My first Bard was in 3.5, on PbP, and was a Gnome Bard with ranks in Perform: Oratory, a seldom used perform skill even then (since Diplomacy and Bluff had better bennies). She was a political activist and protestor. Always talking about how everyone is being controlled, and how we're all part of some unseen system. I mean... have you ever noticed that if you make exactly 20 attempts at something, you automatically succeed at it on the 20th attempt? Have you ever noticed that, in order to become a better musician a bard must slay many monsters, rather than actually practice music? Have you ever noticed that you can never move less than 5 feet when walking, and never less than 10 when running? She was a little paranoid, but truly passionate and was determined to "wake everyone up" and break free from the shackles of these unseen forces that control them.
My next Bard was an Orc, heavily inspired by DethKlok from Metalocalypse. He played a magical 6 string lute that could amplify its sound. He had a long black mowhawk and would often headbang while singing, "Doooo anything for ORC BARD! Dooo anything for ORC BARD!" while meedling on his... electric lute with frantic speed.
I'm currently in a 10th level campaign where I all of us are bards; I'm a gnome bard again. This time her name is Hedderada Sparkle, and she has a magic item that essentially works like a microphone. She's in a folk punk band with a pixie and a centaur. We do a lot of benefit concerts, and fundraisers for good causes. Mostly our message is about deforestation and the encroachment of civilization on fey territory. A lot of our songs are punk covers from bands like Circulus, My Body is Made of Sunlight or Frank Zappa, What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body before breaking into our own stuff about a weeping dryad, or the noble blink dog.
The pixie in the group plays a full sized viola like an upright bass, and the centaur essentially plays marching toms. I'm a singer, and I have Iggy Pop's ego, and I am too busy being an experience on stage to play an instrument, so the DM made me pay for a microphone out of my starting gear. Well, if I'm going to have a mic, then I want Freddie Mercury's mic. So that's what I got, and I look fabulous strutting around with it, while sporting a glittering unitard and cape.
So half of my group is doing a one shot in a week or two. I originally played an elf druid for our campaign, but for the one shot I decided to go bard. I really wanted to because it's the class that I originally wanted to go (as far as the campaign would go) but it was already taken by a fellow group member. I'm not the only one who wanted me to be a bard apparently, cause my DM was chanting bard, bard, bard to me every time I told her I was thinking of a character. (My group really wants to see me as a bard, cause I'm an energetic ad libber, and they all want to see my character in action)
Anyway, so we're doing this with 5e, and I was already being blown away with how much a bard gets just starting at level three, (the level that we're doing our one shot) especially with Skill Proficiencies and my character's race being a Tabaxi cause my DM is cool and allowed it. I was thinking of going some cool Lizardfolk at first, but then I saw my cat yawn...
And everything changed...
Because I instantly thought of the cat vine where the cat's yawning is dubbed over with shrill yelling, and that's when I knew that I had to go a Tabaxi Bard. Instead of beautiful singing like any other bard, a walking cat would just be screaming in a tavern, unaware that he's not just off key, but that he's just screaming with strong enthusiasm. I ended up getting to choosing instruments, and me being the person I am, (meaning I have to ruin good things for the sake of comedy) I thought of the ultimate instrument that doesn't cost anything, doesn't require singing, and so far hasn't been mentioned in this thread...
Beatboxing.
So far, my character is a screaming cat that takes mundane objects for no reason, lies all the time when he doesn't even need to lie, and will either beatbox intensely in battle, or just blankly stare with an oblivious intensity into the eyes of his enemies while he feverishly plays the fiddle at high speed.
Hello! I'm new to the site and D&D, and I'm trying to create a Bard. Perhaps this question should go to a site feature request thread, but before I do that I want to see if you Bards can help me.
Is there a way to create (I guess the word is "Homebrew") new "musical instruments" for me to create and that get added to the list of options of the three instruments I gain proficiency in when creating a character?
My bard is not a musical one - an Actor/Comedian - and I would like to be proficient in something that would help an actor who doesn't sing. My idea is an ancient version of the non-electronic type of megaphone, known as the Speaking Trumpet. Or even the butt-end of my Halberd, which I could just bang on the ground to create rhythm and/or noise.
Hello! I'm new to the site and D&D, and I'm trying to create a Bard. Perhaps this question should go to a site feature request thread, but before I do that I want to see if you Bards can help me.
Is there a way to create (I guess the word is "Homebrew") new "musical instruments" for me to create and that get added to the list of options of the three instruments I gain proficiency in when creating a character?
