I've always been a sucker for Eilistraee, and she's basically the elven goddess of bards. Ironically, the only one really dedicated to it, despite the cliche of elves and music. There's lots of gods who like art, but only the Dark Maiden actively encourages bards in her followers, and exploring the world through dance and song. High elves can keep their wizardly bladesingers - Bards know the real way to mix it up with sword dances!
I don't really have a bard character at the moment, but they've always been one of my go-to classes for a game (the others being paladin, warlock and druid). Its just been something that's always appealed to me. The last one I played was a snake character in a different system (think yuan-ti, but snake tail instead of legs), and served as princess of a noble house, leading an expedition into a new world. No weapons, no instruments, just a folding fan that she used for battle signals and the occasional wind-style magic. Sometimes, it gets a bit frustrating, because people forget the bard bonuses, but she was a fun character. A few times, she crawled up on another character's summoned elemental after battle, and took a nap in the sunlight. And liked to give hugs. Lots of hugs. People didn't like receiving them for some reason.
One of two current characters I'm running is a lightfoot Halfling lore bard, an 18 year old girl who is absolutely self-absorbed and entitled with a nice line in throwaway one-liners and put-downs. She has BS-ed the party out of too many bad situations to count, (Deception +13 at 10th level; most recently saved us from four hugely OP undead ogres who were guarding a giants tomb by claiming to be a tourist looking for the gift shop facilities, eventually the ogres just begged her and the party to leave) and uses major image to distract enemies using what we call the 'Bugs Bunny Routine' (large tentacled dungeon monster distracted by sexy female version of itself, lipstick, wig and all). The homebrew campaign we're playing has our party trying to save the world from annihilation by the gods themselves (kind of an old testament "the world has become impure and must be started over" deal) and my bard is composing an epic opera about the groups adventures (wherein, naturally, she is the hero). Last session we had a face to face encounter with one of the few gods on the side of saving the world thanks to a RIDICULOUS "Divine Intervention" roll by our cleric, and we were each granted one question, so naturally, after a series of deep and meaningful questions from the others my bard asked the god of hope "Is that your natural hair colour? I think a little blonde would really bring out the gold in your eyes..." and we were quickly deposited back to the prime material plane.
tl'dr My bard is basically a character from Mean Girls, but don't call her out on it or she'll fireball your face off.
Bards to me are people who stand in the back and watches their friends do most of the work in a fight while showing off a thumbs up and shouting "You got this!" and most of the time... they don't got this. I am proud to be a bard.
If I were to roll myself as a character I would be a bard. Musical Theater bard, who keeps trying out for the Best Friend rather than the Lead characters. Skipping from party to party in the long tavern crawl of life.
When I play a bard I do it because I want to be able to do whatever I want and roast the f*** out of people with vicious mockery and cutting words :)
Plus I also get to do amazing on skill checks :)
Honestly, I've never played with a group that didn't love having me, they thought I was hilarious and clever.
The best thing I have ever done is taken over for a jewelry shop owner that had been stabbed previously that day and tricked everyone into thinking I was the shopkeeper (I then looted the place at the end of the day and got away with 3000+ g).
I haven't made it yet, but I'm going to make a drow bard named wouldiwas shookspeared. Only speaks in monologues and overly dramatic motions. Need to do a bit of work on it.
My current bard is a Half-Satyr Half-Human hybrid who was born after his birth mother cheated on her husband. He was given to the satyr who returned him to the fey wilds where he grew up. He is incredibly cocky and loves showing off which has got him in a bit of trouble in the past. For obvious reasons he falls in the stereotype of sleeping with whatever is down, which eventually lead to him discovering he was the father of the orphaned high elf fighter in his party.. Whoops..
Now, I'm really more of a DM than a player, and Bard (probably) isn't my favorite class, but a Bard played well is truly a sight to behold. I just got finished with a campaign that had a bard that was essentially an angsty teen (disguised as a 20-something) who ran away from home and started sassing absolutely everyone she met. While everyone else in this campaign had tragic backstories, this was just the story of a gal sick of living a restricted noble lifestyle who learned to play the banjo and recorder and set off to do what she felt like, and the player played her fantastically. She is one of my favorite characters to ever have been in a campaign of mine, and has inspired me to consider a College of Swords bard for a campaign I'm playing in soon.
