The few times I play as bards are to really dig deep and satisfy that good ol RP itch. My favorite bard was a Teifling Orphan Bard/Warlock who I created to maximize battlefield control through liberal uses of bardic inspiration, cutting word, Hellish rebuke and vicious mockery. The Warlock dip was for rp fluff, mostly for the devil pact perk of gaining an imp familiar, who would be used to steal all kinds of food not being secured. I had worked it out with the DM, that my PC had originally been of Elvish/Half Elf descent, and was married fairly young to another fellow orphan, who had joined a devilish cult, and they ended up in a ritual gone wrong, and through duress, she had made a pact to a devil to spare her life in return for gathering an unspecified number of ‘innocent’ souls and eventually regaining her previous Elvish physical attributes. Failure to cede ‘innocent’ souls to her patron would have resulted in more physical changes towards devilish attributes (cloven hooves, a constant scent of brimstone, a more pronounced barbed tail, larger goat horns, etc). (There was also a caveat that one of the final souls was to be a random PC, in order to really make my PC squirm with the mental dilemma). As trying to end her ‘cursed’ pact would literally be turning her into the monster she hated to look like. Also, anytime I play as bards, I can more easily justify my love of puns and clever wordplay. (My Tiefling bard’s name was Dee Arckness (and yes I did have her learn magic missile as one of her magic secret spells). Her mouse familiar I named Supper (she would often be heard saying she could use some cheese for supper, leading many NPC’s to assume she was a dairyphile) and her imp’s name was Mai Unkel, to fully take advantage of that typical anime trope.
Because with a bard I got to play a smart ass, charismatic tiefling and also vicious mockery. It's literally roasting someone so badly that it physically hurts them.
Because people kept saying 'play a bard, play a bard' and I don't like the bard concept, so I decided to show them how reflavoring worked.
My 'bard' was a student of military history and tactics. He was not a performer, at all (I simply dismissed the tool proficiencies). His spells were not musical, they were just, y'know, SPELLS like everybody else's spells. 'Song' of Rest was just motivational speaking and pep-talks. Countercharm was 'snap out of it/pull your head out of your *ss!' browbeating.
Is there even such a thing as a "normal" Bard? My bard is 4th wall breaking, whine guzzling illusion flinging party boy that bardicly inspires his party with Lady Gaga :D :D
I honestly haven't been playing D&D long enough to know for sure, but I get the distinct impression that there's a stereotype, and that a lot of people think you're "playing the part wrong" if you're not following it.
Rod, that sounds like you have had some bad experiences, I hope you have better ones in the future. My experiences are that if someone is playing something stereo-typically then they are probably hiding something about the character beneath the surface. (its always the stereo-typical ones that everyones surprised by!)
Bards really suffered in 3rd because of their description in the PHB 'a useful 5th man in a four man party' OUCH. And to be fair they werent power houses, werent safer healers, werent mighty spell slingers. They were Jack (or Jill's) of all trades and masters of none. People played them loud and crudely for the most part. But devious players did make Terrifying bards who could overturn entire preconceptions.
Now in 5th this 'oh dear lords and ladies above, I didnt know bards could do that!!!!' element is contained in two class features - subclass colleges and Magical secrets. They allow a player to make the bard a bit of another spell caster or warrior class and in this way really customise bards into their own image, whether its the social chatterbox, or the dark rider capable of destroying all enemies unscathed, or the mastermind and ruler of a hidden empire of intrigue. All it takes is a good concept, a bit of imagination - oh and luck and allies to get you those pesky levels :).
I wasn't sure what I wanted my first character to be. I read the description for Tiefling, so I knew I wanted that. When I went through the classes and saw Bard, I immediately pictured the character he was going to be. Tiefling Bard looking like Satan in the Pick of Destiny, but make him more metal.
One of the characters I’m playing at the moment is a bard that is closely based off Colm R. McGuiness. Just for the excuse to drop his songs in the middle of dnd.