My bard is not a musical one - an Actor/Comedian - and I would like to be proficient in something that would help an actor who doesn't sing. My idea is an ancient version of the non-electronic type of megaphone, known as the Speaking Trumpet. Or even the butt-end of my Halberd, which I could just bang on the ground to create rhythm and/or noise.
Any help would be appreciated!
Just a suggestion...In terms of character building and basic game mechanics, I would recommend using the adventuring gear, tools, or instruments in the PHB (for description/cost estimates) and just re-skinning them for your game. Make sure your GM is okay with it everything you’re proposing, but a horn is already in the instrument list. Saying it is a speaking trumpet or megaphone is not much of a stretch. Perhaps your GM would let you also take drums and “improvised percussion instruments” as your other two instrument proficiencies, and that way thumping something like your halberd could fall under this category. (I’m suggesting drum to say you’ve practiced rhythm instruments as a cost for allowing this special situation/proficiency in improvised percussion).
For my bard, I wanted to buy basic (and cheap) instruments on Amazon that I could play (poorly) in our games. I picked a recorder and xylophone using the flute and panflute for comparison. A wooden xylophone is basically a pan flute mounted on a frame. I also picked a cowbell and used the bell from the adventure gear table for cost/weight.
If you’re asking how to do this within DnD Beyond, that might be tricky. There’s probably a way. If not, I would probably just pick something as a placeholder in the character builder and use notes/other possessions sections to clarify your belongings and proficiencies.
Hope this helps and curious if others have other creative solutions.
I stay pretty Traditional with instruments. I have a lyre (the cli lyre) which is awesome. I also have a flute hidden on my character that way if I get captured and my lyre is taken from me I can pull out my flute and keep on playing.
(I also have 2 daggers+1 hidden on my character too for the same situation if needed, I thought I'd let you guys know just as an idea)
Sorry for a stupid question, but I just want to make sure - component pouches can be used by Bards as well as replacements for their M components (minus any with a specific cost, of course.)
I like incorporating unusual instruments. One has a viola da gamba (kind of like a cello) and it’s about half her size, so she can’t just melee attack one round then play the instrument the next round. She has to sit or hunch while playing. At some point in the campaign, I want her to see about having a blacksmith make her instrument’s bow contain a hidden blade, so if she’s attacked in melee range while playing she can hit a button and a blade will pop out and she can attack, and then go right back to playing. Or get a floating disc to sit on during combat so she can play unhindered by melee combat.
I had a Tiefling that played the Fiddle, Hurdey Gurdey, and Glass Armonica.
That campaign died, So for the next one I made a Half-Orc that Played a Strip of Iron with a hammer, Windchimes, and a Piccolo... As it turns out, Intimidation can work just as well at making money as Performance can.
After a lot of thinking and research I've created 3 "theatrical instruments" for my non-musical Bard to be proficient in. I for one am rather proud of the 3rd one:
1. Scripts - pretty straight forward, but essentially being able to effectively live-read texts of stories, poems, stage scripts, etc., in front of people, while moving, with different voices for characters, etc.
2. Speaking Trumpet/Speaking Tube - essentially the medieval version of the megaphone, which they actually had various kinds of back in the day.
3. The STAGE HOOK - Inspired by both the "Vaudeville Hook" and the medieval weapon known as the English Billhook. Not only does it serve as my primary weapon (should an enemy actually get close enough and I can't use any spells), but in the backstory of my Bard being a young actor being denied his big break by older performers threatened by my skill, I would often be regulated to "helping" various reluctant performers off the stage if their performances tank. In addition, because this weapon was used primarily to stab, but also had the hook for purposes such as that depicted below, I homebrewed the weapon based off the spear, gave it the Reach and Special properties, and added an extra damage type of two-handed slashing. Plus, if the slashing attack hits, then I modified the Fighter's Trip Attack Maneuver to fit for this circumstance: *Hook – When you hit a creature that is large or smaller with your two handed slashing attack, it must make a Strength saving throw against your Save DC (8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). On a failed save, you knock the target prone. If the target is knocked prone while mounted, it must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall off the mount, landing prone in a space within 5 feet of it.
Bards use musical instruments for their spellcasting focus.
I don't like carrying a component pouch or a focus, so my bard uses Prestidigitation to create a trinket (a whistle). This works for out of combat spells that require M.
How are you supposed to cast prestidigitation to create a spell casting focus if you don't have a spell casting focus? Is it part of your racial trait?
How are you supposed to cast prestidigitation to create a spell casting focus if you don't have a spell casting focus? Is it part of your racial trait?
