Instruments: Beehive drum, Tree branch flute, double bass
When I was but a small bear cub, I lived with my mother in the Vale district of the great city state of Tenepris. We had a happy life there, my mom was a music teacher at the local bard's college and she taught me all that I know about music. One day while we went out to purchase some fish and other groceries, my mom looked down at me and said "Here, how about you go buy something for yourself." I was excited, I couldn't decide what to get. A new toy? A new comic book? Paying the local drunk hobo to eat dirt? As she was about to hand me off the money, an arrow pops out of her torso and she collapsed before me. I was in shock and in tears. The locals and merchants who knew us became furious and wrestled down the assailant who killed my mother. It was a drunk hunter who mistaken my mom as a feral bear. The hunter was charged for murder and an HWI (hunting While Intoxicated) and sentenced life in prison. I was then taken to a foster home run by a young elven couple. With them and my foster siblings, I learned how to cope and smile again. They were really nice and encouraged me to follow my dreams and to be happy in life. But since I turned 8 (bears mature faster than most humanoids) I had to legally leave since I was an adult. Besides, I did not want to burden my foster family. They said they'll miss me and to visit whenever. To be honest life as an adult was tough, I did my best to enroll at the bard's college but failed the entrance exam since the essay was supposed to be in MLA format and I did not know how to write in that format. After that I tried to make a living by playing music at the taverns and working at the cart wash to help pay for English writing classes. But balancing all that with surviving was tough. I began to steal from tip jars and sleeping in places where I shouldn't be sleeping such as barns and a room at the Holiday Inn in which I never returned the room key. Then stealing turned to mugging and then through the years I was the leader of my own gang of thugs. One day while trying to complete a heist of jumping the tax collector's carriage, we were ambushed by the city guard. This was all a trap! I told my gang to run as I held them off but there were too many of them, so I surrendered. After that I went to the Ruby District Prison, luckily one of the guards was an older foster brother back from when I lived with my foster family. He knew I was not doing too well and did small things to help me out like sneaking me in an extra cupcake after lunch, beating up my rivals, and did some talking to help me get through my prison sentence faster. The other prisoners didn't like that and I overheard that they were going to jump him. While my foster brother was inspecting cells I saw those prisoners walking towards the cell he was in armed with forks. He didn't know what was going to happen so I busted out of my cell and stopped them but after the fight I passed out from my injuries and later awoke in the infirmary. Minutes passed and he and a bearded middle aged man came to see me. The bearded man's name was Amon and he offered me freedom and a new job for his newly formed division of law enforcement in Tenepris, the Underhand Division. This new division was a new program where former criminals can redeem themselves and serve their community as the secret police. Their specialty was to root out gang violence, drug trafficking, prostitution, weapons smuggling, corruption, and anywhere else a former criminal would have great knowledge of in the underworld. By day, I was a simple bard. But at night, I was an agent of the law. My current assignment is to observe the mayor of the Ruby District who we believe is a corrupt leader and is involved with murder, bribery, drug trafficking, and conspiracy.
My Bard started as a cheeky and roguish teifling in design and ended up as a Shadowy ex-Gang lord Water Ganasi that became a bard to continue the ruse he made to get a way from his criminal past... who may or may not eat people he killed when he was younger to survive... Yeah I didn't think that's where he was gonna go either.
But here he is; My Beloved Ainsel Kurusu
Piracy and the underworld is a normal thing to experience when your a no name, no family and not the same race living in Brinewell and that was what Ainsel Grew and thrived in. Born off the coast on a ship, his mother was sickly and passed at birth leaving Ainsel to the mercy of the people of the ship. Childhood was wild and cruel as were the streets and Ainsel loved the adventure and thrill. He learned how to play people as well as he played the instruments. People like to see the weird and different even if they shun it and Ainsel Rotated around different people and different places gathering an amass of Stories, jobs and crimes. Ainsel has never been one to go head first into danger, he is the more diplomatic type but is more then willing to spill blood like a story.
Has a weakness for kids as he came from a harder childhood and from that, he is more genuinely kind to them.
Lvl 4 College of Shadows Bard with a Multi class Lvl 1 Rogue. Plan to take him to lvl 3 and get MasterMind.
Guzzstavistan, 1st level Tiefling Bard (first Bard ever for me and I started in 1983!) (He will be going College of Whispers.)
Orphan abandoned in Mulmaster. Tieflings being exotic and rare in the Moonsea area, he was adopted quickly by well-to-do family that kept him as an oddity; a trophy trained to entertain and improve their social standing. Discovered he could listen in on conversations while entertaining those who considered him mere, "room dressing." Found with some concentration, he could produce mystical effects with his music and kept it secret -- casting arcane magic is illegal by decree in Mulmaster, with penalties ranging from beatings to banishment to death.
Was told over and over he would never be a true member of the family. Fell in with a bad crowd (not hard to do in the City of Danger) and ended up their fall guy and patsy when, unknown to him, they used information he told them to try to extort gold from one of the Brotherhood of Cloaks. Beaten severely and jailed for six years, Guzz learned the ins and outs of the Mulmaster criminal underground from his fellow prisoners, and discovered just how deeply corrupt the Lords, Cloaks and Blades of Mulmaster truly were. He vowed upon his release he would leave the City of Danger, his, "family," had disowned him -- there was nothing left here but lessons learned.
Upon release, true to his vow, Guzz left by a Mulmaster gate, looked back and whispered, "If I ever return it will only be to set the corrupt of this city loose to extinguish one another." He spit on the ground before the gate and has never looked back.
(Currently)InquisitiveRogue 3 / Bard 1 (will be College of Whisper)
Character Biography Smoking Mirror and his twin sister, Ray of Sunshine were born to their Tigres mother, Sunkiss Embrace and their Snow Leopard father, Wild Mirror. Though Ray took more after her mother, Sunkiss, and Smoke took after their father, Wild, they were inseparable. As a sort of Ying and Yang relationship, they complimented each other. The often talked about joining the Spada's together and ascending into greatness. The Spada's were a sort of Mercenary Caste that could potentially provide great reward, though it was incredibly risky.
However, fate would not have it. A few months before their fifteenth name day, while Ray and Smoke were playing together, they were accosted by a dwarven Spada. Though Smoke was able to escape, Ray lost her life. Smoke blamed himself, thinking he should have fought back to save Ray.
Knowing it was Ray's dream to become a Spada, on his fifteenth name day Smoke took his sister's name and joined the Spadas. It was his goal to honor her memory and to hopefully one day become the avenger of her death.
I know he isn't a full Bard, but I still wanted to post him because he is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters. I built Smoking Mirrors, as the other players called him, to be a sort of have multiple personalities. His more vindictive and malicious side is his Roguish side and who he was before his sister, Ray of Sunshine, died. His sister, Ray of Sunshine, was the balance that kept him in check. She was the optimist to his forever pessimism. When his sister, a kind and gentle women who loved knowledge and singing, died. A schism formed in Smoking Mirror's psyche. He changed dramatically, took on her name as well as her profession (Bard).