My favorite bard ever is Maya, a Half-Elf bard who can easily calm any amount of tension with just a few jokes. Her short, red hair and blue green eyes can disarm any amount of anger. Her round, but sharp cheeks covered with freckles makes it hard to stay mad at. Her smile can kill just as much as her words and sword. Due to Maya's light body structure, and all her physical features, so she attracts many men, and even a few women. But she rejects all of them politely. She has the Folk Hero background, which means she performs nightly and has almost everybody take an instant liking to her. Her elvish songs sing of utopia, and her Orcish songs sing of death and pain. None of it matters, because of her deep story.
She was born in and raised in an Elvish family, but since Maya was a half-elf, her parents gave her a name in Elvish that's not so pleasant in Common. Maya had always loved music, no matter what kind. Elvish was her favorite. Her parents, seeing her natural talent in singing, dancing, and playing music, got Maya her very own flute, forged in the elvish forges. To her, this was the greatest gift ever. She was never found without her flute. For her love for music, sometimes, the less rude elves would get her some songs that she could play on her flute. Maya had learned Elvish by age 15, when her name really stuck out to her. After that, she despised her parents. Her 15-year-old brain was saying 'Get stronger and murder them for a bad childhood. She started training. By age 22, she had built up formidable strength. She was preparing for the nefarious deeds. Due to her light build, she had snuck into the armory and stolen a few weapons. Maya snuck into the main room where her parents slept, and she stopped... She couldn't find herself to do it. She wanted to for 7 years, and she couldn't do it now. She was furious. She raised the dagger, but it stayed there. She started crying lightly. It got worse and worse. Eventually, she started weeping loudly, and her parents woke from their trance. Noticing the dagger, they shouted for the guards! Several guards ran in. Maya had no clue what to do. She threw her dagger with deadly accuracy, just at the right angle that it broke the window hinges in the north-west corner of the room. She started running and vaulting different tables and desks, and finally got to the window. She looked down, and saw the raging river below. She held her sword in one hand, her flute in the other, shut her eyes and jumped.
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I love roleplaying, message me so we can set something up.
I talk everything D&D, message me for questions, chat, arguements, or roleplay!
I'm about to start playing my fallen Aasimar Sword Bard, Salazar the Sword. He will be a sword swallowing, sword jugger. He will be a duel wielding sword beast. Urban bounty hunter with a knack for persuasion. He'll dress like a persian immortal warrior with face plate to cover face.
I plan on taking lots of sword spells even if they are not always BIS (or metal orientated, heat metal, steel wind strike)
My current (and only Bard) is a Variant Human by the name of Daniel Stardust (Well, his stage name at least). He's literally a wannabe Pop Star. His entire drive in life is to become the world's best known Bard. He used to be in a Boy Band with his two brothers back when he was younger. His older brother got married and settled down, which caused him to leave the band. Without the older brother as the mediator the other two fought relentlessly and split ways. Daniel then went off to spread his bardic talents to the world. (He dresses pretty loudly. Imagine Elton John meets Elvis Presley meets Micheal Jackson). As he traveled and performed, he realized the it just wasn't enough anymore and decided to take up adventuring as well. He's currently a level 6 with Stats as follows: STR(6) DEX(18) CON(16) INT(13) WIS(11) CHA(19). My favorite thing that I can do with his magic is casting Major Image at his concerts so he can have a big 20 ft tall Hologram of him tower over the stage so the entire crowd can see and hear. He's pretty naturally selfish and cocky but I think that makes him fun to play. As he's adventured around he's had to branch out and face the fact that he isn't always enough and that he needs help. And he's learning that it's OK to fail! Sure he's not very used to it but his companions have been able to slowly help him realize that he can do hard things and help is a normal thing to ask for. He's also learning to want to be the best bard for the benefit of others other than himself.
My current Bard is Cadenza. He is a fellow that fancies the description of a diplomat and strives to act accordingly. He is a half-elf that plays the Lute in town, mostly in taverns after the first evening he enters a settlement. He strives to become acquainted with the settlement leader(s) on the first night, or its off to the tavern.