Prestidigitation does not have any material components. Just Verbal and Somatic.
That just means you don't have to have a hand open to cast the spell, you'd still need a focus though right? -maybe I'm wrong, I've never tried anything like that before so I haven't delved too much into the rules on something like this.
My rock gnome bard was able to tinker together a keytar while he was in bard school and has fashioned an attachment to the handle shaped like a dragon's head in memory of one of our party's comrades (a dragonborn paladin). This also serves a neato aesthetic effect whenever they use offensive spells like Eldritch Blast cuz I have the projectiles launch themselves straight out of the dragon's mouth. It's been a very fun time. xD
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My first Bard was in 3.5, on PbP, and was a Gnome Bard with ranks in Perform: Oratory, a seldom used perform skill even then (since Diplomacy and Bluff had better bennies). She was a political activist and protestor. Always talking about how everyone is being controlled, and how we're all part of some unseen system. I mean... have you ever noticed that if you make exactly 20 attempts at something, you automatically succeed at it on the 20th attempt? Have you ever noticed that, in order to become a better musician a bard must slay many monsters, rather than actually practice music? Have you ever noticed that you can never move less than 5 feet when walking, and never less than 10 when running? She was a little paranoid, but truly passionate and was determined to "wake everyone up" and break free from the shackles of these unseen forces that control them.
My next Bard was an Orc, heavily inspired by DethKlok from Metalocalypse. He played a magical 6 string lute that could amplify its sound. He had a long black mowhawk and would often headbang while singing, "Doooo anything for ORC BARD! Dooo anything for ORC BARD!" while meedling on his... electric lute with frantic speed.
I'm currently in a 10th level campaign where I all of us are bards; I'm a gnome bard again. This time her name is Hedderada Sparkle, and she has a magic item that essentially works like a microphone. She's in a folk punk band with a pixie and a centaur. We do a lot of benefit concerts, and fundraisers for good causes. Mostly our message is about deforestation and the encroachment of civilization on fey territory. A lot of our songs are punk covers from bands like Circulus, My Body is Made of Sunlight or Frank Zappa, What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body before breaking into our own stuff about a weeping dryad, or the noble blink dog.
The pixie in the group plays a full sized viola like an upright bass, and the centaur essentially plays marching toms. I'm a singer, and I have Iggy Pop's ego, and I am too busy being an experience on stage to play an instrument, so the DM made me pay for a microphone out of my starting gear. Well, if I'm going to have a mic, then I want Freddie Mercury's mic. So that's what I got, and I look fabulous strutting around with it, while sporting a glittering unitard and cape.
We... we are a sight to behold.
My DM Registry
My Characters:
Archibald Thwipp, Human/Male/Blood Hunter/L3 posting in The Tavern, DnDBeyond
Sergeant Sylvia, Half Orc/Female/Barbarian/L3 posting in A Beginner's Guide, Myth Weavers
Carric Holimion, Wood Elf/Male/Ranger/L1 posting in Lost Mines of Phandelver, Giant in the Playground
So half of my group is doing a one shot in a week or two. I originally played an elf druid for our campaign, but for the one shot I decided to go bard. I really wanted to because it's the class that I originally wanted to go (as far as the campaign would go) but it was already taken by a fellow group member. I'm not the only one who wanted me to be a bard apparently, cause my DM was chanting bard, bard, bard to me every time I told her I was thinking of a character. (My group really wants to see me as a bard, cause I'm an energetic ad libber, and they all want to see my character in action)
Anyway, so we're doing this with 5e, and I was already being blown away with how much a bard gets just starting at level three, (the level that we're doing our one shot) especially with Skill Proficiencies and my character's race being a Tabaxi cause my DM is cool and allowed it. I was thinking of going some cool Lizardfolk at first, but then I saw my cat yawn...
And everything changed...
Because I instantly thought of the cat vine where the cat's yawning is dubbed over with shrill yelling, and that's when I knew that I had to go a Tabaxi Bard. Instead of beautiful singing like any other bard, a walking cat would just be screaming in a tavern, unaware that he's not just off key, but that he's just screaming with strong enthusiasm. I ended up getting to choosing instruments, and me being the person I am, (meaning I have to ruin good things for the sake of comedy) I thought of the ultimate instrument that doesn't cost anything, doesn't require singing, and so far hasn't been mentioned in this thread...
Beatboxing.
So far, my character is a screaming cat that takes mundane objects for no reason, lies all the time when he doesn't even need to lie, and will either beatbox intensely in battle, or just blankly stare with an oblivious intensity into the eyes of his enemies while he feverishly plays the fiddle at high speed.
