I know one of the great polarizing topics in D&D these last few years has been the "Critical Role Effect" and how too many new players are trying to emulate Matt Mercer and the others. My group, while we enjoy CR, are very much aware of how poisonous attempting to live up those kinds of expectations can be, and just being aware of it has done wonders for respecting CR without trying to be CR.
With all of that being said... Sam singing his bardic inspirations was a stroke of genius, and it frankly makes too much sense to not attempt some kind of musical accompaniment as my bard. But again, being aware of that dangerous road, I'm looking at the confidence he portrays without outright copying him. So... I've been rhyming my dialogue. Not all of the time, but enough that it is becoming something my character is known for. And you know what? Rhyming on demand is ****ing hard. But it's a fun kind of hard.
Who else has tried some kind of interesting musical hook with their bard?
I know one of the great polarizing topics in D&D these last few years has been the "Critical Role Effect" and how too many new players are trying to emulate Matt Mercer and the others. My group, while we enjoy CR, are very much aware of how poisonous attempting to live up those kinds of expectations can be, and just being aware of it has done wonders for respecting CR without trying to be CR.
With all of that being said... Sam singing his bardic inspirations was a stroke of genius, and it frankly makes too much sense to not attempt some kind of musical accompaniment as my bard. But again, being aware of that dangerous road, I'm looking at the confidence he portrays without outright copying him. So... I've been rhyming my dialogue. Not all of the time, but enough that it is becoming something my character is known for. And you know what? Rhyming on demand is ****ing hard. But it's a fun kind of hard.
Who else has tried some kind of interesting musical hook with their bard?
I have done full song “Weird Al” style parodies. And tailored the lyrics to be details for the campaign.
call me maybe- questing Daily
i stand alone- I stand a gnome
smooth Criminal- my armor?
Tubthumpin- oscar’s sown
Etc etc
i like how Sam does a snatch or two. I bet if they let him go on for 2-5 minutes he could do a full song too.
i use the same 2-3 snatches of music, for short rhymes on demand. I use the Bach song from the beginning of Tenacious D for most vicious mockeries.
I have done several songs most are covers of other songs or others are literally just Skyrim songs, my first bard, Darcy Nailo, became famous off Ragnar the Red.
Yes! Then again I'm a theater kid. I personally really dislike bards singing modern songs/parodies, so I like to pull from Tolkien's songs, use ren-faire style music, or even write my own fantasy songs.
I would not subject my group to my terrible singing. My bard has a great voice. I do not. There is no reason to torture my friends or cause damage to their eardrums.
I might “say out” some lyrics but I would not sing myself. Ever. You wouldn’t want to hear that. Trust me.
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BioWizard
I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
I would not subject my group to my terrible singing. My bard has a great voice. I do not. There is no reason to torture my friends or cause damage to their eardrums.
I might “say out” some lyrics but I would not sing myself. Ever. You wouldn’t want to hear that. Trust me.
Now I do. Your attempt at dissuading me has, in fact, done the opposite.
I actually don't play many bards as standard musical performers, so I haven't had the need to sing that often. The last bard I played was a beatnik dude with a pompadour, and whenever he did his bardic inspiration he would click his mouth and go "ayyyyy" at whoever he was giving it to. He was more about poetry and the creation of poems/sonnets based on epic adventures, so I spoke in rhyme often, but never outright sung. I was doing a surfer bro voice the entire time, so it would've been hard for me to keep the voice and sing at the same time.
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It's ok Ranger, you'll always be cool to me.. Unless druid gets another use for its wild shape charges.
I would not subject my group to my terrible singing. My bard has a great voice. I do not. There is no reason to torture my friends or cause damage to their eardrums.
I might “say out” some lyrics but I would not sing myself. Ever. You wouldn’t want to hear that. Trust me.
Now I do. Your attempt at dissuading me has, in fact, done the opposite.