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If I haven’t offended you, don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll get to you eventually.
I really wanted to stretch out of my comfort zone. Always wanted to create a competent useful member of combat. Then thought how would it look to create a member ot the party that really kind of sucked at helping with damage and was also a little weak in healing but was incredibly valuable outside of the dungeon crawl. Could I flesh out a character that had to rely on manipulation/cons/ subtlety and not arms to move the party forward in its goals.
IT wasn't my first choice for this campaign. But when the DM "suggested" that the bard would be good for the group I listened :)
I'm not very musical (I do have a head for music, just not in the performative sense) so mine's a valour bard - basically a story teller, joke teller (queue great dad jokes), history buff (bit of a nerd), and he still gets called a stinking glamour bard :) lol
It's been fun doing a bard for the first time, and trying to break the stereotypes (which is hard because in a previous campaign we had someone who was the stereotypical bard IRL and in game)
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Odo Proudfoot - Lvl 10 Halfling Monk - Princes of the Apocalypse (Campaign Finished)
IT wasn't my first choice for this campaign. But when the DM "suggested" that the bard would be good for the group I listened :)
I'm not very musical (I do have a head for music, just not in the performative sense) so mine's a valour bard - basically a story teller, joke teller (queue great dad jokes), history buff (bit of a nerd), and he still gets called a stinking glamour bard :) lol
It's been fun doing a bard for the first time, and trying to break the stereotypes (which is hard because in a previous campaign we had someone who was the stereotypical bard IRL and in game)
Lol
i did a bard once based on Colm R. McGuiness. (in a PbP game) and the dm had to bot him for a day or two. He played him as the complete stereotypical bard, when I didn’t intend that at all.
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If I haven’t offended you, don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll get to you eventually.
I played a Bard for the first time because I play musical instruments and I didn't want to be the star of the party in combat. I did happen to be the face of the party out of combat so that kinda worked great. Then I started to enjoy using my spells and abilities (Cutting Words as a reaction is CRAZY! and who doesn't like a few extra HP from Song of Rest now and then) and really fell in love with what the class does. In that game the DM dismissed my character thinking he won't matter much, and then by level 8 started targeting me right at the start of combat to break concentration or just neutralize me. I have memorialized that character in my own worldbuilding. He went on, as the legend goes, to build a Globe Theatre that was much larger than the original one. This Globe housed a new Bard's College of Lore in Constellation. The rear half of the Globe is dedicated to The College and The Stage. The front half is a tavern, dining facility and an Inn. The inner courtyard and the center facing balconies are the gallery for the stage. Inside the tavern and dining facility are mementos of Cadenza's adventuring career with The Seven Guardyans.
I've been playing D&D since the early 80s, and nowadays I often find myself among new or even first-time players. The Bard is my go-to choice for those situations; Bardic Inspiration is a great mechanic for helping inexperienced players without excessive "coaching." Just give them an extra d6 and let them use it when something goes wrong.
I also love playing charismatic "face" characters, skill-based characters, and full casters. The Bard just checks off a lot of boxes for me.
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Behind every successful Warlock, there's an angry mob.
I had so much fun playing an artificer that I wanted to expand that flexibility and fun to a full spellcaster, and Bard seemed to be the best choice for that.
I play a musical instrument in real life. I love the Tabaxi Bard.
