character's instrument can't be used to create a unique or interesting story, but even if you are proficient in 7 different instruments, they all do the same thing. You make a Charisma (performance) check.
(I feel the same way about the gaming choices.)
I think the only in-game thing is if you are proficient in an instrument, and proficient in Performance, you can roll with advantage.
I would rather see some different choice than 10 or more instruments to be tools that a character can be proficient in, choices like Voice, Dance, Juggler.
A lot depends of who your DM is.
I do find it funny how often a DM will want a player to replicate the last three ability scores, (Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma), of their character; "hey your character has a charisma of 18 and is an expert in performance, but if you as a player can't make up a cool song on the spot, your character is going to fail their check.
I can't say I haven't seen this with the first three 'Physical' scores, but only once did the DM have the group go outside to see how far we could jump...
. . . I'm not saying that a character's instrument can't be used to create a unique or interesting story, but even if you are proficient in 7 different instruments, they all do the same thing. You make a Charisma (performance) check. . . .
I warn ye, A've go' bagpipes an' A'm nae afraid t' use them.
. . . I'm not saying that a character's instrument can't be used to create a unique or interesting story, but even if you are proficient in 7 different instruments, they all do the same thing. You make a Charisma (performance) check. . . .
I warn ye, A've go' bagpipes an' A'm nae afraid t' use them.
Oh yeah! My bard is currently in the underdark where things tend to be pretty quiet. The party needed a distraction so he pulled out the bagpipes…
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"...at worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
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Lets see what you guys can come up with!
I had a Kalashtar Druid/Bard who used their telepathic ability to inspire people by telling them trivia about various animals directly into their minds.
yes, I prefer to flavor my bards as skalds rather than song and dance men.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Certainly. My most recent Lore Bard was a spy who had no particular tie music. He inspired people by being the guy who knows things.
A weapon master that inspirers ally's and dishearten enemies with displays of weapon flourishes and maneuvers.
Because I can’t sing worth a damn and my table always wants the bards to sing I made one that has a horrible singing voice so he tells stories, recites poetry or does instrumentals but never sings. Many of his inspirations are fairly “pun ny”.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
It always hit me that people think bard must be artistjust because they have an instrument proficiency.
Bard is just the class name. You can entertain by many way without singing and doing music. Dance or storyteller for example. Shérazade was a badass bard for sure.
Alos, I believe politics, charlatans, herald, guru, pamphleteer, demagogue and more are bard.
That moves away from the historical and mythological components but I can see it. A herald for sure.
Bards would include genealogists and eulogists and seers or prophets, keepers of history and custom, and the people who travelled spreading and bringing back news.
The modern investigative journalist would have fallen under the Bard roles, as a modern example. Bards were more than praise givers for there patrons and much more than musicians.
If you want a modern mythological example then Marvel's Loki is a bard. He's a magician story-teller who's stories impact the world around him. He's even referred to as the Skald of Asgard and recently had some rivalry with Bragi, also an Asgardian bard.
Loki is a good representation of the storyteller magician as an inspiration for Bard characters.
Great. Now I want to make a bard whose main skill is telling stories using finger puppets...a little kooky, always having his index fingers talking to each other...
"...at worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
Good for you, have fun
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
There is nothing more inspiring than a Good Guitar/Lute rift!
I like the idea of a Bard who can do other things than 'music'. And I guess with performance, Sleight of Hand, and Acrobatics; you can. It just seems like there was always the idea of something other than just a instrument player; like a juggler, fire-eater, etc.
As a Bard you get proficiency in 3 instruments, if you take the Entertainer background you get one more plus the Musician Feat that adds 3 more. Really who cares? I'm not saying that a character's instrument can't be used to create a unique or interesting story, but even if you are proficient in 7 different instruments, they all do the same thing. You make a Charisma (performance) check.
(I feel the same way about the gaming choices.)
I think the only in-game thing is if you are proficient in an instrument, and proficient in Performance, you can roll with advantage.
I would rather see some different choice than 10 or more instruments to be tools that a character can be proficient in, choices like Voice, Dance, Juggler.
A lot depends of who your DM is.
I do find it funny how often a DM will want a player to replicate the last three ability scores, (Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma), of their character; "hey your character has a charisma of 18 and is an expert in performance, but if you as a player can't make up a cool song on the spot, your character is going to fail their check.
I can't say I haven't seen this with the first three 'Physical' scores, but only once did the DM have the group go outside to see how far we could jump...
I warn ye, A've go' bagpipes an' A'm nae afraid t' use them.
Oh yeah! My bard is currently in the underdark where things tend to be pretty quiet. The party needed a distraction so he pulled out the bagpipes…
"...at worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."