Jeff the rapping bard. To look at him is to look past him as he hobbles by with his walking canes...yes, canes, plural. Most see a hunched over cripple, shabby cloak pulled closed, his face and straight white hair obscured by a cowl. His loving and supportive parents haven't seen him since they sent him to a junior bard school program several years ago. Poor Jeff just couldn't sing though. The other students would make fun of him, leading to fights and his eventual expulsion. Too ashamed to return home Jeff hit the streets, running cons while developing his spoken word. He adopted his disguise to avoid agents that his parents hired to bring him home, and fled to chult to join a group of adventurers as a last ditching effort to atone for his failures.
His party has learned that there is magic in Jeff's simple rhymes, as well as swords in his canes. And he is not nearly as crippled as one might believe. After a few adventures mister Jeff has aquired anstruth's harp and has saved and been saved by his party numerous times. He is writing an epic to make his folks proud and he will recite it for them in his shiny elven armor.
I signed up today for dndbeyond just to reply to this post.
My bard is Tristan Wakefield. He is a dex melee bard charlatan who specialises in deception and persuasion. I have only playd one session so far and had the only round (yes singular. As in one round) of combat. My friend playing a wizard and my bards brother and i were trying to magically interupt another spell caster that was trying to cheat a horse race we both burnt all our level 1 spell slots and kept failing thanks to really bad rolls, as a last ditched effort i looked at my friend irl and my bard looked at his brother in game and mouthed sorry. I proceeded to punch the target clean in the jaw with a massive roll and distract him from his spell casting much to the surprise of the whole table. Talked my way out of going to jail though ☺.
I am playing two bards (it’s such a fun class to play)!
One is Dahlia Goodlock, level 1, Halfling, instrument: viola da gamba (similar to a cello)
She was raised wealthy to a pair of disinterested parents. She’s now just graduated from a premier arts academy, and eager to make a name for herself and write the greatest song ever written, but there’s a slight problem. She has the worst performance anxiety ever. When asked to perform for people, she gets mad butterflies in her stomach and becomes ill and her fingers forget how to play. But when she’s in combat, and the people around her are hurt, all her anxiety disappears, and her music is confident and strong. (Not that she’s really aware of that yet). Our GM wants us to incorporate level ups and feats into the campaign story, so I’m hoping that she can discover or buy a book of performances of the Fey, and become inspired by that to pursue the College of Glamour. I think it would be an interesting character arc for her.
My other bard is Darathena Sparksong, level 5, College of Glamour, Half-elf, instrument: sackbut (precursor to the trombone)
She was the main singer and horn player of the popular troupe “The Wandering Wonders” until that troupe fell on hard times and dissolved. Now she’s been trying to grow her solo career when she meets the other members of her party. Until recently, life was that simple - do odd adventuring jobs, perform here or there, make money, spend it on clothing or booze. But now she and her companions might be the last chance for this world to survive the Tempest Maw that threatens their very existence, and she’s having a hard time accepting that responsibility. (We play in a homebrew world where the gods have died or left hundreds of years ago, and there is only one plane left, where cities are on isolated floating rocks, and a giant storm system called the Tempest Maw absorbs islands, destroying it and all life on them. And I’m certain there’s more, but this is all I know.)
Female Dwarf named Reed. Red hair, short even for a dwarf (sometimes people mistake her for a halfling which she does not appreciate). Fiery temper but loyal to a fault.
My DM decided to start our adventure with zero gear (we were passengers on a ship that sank, and we had to swim to shore meaning any armor or weapons had to be abandoned or we'd sink like rocks). So just to spite him I decided to make it my mission to obtain the most ridiculous instrument I could. I managed a fairly high roll one session when we were in a village, so I used it to wrangle myself a tuba. Now whenever one of my companions gets knocked down or hit I play "Waa waa waaaaaaaaaa"
My Bard is named... Bardo. It was just a placeholder at first but it just seemed to stick.
He's a youthful halfling who lost his singing voice in a terrible accident, so he uses the flute to fulfill his Bard-related duties. For someone who is high Charisma, Bardo is not an amazing talker. He is often seen taking a poor outcome of negotiations because he is a bit too confident, but can really get things done properly if the situation desperately calls for it.
Whenever he introduces himself, he says, "Hi there, I'm Bardo. You've probably heard of me."
We are playing Tomb of Annihilation and he is not a native to the island, so, of course, no one has heard of him. He calls people who haven't heard of him uncultured swines and his main flaw is that he does not take well to uncultured swines... You can probably see how that ends up. More for RP than anything else, this led me to take the spell Vicious Mockery, where he constantly attempts to use this on people he doesn't like without them noticing. This hasn't worked out well. The last person Bardo casted this on took notice, and now Bardo is afraid that the man put a curse on him (strongly alluded to by the DM, but I actually don't know if he did or not).
Bardo's the name, self-inflicted pain is the game.
My bard is Karuzara, an orphaned aasimar. His parents died of a plague after which he took to the streets to earn what he could by singing and playing the lyre. Whilst there he was observed by the Voci Prim (head priest) of the Temple of Milil and taken under his wing. Over time he was trained in the ways of the temple bard and eventually sent out into the world on missions assigned by the temple for the highest bidder.
So far in game he met up with the other adventurers in the group after they escaped from a devastating war. They were led into making a deal with an archfey to find 4 soul gems hidden in locations across the land. So far they have freed a village from a resurrected serial killer, freed a town from warring factions and are currently trying to stop the influence of an elder god in a desert city without harming the populace.
His viewpoint has shifted somewhat from the neutral good to chaotic good to reflect their actions in game. His specialities tend to be control and typically are triggered by songs or jokes he's been learning from a new book.
My bard's name is Kenzen Crese, he is a Hill Dwarf and level 5. When he was young his family wanted him to be a great warrior but he didnt care for that and as he got older he spent most of his time in the local pub trying to entertain everyone until one night he picked up his lute and everyone was in awe of him and as he told them to dance in a way, put one arm in so on and so on. He fell in love with this and wanted to do nothing else so he left his home and started learning as much as he could until he ran into this group of people who wanted some entertainment while they fight but in all they needed a little bit of backup in combat so his sharp tongue would scare monsters away while his team would get into position. He would use his sharp tongue until they monsters the group ran into wouldnt work now he is back to his old ways and using the family Battleaxe that was given to him when he was little to train with.
Spells(Disclaimer I dont know if I have my spells are right or not but my DM has said they are ok so I am hoping I did it right):
I have Armor of Gleaming, Spiked Armor and my trusty Lute and family Battleaxe. I hope to use my performance and deception for the first time next weekend since I am out of spells and my Vicious Mockery doesnt work on the monsters we are fighting lol.
