Homebrew Bardings Species Details

“Bard had rebuilt the town in Dale and men had gathered to him from the Lake and from South and West, and all the valley had become tilled again and rich, and the desolation was now filled with birds and blossoms in spring and fruit and feasting in autumn.”

From the Ashes 

The city of Dale lay in ruins for almost two centuries, under the shadow of the Lonely Mountain. It was destroyed by the Dragon Smaug when he descended from the north to claim the vast treasure of the Dwarves of Erebor. Five years ago, the Dragon was killed and Men, led by Bard the Bowman, the Dragon-slayer, started to rebuild the city. Since then, Bard has been crowned King, and Dáin Ironfoot, the Dwarf-lord from the Iron Hills, is the new King Under the Mountain. Under their rule, Men and Dwarves have laboured hard, collaborating to rebuild Dale, as they used to do before the Dragon came, and the city is swiftly approaching the glory it attained hundreds of years ago.

Bardings are descended from the same cultural group as the Beornings and the Woodmen of Wilderland. They are rapidly becoming the most powerful group of Men in Wilderland, strategically positioned as they are between the Elven kingdom of the Woodland Realm and the Dwarven Kingdom under the Mountain. Under the guidance of the new king, the city of Dale provides the Dwarves of Erebor with everything from food and clothes to wood and ceramics, in exchange for the many products of their skilful metalworking and stonecraft. Trading with the Elves gives access to the superior quality of their woodworking.

Description

The Men of Dale are Northmen of noble origins. They are often tall and strong-limbed, with fair hair, although dark or even black hair is not unknown. Their men usually shave their beards completely unless they are very old, and cut their hair shorter than the Woodmen of Wilderland. Women let their hair grow very long, but often braid it in tight tresses. Adventurers from Dale can be easily recognised as they carry the best equipment to be found among the Men living in Wilderland.

Barding Names

A traditional Barding name is usually composed of one or two elements (for example, Dag, Day, or Lif-stan, Life Stone). Like most Northmen, Bardings often name their sons and daughters after a renowned ancestor or relative, or choose a name beginning with the same sound or sharing one element with that of the father (whose name is often given with their first name when introduced formally – for example, Lifstan son of Leiknir, or Ingrith daughter of Ingolf ).

• Male Names: Aegir, Agmund, Agnarr, Alfrim, Alfwald, Arn, Arnulf, Bain, Balki, Bard, Bern, Bragi, Brand, Brandulf, Dag, Domarr, Drengi, Egil, Einar, Eirik, Erland, Erling, Farald, Farmann, Farulf, Fastarr, Finn, Finnulf, Folki, Folkmarr, Galmann, Galti, Gautarr, Geirmund, Gismund, Gorm, Grimarr, Guthorm, Hafgrim, Haki, Hakon, Halfdan, Hamarr, Hedinn, Helgi, Hergrim, Hildir, Holgeir, Holti, Holvidur, Hord, Ingi, Ingolf, Ioli, Isolf, Jarl, Jarmarr, Joalf, Joar, Jofur, Jokell, Karl, Ketill, Ketilmund, Kol, Kolbeinn, Kori, Leiknir, Lifstan, Lodin, Lomund, Magni, Mord, Munan, Nari, Nefstan, Nerulf, Odd, Oddmarr, Odvarr, Olaf, Olvard, Omund, Ornolf, Ottarr, Ragnarr, Randur, Reinald, Runolf, Sandarr, Saxulf, Sigdan, Sigfast, Sigmarr, Sigvald, Sigward, Sigmund, Skarf, Skefill, Smidur, Steinarr, Thorald, Thorfast, Torwald, Ulfarr, Ulfied, Unnarr, Valbrand, Valdimarr, Vali, Vandil, Varinn, Varr.
• Female Names: Aldis, Aldrif, Asfrid, Asny, Astrith, Bera, Bergdis, Brinhild, Dagmar, Dagny, Dalla, Edda, Eilif, Erna, Eydis, Estrild, Frida, Geira, Gerda, Grimhild, Gudrun, Gundrid, Gunnhild, Halla, Halldis, Halldora, Helga, Hild, Holma, Inga, Ingirun, Ingrith, Lif, Linhild, Kelda, Ragna, Runa, Saldis, Sigga, Signy, Sigrid, Sigrun, Solveig, Thora, Thordis, Thorhild, Thorleif, Ulfhild, Ulfrun, Una, Valdis, Vigdis, Walda 

