I have a bard who made an instrument, called the Vican(vih-con). It is a double necked stringed instrument with a very bassy top neck and normal bottom neck. Each neck has four strings and the body is circular with a rounded back. It can be played for dirges and other slow or mournful tunes but is mainly for shredding and or lively music.
In our curse of strand campaingn, I wasn't the perpetrator, but our bard had an accordion, and so she used her actual accordion, that thing was destroyed by some mysterious criminal.... by session 4
There needs to be a bard version of the shileleigh spell that allows the caster to turn their musical instrument into a 2-handed magical weapon using charisma. I'd allow my players to bash the crap out of some goblins with that thing.
Do a Lore Bard using a stool as "bardic instrument". Need to fight? Climb on your stool and use your voice to do magic, with the stool as a spell focus.
If you have the feat Tavern Brawler, you can even get a D4 to fight with your stool.
Do a Lore Bard using a stool as "bardic instrument". Need to fight? Climb on your stool and use your voice to do magic, with the stool as a spell focus.
If you have the feat Tavern Brawler, you can even get a D4 to fight with your stool.
I play a non-musical lore bard, and that's a great idea! It comes down to discussing things with your dm. For example, I've played the same character in two different campaigns. For my "instruments," for the purposes of my magical focuses, I used items that an actor would use - a book containing theatrical scripts and texts, a "vamping horn" which was the old school version of a megaphone, and I homebrewed a polearm based off of the Italian bill (also known as a Roncone) and added it to my backstory that I used it as a "vaudeville hook" to drag a bad performer offstage. In the first campaign, all three were allowed; in my current campaign, the dm didn't allow the polearm since it's my weapon and too close in their opinion to the warcaster benefit. But a stool or a pedestal is an excellent idea!
For sure, bards are too limited with musical instruments when it comes to RP!
I made an old human lady "voodoo" style using a voodoo puppet with needles as a spell focus and a crystal ball for rituals. I want to play her for the next table I'll join, hopefully soon!
I made a bard character but I'm unsure what to use as an instrument. He's a Rock Gnome and I thought that the "rock" part would play into it. I wanted to do something like a pair of magic drumsticks (maybe magic wands carved into drumsticks?) and no actual drum. The gimmick is that he can use any kinds of rocks to make drum sounds when he beats them with the magic sticks? Is that already a thing? Is it dumb?
Fair enough, but It seems hard to do intricate arcane hand signs with tiny ridiculous cymbals on your fingers
Well, if the somatic requirements of the spell was more in the style of sweeping arm and foot movements, like in a Spanish flamenco? I kinda like the idea of a glamor bard castings spells thru a dance form. Then the castenets make perfect sense
I was thinking of having a special pair of daggers that could be played like spoons.
The cross piece would be unusually narrow on one side as well as the handle so that the two together could be placed flat-to-flat and held in one hand.
I have a bard who made an instrument, called the Vican(vih-con). It is a double necked stringed instrument with a very bassy top neck and normal bottom neck. Each neck has four strings and the body is circular with a rounded back. It can be played for dirges and other slow or mournful tunes but is mainly for shredding and or lively music.
The electric guitar but not quite. The Electric Neo Gittern.
In our curse of strand campaingn, I wasn't the perpetrator, but our bard had an accordion, and so she used her actual accordion, that thing was destroyed by some mysterious criminal.... by session 4
Might I suggest the baroque theorbo
Nikolai Buckman | vampire | bard
Solace Redgrove | tiefling | bard
There needs to be a bard version of the shileleigh spell that allows the caster to turn their musical instrument into a 2-handed magical weapon using charisma. I'd allow my players to bash the crap out of some goblins with that thing.
Do a Lore Bard using a stool as "bardic instrument".
Need to fight? Climb on your stool and use your voice to do magic, with the stool as a spell focus.
If you have the feat Tavern Brawler, you can even get a D4 to fight with your stool.
I play a non-musical lore bard, and that's a great idea! It comes down to discussing things with your dm. For example, I've played the same character in two different campaigns. For my "instruments," for the purposes of my magical focuses, I used items that an actor would use - a book containing theatrical scripts and texts, a "vamping horn" which was the old school version of a megaphone, and I homebrewed a polearm based off of the Italian bill (also known as a Roncone) and added it to my backstory that I used it as a "vaudeville hook" to drag a bad performer offstage. In the first campaign, all three were allowed; in my current campaign, the dm didn't allow the polearm since it's my weapon and too close in their opinion to the warcaster benefit. But a stool or a pedestal is an excellent idea!
I would make pipes, such pipes! You shall hear how they sing! In the ears of the gods, shall sound their mighty ring!
Stomach of ogre, to bellow mine call! Acid and bile, to wither foul foes' gall!
First pipe forged of silver, sears the unclean to a cinder!
Another one, of dragon's bone! Its song will melt stone!
Third one of World-Tree's limb, lulls to rest the fear within!
Fourth pipe, pure crystal glass, unveils things yet to pass!
A final pipe remains unspoken, a black pipe, secret unbroken!
I made these pipes, such pipes! You have heard how they sing! Oh what fortunes, what dooms, shall their song to all bring?
"You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?" -Death
For sure, bards are too limited with musical instruments when it comes to RP!
I made an old human lady "voodoo" style using a voodoo puppet with needles as a spell focus and a crystal ball for rituals. I want to play her for the next table I'll join, hopefully soon!
I made a bard character but I'm unsure what to use as an instrument. He's a Rock Gnome and I thought that the "rock" part would play into it. I wanted to do something like a pair of magic drumsticks (maybe magic wands carved into drumsticks?) and no actual drum. The gimmick is that he can use any kinds of rocks to make drum sounds when he beats them with the magic sticks? Is that already a thing? Is it dumb?
Use castanets. Works for both somatic n arcane focus
Fair enough, but It seems hard to do intricate arcane hand signs with tiny ridiculous cymbals on your fingers
Musical mice? Anyone?
When players get creative.
Playing a CE Bard, College of Whispers currently. His favorite strategy when using Words of Terror;
"...And, of course, I am proficient in the art of playing Organs."
* Victim's eyes widen in terror *
Well, if the somatic requirements of the spell was more in the style of sweeping arm and foot movements, like in a Spanish flamenco? I kinda like the idea of a glamor bard castings spells thru a dance form. Then the castenets make perfect sense
My Glamour Bard is an old 80s style, country and western bard... His instruments include:
Banjo
Fiddle
Harmonica
and the Dulcimer.
I have a YouTube channel with 5th Edition D&D Puzzles, Character Creations, DM Tips and Quests ideas. Check it out!
Wally DM on YouTube
I was thinking of having a set of monster scales arranged like a xylophone and played to sound like a steel drum from the Caribbean.
Wallydw, how about the mandolin too?
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Ah, yes... I gotta have the Mandolin! Great point... Also, maybe a pair of "spoons" for that matter. Hmmm...
Also... I dig that xylophone!
I have a YouTube channel with 5th Edition D&D Puzzles, Character Creations, DM Tips and Quests ideas. Check it out!
Wally DM on YouTube
I was thinking of having a special pair of daggers that could be played like spoons.
The cross piece would be unusually narrow on one side as well as the handle so that the two together could be placed flat-to-flat and held in one hand.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
I was just thinking of a Bard who plays the preserved windpipe of a behir or catoblepas!