My bard is an Aarakora (the bird race) level 1 (haven't got him in a game yet 😢). He'll be interesting though for sure. His name is Pico de Lolobardo.
His back story is that he was raised in a troupe, and his father being a famous and great bard thought Pico many things like; draconic, a few spells, and how to disguise oneself well. When he was an adult his dad gave him some basic supplies and told him to go find a group of adventurers to inspire his own stories.
He looks like a thick billed parrot, and is witty, smart, and likes to help, but he can be aloof a times though... He loves his old troupe and his dad's bard friends, but enjoys the adventuring also. He does use a rapier and dagger as weapon, but mostly the prior.
Using Xanathar's Guide for background direction, I came up with the following.
Embarrassing Moment: It's taken a while, but I think I've finally recovered from that time on stage when my wig caught fire and it set the stage on fire after I threw it down.
My defining work: “The Pirates of Luskan,” your firsthand account of being kidnapped by sea reavers as a child. It's been out of print for sometime now, but I always keep an eye out for a copy.
My Muse is Nature: I feel a kinship with the natural world, and its beauty and mystery inspire me. For me, a tree is deeply symbolic, its roots delving into the dark unknown to draw forth the power of the earth, while its branches reach toward the sun to nourish their flowers and fruit. Nature is the ancient witness who has seen every kingdom rise and fall, even those whose names have been forgotten and wait to be rediscovered. The gods of nature share their secrets with druids and sages, opening their hearts and minds to new ways of seeing, and as with those individuals, you find that your creativity blossoms while‘ you wander in an open field of waving grass or walk in silent reverence through a grove of ancient oaks. Scandal: You did something that brought terrible shame to you in the eyes of your family. You might have been involved in a scandal, dabbled in dark magic, or offended someone important. The attitude of your family members toward you becomes indifferent at best, though they might eventually forgive you.
Boon: A friendly Wizard/Druid gave you a spell scroll with a Cantrip.
Boon: You met someone important. Neutral, Human Sorcerer, Guild Member of the Zhentarim.
Lineage: One parent was an elf and the other was a human. Born in the Feywild, I'm the older of 5 siblings, my parent disappeared to an unknown fate. Comfortable lifestyle, raised in a small house, I had a few close friends and lived an ordinary childhood.
Background: I resented authority in my younger days and saw a life of crime as the best way to fight against tyranny and oppression.
Bard: i felt a calling to recount the deeds of champions and heroes, to bring them alive in song and story.
With that in mind, I built the following story:
My name is Ignacio Whisperdoom. I was born in the Feywild to a Human father and Wood Elf mother. Being the eldest, I found myself caring for my brother and three sisters after our parents mysteriously disappeared. It was rough for a time, so I began stealing from the corrupt and wealthy to feed my family. Eventually I was caught, disgraced, and exiled from our lands within the Feywild. I don't know what became of my brother and sisters, but I hope to find them again one day.
Thanks to my homeland, I'm quite comfortable in nature. But the forests of the Feywild can be random, dangerous, and cruel to someone so young. I survived foraging for weeks until a strange man named Alatar came looking for me. He was a Sorcerer by trade, and had dealings with my parents. So he helped me find passage to Luskin, where my father was originally from. He said I should search for clues to their disappearance, and gave me a scroll that ignited my curiosity of the Arcane (Green Flame Blade).
Luskin was exciting; filled with mischief and intrigue. To get by, Alatar helped me find work at a local theater, cleaning up tables and helping actors prepare. I made a meager sum, but I was wildly fascinated by the lure of the stage, and eventually became an understudy. Plus it was easy to lift a little extra cash from the unsuspecting patrons. After the show, I would meet up with Alatar at one of the local taverns, searching for clues to my parents disappearance. Always a dead lead, or so I thought...
One autumn evening, a stagehand warned me of a large man who was asking for me by name. I peeked between the curtains and saw the symbol of the Zhentarim on his muscular arm. He started walking toward the stage door; so I quickly threw some powder on my face and donned a long haired wig, hoping to sneak by in the backstage confusion. Unfortunately he saw me and grabbed my shoulder. I quickly yanked away, stumbling backward into a lit sconce. Looking for an exit, I headed across the stage, not realizing the curtains had just opened for the second act. I suddenly heard a scream from the audience. The smell of burning hair and smoke consumed my senses. Realizing the wig was on fire, I threw it onto the stage immediately lighting the hay bale props. Then with a sudden sharp pain to the back of my head, everything went black. The last thing I remember were shouts and the sound of a thud as I hit the floor.
I awoke on a Zhentarim Ship run by the pirate Onyx Seagrave. There were several young men and women there from all walks of life and our job was to cook and clean. She treated us well. Not so much like prisoners, but as forced servants, and eventually friends. I chronicled our adventures traveling the great seas, fending off pirate invaders, and exploring the uncharted regions of Faerun. The book closed with the time we were swarmed by lizardmen. That was the beginning of the end for me and my crew. The fight became so dire, that Onyx threw me her beautiful Moonblade to help protect the ship. I could have turned on her, but she was my family now, and I fought with everything I had. As we cut down our enemies, the arcane runes on the blade would glow a glorious and calming blue hue.
We won the battle, but had taken way too many casualties. So "The Great Pirate Seagrave" returned to a not-so-meager life in Chult. She offered to put in a good word for me with the Zhentarim, and so I joined. Providing me with access to the finest trainers Chult has to offer. For years I studied with the College of Valor; focused in art of combat. Over the first few months I completed of my memoirs entitled, "The Pirates of Luskin", eventually getting it published through the Zhentarim.
Here I am many years later, a free man, able to do as I please with the coin I've earned. I now seek answers to my past lives and hope find those I've left behind. But before all that, I have one final test of skill. To find my own legendary Moonblade and use it bring justice to those who took my parents from me.
@UthalDawncaller I'm loving your Bard build. My next one was going to be a Whispers College due to all the stealthy Assassin-y abilities they get. Can you elaborate on how you use your Booming Blade? Do you strike with it, then run away so they are affected? I was thinking of going with Green Flame Blade on mine to get that incredible damage boost to the one attack.
Instruments: Hip-mounted drum (like bongos but more dignified), Harmonica
This is mostly just backstory, as we've only done a few sessions. And even then, The group is my friend from work and his two kids, ages 11 and 9 (friend and I are both in our 30s) - this is mostly a teaching exercise and I am basically there just to help herd cats. As such, the bard has become both an ineffective tank and ineffective healer. We've recruited some others, so things may pick up, but as of now, my PC hasn't done much worthy of note. So instead, we start in the primordial past of Backstorysville.