Standard of Living

Thanks to their trade with Elves, Dwarves and far lands to the south, a Barding can choose any trade and be almost sure to thrive. Craftsmen from Dale include carpenters, cartwrights, shoemakers, tailors, tanners and weavers, not to mention those apprenticed to Dwarven weaponsmiths and masons. For these reasons, Bardings are considered a Prosperous folk 

Bonus Equipment: A fur-lined travelling cloak, travelling gear for the current season, a bedroll, a backpack or saddlebags, comfortable boots, 5d6 silver pennies, plus choose any two: a tent, extra blankets, rope, a magical toy, a silver comb, an amulet of a raven’s feather, a bottle of wine from Dorwinion.

Bardings Traits

Your Player-hero has certain traits deriving from your Barding ancestry.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 1 and you may increase two additional ability scores by 1.

Age

 Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.

Alignment

Humans tend toward no particular alignment. The best and the worst are found among them.

Size

Most Bardings stand between 5 and 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Clear Eyed

You have proficiency in the Insight skill.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common.

Starting Virtues

You gain one Barding Cultural Virtue of your choice at starting level.

Barding Cultural Virtues

• Birthright: Before the coming of the Dragon, there were noble houses in Dale, with famed lords who were bold and famously hard to kill. You are a direct descendant of one of the ancient illustrious households that were powerful in the city of Dale of old. You receive a +1 bonus on all Dexterity saving throws. If you are reduced to 0 hit points, but not killed outright, you are considered to have already successfully passed 1 death saving throw.
• Fierce Shot: You have learnt to bend your bow so fiercely that you hear its string crack like a whip when it sends its arrows flying. When you hit with an attack from a short bow, longbow or great bow roll your damage die twice and keep the better result.
• King’s Men: The former glory of the proud hosts of Dale has been restored by King Bard, and so the martial discipline that once made the city powerful is again imparted to all young men and women alike, lest the city be caught unprepared by assailants. You have sworn to protect the city and its king with your life, and in return you are regularly trained by the most expert swordsmen and bowmen of the realm. Choose two weapons from the following list: broadswords, long swords, spears, and great bows. You gain proficiency in your two chosen weapons and a +1 bonus to attack rolls made with them.
• Swordmaster: A skilled warrior can use their sword to deflect blows that would have otherwise hit their mark. You have learnt to fight defensively using your weapon to full advantage. When fighting with either a broadsword or a long sword, add your proficiency bonus to your AC.
• Woeful Foresight: Many citizens of ancient Dale found themselves blessed – or cursed – by a sort of foresight following Smaug’s destruction of the city. As a descendant of one of these bloodlines, you share this gif.  Sometimes, you feel a sense of foreboding that warns you of impending catastrophe and other gloomy events. But the future is always uncertain, and sometimes what you foresee never materialises. Raise your Wisdom score by 1 point. Additionally, once every Adventuring phase, you may invoke your power of Woeful Foresight. When this happens, the Loremaster should give you a relevant piece of information regarding adverse events likely to occur during your current adventure. If no such information is available – or the Loremaster prefers not to divulge it – once, before the current Adventuring phase is over, you may choose to automatically succeed at either an attack roll, a saving throw or an ability check (your foresight led to a sudden bout of insight or deeper understanding that helped you at a key moment). Your foresight manifests in many forms: it can be a hazy vision, a recurring and enigmatic dream, or a cryptic message borne by a talking bird.