He is a Lore Bard. He attempts to expand his knowledge of the Lore of every area he has time to investigate. He writes ballads and epic poems of the fights his party has fought and shares them regularly as a manner of introduction when they come to a new settlement. He dresses well. He is courteous to everyone he meets figuring he can get more help with honey than vinegar. He mixes just as well with nobility and affluent merchants as he does with common folks and peasant farmers. As he travels the countryside he does favors for the farmers and even treats children to some music with his wooden flute. He carries an extra four smaller wooden flutes to share with children to teach them to play, also hoping this will ingratiate him with their parents.
Adventuring he wears well made studded leather armor and other grey, green or brown clothes to help him go unnoticed. He even carries a druids walking staff so that he isn't noticed to be a Bard unless he wishes. He often begins combat holding his crossbow to get a shot off before the enemy close in on the party. Often he casts Bane to help diminish one flank or the other against being "Molly Whomped" as my paladin friend likes to out it. With the enemy fully engaged he will cast Dissonant Whispers on the right fellow to give him damage and a number of opportunity attacks. He has saved our Rogue any number of times using Cutting Words, and has shut down enemy spell casters more than once with Counterspell.
But Cadenza is no coward and usually draws his rapier and races in for one or more hits during each fight. In our earliest levels he was several times more bold than our well armored paladin dwarf, who dressed only in chain mail with at least 13HP felt entirely too vulnerable a few times.
Cadenza's Battle Instrument (spellcasting focus) is a wooden flute he wears in a pouch across his chest attached to his baldric.
I have four other Bards characters as NPCs I am working on. The first was Andante, a diplomat bard I developed as an NPC for my friends campaign he was DMing. He became the prototype for the other bards. Andante is a Human Lore Bard. Then there was Bene Timber, Andante's apprentice. Now I am playing in a second campaign where I am a Paladin and I have a Bard that serves as my Herald now that I am outside the lands of my father's authority, for my Paladin is the second of a Noble ruler. This bard is named Marcato. Marcato's nemesis is an older Bard named Anacrusis, a spiteful fellow that tried to take advantage of others by virtue of his charisma, who Marcato confronted a few times in his home town before he left on his own adventure as a Bard.
Bards are awesome.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
I'm having a blast with my Half Elf College of Whispers Bard. I know the College of Whispers is really situational and not as optimal as other colleges, but I'm having so much fun with this more sneaky/dark personality bard. And Psychic Blades came in clutch when fighting a creature that had resistance to physical damage as well as most magic damage we met, but not psychic. That and her super high bonuses to persuasion and deception just at level 4, she's so fun to play as.
I love Bards because of their expertise, their style, and their charm.
The fact that they are magicians who can bullsh*t their way into magic that is normally reserved for intellectual archmages or the most devoted clerics makes them the very definition of “unexpected”.
Personally, I love a Sword Bard who tries to emulate the heroes they hear about in stories or song...they may not be a strong as Barbarians, as skilled as Fighters, or as stalwart as Paladins...but they have the biggest dreams.
I like that they’re scrappers...they’re nuisances to tyrants, dread knights, or evil Wizards...they contribute in little ways...but it’s always that little bit that turns the tide of battle.
Also, shenanigans...if anyone is going to pull off a scheme; it’ll be a Bard.
I'm currently playing a gruff hill dwarf bard in a seafaring campaign. He plays the fiddle as he sings along to his sea shanties and is generally the sarcastic one who specialises in scaring the hell out of NPCs - we have a rogue who delights in the persuasion and deception skills, so we leave being the nice guy to her.
Since it's a seafaring campaign, I gave him a peg leg (my DM cleared me to start with a prosthetic limb magic item, so it's basically just aesthetic) and he is Charisma/Strength based with a longsword. His hard biscuits that he cooks for the party are rejuvenating and tasty with a knob of butter (Chef feat) and a couple of the characters (including a young sorcerer stowaway) look up to him as a father/big brother figure.
Bards are the renaissance style class that covers a broad range of learning (aka jack of all trades), and the class is highly customizable in how the character is built.
I also build my bards more in line with historical and mythological inspirations. Bards were the scholars of their time and the stories are entertaining. The modern tropes are fun too, but they are more of a roguish minstrel than the oral historian or magician in a duel of magic.
The class is fun to play regardless of the inspiration or style of the bard being played.