Galdar's road to adventuring began with an entirely avoidable tragedy. His family owned the biggest and most profitable mine in the Dwarven village of Khurnrigh. He held the cushy position of Songkeeper. He was the one that sang the songs to help the miners keep up the proper pace while they worked. Like what they did on ships to assist in rowing and general work. Eventually, the foreman became too old to properly do his job and chose to retire. Trough a combination of nepotism and politics, Galdar was elevated to the prestigious position. One problem. He sucked. He knew it and so did everyone else. He was feeling the pressure to prove himself to everyone as well as himself. Add on to that the outlook of his parents and how they raised him. They were both from old money, but from an early age, impressed upon Galdar the outlook of "if you aren't working yourself into your grave, you're a useless drain on society". Unreasonable expectations from your family, Incompetence, and a thirst to prove yourself out of spite? This is a recipe for disaster.
He worked his crew of 247 to the breaking point. His team was racking up ton after ton of ore and precious stones at the cost of working conditions. The numbers were up, but morale was terrifyingly low. It was toward the end of his third month in charge that it happened. What's the phrase? "They dug too greedily and too deep"? It was deep in the mines that they found it. The invisible scourge of miners and their kin. The miasmatic villain that has claimed more lives that the gods can count. The creeping, insidious danger of threats unseen.
They hit a pocket of methane.
They ignored all safety precautions in favor of profit, and the resulting explosion killed all 247 miners. As this is fantasy, the incompetent son of wealthy nobles whose actions resulted in the death of many in the working class... was actually PUNISHED for his crimes! His family disowned him, and he was exiled from the city. He kept only the handle to a pickaxe whose head had been snapped mostly off, and had been warped and twisted in the fire, similar to how a shillelagh is made. He kept it as a walking stick and as a reminder to himself of what his actions had caused, and what he had done.
During is travels, He found a bottle and crawled inside it for two years. And for a Dwarf, you know that must have been something. It was then that his life changed. A vision of Dumathoin appeared before him. Seeing the patron saint of Dwarvenkind is one thing, but he told Galdar that his actions had not just brought shame upon himself and his family, but had revoked whatever privelage he had to what was awaiting him in the afterlife. His soul would never find rest, doomed to walk the earth in everlasting torment until the sun ran cold. But, there was still good in his heart, so a quest was set before him. To be Redeemed in the eyes of the Dumathoin (but likely not his home or family) he would have to save the lives of four people for every one that his greed had killed. 988 for the miners, and 12 for those who went in to rescue survivors, but never returned. 1,000 lives to save in the quest to redeem his own. He accepted this quest, and set out to make something of himself in this world.
Character sheet: https://ddb.ac/characters/4081962/qhALXP -- please ignore the fact that I'm level 2 and have way more magic items than I should. as I said before, my DM recruited me as a reasonable adult to help keep his kids on track as he teaches them the game. I need to live in order to achieve this goal.
Born far away from her ancestral home into a strange land, Gin's early life was filled with strife and turmoil. Her natural Changeling form, with pitch black eyes and pale skin, caused others to approach her with wariness and unease. Her time spent in a Waterdeep orphanage, even with the cheerful priestesses of Lhira to reassure her, was often depressing due to the scared reactions of the other children. She learned to hide her true form, and in doing so, became bitter towards both those who distrusted her, as well as herself.
As she grew older, however, Gin found some comfort within the City of Splendors upon joining a performance troupe. She met a bard who taught her the mysterious and seductive ways of the Fey...creatures whose beauty went beyond physical appearances, instead charming both the mind and soul. Through training, Gin learned this magical power, along with the traditional bardic arts of music, dance & storytelling. Gin became more comfortable in her own skin, so to speak, realizing that the secret to charming others was to embrace herself.
And boy, did she use that to her advantage...turns out, the City of Splendors was filled with "opportunities" to abuse her talents. When she wasn't performing, she was a "velvet mask"...a spy and private investigator for the wealthiest nobles and merchants in Waterdeep. If someone owed money, or committed theft or injury, Gin would be hired to track the offenders down. Using her reputation as a bard, she could get into places few common folk could hope to...the swankiest clubs, posh lounges, underground fight clubs, backroom gambling sessions...and with her changeling powers, her targets never saw her coming. A sleeping concoction slipped into their drink...a steamy conversation leading to someplace private, mesmerized by her magic...or even a simple bash across the head...then she'd drag them back to collect her pay.
Then, things took a turn...several criminal organizations caught wind of Gin's rampant successes, as some of her bounties included members of the The Myriad. Gin was forced to abandon Waterdeep, at least for a while, lest her identity be exposed. Even as The Myriad pursued her, Gin was able to escape her city, and try her hand at adventuring, putting her skills to the ultimate test in places unknown...
Gin uses the "Urban Bounty Hunter" background, which gives her a keen ability to navigate the more secretive areas of cities, and track targets. Her "Ear to the Ground" feature lets her get local intelligence for business.
Her bard skills are a combination of bounty hunter skills and spells to restrain and debuff opponents...Hold Person, Bane, Faerie Fire, even manacles she threatens to ignite with Heat Metal...as well as her College of Glamour skills to captivate or terrify her foes. She'll seduce a group with her otherworldly beauty, enhanced by her shapeshifting..****y to terrify them abruptly with her changeling racial skill, Ghastly Visage, or Fear spells.
While she maintains a pleasant and somewhat teasing persona with her teammates, while usually in a majestic face and body, she still harbours some sensitivity about her changeling form, and will become bitter if mocked about it.
Merhik 'keg-o-matic' Cordoba, Warforged Envoy Bard college of glamour.
With a voice like rich Corinthian leather and piping out the finest malt liquor in Eberon, Merhik is smooth talking his way through the aftermath of the great war. Made with a built-in brewery he has accepted that the party doesn't start until he walks in, and hes never happier than when all eyes are on him, or her if that makes you happy baby, and nobody is paying attention to the half-elf crawling into the back room. Merhik took to the bard life like a fish to water, his original purpose as a mobile keg for the army left far behind him, abandoned the first time he heard a crowd applaud his arrival, and after years of practice the rich caramel voice pours out from him, wrapping you up in a cozy cocoon of nostalgia and beer dreams.
I only made Merhik because the Warforged Envoy comes with a tool kit build in and I saw brewers supplies listed as an option. Turns out he's super fun to play and the freewheeling happy go lucky rogue flirting his way around the world fits surprisingly well into our campaign.
Used all 10 glass eyeballs to unlock a secret chamber on the 3rd dungeon level down.
Entered a gigantic circular room, with a large round object covered by a heavy cloth.
After several tries, Mokka the goblin Barbarian finally pulled it off with her Mage Hand spell, while we all stood at the entrance to the circular room making more jokes about pushing our Warlock through the entrance door.
Convinced it was a Beholder under the cloth, we were relieved to find that it was actually a super creepy giant round magnet (Event Horizon).
After Mokka tried to steal a single copper piece as a test, a deep bellowing voice descended upon us, and tried to fear Arduin our Evoker Wizard.