You would not say that if you valued your own eardrums. Or had any sense of taste. ;)
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BioWizard
I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
I actually don't play many bards as standard musical performers, so I haven't had the need to sing that often. The last bard I played was a beatnik dude with a pompadour, and whenever he did his bardic inspiration he would click his mouth and go "ayyyyy" at whoever he was giving it to. He was more about poetry and the creation of poems/sonnets based on epic adventures, so I spoke in rhyme often, but never outright sung. I was doing a surfer bro voice the entire time, so it would've been hard for me to keep the voice and sing at the same time.
My last bard was the Strong Arm Alchemist Alex Louis Armstrong.
I am currently playing my very first Bard character after 30ish years of D&D. I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, so I made my character tone deaf but he hides it by saying how much he “loathes musical theater.” He’s an actor, so instead of singing he recites lines from plays in which he has performed and I usually do pretty good coming up with something on the fly. It’s not always good, but it’s something. My friends and I sometimes have whole conversations consisting of little else than movie quotes, so that helps.
This is why people hate bards. The only thing worse than me having to listen to my friends sing, would be them having to listen to ME sing.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
I sing occasionally, but it's infrequent. Only when it's really funny... I would slow things down too much if I sang every time I cast a spell or did bardic inspiration.
1. Bards don't have to be singers - they could be dancers, or actors, or mimes, or whatever. Any kind of "performer".
2. I'm a person that already has random songs pop into my head if people say a line close to the lyrics. So if I go to inspire the sorcerer they get "every little thing she does is magic!" If I cast darkness (or whatever) it's "she blinded me with SCIENCE!" The barbarian gets "Dirty deeds, DONE DIRT CHEAP!" "Thunderstruck" can be a thunderwave spell, whatever. But no one's getting more than a line of the tune - I'm not a great singer and it's just for the comedy anyway.
After watching The Witcher and getting earwormed by Jaskier, I just came up with a theme for my bard's friend. My bard is a noble dandy and his friend is a half orc prince of the Many Arrows Tribe, so there's a little bit of Geralt/Jaskier vibe going on.
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Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
When I play musical bards I sing. I'm also a theatre kid with a lot of classical training.
But a lot of my bards aren't even "bards". My current one is a raised in a war type situation and is played less like a performer and more like a military commander. Inspiration comes from morale speeches, tactical callouts, etc. Cutting words is based on intimidating enemies into screwing up.
I know one of the great polarizing topics in D&D these last few years has been the "Critical Role Effect" and how too many new players are trying to emulate Matt Mercer and the others. My group, while we enjoy CR, are very much aware of how poisonous attempting to live up those kinds of expectations can be, and just being aware of it has done wonders for respecting CR without trying to be CR.
With all of that being said... Sam singing his bardic inspirations was a stroke of genius, and it frankly makes too much sense to not attempt some kind of musical accompaniment as my bard. But again, being aware of that dangerous road, I'm looking at the confidence he portrays without outright copying him. So... I've been rhyming my dialogue. Not all of the time, but enough that it is becoming something my character is known for. And you know what? Rhyming on demand is ****ing hard. But it's a fun kind of hard.
Who else has tried some kind of interesting musical hook with their bard?
"The Epic Level Handbook wasn't that bad, guys.
Guys, pls."
I have done full song “Weird Al” style parodies. And tailored the lyrics to be details for the campaign.
call me maybe- questing Daily
i stand alone- I stand a gnome
smooth Criminal- my armor?
Tubthumpin- oscar’s sown
Etc etc
i like how Sam does a snatch or two. I bet if they let him go on for 2-5 minutes he could do a full song too.
i use the same 2-3 snatches of music, for short rhymes on demand. I use the Bach song from the beginning of Tenacious D for most vicious mockeries.
I have done several songs most are covers of other songs or others are literally just Skyrim songs, my first bard, Darcy Nailo, became famous off Ragnar the Red.
