D&D 5E Anyone else think the Bard concept is just silly?

Xeviat · Apr 13, 2017

Hussar said:
I always wondered why the 5e bars lost the bardic lore ability. To me, that's just central to the archetype.

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They have half proficiency bonus in all untrained ability checks, including all Intelligence checks. That's Bardic Lore.

I too think Bards should have been half-casters.

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bedir than · Apr 13, 2017

Music to inspire is very real. One only need look at Drum & Bugle corps, Fife & Drum, etc. Yes, some of it was about communication (which in DnD might be advantage save against Fear) but it was also about maintaining espirit de corp

cbwjm · Apr 13, 2017

Xeviat said:
They have half proficiency bonus in all untrained ability checks, including all Intelligence checks. That's Bardic Lore.

I too think Bards should have been half-casters.

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I think that's the jack-of-all-trades aspect to the bard. I think the bardic lore ability has been folded into skills and expertise instead. I know it's not the only class to get expertise, but in 5e how else are you going to find out about an item if not through rolling a skill.

Zene · Apr 13, 2017

Brandegoris said:
I hate Bards. The only bards I like are the ones that play music in taverns
Every time I think of a dude dancing and spouting poetry to " inspire " me while I am being attacked by trolls I just cringe.
If that happened in real life I would stop attacking the trolls immediately and bet the crap outta the singing useless weirdo..
The whole concept is just too silly to even visualize.
Even one that is fighting is silly. Some fighting, singing weirdo. I think players should have to write down what the dude is singing so we can all have an example of how it is " Inspiring". LOLOL

YES

Especially when the DM asks the bard "what do you say" in response to vicious mockery or bardic inspristion. 99/100 times the response makes the game less immersive instead of more.

dragonfriend7738 · Apr 13, 2017

I see the bard as something like Thom Merrilin from the Wheel of Time series, honestly. And since this is a fantasy setting where in game effects can be explained however you want, it doesn't specifically need for you to 'cast a spell' so much as 'hey, I learned this trick while traveling with a nomad caravan, ect.' and you have the desired effect.

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Corpsetaker · Apr 13, 2017

bedir than said:
I remain convinced the Bard spell-casting chassis should be the same as Paladin and Ranger - fewer spells, but more buffs (Song of Rest, Bardic Inspiration).

This!!

It looks to me like Wizards grew a little lazy with the spellcasting and instead of actually giving us some cool unique mechanics for their bardic abilities, they just gave them a huge spell list and moved on to the next class.

Corpsetaker · Apr 13, 2017

The problem with the current bard is music is forced onto the class. If you take away that then it's basically just a rogue/wizard that could be achieved using a Wizard or the Arcane Trickster.

flametitan · Apr 13, 2017

They are a little silly, but my games try not to be ultra-serious. So they fit in fine in my games.

The Crimson Binome · Apr 13, 2017

Henry said:
Yeah, Mr. Lute-bringer tends to do the class a disservice in my opinion. Nothing in the class says you must use a musical instrument for your magic, as every description says, "musical instrument or oration" or "music or words of power."

You may think the the lute-wielder is a bad representation of the bard, but the bard class is what it is because it is supposed to represent the lute-wielder. If nobody wanted to play Alan-a-Dale, then the bard class wouldn't exist.

Any description that suggests an inspirational speech (rather than an instrument) has been tacked on in an attempt to widen the appeal of the class, but in doing so, it detracts from the class's core identity. Much like the paladin, the bard is a very specific character concept, and it is disingenuous to treat it otherwise.

GMMichael · Apr 13, 2017

Saelorn said:
You may think the the lute-wielder is a bad representation of the bard, but the bard class is what it is because it is supposed to represent the lute-wielder. If nobody wanted to play Alan-a-Dale, then the bard class wouldn't exist.

Or Tenacious D. Or Bill & Ted. Or Bard (oh wait...)? Or the guitarist from Mad Max Fury Road.

Brandegoris said:
I think of a dude dancing and spouting poetry to " inspire " me while I am being attacked by trolls I just cringe.
If that happened in real life I would stop attacking the trolls immediately and bet the crap outta the singing useless weirdo..

I suppose you'd rather have a pacifist or commoner at your side in a fight? At least magical bards do something useful. Don't try gambling against them, though. You'll probably get duped. Especially while real life trolls were pounding on your head.