Hi, everyone! I'm working in a series of articles for my blog dedicated to each of the 13 classes, and I plan to finish each one with a short list famous examples of such class in fantasy tropes, be it novels, movies, TV shows, comics or video games.
(Extra XP if you also include some details about the reason for your ideas and what you like or don't like about the class, both as a player or DM)
Having said that, what characters come to your mind when thinking of BARDS?
Peter Quill in the Guardians of the Galaxy is an excellent bard. He follows a music motif, was accused of sorcery by Gamora when seducing her with music, inspired his friends with the legend of Kevin Bacon re Footloose, focuses on with and diplomacy and negotiation, uses advanced science that would seem like magic, and DANCE OFF.
John Constantine is often associated with warlock but suits bard as well. He's the world's greatest con man, focuses on wit and cunning first then magic second, started in a band as a musician, picks up magic he learns in his travels, and is often a source of rare information and legends.
Yi from Abominable. Music and magic.
Tom Bombadil from Lord of the Rings or several characters from The Silmarillion. Tolkien based many characters on legendary bards including Gandalf, who works magic and inspires others to heroics based on stories and legend.
Brom from Eragon is a good example of a valor bard too. Armor and sword play, magic and healing, a sharp tongue, entertaining and inspiring a young farm boy with epic tales of the dragon riders, taking on the role of teacher and advisor.
I was thinking about Shakespeare myself, and then I got to thinking, would Leonardo Da Vinci be considered a bard because he knew almost everything an educated person could know in his day. If Leonardo, what about Michelangelo, and the other great classic artists? How about Homer, Socrates, Pythagoras, Bernoulli, Euler ... What about Cicero from the Roman Senate?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Jon-Tom Merriweather from the Spellsinger novels, who unlike everyone else listed here actually has magical abilities based on playing music.
Bards have magical abilities regardless of music. Using an instrument as a focus is a possibility, not a requirement. All they need are components like other casters.
Music as magic is just a common concept in DnD.
I'd argue Tom Bombadil singing or Yi playing clearly meets that concept, however.
Bards are skilled, inspire, use magic, often are healers, and have some martial ability as defining features. Characters who fit those traits would be bards.
Bards are a bit tricky to nail down in myths, because the whole magical music thing was based on the idea of Power Words, story tellers and ritual cantors/dancers. Which has a ton of overlap with druids, clerics and wizards. Especially if we talk Lord of the Rings - the entirety of Middle Earth was created when the Creator God had a literal choir of angels sing the world (and the entirety of its history) into being. All magic in Middle Earth is either based on this original bardcraft, or some kind of artifice (Rings, the Silmarilli). And, yes, that technically includes Gandalf, despite this guy being the inspiration for the modern wizard archetype.
That said, there are a few big figures that stand out. Orpheus and the Seven Muses of Greek Mythology is a huge example. Odin was the god of poetry and sorcery of Norse Mythology, basically a skald himself despite having a son who was god of skalds. In Japanese mythology, when the sun goddess locked herself in the cave, they had the goddess of dancing bring her out with a performance (in short, magic dancing to end the eclipse). This last
Fflewddur Fflam from the Chronicles of Prydain. Had a harp whose strings snapped if he told a lie or exaggerated (serious disadvantage on Deception checks…). That series is in the suggested reading list in the PHB and came out in the early 60s, so might well have been a source for the D&D bard.
Hi, everyone! I'm working in a series of articles for my blog dedicated to each of the 13 classes, and I plan to finish each one with a short list famous examples of such class in fantasy tropes, be it novels, movies, TV shows, comics or video games.
(Extra XP if you also include some details about the reason for your ideas and what you like or don't like about the class, both as a player or DM)
Having said that, what characters come to your mind when thinking of BARDS?
"Let your dice roll"
codexanathema.com
My bard who I hope to be playing soon.
Hello! I am just a relatively new D&D player, who also likes SimplePlanes and War Thunder.
My characters are:
Peter Quill in the Guardians of the Galaxy is an excellent bard. He follows a music motif, was accused of sorcery by Gamora when seducing her with music, inspired his friends with the legend of Kevin Bacon re Footloose, focuses on with and diplomacy and negotiation, uses advanced science that would seem like magic, and DANCE OFF.
John Constantine is often associated with warlock but suits bard as well. He's the world's greatest con man, focuses on wit and cunning first then magic second, started in a band as a musician, picks up magic he learns in his travels, and is often a source of rare information and legends.
Yi from Abominable. Music and magic.
Tom Bombadil from Lord of the Rings or several characters from The Silmarillion. Tolkien based many characters on legendary bards including Gandalf, who works magic and inspires others to heroics based on stories and legend.
Those are quick first thoughts.
In ""Don Quixot and Sancho Panza"" book it mentions some bards.... Sancho Panza was an obvious bardish-slave in disguise.
The obvious Trouvadors ( jugglers ) from the Europe's Middleage.....
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
Brom from Eragon is a good example of a valor bard too. Armor and sword play, magic and healing, a sharp tongue, entertaining and inspiring a young farm boy with epic tales of the dragon riders, taking on the role of teacher and advisor.
Kubo (and the Two Strings).
Alan a'Dale from Robin Hood.
Shakespeare. The Bard.
I was thinking about Shakespeare myself, and then I got to thinking, would Leonardo Da Vinci be considered a bard because he knew almost everything an educated person could know in his day. If Leonardo, what about Michelangelo, and the other great classic artists? How about Homer, Socrates, Pythagoras, Bernoulli, Euler ... What about Cicero from the Roman Senate?
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Jon-Tom Merriweather from the Spellsinger novels, who unlike everyone else listed here actually has magical abilities based on playing music.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Bards have magical abilities regardless of music. Using an instrument as a focus is a possibility, not a requirement. All they need are components like other casters.
Music as magic is just a common concept in DnD.
I'd argue Tom Bombadil singing or Yi playing clearly meets that concept, however.
Bards are skilled, inspire, use magic, often are healers, and have some martial ability as defining features. Characters who fit those traits would be bards.
And a lot of the characters that have been listed here don't actually meet that definition, they're just charismatic.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Cary Elwes ( Westley from The Princess Bride) gives voice to The Bard from The Bard's Tale video game. ( 2004 version).
Eddie Riggs, Drowned Ophelia, and Doviculus from Brutal Legend are all definitely legendary.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Lindsey Stirling comes to mind, and a couple of music videos that seem to involve bard battles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dfZ9BXaNyE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvipPYFebWc
Bards are a bit tricky to nail down in myths, because the whole magical music thing was based on the idea of Power Words, story tellers and ritual cantors/dancers. Which has a ton of overlap with druids, clerics and wizards. Especially if we talk Lord of the Rings - the entirety of Middle Earth was created when the Creator God had a literal choir of angels sing the world (and the entirety of its history) into being. All magic in Middle Earth is either based on this original bardcraft, or some kind of artifice (Rings, the Silmarilli). And, yes, that technically includes Gandalf, despite this guy being the inspiration for the modern wizard archetype.
That said, there are a few big figures that stand out. Orpheus and the Seven Muses of Greek Mythology is a huge example. Odin was the god of poetry and sorcery of Norse Mythology, basically a skald himself despite having a son who was god of skalds. In Japanese mythology, when the sun goddess locked herself in the cave, they had the goddess of dancing bring her out with a performance (in short, magic dancing to end the eclipse). This last
Speaking of magic dances... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6NqnYYmSVE Don't forget the Labrynth and the Magic Dance.
The most obvious Bard. Orpheus.
thom merrilin from Wheel of time books.
Jon-tom from Spellsinger books.
Storm Silverhand and Finder Wyvernspur from Forgotten realms.
History: William Shakeapeare (the bard)
Food, Scifi/fantasy, anime, DND 5E/RPG geek.
Brutal
The band KISS as portrayed in comics and Scoobydo.
Fflewddur Fflam from the Chronicles of Prydain. Had a harp whose strings snapped if he told a lie or exaggerated (serious disadvantage on Deception checks…). That series is in the suggested reading list in the PHB and came out in the early 60s, so might well have been a source for the D&D bard.
I love this so much. Now you've got me thinking about which Shakespeare character has the most bard-like lines... HMMM...