Yes! Then again I'm a theater kid. I personally really dislike bards singing modern songs/parodies, so I like to pull from Tolkien's songs, use ren-faire style music, or even write my own fantasy songs.
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
Nope.
I would not subject my group to my terrible singing. My bard has a great voice. I do not. There is no reason to torture my friends or cause damage to their eardrums.
I might “say out” some lyrics but I would not sing myself. Ever. You wouldn’t want to hear that. Trust me.
BioWizard
I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Now I do. Your attempt at dissuading me has, in fact, done the opposite.
"The Epic Level Handbook wasn't that bad, guys.
Guys, pls."
I actually don't play many bards as standard musical performers, so I haven't had the need to sing that often. The last bard I played was a beatnik dude with a pompadour, and whenever he did his bardic inspiration he would click his mouth and go "ayyyyy" at whoever he was giving it to. He was more about poetry and the creation of poems/sonnets based on epic adventures, so I spoke in rhyme often, but never outright sung. I was doing a surfer bro voice the entire time, so it would've been hard for me to keep the voice and sing at the same time.
It's ok Ranger, you'll always be cool to me.. Unless druid gets another use for its wild shape charges.
You would not say that if you valued your own eardrums. Or had any sense of taste. ;)
BioWizard
I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
My last bard was the Strong Arm Alchemist Alex Louis Armstrong.
it involved a lot of posing and flexing.
I am currently playing my very first Bard character after 30ish years of D&D. I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, so I made my character tone deaf but he hides it by saying how much he “loathes musical theater.” He’s an actor, so instead of singing he recites lines from plays in which he has performed and I usually do pretty good coming up with something on the fly. It’s not always good, but it’s something. My friends and I sometimes have whole conversations consisting of little else than movie quotes, so that helps.
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Epic Boons on DDB
This is why people hate bards. The only thing worse than me having to listen to my friends sing, would be them having to listen to ME sing.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I kinda wanna make a bard that’s a comedian, but base it on Fozzie Bear. Would that be worse?
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Epic Boons on DDB
I sing occasionally, but it's infrequent. Only when it's really funny... I would slow things down too much if I sang every time I cast a spell or did bardic inspiration.
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1. Bards don't have to be singers - they could be dancers, or actors, or mimes, or whatever. Any kind of "performer".
2. I'm a person that already has random songs pop into my head if people say a line close to the lyrics. So if I go to inspire the sorcerer they get "every little thing she does is magic!" If I cast darkness (or whatever) it's "she blinded me with SCIENCE!" The barbarian gets "Dirty deeds, DONE DIRT CHEAP!" "Thunderstruck" can be a thunderwave spell, whatever. But no one's getting more than a line of the tune - I'm not a great singer and it's just for the comedy anyway.
I think that's probably the best way to do it. Enough to be quippy and funny without taking too much time or making it awkward for yourself or others.
It's ok Ranger, you'll always be cool to me.. Unless druid gets another use for its wild shape charges.
You can believe I sing, sometimes while I play D&D.
Another one bites the dust.
The Sound of Silence.
We are the Champions.
I Can Feel it Coming in the Air, Tonight.
Honesty.
Anything that pops in my head with the right word(s) for the moment.
I play with friends. I'd like to keep them. I don't sing.
After watching The Witcher and getting earwormed by Jaskier, I just came up with a theme for my bard's friend. My bard is a noble dandy and his friend is a half orc prince of the Many Arrows Tribe, so there's a little bit of Geralt/Jaskier vibe going on.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
When I play musical bards I sing. I'm also a theatre kid with a lot of classical training.
But a lot of my bards aren't even "bards". My current one is a raised in a war type situation and is played less like a performer and more like a military commander. Inspiration comes from morale speeches, tactical callouts, etc. Cutting words is based on intimidating enemies into screwing up.
Have anyone ever created a Bard who loves singing but, due to the lack of INT ( around 5 - 6 ), he only can remember a few words ???
hehehehehehehehehe..... funny... huh ???
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk