It's not really that weird but I really want to play a Bard that has a Violin that she can charge with electricity to make it an electric Violin to play, all while dancing. Inspired by Lindsey Stirling.
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?
I don't think it's dumb. I had the same idea with one of my players who is a drummer and has drumsticks as his musical item. I was thinking of giving him a pair of wands but didn't want to give him too much power at the start. So maybe some wands that are more of role-playing than for combat.
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?
I don't think it's dumb. I had the same idea with one of my players who is a drummer and has drumsticks as his musical item. I was thinking of giving him a pair of wands but didn't want to give him too much power at the start. So maybe some wands that are more of role-playing than for combat.
... but drum sticks are for roll playing.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
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?
I don't think it's dumb. I had the same idea with one of my players who is a drummer and has drumsticks as his musical item. I was thinking of giving him a pair of wands but didn't want to give him too much power at the start. So maybe some wands that are more of role-playing than for combat.
My bard, Olias of Sunhillow, is using an instrument that nobody in this thread has mentioned...the melodica. It is a wind instrument with a keyboard. As I progress through the campaign, I plan on adding a 7 holes into one end and one large hole into the opposite end. When a trigger is pulled, a hilt springs from the large hole while a rapier springs from the center hole on the opposite hole. The surrounding 6 holes can be loaded with blow-darts (presumably poisoned) which can be triggered while blowing certain chords.
And I'm thinking about if the Bards can get PSI Talents. Because if this is possible, they could arrange a song by using the Psionic waves, or at least, use the Psi wave as an instrument. Then, using the mouth or any other part of the body as the starting point for those waves, just blow the area with an enchanting/charming efluviscence of musical notes & voices.
I'll give it a try, with Mobile Feat, Actor Feat and some expertise in CHA, or at least Expertise in Sleight of hand ( which can include the hideen option to play instruments ), and it will be fun before the BOSS fight starts.
My wife struggled with instrument choice when she was coming up with a character concept for a Bard. In the end I love her choice: Her character can't play an instrument. Instead, she found a "magic music box" which can play music when she mimes doing so on an instrument. She is now on a quest to find more "discs" for it so it can play more music, and we're incorporating that into the adventure.
We all absolutely loved the concept of a Bard who can't actually play an instrument!
My friend played a bard that played a saw as a violin and a kazoo
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Well met, strangers! I’m Kwilgok-once a dinosaur racer, now the best guide in Port Nyanzaru. I’ve traveled up the River Soshenstar to the Aldani Basin and back. I’ve visited so many corners of Chult and can tell you there’s no land more beautiful and dangerous. This is my ankylosaurus, Deadly Treasure. Quite a prize isn’t she? Follows me everywhere. We cost 6 gold pieces a day, with payment for 30 days upfront. Very expensive, yes, but worth it, I promise you.
I actually want to home brew this a little. I'm a dancer irl (hobby not professional), and want to exchange an instrument proficiency with dancing. Instead of one of my instruments (in combination with the disguise pack) I will be able to"appear" (don't want to lose my armor in battle) in coordinating dancing clothes. (Belly dance clothes for distraction, maybe some tango clothes for not in battle inspiration, then I can dance with the one inspired...) I can inspire with these, or distract (using cutting words stats,). What do you guys think??
I also thought the pungi was the perfect instrument since it hypnotizes...
I first thought a harp, but I'm pretty sure that's to heavy for my gnome.. but I'm loving the image of this tiny gnome carrying around a harp, and standing on a stool to play it .. LMAO
I actually want to home brew this a little. I'm a dancer irl (hobby not professional), and want to exchange an instrument proficiency with dancing. Instead of one of my instruments (in combination with the disguise pack) I will be able to"appear" (don't want to lose my armor in battle) in coordinating dancing clothes. (Belly dance clothes for distraction, maybe some tango clothes for not in battle inspiration, then I can dance with the one inspired...) I can inspire with these, or distract (using cutting words stats,). What do you guys think??
I personally wouldn't have a problem with it. Exchanging an instrument proficiency for a dance proficiency seems like a pretty even trade that wouldn't break the game, but you would want to run it by your GM first to make sure they're okay with it.