The few times I play as bards are to really dig deep and satisfy that good ol RP itch. My favorite bard was a Teifling Orphan Bard/Warlock who I created to maximize battlefield control through liberal uses of bardic inspiration, cutting word, Hellish rebuke and vicious mockery. The Warlock dip was for rp fluff, mostly for the devil pact perk of gaining an imp familiar, who would be used to steal all kinds of food not being secured. I had worked it out with the DM, that my PC had originally been of Elvish/Half Elf descent, and was married fairly young to another fellow orphan, who had joined a devilish cult, and they ended up in a ritual gone wrong, and through duress, she had made a pact to a devil to spare her life in return for gathering an unspecified number of ‘innocent’ souls and eventually regaining her previous Elvish physical attributes. Failure to cede ‘innocent’ souls to her patron would have resulted in more physical changes towards devilish attributes (cloven hooves, a constant scent of brimstone, a more pronounced barbed tail, larger goat horns, etc). (There was also a caveat that one of the final souls was to be a random PC, in order to really make my PC squirm with the mental dilemma). As trying to end her ‘cursed’ pact would literally be turning her into the monster she hated to look like. Also, anytime I play as bards, I can more easily justify my love of puns and clever wordplay. (My Tiefling bard’s name was Dee Arckness (and yes I did have her learn magic missile as one of her magic secret spells). Her mouse familiar I named Supper (she would often be heard saying she could use some cheese for supper, leading many NPC’s to assume she was a dairyphile) and her imp’s name was Mai Unkel, to fully take advantage of that typical anime trope.
Because with a bard I got to play a smart ass, charismatic tiefling and also vicious mockery. It's literally roasting someone so badly that it physically hurts them.
Because people kept saying 'play a bard, play a bard' and I don't like the bard concept, so I decided to show them how reflavoring worked.
My 'bard' was a student of military history and tactics. He was not a performer, at all (I simply dismissed the tool proficiencies). His spells were not musical, they were just, y'know, SPELLS like everybody else's spells. 'Song' of Rest was just motivational speaking and pep-talks. Countercharm was 'snap out of it/pull your head out of your *ss!' browbeating.
@FoxfireInferno: Did they appreciate the character, or were they upset you didn't do a "normal bard?"
Whistler
Titus - V. Human Battle Master Fighter 3 - [Pic] - [Pic2] - [Traits] - in Shadowglass
Locke - V. Human Shadow Monk 3 / Undead Warlock 2 - [Pic] - [Traits] - in FOW - DMless West Marches
Flèche* - V. Human Swords Bard 10 - [Pic] - [Traits] - in The Scarlet Mist
>> New FOW threat & treasure tables: fow-advanced-threat-tables.pdf fow-advanced-treasure-table.pdf
"Normal bard" my ass. My half-orc bard is a charismatic wrestler who shouts spells like they were thu'um.
I am one with the Force. The Force is with me.
Is there even such a thing as a "normal" Bard? My bard is 4th wall breaking, whine guzzling illusion flinging party boy that bardicly inspires his party with Lady Gaga :D :D
I honestly haven't been playing D&D long enough to know for sure, but I get the distinct impression that there's a stereotype, and that a lot of people think you're "playing the part wrong" if you're not following it.
Whistler
Titus - V. Human Battle Master Fighter 3 - [Pic] - [Pic2] - [Traits] - in Shadowglass
Locke - V. Human Shadow Monk 3 / Undead Warlock 2 - [Pic] - [Traits] - in FOW - DMless West Marches
Flèche* - V. Human Swords Bard 10 - [Pic] - [Traits] - in The Scarlet Mist
>> New FOW threat & treasure tables: fow-advanced-threat-tables.pdf fow-advanced-treasure-table.pdf
Rod, that sounds like you have had some bad experiences, I hope you have better ones in the future. My experiences are that if someone is playing something stereo-typically then they are probably hiding something about the character beneath the surface. (its always the stereo-typical ones that everyones surprised by!)
Bards really suffered in 3rd because of their description in the PHB 'a useful 5th man in a four man party' OUCH. And to be fair they werent power houses, werent safer healers, werent mighty spell slingers. They were Jack (or Jill's) of all trades and masters of none. People played them loud and crudely for the most part. But devious players did make Terrifying bards who could overturn entire preconceptions.
Now in 5th this 'oh dear lords and ladies above, I didnt know bards could do that!!!!' element is contained in two class features - subclass colleges and Magical secrets. They allow a player to make the bard a bit of another spell caster or warrior class and in this way really customise bards into their own image, whether its the social chatterbox, or the dark rider capable of destroying all enemies unscathed, or the mastermind and ruler of a hidden empire of intrigue. All it takes is a good concept, a bit of imagination - oh and luck and allies to get you those pesky levels :).