I played a Changling Bardlock multiclass (College of lore Bard/The Celestial Warlock) in a short campaign and it spawned some of the best roleplay and creative gameplay I've ever experienced. That character had everything you could ever need to have a hilarious time and survive the consequences of your actions, shapechanging, maxed out charisma, tons of skills and expertise, huge spell list of mainly illusions and utility spells, tons of spell slots, pact spell slots, a ridiculous amount of cantrips, eldritch evocations, tragic but funny backstory, operating under stolen identities for most of the campaign, it was perfect and I full endorse that multiclass as being one of the most fun out there.
Also, my patron was my aasimar prankster best friend who was killed while saving me and ascended to a higher plane as a celestial that I promptly pledged my soul. This came up regularly because I was constantly talking to him, which made my character look crazy at times.
My first character was a warlock which i tried to play as a debuff caster. my dm has kept pushing me to try a bard instead since my playstyle reflected that of a bard instead of a warlock. My tendency in a game is tk cast debuff and crowd control spells:
1) cast debuff spells, 2)cast another debuff spell for crowd control (which i love doing) 3) support front liners with 10 to 15 hp heals before I attack.
I played it through until level 17.
After some time, i made a gish swordbard and i regretted not having chosen the swordbard from the get go. There's bljndness, faerie fire, bane, sleep and hideous laughter. Zand i really enjoy how much keeping my concentration on bane kept the frontliner's lives a bit more resilient to the monsters hit dice . Now my dm is slowly puahing me tkwards the grave cleric which she thinks i might enjoy as well. Hahaha.
All in all. I loved my time as a swordbard, with an AC of 22 since i dipped into two levels of fighter. Swordbards get to use weapons that they are proficient in as a spell focus. The only downside is a subpar melee damage. But ive got tough as bricks 22 ac.
For the story part, i play a kobold cultist of tiamat with a feisty personality and a little rude. Bur eventually, he has grown into a kobold that is less uotight and more forgiving of others and himself.
I've always been a sucker for Eilistraee, and she's basically the elven goddess of bards. Ironically, the only one really dedicated to it, despite the cliche of elves and music. There's lots of gods who like art, but only the Dark Maiden actively encourages bards in her followers, and exploring the world through dance and song. High elves can keep their wizardly bladesingers - Bards know the real way to mix it up with sword dances!
I don't really have a bard character at the moment, but they've always been one of my go-to classes for a game (the others being paladin, warlock and druid). Its just been something that's always appealed to me. The last one I played was a snake character in a different system (think yuan-ti, but snake tail instead of legs), and served as princess of a noble house, leading an expedition into a new world. No weapons, no instruments, just a folding fan that she used for battle signals and the occasional wind-style magic. Sometimes, it gets a bit frustrating, because people forget the bard bonuses, but she was a fun character. A few times, she crawled up on another character's summoned elemental after battle, and took a nap in the sunlight. And liked to give hugs. Lots of hugs. People didn't like receiving them for some reason.
cool
i tohught a roue bard would seem cool the rp value alone would be fun, but then possibly the twwo most versatile classes in the game mixed
One of two current characters I'm running is a lightfoot Halfling lore bard, an 18 year old girl who is absolutely self-absorbed and entitled with a nice line in throwaway one-liners and put-downs. She has BS-ed the party out of too many bad situations to count, (Deception +13 at 10th level; most recently saved us from four hugely OP undead ogres who were guarding a giants tomb by claiming to be a tourist looking for the gift shop facilities, eventually the ogres just begged her and the party to leave) and uses major image to distract enemies using what we call the 'Bugs Bunny Routine' (large tentacled dungeon monster distracted by sexy female version of itself, lipstick, wig and all). The homebrew campaign we're playing has our party trying to save the world from annihilation by the gods themselves (kind of an old testament "the world has become impure and must be started over" deal) and my bard is composing an epic opera about the groups adventures (wherein, naturally, she is the hero). Last session we had a face to face encounter with one of the few gods on the side of saving the world thanks to a RIDICULOUS "Divine Intervention" roll by our cleric, and we were each granted one question, so naturally, after a series of deep and meaningful questions from the others my bard asked the god of hope "Is that your natural hair colour? I think a little blonde would really bring out the gold in your eyes..." and we were quickly deposited back to the prime material plane.
tl'dr My bard is basically a character from Mean Girls, but don't call her out on it or she'll fireball your face off.