That said, I might recommend a different approach. Most GMs would probably just ask for a performance check to dance in the same way they might ask for a performance check to see how well you play an instrument. You probably don't have to trade an instrument proficiency for a dance proficiency to gain this benefit. Rather, you might want to ask if you can use your dance performance as your spell focus (or your dancing gear/outfit/regalia as your spell focus). If they wanted you to use it as one of your instrument proficiencies as a trade-off, then no problem. But for the flavor of the bard class, I would hope most GMs would allow it and reward this cool idea. And if you're carrying an instrument at the same time anyway, then this is probably legit at almost any table.
I kind of want to make a rip off of an anime character who has holes pierced all over his body, and he creates music to power his abilities by dancing so that the holes make ghostly whistling sounds.
My current Bard Grommodor Snr Jnr (Gromm) is a Ventriloquist and main instrument so far seems to be armour... His puppet is normally the head collected from a previous battle, and has a great time selecting his next puppet during battles... his missed attakcs normally end up with him trying to play a tune on the persons armour/ head ... he is not a smart Half orc.
I thought perhaps a bag of tricks might be used to generate keys for such an instrument; likewise for an evil bard rather than a PC of course.
----
My Aunt used to dance IRL and her costume had two bracelets with gingling bells around them, a tamborine, and these little rond metal like symbol looking objects she'd wear on her fingers by a little strap on each one and be able to click her fingers together while dancing to make a chiming sound. I don't know what the braclets or finger things are called though. The braclets are leather and have a snap button to open and close them. It turns out you can snap them together and I was able to wear them as one piece round my neck as a collar with my shepher's costume last time I was at the rennaissance fair.
I once got away with a full sized grand Piano. the DM let me make it magical so it could be pushed around with a tenzor's floating disk.
I've thought that putting a small piano on the back of a Tortle bard would be just as effective...except the getting it off your back during combat part.
My next bard will have an instrument based on the Hunting Horn weapons from Monster Hunter (specifically Monster Hunter World). Something big, obnoxious and good for a fight.
Take the noble background; the servants you get are your back-up band. Yes, you were born into a life of privilege, but what true gentleman (woman) isn't able to dance, play an instrument, cast spells that influence people, etc? Also: as a DM had an NPC bronze dragon with levels of bard and a pipe organ in her lair she used for spellcasting. Grand pianos aren't exactly portable, but you could fit one of those giant Japanese drums into a portable hole, maybe, or have your artificer friend craft you a collapsible alpenhorn.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
It's not really that weird but I really want to play a Bard that has a Violin that she can charge with electricity to make it an electric Violin to play, all while dancing. Inspired by Lindsey Stirling.
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Characters for Tenebris Sine Fine
RoughCoronet's Greater Wills
I don't think it's dumb. I had the same idea with one of my players who is a drummer and has drumsticks as his musical item. I was thinking of giving him a pair of wands but didn't want to give him too much power at the start. So maybe some wands that are more of role-playing than for combat.
... but drum sticks are for roll playing.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Badum Tish
My bard, Olias of Sunhillow, is using an instrument that nobody in this thread has mentioned...the melodica. It is a wind instrument with a keyboard. As I progress through the campaign, I plan on adding a 7 holes into one end and one large hole into the opposite end. When a trigger is pulled, a hilt springs from the large hole while a rapier springs from the center hole on the opposite hole. The surrounding 6 holes can be loaded with blow-darts (presumably poisoned) which can be triggered while blowing certain chords.
That's quite creative, what kind of campaign are you *ahem* playing in?
And I'm thinking about if the Bards can get PSI Talents. Because if this is possible, they could arrange a song by using the Psionic waves, or at least, use the Psi wave as an instrument. Then, using the mouth or any other part of the body as the starting point for those waves, just blow the area with an enchanting/charming efluviscence of musical notes & voices.
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
I'll give it a try, with Mobile Feat, Actor Feat and some expertise in CHA, or at least Expertise in Sleight of hand ( which can include the hideen option to play instruments ), and it will be fun before the BOSS fight starts.
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
My wife struggled with instrument choice when she was coming up with a character concept for a Bard. In the end I love her choice: Her character can't play an instrument. Instead, she found a "magic music box" which can play music when she mimes doing so on an instrument. She is now on a quest to find more "discs" for it so it can play more music, and we're incorporating that into the adventure.
We all absolutely loved the concept of a Bard who can't actually play an instrument!
My friend played a bard that played a saw as a violin and a kazoo
Well met, strangers! I’m Kwilgok-once a dinosaur racer, now the best guide in Port Nyanzaru. I’ve traveled up the River Soshenstar to the Aldani Basin and back. I’ve visited so many corners of Chult and can tell you there’s no land more beautiful and dangerous. This is my ankylosaurus, Deadly Treasure. Quite a prize isn’t she? Follows me everywhere. We cost 6 gold pieces a day, with payment for 30 days upfront. Very expensive, yes, but worth it, I promise you.
I actually want to home brew this a little. I'm a dancer irl (hobby not professional), and want to exchange an instrument proficiency with dancing. Instead of one of my instruments (in combination with the disguise pack) I will be able to"appear" (don't want to lose my armor in battle) in coordinating dancing clothes. (Belly dance clothes for distraction, maybe some tango clothes for not in battle inspiration, then I can dance with the one inspired...) I can inspire with these, or distract (using cutting words stats,). What do you guys think??
I also thought the pungi was the perfect instrument since it hypnotizes...
I first thought a harp, but I'm pretty sure that's to heavy for my gnome.. but I'm loving the image of this tiny gnome carrying around a harp, and standing on a stool to play it .. LMAO
I personally wouldn't have a problem with it. Exchanging an instrument proficiency for a dance proficiency seems like a pretty even trade that wouldn't break the game, but you would want to run it by your GM first to make sure they're okay with it.
That said, I might recommend a different approach. Most GMs would probably just ask for a performance check to dance in the same way they might ask for a performance check to see how well you play an instrument. You probably don't have to trade an instrument proficiency for a dance proficiency to gain this benefit. Rather, you might want to ask if you can use your dance performance as your spell focus (or your dancing gear/outfit/regalia as your spell focus). If they wanted you to use it as one of your instrument proficiencies as a trade-off, then no problem. But for the flavor of the bard class, I would hope most GMs would allow it and reward this cool idea. And if you're carrying an instrument at the same time anyway, then this is probably legit at almost any table.
I once got away with a full sized grand Piano. the DM let me make it magical so it could be pushed around with a tenzor's floating disk.
Yodeling, Slide whistle, and a box of cats.
I kind of want to make a rip off of an anime character who has holes pierced all over his body, and he creates music to power his abilities by dancing so that the holes make ghostly whistling sounds.
My current Bard Grommodor Snr Jnr (Gromm) is a Ventriloquist and main instrument so far seems to be armour... His puppet is normally the head collected from a previous battle, and has a great time selecting his next puppet during battles... his missed attakcs normally end up with him trying to play a tune on the persons armour/ head ... he is not a smart Half orc.
I remembered this from my youth and went looking for it: Muppets - Lady of Spain (Marvin Suggs and his Muppophones) - YouTube
I thought perhaps a bag of tricks might be used to generate keys for such an instrument; likewise for an evil bard rather than a PC of course.
----
My Aunt used to dance IRL and her costume had two bracelets with gingling bells around them, a tamborine, and these little rond metal like symbol looking objects she'd wear on her fingers by a little strap on each one and be able to click her fingers together while dancing to make a chiming sound. I don't know what the braclets or finger things are called though. The braclets are leather and have a snap button to open and close them. It turns out you can snap them together and I was able to wear them as one piece round my neck as a collar with my shepher's costume last time I was at the rennaissance fair.
Thank you for your time and please have a very pleasant day.
I've thought that putting a small piano on the back of a Tortle bard would be just as effective...except the getting it off your back during combat part.
My next bard will have an instrument based on the Hunting Horn weapons from Monster Hunter (specifically Monster Hunter World). Something big, obnoxious and good for a fight.
https://monsterhunterworld.wiki.fextralife.com/Hunting Horn
Take the noble background; the servants you get are your back-up band. Yes, you were born into a life of privilege, but what true gentleman (woman) isn't able to dance, play an instrument, cast spells that influence people, etc? Also: as a DM had an NPC bronze dragon with levels of bard and a pipe organ in her lair she used for spellcasting. Grand pianos aren't exactly portable, but you could fit one of those giant Japanese drums into a portable hole, maybe, or have your artificer friend craft you a collapsible alpenhorn.