I wasn't sure what I wanted my first character to be. I read the description for Tiefling, so I knew I wanted that. When I went through the classes and saw Bard, I immediately pictured the character he was going to be. Tiefling Bard looking like Satan in the Pick of Destiny, but make him more metal.
One of the characters I’m playing at the moment is a bard that is closely based off Colm R. McGuiness. Just for the excuse to drop his songs in the middle of dnd.
If I haven’t offended you, don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll get to you eventually.
I really wanted to stretch out of my comfort zone. Always wanted to create a competent useful member of combat. Then thought how would it look to create a member ot the party that really kind of sucked at helping with damage and was also a little weak in healing but was incredibly valuable outside of the dungeon crawl. Could I flesh out a character that had to rely on manipulation/cons/ subtlety and not arms to move the party forward in its goals.
IT wasn't my first choice for this campaign. But when the DM "suggested" that the bard would be good for the group I listened :)
I'm not very musical (I do have a head for music, just not in the performative sense) so mine's a valour bard - basically a story teller, joke teller (queue great dad jokes), history buff (bit of a nerd), and he still gets called a stinking glamour bard :) lol
It's been fun doing a bard for the first time, and trying to break the stereotypes (which is hard because in a previous campaign we had someone who was the stereotypical bard IRL and in game)
Odo Proudfoot - Lvl 10 Halfling Monk - Princes of the Apocalypse (Campaign Finished)
Orryn Pebblefoot - Lvl 5 Rock Gnome Wizard (Deceased) - Waterdeep: Dragon Heist (Deceased)
Anerin Ap Tewdr - Lvl 5 Human (Variant) Bard (College of Valor) - Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Lol
i did a bard once based on Colm R. McGuiness. (in a PbP game) and the dm had to bot him for a day or two. He played him as the complete stereotypical bard, when I didn’t intend that at all.
If I haven’t offended you, don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll get to you eventually.
I played a Bard for the first time because I play musical instruments and I didn't want to be the star of the party in combat. I did happen to be the face of the party out of combat so that kinda worked great. Then I started to enjoy using my spells and abilities (Cutting Words as a reaction is CRAZY! and who doesn't like a few extra HP from Song of Rest now and then) and really fell in love with what the class does. In that game the DM dismissed my character thinking he won't matter much, and then by level 8 started targeting me right at the start of combat to break concentration or just neutralize me. I have memorialized that character in my own worldbuilding. He went on, as the legend goes, to build a Globe Theatre that was much larger than the original one. This Globe housed a new Bard's College of Lore in Constellation. The rear half of the Globe is dedicated to The College and The Stage. The front half is a tavern, dining facility and an Inn. The inner courtyard and the center facing balconies are the gallery for the stage. Inside the tavern and dining facility are mementos of Cadenza's adventuring career with The Seven Guardyans.
I started playing in 2K so one of my inspirations was actually Gabrielle from Xena. I also liked the video game 'A Bards Tale'.
I also liked the jack of all trades theme and the mix of other themes that amalgamate into the class.
Thank you for your time and please have a very pleasant day.
Because they are so freaking fun and there are so many directions in which to play them.
I've been playing D&D since the early 80s, and nowadays I often find myself among new or even first-time players. The Bard is my go-to choice for those situations; Bardic Inspiration is a great mechanic for helping inexperienced players without excessive "coaching." Just give them an extra d6 and let them use it when something goes wrong.
I also love playing charismatic "face" characters, skill-based characters, and full casters. The Bard just checks off a lot of boxes for me.
Behind every successful Warlock, there's an angry mob.
I had so much fun playing an artificer that I wanted to expand that flexibility and fun to a full spellcaster, and Bard seemed to be the best choice for that.
Because the swordbard is the best representation of a bladesinger (significantly better than the wizard subclass).