Bards to me are people who stand in the back and watches their friends do most of the work in a fight while showing off a thumbs up and shouting "You got this!" and most of the time... they don't got this. I am proud to be a bard.
If I were to roll myself as a character I would be a bard. Musical Theater bard, who keeps trying out for the Best Friend rather than the Lead characters. Skipping from party to party in the long tavern crawl of life.
When I play a bard I do it because I want to be able to do whatever I want and roast the f*** out of people with vicious mockery and cutting words :)
Plus I also get to do amazing on skill checks :)
Honestly, I've never played with a group that didn't love having me, they thought I was hilarious and clever.
The best thing I have ever done is taken over for a jewelry shop owner that had been stabbed previously that day and tricked everyone into thinking I was the shopkeeper (I then looted the place at the end of the day and got away with 3000+ g).
I haven't made it yet, but I'm going to make a drow bard named wouldiwas shookspeared. Only speaks in monologues and overly dramatic motions. Need to do a bit of work on it.
My current bard is a Half-Satyr Half-Human hybrid who was born after his birth mother cheated on her husband. He was given to the satyr who returned him to the fey wilds where he grew up. He is incredibly cocky and loves showing off which has got him in a bit of trouble in the past. For obvious reasons he falls in the stereotype of sleeping with whatever is down, which eventually lead to him discovering he was the father of the orphaned high elf fighter in his party.. Whoops..
Now, I'm really more of a DM than a player, and Bard (probably) isn't my favorite class, but a Bard played well is truly a sight to behold. I just got finished with a campaign that had a bard that was essentially an angsty teen (disguised as a 20-something) who ran away from home and started sassing absolutely everyone she met. While everyone else in this campaign had tragic backstories, this was just the story of a gal sick of living a restricted noble lifestyle who learned to play the banjo and recorder and set off to do what she felt like, and the player played her fantastically. She is one of my favorite characters to ever have been in a campaign of mine, and has inspired me to consider a College of Swords bard for a campaign I'm playing in soon.
My favorite bard ever is Maya, a Half-Elf bard who can easily calm any amount of tension with just a few jokes. Her short, red hair and blue green eyes can disarm any amount of anger. Her round, but sharp cheeks covered with freckles makes it hard to stay mad at. Her smile can kill just as much as her words and sword. Due to Maya's light body structure, and all her physical features, so she attracts many men, and even a few women. But she rejects all of them politely. She has the Folk Hero background, which means she performs nightly and has almost everybody take an instant liking to her. Her elvish songs sing of utopia, and her Orcish songs sing of death and pain. None of it matters, because of her deep story.
She was born in and raised in an Elvish family, but since Maya was a half-elf, her parents gave her a name in Elvish that's not so pleasant in Common. Maya had always loved music, no matter what kind. Elvish was her favorite. Her parents, seeing her natural talent in singing, dancing, and playing music, got Maya her very own flute, forged in the elvish forges. To her, this was the greatest gift ever. She was never found without her flute. For her love for music, sometimes, the less rude elves would get her some songs that she could play on her flute. Maya had learned Elvish by age 15, when her name really stuck out to her. After that, she despised her parents. Her 15-year-old brain was saying 'Get stronger and murder them for a bad childhood. She started training. By age 22, she had built up formidable strength. She was preparing for the nefarious deeds. Due to her light build, she had snuck into the armory and stolen a few weapons. Maya snuck into the main room where her parents slept, and she stopped... She couldn't find herself to do it. She wanted to for 7 years, and she couldn't do it now. She was furious. She raised the dagger, but it stayed there. She started crying lightly. It got worse and worse. Eventually, she started weeping loudly, and her parents woke from their trance. Noticing the dagger, they shouted for the guards! Several guards ran in. Maya had no clue what to do. She threw her dagger with deadly accuracy, just at the right angle that it broke the window hinges in the north-west corner of the room. She started running and vaulting different tables and desks, and finally got to the window. She looked down, and saw the raging river below. She held her sword in one hand, her flute in the other, shut her eyes and jumped.
I love roleplaying, message me so we can set something up.