Arduin "rule-lawyered" his way out of the fear spell because the caster was invisible and the source of fear could not be seen. Mokka and Ignacio got blasted with energy beams.
Again we tried to push the Warlock into the room, then the invisible creature charmed Mokka as Ignacio cast Haste on himself.
Ignacio stood by the room entrance trying to find our assailant, then got blasted with some kind of death ray, taking 33 pts of damage.
Arduin fireballed the general area for 53 pts of critical damage (we roll crit damage against anyone who rolls a natural 01 saving throw), then he got paralyzed with a new spell from the creature. The bellowing voice taunted us more and things started to look grim.
Ignacio was going to attack, or cast dispel magic on the invisible creature, but cast it on Arduin instead freeing him. Then healed himself with a potion (using the Matt Mercer drink potions as a bonus action rule).
The creature tried to blast Ignacio and Arduin with more death rays, causing Ignacio to move around the corner of the hallway entrance, being cautious of the looming fungus eyes staring at him.
Arduin cast Sickening Radiance which revealed the creature to be a Beholder, 30 feet above, and Ignacio freed Mokka with a Song of Countercharm. Then moved his Dire Wolf (Find Greater Steed) pet into the room to hopefully distract the beast.
The Beholder failed several saving throws, becoming more and more exhausted and agitated from the Sickening Radiance. Arduin blasted it with enhanced Evoker Magic Missiles and Mokka prepared for her assault now that she was free.
Ignacio inspired Mokka who charged at the creature, using the back of the Dire Wolf to leap higher than ever. She made a hell of an Athletics check thanks to the Ignacio's inspiration AND a hero point (great DMG rules), grabbing the creature by it's eyestalks. Then drove her blade into its head, dropping it 30 feet to the ground as she rolled away nearly unharmed (Acrobatics check total is subtracted from total distance fallen).
Now Mokka won't shut up about how she slayed the mighty Beholder, despite 2/3 of the damage coming from the disgruntled Wizard.
Ignacio the bard wound up doing zero damage that entre fight, and instead reveled in his ability to keep the team alive with spells and abilities.
=)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
When I was but a small bear cub, I lived with my mother in the Vale district of the great city state of Tenepris. We had a happy life there, my mom was a music teacher at the local bard's college and she taught me all that I know about music. One day while we went out to purchase some fish and other groceries, my mom looked down at me and said "Here, how about you go buy something for yourself." I was excited, I couldn't decide what to get. A new toy? A new comic book? Paying the local drunk hobo to eat dirt? As she was about to hand me off the money, an arrow pops out of her torso and she collapsed before me. I was in shock and in tears. The locals and merchants who knew us became furious and wrestled down the assailant who killed my mother. It was a drunk hunter who mistaken my mom as a feral bear. The hunter was charged for murder and an HWI (hunting While Intoxicated) and sentenced life in prison. I was then taken to a foster home run by a young elven couple. With them and my foster siblings, I learned how to cope and smile again. They were really nice and encouraged me to follow my dreams and to be happy in life. But since I turned 8 (bears mature faster than most humanoids) I had to legally leave since I was an adult. Besides, I did not want to burden my foster family. They said they'll miss me and to visit whenever. To be honest life as an adult was tough, I did my best to enroll at the bard's college but failed the entrance exam since the essay was supposed to be in MLA format and I did not know how to write in that format. After that I tried to make a living by playing music at the taverns and working at the cart wash to help pay for English writing classes. But balancing all that with surviving was tough. I began to steal from tip jars and sleeping in places where I shouldn't be sleeping such as barns and a room at the Holiday Inn in which I never returned the room key. Then stealing turned to mugging and then through the years I was the leader of my own gang of thugs. One day while trying to complete a heist of jumping the tax collector's carriage, we were ambushed by the city guard. This was all a trap! I told my gang to run as I held them off but there were too many of them, so I surrendered. After that I went to the Ruby District Prison, luckily one of the guards was an older foster brother back from when I lived with my foster family. He knew I was not doing too well and did small things to help me out like sneaking me in an extra cupcake after lunch, beating up my rivals, and did some talking to help me get through my prison sentence faster. The other prisoners didn't like that and I overheard that they were going to jump him. While my foster brother was inspecting cells I saw those prisoners walking towards the cell he was in armed with forks. He didn't know what was going to happen so I busted out of my cell and stopped them but after the fight I passed out from my injuries and later awoke in the infirmary. Minutes passed and he and a bearded middle aged man came to see me. The bearded man's name was Amon and he offered me freedom and a new job for his newly formed division of law enforcement in Tenepris, the Underhand Division. This new division was a new program where former criminals can redeem themselves and serve their community as the secret police. Their specialty was to root out gang violence, drug trafficking, prostitution, weapons smuggling, corruption, and anywhere else a former criminal would have great knowledge of in the underworld. By day, I was a simple bard. But at night, I was an agent of the law. My current assignment is to observe the mayor of the Ruby District who we believe is a corrupt leader and is involved with murder, bribery, drug trafficking, and conspiracy.
Hay Hay,
My Bard started as a cheeky and roguish teifling in design and ended up as a Shadowy ex-Gang lord Water Ganasi that became a bard to continue the ruse he made to get a way from his criminal past... who may or may not eat people he killed when he was younger to survive... Yeah I didn't think that's where he was gonna go either.
But here he is; My Beloved Ainsel Kurusu
Piracy and the underworld is a normal thing to experience when your a no name, no family and not the same race living in Brinewell and that was what Ainsel Grew and thrived in. Born off the coast on a ship, his mother was sickly and passed at birth leaving Ainsel to the mercy of the people of the ship. Childhood was wild and cruel as were the streets and Ainsel loved the adventure and thrill. He learned how to play people as well as he played the instruments. People like to see the weird and different even if they shun it and Ainsel Rotated around different people and different places gathering an amass of Stories, jobs and crimes. Ainsel has never been one to go head first into danger, he is the more diplomatic type but is more then willing to spill blood like a story.
Has a weakness for kids as he came from a harder childhood and from that, he is more genuinely kind to them.
Lvl 4 College of Shadows Bard with a Multi class Lvl 1 Rogue. Plan to take him to lvl 3 and get MasterMind.
:D Fun times ahead.
Guzzstavistan, 1st level Tiefling Bard (first Bard ever for me and I started in 1983!) (He will be going College of Whispers.)
Orphan abandoned in Mulmaster. Tieflings being exotic and rare in the Moonsea area, he was adopted quickly by well-to-do family that kept him as an oddity; a trophy trained to entertain and improve their social standing. Discovered he could listen in on conversations while entertaining those who considered him mere, "room dressing." Found with some concentration, he could produce mystical effects with his music and kept it secret -- casting arcane magic is illegal by decree in Mulmaster, with penalties ranging from beatings to banishment to death.