But yeah, the instrument was beatboxing lol XD
Hello! I'm new to the site and D&D, and I'm trying to create a Bard. Perhaps this question should go to a site feature request thread, but before I do that I want to see if you Bards can help me.
Is there a way to create (I guess the word is "Homebrew") new "musical instruments" for me to create and that get added to the list of options of the three instruments I gain proficiency in when creating a character?
My bard is not a musical one - an Actor/Comedian - and I would like to be proficient in something that would help an actor who doesn't sing. My idea is an ancient version of the non-electronic type of megaphone, known as the Speaking Trumpet. Or even the butt-end of my Halberd, which I could just bang on the ground to create rhythm and/or noise.
Any help would be appreciated!
I stay pretty Traditional with instruments. I have a lyre (the cli lyre) which is awesome. I also have a flute hidden on my character that way if I get captured and my lyre is taken from me I can pull out my flute and keep on playing.
(I also have 2 daggers+1 hidden on my character too for the same situation if needed, I thought I'd let you guys know just as an idea)
Sorry for a stupid question, but I just want to make sure - component pouches can be used by Bards as well as replacements for their M components (minus any with a specific cost, of course.)
Bards use musical instruments for their spellcasting focus.
I like incorporating unusual instruments. One has a viola da gamba (kind of like a cello) and it’s about half her size, so she can’t just melee attack one round then play the instrument the next round. She has to sit or hunch while playing. At some point in the campaign, I want her to see about having a blacksmith make her instrument’s bow contain a hidden blade, so if she’s attacked in melee range while playing she can hit a button and a blade will pop out and she can attack, and then go right back to playing. Or get a floating disc to sit on during combat so she can play unhindered by melee combat.
I had a Tiefling that played the Fiddle, Hurdey Gurdey, and Glass Armonica.
That campaign died, So for the next one I made a Half-Orc that Played a Strip of Iron with a hammer, Windchimes, and a Piccolo... As it turns out, Intimidation can work just as well at making money as Performance can.
I use sometimes castanets 😃😃
I want the dagger/flute like the Green/White Ranger had. If it summons a giant robot so much the better, but not required. :)
my bard personally owns a keytar, but i'm hoping to upgrade to the "making my way downtown" moving piano
After a lot of thinking and research I've created 3 "theatrical instruments" for my non-musical Bard to be proficient in. I for one am rather proud of the 3rd one:
1. Scripts - pretty straight forward, but essentially being able to effectively live-read texts of stories, poems, stage scripts, etc., in front of people, while moving, with different voices for characters, etc.
2. Speaking Trumpet/Speaking Tube - essentially the medieval version of the megaphone, which they actually had various kinds of back in the day.
3. The STAGE HOOK - Inspired by both the "Vaudeville Hook" and the medieval weapon known as the English Billhook. Not only does it serve as my primary weapon (should an enemy actually get close enough and I can't use any spells), but in the backstory of my Bard being a young actor being denied his big break by older performers threatened by my skill, I would often be regulated to "helping" various reluctant performers off the stage if their performances tank. In addition, because this weapon was used primarily to stab, but also had the hook for purposes such as that depicted below, I homebrewed the weapon based off the spear, gave it the Reach and Special properties, and added an extra damage type of two-handed slashing. Plus, if the slashing attack hits, then I modified the Fighter's Trip Attack Maneuver to fit for this circumstance: *Hook – When you hit a creature that is large or smaller with your two handed slashing attack, it must make a Strength saving throw against your Save DC (8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). On a failed save, you knock the target prone. If the target is knocked prone while mounted, it must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall off the mount, landing prone in a space within 5 feet of it.
How are you supposed to cast prestidigitation to create a spell casting focus if you don't have a spell casting focus? Is it part of your racial trait?
That just means you don't have to have a hand open to cast the spell, you'd still need a focus though right? -maybe I'm wrong, I've never tried anything like that before so I haven't delved too much into the rules on something like this.
A focus is used to replace the material component(s) of a spell. A spell without material requirements gains no benefit from a focus.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/basic-rules/spellcasting#CastingaSpell
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Ah, thank you! That's a very neat trick then!
My rock gnome bard was able to tinker together a keytar while he was in bard school and has fashioned an attachment to the handle shaped like a dragon's head in memory of one of our party's comrades (a dragonborn paladin). This also serves a neato aesthetic effect whenever they use offensive spells like Eldritch Blast cuz I have the projectiles launch themselves straight out of the dragon's mouth. It's been a very fun time. xD