I talk everything D&D, message me for questions, chat, arguements, or roleplay!
I'm about to start playing my fallen Aasimar Sword Bard, Salazar the Sword. He will be a sword swallowing, sword jugger. He will be a duel wielding sword beast. Urban bounty hunter with a knack for persuasion. He'll dress like a persian immortal warrior with face plate to cover face.
I plan on taking lots of sword spells even if they are not always BIS (or metal orientated, heat metal, steel wind strike)
My current (and only Bard) is a Variant Human by the name of Daniel Stardust (Well, his stage name at least). He's literally a wannabe Pop Star. His entire drive in life is to become the world's best known Bard. He used to be in a Boy Band with his two brothers back when he was younger. His older brother got married and settled down, which caused him to leave the band. Without the older brother as the mediator the other two fought relentlessly and split ways. Daniel then went off to spread his bardic talents to the world. (He dresses pretty loudly. Imagine Elton John meets Elvis Presley meets Micheal Jackson). As he traveled and performed, he realized the it just wasn't enough anymore and decided to take up adventuring as well. He's currently a level 6 with Stats as follows: STR(6) DEX(18) CON(16) INT(13) WIS(11) CHA(19). My favorite thing that I can do with his magic is casting Major Image at his concerts so he can have a big 20 ft tall Hologram of him tower over the stage so the entire crowd can see and hear. He's pretty naturally selfish and cocky but I think that makes him fun to play. As he's adventured around he's had to branch out and face the fact that he isn't always enough and that he needs help. And he's learning that it's OK to fail! Sure he's not very used to it but his companions have been able to slowly help him realize that he can do hard things and help is a normal thing to ask for. He's also learning to want to be the best bard for the benefit of others other than himself.
My current Bard is Cadenza. He is a fellow that fancies the description of a diplomat and strives to act accordingly. He is a half-elf that plays the Lute in town, mostly in taverns after the first evening he enters a settlement. He strives to become acquainted with the settlement leader(s) on the first night, or its off to the tavern.
He is a Lore Bard. He attempts to expand his knowledge of the Lore of every area he has time to investigate. He writes ballads and epic poems of the fights his party has fought and shares them regularly as a manner of introduction when they come to a new settlement. He dresses well. He is courteous to everyone he meets figuring he can get more help with honey than vinegar. He mixes just as well with nobility and affluent merchants as he does with common folks and peasant farmers. As he travels the countryside he does favors for the farmers and even treats children to some music with his wooden flute. He carries an extra four smaller wooden flutes to share with children to teach them to play, also hoping this will ingratiate him with their parents.
Adventuring he wears well made studded leather armor and other grey, green or brown clothes to help him go unnoticed. He even carries a druids walking staff so that he isn't noticed to be a Bard unless he wishes. He often begins combat holding his crossbow to get a shot off before the enemy close in on the party. Often he casts Bane to help diminish one flank or the other against being "Molly Whomped" as my paladin friend likes to out it. With the enemy fully engaged he will cast Dissonant Whispers on the right fellow to give him damage and a number of opportunity attacks. He has saved our Rogue any number of times using Cutting Words, and has shut down enemy spell casters more than once with Counterspell.
But Cadenza is no coward and usually draws his rapier and races in for one or more hits during each fight. In our earliest levels he was several times more bold than our well armored paladin dwarf, who dressed only in chain mail with at least 13HP felt entirely too vulnerable a few times.
Cadenza's Battle Instrument (spellcasting focus) is a wooden flute he wears in a pouch across his chest attached to his baldric.
I have four other Bards characters as NPCs I am working on. The first was Andante, a diplomat bard I developed as an NPC for my friends campaign he was DMing. He became the prototype for the other bards. Andante is a Human Lore Bard. Then there was Bene Timber, Andante's apprentice. Now I am playing in a second campaign where I am a Paladin and I have a Bard that serves as my Herald now that I am outside the lands of my father's authority, for my Paladin is the second of a Noble ruler. This bard is named Marcato. Marcato's nemesis is an older Bard named Anacrusis, a spiteful fellow that tried to take advantage of others by virtue of his charisma, who Marcato confronted a few times in his home town before he left on his own adventure as a Bard.
