before bards down calling role

Learning from Experience

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

Learning from Experience True bards are not common in the world. Not every minstrel singing in a tavern or jester cavorting in a royal court is a bard. Discovering the magic hidden in music requires

hard study and some measure of natural talent that most troubadours and jongleurs lack. It can be hard to spot the difference between these performers and true bards, though. A bard’s life is spent

Learning from Experience

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

Learning from Experience True bards are not common in the world. Not every minstrel singing in a tavern or jester cavorting in a royal court is a bard. Discovering the magic hidden in music requires

hard study and some measure of natural talent that most troubadours and jongleurs lack. It can be hard to spot the difference between these performers and true bards, though. A bard’s life is spent

Bard

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

? Ah, then what manner of music they would bring to this world! — Fletcher Danairia, master bard Bards bring levity during grave times; they impart wisdom to offset ignorance; and they make the

ridiculous seem sublime. Bards are preservers of ancient history, their songs and tales perpetuating the memory of great events down through time — knowledge so important that it is memorized and passed

The Gods of Two Peoples

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

. Half-elves often revere the gods of the culture in which they were raised, although some rebel against their upbringing, seeking out the gods of the other aspect of their heritage, or feeling a calling

or need to do so. As with any people, half-elves often choose a favored deity based on their calling or profession: Corellon Larethian, Azuth, or Mystra for wizards, Solonor Thelandira or Mielikki

Build Your Group

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

give them a broad range of knowledge to support their schemes. Bards, rogues, and wizards are often drawn to this role. Safecracker. The “breaking” part of “breaking and entering” is the Safecracker’s

, and Persuasion. The charlatan background is perfect for Talkers, but criminals, urchins, and others can fill the role with the right skills. Bards are a natural fit for the job as well.

Build Your Group

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

can be a crucial skill, which many characters in this role combine with magical means of scrying to learn about their enemies and objectives. Bards and wizards make natural Investigators, especially

cloak or disguise one’s appearance), and proficiency with skills such as Deception, Performance, and Sleight of Hand all greatly benefit the Chameleon. Bards and rogues, as well as characters with

Build Your Group

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

in both Persuasion and Intimidation prove helpful in this role. Bards, paladins, and sorcerers have both the requisite talents and the ability to supplement their interrogations with magic

backgrounds such as criminal, sage, soldier, or urchin, regardless of the role they play in a group. Consider some or all of these roles for characters in your party: Client. When a routine investigation goes

Build Your Group

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Persuasion (or sometimes Intimidation) and Religion can be useful for this character. Many clerics fill this role, but devout bards can also be effective Teachers. Some Teachers bring skills from the

the Church and the nation in pursuit of the highest ideals of the faith, as they crusade against the forces of evil across Khorvaire. But are they fulfilling that high calling? Or are they just as

Build Your Group

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

firsthand experience with the creatures, cultures, forces, and histories being investigated, and the best way to get that is in the field. This role is similar to the Scholar, but the Field Researcher is

ballrooms, boardrooms, and seedy taverns, willing to do whats necessary to get what they need. Those in this role often exude Charisma and might be adept with the Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion

Council of Spiders

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

priestesses. A secret cabal of noble wizards calling itself the Council of Spiders works to see wizards represented on the Ruling Council — overturning thousands of years of tradition while remaining true to

agenda. Vizeran has cultivated his role as a patron and ally of the council to gain influence among its members — while giving them no hint of his desire to destroy the drow’s obsessive worship of Lolth

College of Whispers

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

College of Whispers Most folk are happy to welcome a bard into their midst. Bards of the College of Whispers use this to their advantage. They appear to be like other bards, sharing news, singing

songs, and telling tales to the audiences they gather. In truth, the College of Whispers teaches its students that they are wolves among sheep. These bards use their knowledge and magic to uncover

Splitting Loyalties

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

agent of the Sunweaver—deemed service in the Brightguard a holy calling, the group’s ranks swelled. Most members have unshakable resolve, but recent revolutionary acts have the order on edge. The

. Maintain order under the enlightened direction of Atash. Character Role. Characters who align with the Brightguard find the group earnestly seeks to enforce Akharin Sangar’s laws and keep the city

Build Your Group

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Charisma to work in the service of the state. These characters often come from a noble background and bring proficiency in skills such as Intimidation and Persuasion to their work. Bards are natural fits in

this role, as are paladins—as long as they aren’t asked to do things that violate the tenets of their oaths. Marshal. Combat is the specialty of the Marshal, who focuses on enforcing the law of the

All for One: The Clan

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

vigilant warrior; the clan needs a wide range of labor and talents to meet all the needs of the group. Filling the second role are an equally large number of dwarves whose occupations involve the crafting of

role takes years to master it. A weaponsmith starts work in the forge, providing manual labor to haul ore from the mines and learning how to repair tools. The dwarf might then work in the mines, pushing

Khoravar

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

communication and cooperation between members of different cultures or species. Khoravar who follow this philosophy often become bards, diplomats, mediators, or translators. Others are fascinated by their

associated with House Lyrandar or House Medani, but you’re more interested in the role the house plays in supporting Khoravar communities than in the work of its guilds. 10 You ride with the Valenar, hoping one day to prove that you are worthy of taking on a patron ancestor.

Redcloak Battalion

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Battalion. This elite unit fought at the forefront of the Last War, and Brelish bards still sing of the exploits of Khandan the Hammer and Meira the Huntress. At the end of the war, the battalion was split

bitterly. Thrane. In the waning years of the Last War, the Redcloaks played a major role in the devastating Battle of Cairn Hill between Brelish and Thrane forces. Thanks to heavy losses on both sides, veterans of that battle tend to nurse bitter grudges against their enemies.

Decisionist

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

the Rogue Stole Your Coins, We Have a Job to Do. You help advance the franchise by calling for votes, making sure you’re always on the side with the most votes, and resolving disputes within the

, or boost the morale of franchise hirelings. KELSHI ANNAB Human Decisionist (Ranger) There are decisionists of all stripes. Domineering narcissists gravitate toward the role, to be sure, and

Creating Factions

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

interact with, whether as allies, members, or enemies. As a starting point, decide what role you want an organization to play in the world. What is it all about? What are its goals? Who founded it and why

that with the motto of a group of politically allied cities in the North calling themselves the Lords’ Alliance: “Threats to home must be terminated without prejudice. Superiority is our security

Fighter

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

often fights for money above all else, whether focusing on a primary role as a combat specialist or providing martial backup for the franchise as needs be. Mission Accomplished Whether your intention is

opportune moment, making your foe wonder what other tricks you might play. 4 Swearing, name-calling, political satire — you do it all. You make use of a range of down-and-dirty fighting epithets

Locations A - D

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder

. Cairn Road The Cairn Road is a well-worn wagon trail that crosses the Dessarin Valley between the village of Red Larch and the Bargewright Inn trading post. Calling Horns Calling Horns was nothing more

settlers to the region, giving rise to a small village whose citizens pay monthly “tithes” for Tamalin’s protection. Still spry at sixty, Tamalin is “the law” in Calling Horns — an irony that never ceases to

The Seldarine

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

be with. Stories of Hanali’s romantic adventures among elves and other mortals are perennial favorites when sung by elf bards and poets. In Arvandor, Hanali maintains a hidden pool called Evergold

least a century. More than a few elves claim to have experienced this benefit, and the truth of it is attested by many bards — sometimes in all earnestness, sometimes with a knowing wink. Priests of

Temple of Tharizdun

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

faithful of the dark god hide their true calling and live otherwise normal lives as dock workers, fishers, or sailors. For years, they gathered once a month at the temple to venerate the dark god through the

a tightly sewn oilcloth — an instrument of the bards (Cli lyre) found by a cultist years before. The lyre is the cult’s greatest treasure, and has been kept as a gift for the leader that the cultists

Lyn Armaal, Level 3

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder

. Two magic items are displayed here as well. Anstruth Harp. An exquisitely crafted harp sized for a human rests on a shelf. This instrument of the bards was acquired from a human bard who counseled

conch in her tower bedchamber (area 33), though he doesn’t know exactly where. If the characters seem intent on running amok, Thullen tries to defeat them quickly for the good of his family, calling on

City Celebrations

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

. Although some of the dancing is wanton and performed for show, large-scale ring dances in the street for all ages are also popular. All the dancing ends at dusk, after which bards and minstrels perform at

Plowing and Running take the role of the dragons’ slayers, with the champion of the chariot race representing Athar and the champion of the horse race playing Piergeiron. Flamerule 1: Founders’ Day

Hobgoblins

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

wear masks that resemble the leering faces of devils. As befits their role in society, they receive proper deference from all other hobgoblins that cross their path. Academy of Devastation Hobgoblins

know the value of arcane magic in warfare. Where other cultures treat magic as an individual pursuit, a calling that only a select few can even attempt, hobgoblins practice mass indoctrination and

Upper City Gazetteer

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur’s Gate Gazetteer

patriars, traveling nobles, famed bards, and socially ambitious Lower City residents hoping to rub shoulders with the elite. The inn is unfussy, but conducts its service with flawless technique and the

popular place for weddings, dedication ceremonies, and other oaths. Legend holds that bards and artists who study their own reflections in the basin for half a day, opening their minds to Oghma’s will

Upper City Gazetteer

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

patriars, traveling nobles, famed bards, and socially ambitious Lower City residents hoping to rub shoulders with the elite. The inn is unfussy, but conducts its service with flawless technique and the

shrine a popular place for weddings, dedication ceremonies, and other oaths. Legend holds that bards and artists who study their own reflections in the basin for half a day, opening their minds to Oghma’s

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