Was told over and over he would never be a true member of the family. Fell in with a bad crowd (not hard to do in the City of Danger) and ended up their fall guy and patsy when, unknown to him, they used information he told them to try to extort gold from one of the Brotherhood of Cloaks. Beaten severely and jailed for six years, Guzz learned the ins and outs of the Mulmaster criminal underground from his fellow prisoners, and discovered just how deeply corrupt the Lords, Cloaks and Blades of Mulmaster truly were. He vowed upon his release he would leave the City of Danger, his, "family," had disowned him -- there was nothing left here but lessons learned.
Upon release, true to his vow, Guzz left by a Mulmaster gate, looked back and whispered, "If I ever return it will only be to set the corrupt of this city loose to extinguish one another." He spit on the ground before the gate and has never looked back.
Smoking Mirror (Sunshine) - Tabaxi Snow Leapard
(Currently)InquisitiveRogue 3 / Bard 1 (will be College of Whisper)
I know he isn't a full Bard, but I still wanted to post him because he is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters. I built Smoking Mirrors, as the other players called him, to be a sort of have multiple personalities. His more vindictive and malicious side is his Roguish side and who he was before his sister, Ray of Sunshine, died. His sister, Ray of Sunshine, was the balance that kept him in check. She was the optimist to his forever pessimism. When his sister, a kind and gentle women who loved knowledge and singing, died. A schism formed in Smoking Mirror's psyche. He changed dramatically, took on her name as well as her profession (Bard).
Jeff the rapping bard. To look at him is to look past him as he hobbles by with his walking canes...yes, canes, plural. Most see a hunched over cripple, shabby cloak pulled closed, his face and straight white hair obscured by a cowl. His loving and supportive parents haven't seen him since they sent him to a junior bard school program several years ago. Poor Jeff just couldn't sing though. The other students would make fun of him, leading to fights and his eventual expulsion. Too ashamed to return home Jeff hit the streets, running cons while developing his spoken word. He adopted his disguise to avoid agents that his parents hired to bring him home, and fled to chult to join a group of adventurers as a last ditching effort to atone for his failures.
His party has learned that there is magic in Jeff's simple rhymes, as well as swords in his canes. And he is not nearly as crippled as one might believe. After a few adventures mister Jeff has aquired anstruth's harp and has saved and been saved by his party numerous times. He is writing an epic to make his folks proud and he will recite it for them in his shiny elven armor.
I signed up today for dndbeyond just to reply to this post.
My bard is Tristan Wakefield. He is a dex melee bard charlatan who specialises in deception and persuasion. I have only playd one session so far and had the only round (yes singular. As in one round) of combat. My friend playing a wizard and my bards brother and i were trying to magically interupt another spell caster that was trying to cheat a horse race we both burnt all our level 1 spell slots and kept failing thanks to really bad rolls, as a last ditched effort i looked at my friend irl and my bard looked at his brother in game and mouthed sorry. I proceeded to punch the target clean in the jaw with a massive roll and distract him from his spell casting much to the surprise of the whole table. Talked my way out of going to jail though ☺.
Sometimes ya just gotta let your fists do the singing for you! Great bard story, hope you enjoy playing the best class out there.
I am playing two bards (it’s such a fun class to play)!
One is Dahlia Goodlock, level 1, Halfling, instrument: viola da gamba (similar to a cello)
She was raised wealthy to a pair of disinterested parents. She’s now just graduated from a premier arts academy, and eager to make a name for herself and write the greatest song ever written, but there’s a slight problem. She has the worst performance anxiety ever. When asked to perform for people, she gets mad butterflies in her stomach and becomes ill and her fingers forget how to play. But when she’s in combat, and the people around her are hurt, all her anxiety disappears, and her music is confident and strong. (Not that she’s really aware of that yet). Our GM wants us to incorporate level ups and feats into the campaign story, so I’m hoping that she can discover or buy a book of performances of the Fey, and become inspired by that to pursue the College of Glamour. I think it would be an interesting character arc for her.
My other bard is Darathena Sparksong, level 5, College of Glamour, Half-elf, instrument: sackbut (precursor to the trombone)
She was the main singer and horn player of the popular troupe “The Wandering Wonders” until that troupe fell on hard times and dissolved. Now she’s been trying to grow her solo career when she meets the other members of her party. Until recently, life was that simple - do odd adventuring jobs, perform here or there, make money, spend it on clothing or booze. But now she and her companions might be the last chance for this world to survive the Tempest Maw that threatens their very existence, and she’s having a hard time accepting that responsibility. (We play in a homebrew world where the gods have died or left hundreds of years ago, and there is only one plane left, where cities are on isolated floating rocks, and a giant storm system called the Tempest Maw absorbs islands, destroying it and all life on them. And I’m certain there’s more, but this is all I know.)
Female Dwarf named Reed. Red hair, short even for a dwarf (sometimes people mistake her for a halfling which she does not appreciate). Fiery temper but loyal to a fault.
My DM decided to start our adventure with zero gear (we were passengers on a ship that sank, and we had to swim to shore meaning any armor or weapons had to be abandoned or we'd sink like rocks). So just to spite him I decided to make it my mission to obtain the most ridiculous instrument I could. I managed a fairly high roll one session when we were in a village, so I used it to wrangle myself a tuba. Now whenever one of my companions gets knocked down or hit I play "Waa waa waaaaaaaaaa"
Never gets old.
My Bard is named... Bardo. It was just a placeholder at first but it just seemed to stick.
He's a youthful halfling who lost his singing voice in a terrible accident, so he uses the flute to fulfill his Bard-related duties. For someone who is high Charisma, Bardo is not an amazing talker. He is often seen taking a poor outcome of negotiations because he is a bit too confident, but can really get things done properly if the situation desperately calls for it.
Whenever he introduces himself, he says, "Hi there, I'm Bardo. You've probably heard of me."
We are playing Tomb of Annihilation and he is not a native to the island, so, of course, no one has heard of him. He calls people who haven't heard of him uncultured swines and his main flaw is that he does not take well to uncultured swines... You can probably see how that ends up. More for RP than anything else, this led me to take the spell Vicious Mockery, where he constantly attempts to use this on people he doesn't like without them noticing. This hasn't worked out well. The last person Bardo casted this on took notice, and now Bardo is afraid that the man put a curse on him (strongly alluded to by the DM, but I actually don't know if he did or not).
Bardo's the name, self-inflicted pain is the game.
My bard is Karuzara, an orphaned aasimar. His parents died of a plague after which he took to the streets to earn what he could by singing and playing the lyre. Whilst there he was observed by the Voci Prim (head priest) of the Temple of Milil and taken under his wing. Over time he was trained in the ways of the temple bard and eventually sent out into the world on missions assigned by the temple for the highest bidder.
So far in game he met up with the other adventurers in the group after they escaped from a devastating war. They were led into making a deal with an archfey to find 4 soul gems hidden in locations across the land. So far they have freed a village from a resurrected serial killer, freed a town from warring factions and are currently trying to stop the influence of an elder god in a desert city without harming the populace.
His viewpoint has shifted somewhat from the neutral good to chaotic good to reflect their actions in game. His specialities tend to be control and typically are triggered by songs or jokes he's been learning from a new book.
My bard's name is Kenzen Crese, he is a Hill Dwarf and level 5. When he was young his family wanted him to be a great warrior but he didnt care for that and as he got older he spent most of his time in the local pub trying to entertain everyone until one night he picked up his lute and everyone was in awe of him and as he told them to dance in a way, put one arm in so on and so on. He fell in love with this and wanted to do nothing else so he left his home and started learning as much as he could until he ran into this group of people who wanted some entertainment while they fight but in all they needed a little bit of backup in combat so his sharp tongue would scare monsters away while his team would get into position. He would use his sharp tongue until they monsters the group ran into wouldnt work now he is back to his old ways and using the family Battleaxe that was given to him when he was little to train with.
Spells(Disclaimer I dont know if I have my spells are right or not but my DM has said they are ok so I am hoping I did it right):
Vicious Mockery, Thunderclap, Dancing Lights
Charm Person, Cure Wounds, Dissonant Whispers, Healing Words, Sleep
Enhance Ability, Phantasmal Force, Suggestion
I have Armor of Gleaming, Spiked Armor and my trusty Lute and family Battleaxe. I hope to use my performance and deception for the first time next weekend since I am out of spells and my Vicious Mockery doesnt work on the monsters we are fighting lol.
My bard is an Aarakora (the bird race) level 1 (haven't got him in a game yet 😢). He'll be interesting though for sure. His name is Pico de Lolobardo.
His back story is that he was raised in a troupe, and his father being a famous and great bard thought Pico many things like; draconic, a few spells, and how to disguise oneself well. When he was an adult his dad gave him some basic supplies and told him to go find a group of adventurers to inspire his own stories.
He looks like a thick billed parrot, and is witty, smart, and likes to help, but he can be aloof a times though... He loves his old troupe and his dad's bard friends, but enjoys the adventuring also. He does use a rapier and dagger as weapon, but mostly the prior.
Using Xanathar's Guide for background direction, I came up with the following.
With that in mind, I built the following story:
My name is Ignacio Whisperdoom. I was born in the Feywild to a Human father and Wood Elf mother. Being the eldest, I found myself caring for my brother and three sisters after our parents mysteriously disappeared. It was rough for a time, so I began stealing from the corrupt and wealthy to feed my family. Eventually I was caught, disgraced, and exiled from our lands within the Feywild. I don't know what became of my brother and sisters, but I hope to find them again one day.
Thanks to my homeland, I'm quite comfortable in nature. But the forests of the Feywild can be random, dangerous, and cruel to someone so young. I survived foraging for weeks until a strange man named Alatar came looking for me. He was a Sorcerer by trade, and had dealings with my parents. So he helped me find passage to Luskin, where my father was originally from. He said I should search for clues to their disappearance, and gave me a scroll that ignited my curiosity of the Arcane (Green Flame Blade).
Luskin was exciting; filled with mischief and intrigue. To get by, Alatar helped me find work at a local theater, cleaning up tables and helping actors prepare. I made a meager sum, but I was wildly fascinated by the lure of the stage, and eventually became an understudy. Plus it was easy to lift a little extra cash from the unsuspecting patrons. After the show, I would meet up with Alatar at one of the local taverns, searching for clues to my parents disappearance. Always a dead lead, or so I thought...
One autumn evening, a stagehand warned me of a large man who was asking for me by name. I peeked between the curtains and saw the symbol of the Zhentarim on his muscular arm. He started walking toward the stage door; so I quickly threw some powder on my face and donned a long haired wig, hoping to sneak by in the backstage confusion. Unfortunately he saw me and grabbed my shoulder. I quickly yanked away, stumbling backward into a lit sconce. Looking for an exit, I headed across the stage, not realizing the curtains had just opened for the second act. I suddenly heard a scream from the audience. The smell of burning hair and smoke consumed my senses. Realizing the wig was on fire, I threw it onto the stage immediately lighting the hay bale props. Then with a sudden sharp pain to the back of my head, everything went black. The last thing I remember were shouts and the sound of a thud as I hit the floor.
I awoke on a Zhentarim Ship run by the pirate Onyx Seagrave. There were several young men and women there from all walks of life and our job was to cook and clean. She treated us well. Not so much like prisoners, but as forced servants, and eventually friends. I chronicled our adventures traveling the great seas, fending off pirate invaders, and exploring the uncharted regions of Faerun. The book closed with the time we were swarmed by lizardmen. That was the beginning of the end for me and my crew. The fight became so dire, that Onyx threw me her beautiful Moonblade to help protect the ship. I could have turned on her, but she was my family now, and I fought with everything I had. As we cut down our enemies, the arcane runes on the blade would glow a glorious and calming blue hue.
We won the battle, but had taken way too many casualties. So "The Great Pirate Seagrave" returned to a not-so-meager life in Chult. She offered to put in a good word for me with the Zhentarim, and so I joined. Providing me with access to the finest trainers Chult has to offer. For years I studied with the College of Valor; focused in art of combat. Over the first few months I completed of my memoirs entitled, "The Pirates of Luskin", eventually getting it published through the Zhentarim.
Here I am many years later, a free man, able to do as I please with the coin I've earned. I now seek answers to my past lives and hope find those I've left behind. But before all that, I have one final test of skill. To find my own legendary Moonblade and use it bring justice to those who took my parents from me.
My bard is a 5th level bard (College of Whispers)/ 2nd level Warlock (Hex blade).
I am wielding a Rapier of Lifestealing ( 4d6 necrotic damage on crit, gain temperary hit points equal to amount dealt)
and have an AC of 16. My primary skills are Sneak +14, Deception +14, Persuasion+14, and Slight of Hand +12.
My Primary instrument is a Hurdy-Gurdy enchanted with control weather (not cheap, mind you) and i only play the song of storms.
I'm impromptu Healer and primary damage dealer. as i average 48 damage per hit.
the spell i cast most is the Booming Blade Cantrip for 2d8 thunder damage from the sword coast book
@UthalDawncaller I'm loving your Bard build. My next one was going to be a Whispers College due to all the stealthy Assassin-y abilities they get. Can you elaborate on how you use your Booming Blade? Do you strike with it, then run away so they are affected? I was thinking of going with Green Flame Blade on mine to get that incredible damage boost to the one attack.
