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4 years ago ::
Dec 11, 2008 - 2:33PM
#21
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Date Joined:
Apr 26, 2005
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Not necessarily. It just might involve renaming/refluffing several of the bard powers to make them less goofy, though, if they're anything like their 3E predecessors.
Sure, but "adventurer who happens to also sing" makes the singing sound more like a hobby than anything, was all I was saying.
The 'musical adventurer' schtick was one of the reasons I never looked seriously at the bard in 3rd. It was just too dorky. The only time I played one, I did some major refluffing; his bardic song was oratory, defined as inspirational speeches and historical accounts of similar battles, selected spells based on battlefield uses (like Tactical Precision), and multiclassed with the crusader for some martial prowess.
In other words, I invented the warlord. 
Yeah, that's pretty much what I did, too; my bards took perform oratory and "inspired" through shouts and commands and tactical advice. Further, I used the Bardic Sage variant from UA and made the Bard the font of tactical knowledge, information on vulnerabilities, and so on.
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4 years ago ::
Dec 12, 2008 - 5:14PM
#22
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Date Joined:
Jun 23, 2008
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You spoony Bard!
 Edward and Tellah
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4 years ago ::
Dec 12, 2008 - 5:53PM
#23
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Date Joined:
Jul 14, 2008
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Looking For Group has a bard that is not at all out of place in an adventuring company.
A bard could easily be a fighter type who knows loads of old stories, and relates them to his companions every chance he gets, to the point where they find inspiration in their fights while mimicking deeds long dead heroes have accomplished.
One-half of the tabletop gaming news podcast Going LastCo-author on AoA 2-3 and 4-1.
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4 years ago ::
Dec 12, 2008 - 6:57PM
#24
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Date Joined:
Jan 16, 2003
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I don't imagine that an absurdly powerful psychic and aural mage with an inherent font of knowledge would be very happy just playing a random tavern, whether they channeled their power through song or not.
Sig to be rebuilt soonThe Descendants-- the webserial that reads like a comic book! World of Ere-- A campaign setting that puts style to the fore.
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4 years ago ::
Dec 12, 2008 - 7:55PM
#25
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Date Joined:
May 26, 2007
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Did you ever see 300? You know the guy with the eye-patch wrap thing, who told the story?
Yeah, he was a bard.
You don't have to be a bard to tell a story...
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4 years ago ::
Dec 13, 2008 - 7:39AM
#26
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Date Joined:
Aug 19, 2007
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I've always Liked the motivation that the bard them self wants to be immortalized, If they knows of the stories that make heroes, how Amazing would it be to be in one of them, known for Generations.
Or maybe they're more of Verifiers, Going along with the party to make sure they actually do what they say they do, collecting proof that they aren't a bunch of Crazy Homeopathic killer Wannabes.
It really depends on how creative you are, Don't worry about how the Class can be an adventurer, worry about how the Character can be one.
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4 years ago ::
Dec 13, 2008 - 8:21AM
#27
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Try this one on for size:
A dwarf valorous bard. He sings his songs to the tempo of his warhammer crushing his enemies, and sings songs of heroic deeds while felling mighty foes. The group of adventurers he travels with often look to him for a lead, as a conductor of battle. Combat is part of his presentation, and he wants to create a epic saga of honor and valor, in homage to Moradin. At the same time, he also protects the weak, as Moradin demands the strong do. Someday, he intends to create a work that will be remembered forever as a inspiring story of friendship, determination and triumph. His friends all assist him in this, knowing that--just as the writer of the song--their accomplishments will never be forgotten.
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4 years ago ::
Dec 13, 2008 - 6:37PM
#28
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"...and spin..." This is the key part, especially if most of your campaigns end up with your party standing atop a pile of freshly killed nuns and/or orphans.
PC: Okay, Elvis! You're up! Make this look good!
Well, I'm glad someone feels that way too!
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4 years ago ::
Dec 14, 2008 - 1:52AM
#29
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There are actually traditions of singing while fighting, chanting and singing in unison in battle, in parts of pre-medieval Europe among Germanic tribes in particular. Meanwhile in Maori culture, haka chants/dances are performed before and after battles (not cutesy, really intense and scary). People used to generally sing a lot more often and in more contexts than they do today.
Remember, no one said bards were performing pop songs. Even a drummers marching with rifleman in the 19th century are performing music with a practical purpose (setting the tempo for the ranks to march and fire in coordination) and doing it while under fire. Now take that concept and extend it into a world with magic, and you start to see how musical accompaniment could be used to influence a party's performance.
Music is serious business.
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4 years ago ::
Dec 14, 2008 - 3:38PM
#30
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Date Joined:
Jun 25, 2008
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I think in a low magic campaign it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. But in a setting with high magic content it makes perfect sense.
He uses music to cast magic. He uses music to tap into arcane formulas that increase your strength and agility.
He... brain dump. Totally forgot the rest of my point.
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