Bards are awesome.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
I'm having a blast with my Half Elf College of Whispers Bard. I know the College of Whispers is really situational and not as optimal as other colleges, but I'm having so much fun with this more sneaky/dark personality bard. And Psychic Blades came in clutch when fighting a creature that had resistance to physical damage as well as most magic damage we met, but not psychic. That and her super high bonuses to persuasion and deception just at level 4, she's so fun to play as.
I love Bards because of their expertise, their style, and their charm.
The fact that they are magicians who can bullsh*t their way into magic that is normally reserved for intellectual archmages or the most devoted clerics makes them the very definition of “unexpected”.
Personally, I love a Sword Bard who tries to emulate the heroes they hear about in stories or song...they may not be a strong as Barbarians, as skilled as Fighters, or as stalwart as Paladins...but they have the biggest dreams.
I like that they’re scrappers...they’re nuisances to tyrants, dread knights, or evil Wizards...they contribute in little ways...but it’s always that little bit that turns the tide of battle.
Also, shenanigans...if anyone is going to pull off a scheme; it’ll be a Bard.
Maybe with a little help from the Rogue. ; )
I'm currently playing a gruff hill dwarf bard in a seafaring campaign. He plays the fiddle as he sings along to his sea shanties and is generally the sarcastic one who specialises in scaring the hell out of NPCs - we have a rogue who delights in the persuasion and deception skills, so we leave being the nice guy to her.
Since it's a seafaring campaign, I gave him a peg leg (my DM cleared me to start with a prosthetic limb magic item, so it's basically just aesthetic) and he is Charisma/Strength based with a longsword. His hard biscuits that he cooks for the party are rejuvenating and tasty with a knob of butter (Chef feat) and a couple of the characters (including a young sorcerer stowaway) look up to him as a father/big brother figure.
Beardy druid.
Very beardy druid. With a cap.
Bards are the renaissance style class that covers a broad range of learning (aka jack of all trades), and the class is highly customizable in how the character is built.
I also build my bards more in line with historical and mythological inspirations. Bards were the scholars of their time and the stories are entertaining. The modern tropes are fun too, but they are more of a roguish minstrel than the oral historian or magician in a duel of magic.
The class is fun to play regardless of the inspiration or style of the bard being played.
I played a Changling Bardlock multiclass (College of lore Bard/The Celestial Warlock) in a short campaign and it spawned some of the best roleplay and creative gameplay I've ever experienced. That character had everything you could ever need to have a hilarious time and survive the consequences of your actions, shapechanging, maxed out charisma, tons of skills and expertise, huge spell list of mainly illusions and utility spells, tons of spell slots, pact spell slots, a ridiculous amount of cantrips, eldritch evocations, tragic but funny backstory, operating under stolen identities for most of the campaign, it was perfect and I full endorse that multiclass as being one of the most fun out there.
Also, my patron was my aasimar prankster best friend who was killed while saving me and ascended to a higher plane as a celestial that I promptly pledged my soul. This came up regularly because I was constantly talking to him, which made my character look crazy at times.
Sincerely, Non-stop Homebrewer.
My first character was a warlock which i tried to play as a debuff caster. my dm has kept pushing me to try a bard instead since my playstyle reflected that of a bard instead of a warlock. My tendency in a game is tk cast debuff and crowd control spells:
1) cast debuff spells, 2)cast another debuff spell for crowd control (which i love doing) 3) support front liners with 10 to 15 hp heals before I attack.
I played it through until level 17.
After some time, i made a gish swordbard and i regretted not having chosen the swordbard from the get go. There's bljndness, faerie fire, bane, sleep and hideous laughter. Zand i really enjoy how much keeping my concentration on bane kept the frontliner's lives a bit more resilient to the monsters hit dice . Now my dm is slowly puahing me tkwards the grave cleric which she thinks i might enjoy as well. Hahaha.
All in all. I loved my time as a swordbard, with an AC of 22 since i dipped into two levels of fighter. Swordbards get to use weapons that they are proficient in as a spell focus. The only downside is a subpar melee damage. But ive got tough as bricks 22 ac.
For the story part, i play a kobold cultist of tiamat with a feisty personality and a little rude. Bur eventually, he has grown into a kobold that is less uotight and more forgiving of others and himself.