This is mostly just backstory, as we've only done a few sessions. And even then, The group is my friend from work and his two kids, ages 11 and 9 (friend and I are both in our 30s) - this is mostly a teaching exercise and I am basically there just to help herd cats. As such, the bard has become both an ineffective tank and ineffective healer. We've recruited some others, so things may pick up, but as of now, my PC hasn't done much worthy of note. So instead, we start in the primordial past of Backstorysville.
Galdar's road to adventuring began with an entirely avoidable tragedy. His family owned the biggest and most profitable mine in the Dwarven village of Khurnrigh. He held the cushy position of Songkeeper. He was the one that sang the songs to help the miners keep up the proper pace while they worked. Like what they did on ships to assist in rowing and general work. Eventually, the foreman became too old to properly do his job and chose to retire. Trough a combination of nepotism and politics, Galdar was elevated to the prestigious position. One problem. He sucked. He knew it and so did everyone else. He was feeling the pressure to prove himself to everyone as well as himself. Add on to that the outlook of his parents and how they raised him. They were both from old money, but from an early age, impressed upon Galdar the outlook of "if you aren't working yourself into your grave, you're a useless drain on society". Unreasonable expectations from your family, Incompetence, and a thirst to prove yourself out of spite? This is a recipe for disaster.
He worked his crew of 247 to the breaking point. His team was racking up ton after ton of ore and precious stones at the cost of working conditions. The numbers were up, but morale was terrifyingly low. It was toward the end of his third month in charge that it happened. What's the phrase? "They dug too greedily and too deep"? It was deep in the mines that they found it. The invisible scourge of miners and their kin. The miasmatic villain that has claimed more lives that the gods can count. The creeping, insidious danger of threats unseen.
They hit a pocket of methane.
They ignored all safety precautions in favor of profit, and the resulting explosion killed all 247 miners. As this is fantasy, the incompetent son of wealthy nobles whose actions resulted in the death of many in the working class... was actually PUNISHED for his crimes! His family disowned him, and he was exiled from the city. He kept only the handle to a pickaxe whose head had been snapped mostly off, and had been warped and twisted in the fire, similar to how a shillelagh is made. He kept it as a walking stick and as a reminder to himself of what his actions had caused, and what he had done.
During is travels, He found a bottle and crawled inside it for two years. And for a Dwarf, you know that must have been something. It was then that his life changed. A vision of Dumathoin appeared before him. Seeing the patron saint of Dwarvenkind is one thing, but he told Galdar that his actions had not just brought shame upon himself and his family, but had revoked whatever privelage he had to what was awaiting him in the afterlife. His soul would never find rest, doomed to walk the earth in everlasting torment until the sun ran cold. But, there was still good in his heart, so a quest was set before him. To be Redeemed in the eyes of the Dumathoin (but likely not his home or family) he would have to save the lives of four people for every one that his greed had killed. 988 for the miners, and 12 for those who went in to rescue survivors, but never returned. 1,000 lives to save in the quest to redeem his own. He accepted this quest, and set out to make something of himself in this world.
Character sheet: https://ddb.ac/characters/4081962/qhALXP -- please ignore the fact that I'm level 2 and have way more magic items than I should. as I said before, my DM recruited me as a reasonable adult to help keep his kids on track as he teaches them the game. I need to live in order to achieve this goal.
Gin, the Changeling Glamour Bard
Born far away from her ancestral home into a strange land, Gin's early life was filled with strife and turmoil. Her natural Changeling form, with pitch black eyes and pale skin, caused others to approach her with wariness and unease. Her time spent in a Waterdeep orphanage, even with the cheerful priestesses of Lhira to reassure her, was often depressing due to the scared reactions of the other children. She learned to hide her true form, and in doing so, became bitter towards both those who distrusted her, as well as herself.
As she grew older, however, Gin found some comfort within the City of Splendors upon joining a performance troupe. She met a bard who taught her the mysterious and seductive ways of the Fey...creatures whose beauty went beyond physical appearances, instead charming both the mind and soul. Through training, Gin learned this magical power, along with the traditional bardic arts of music, dance & storytelling. Gin became more comfortable in her own skin, so to speak, realizing that the secret to charming others was to embrace herself.
And boy, did she use that to her advantage...turns out, the City of Splendors was filled with "opportunities" to abuse her talents. When she wasn't performing, she was a "velvet mask"...a spy and private investigator for the wealthiest nobles and merchants in Waterdeep. If someone owed money, or committed theft or injury, Gin would be hired to track the offenders down. Using her reputation as a bard, she could get into places few common folk could hope to...the swankiest clubs, posh lounges, underground fight clubs, backroom gambling sessions...and with her changeling powers, her targets never saw her coming. A sleeping concoction slipped into their drink...a steamy conversation leading to someplace private, mesmerized by her magic...or even a simple bash across the head...then she'd drag them back to collect her pay.
Then, things took a turn...several criminal organizations caught wind of Gin's rampant successes, as some of her bounties included members of the The Myriad. Gin was forced to abandon Waterdeep, at least for a while, lest her identity be exposed. Even as The Myriad pursued her, Gin was able to escape her city, and try her hand at adventuring, putting her skills to the ultimate test in places unknown...
Gin uses the "Urban Bounty Hunter" background, which gives her a keen ability to navigate the more secretive areas of cities, and track targets. Her "Ear to the Ground" feature lets her get local intelligence for business.
Her bard skills are a combination of bounty hunter skills and spells to restrain and debuff opponents...Hold Person, Bane, Faerie Fire, even manacles she threatens to ignite with Heat Metal...as well as her College of Glamour skills to captivate or terrify her foes. She'll seduce a group with her otherworldly beauty, enhanced by her shapeshifting..****y to terrify them abruptly with her changeling racial skill, Ghastly Visage, or Fear spells.
While she maintains a pleasant and somewhat teasing persona with her teammates, while usually in a majestic face and body, she still harbours some sensitivity about her changeling form, and will become bitter if mocked about it.
Merhik 'keg-o-matic' Cordoba, Warforged Envoy Bard college of glamour.
With a voice like rich Corinthian leather and piping out the finest malt liquor in Eberon, Merhik is smooth talking his way through the aftermath of the great war. Made with a built-in brewery he has accepted that the party doesn't start until he walks in, and hes never happier than when all eyes are on him, or her if that makes you happy baby, and nobody is paying attention to the half-elf crawling into the back room. Merhik took to the bard life like a fish to water, his original purpose as a mobile keg for the army left far behind him, abandoned the first time he heard a crowd applaud his arrival, and after years of practice the rich caramel voice pours out from him, wrapping you up in a cozy cocoon of nostalgia and beer dreams.
I only made Merhik because the Warforged Envoy comes with a tool kit build in and I saw brewers supplies listed as an option. Turns out he's super fun to play and the freewheeling happy go lucky rogue flirting his way around the world fits surprisingly well into our campaign.
Recent encounter with my Valor Bard, Ignacio.