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Iconic Bard?
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<blockquote data-quote="Greenfield" data-source="post: 7536270" data-attributes="member: 6669384"><p>Haven't played the 5E Bard.</p><p></p><p>In 1st edition, to be a Bard meant you were superman. Fighter levels, then change class to Thief, then to Druid. Your Druid level was your Bard level. He was a full powered triple threat.</p><p></p><p>Personally I tend to think of Alan Adale, from Robin Hood legends. Mechanics aside, his primary role was to entertain the troops, though he wasn't a slouch in a fight.</p><p></p><p>The D&D 3.* Bard seems to fit the image, mechanically speaking. He's a third string fighter, spell caster and skill monkey/Rogue. The Bardic Music abilities and the Perform ranks required to use them kept him on theme as an entertainer, and the Bardic Knowledge mechanic, though vaguely described, gave a way to portray them as educated and well rounded.</p><p></p><p>In our games, the Bardic Knowledge ability was always played as, "I recall a song/story that mentioned something about that...". For example, you couldn't use it to know the layout of a thief's warren or castle, unless it had been around long enough to have had songs or stories told about it. </p><p></p><p>I like that house rule, and would like to see it made official.</p><p></p><p>I'd like to see a wider variety of Bardic Music abilities, where there are several choices for each level/stage of advancement. That would allow more customization and person flavor.</p><p></p><p>For example, while Inspire Courage is currently available to all Bards, we might invent another of similar power and let the Bard choose which one he/she knows, just as they have to choose which spells they know.</p><p></p><p>A list of alternate Bard songs might be interesting, but is probably a topic for another thread.</p><p></p><p>But to sum up, to me the Iconic Bard is a support character. They're knowledgeable and clever, more skilled at combat defense/dodge than offense, providers of advice and inspiration. They might be a leading character, personality wise, but "lead from the rear" in actual melee. They play music, sing songs and tell stories, and in turn they write music, songs and stories about the adventures they've seen. They make others work better in combat, and make them look better when they relate the tale afterwards.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Greenfield, post: 7536270, member: 6669384"] Haven't played the 5E Bard. In 1st edition, to be a Bard meant you were superman. Fighter levels, then change class to Thief, then to Druid. Your Druid level was your Bard level. He was a full powered triple threat. Personally I tend to think of Alan Adale, from Robin Hood legends. Mechanics aside, his primary role was to entertain the troops, though he wasn't a slouch in a fight. The D&D 3.* Bard seems to fit the image, mechanically speaking. He's a third string fighter, spell caster and skill monkey/Rogue. The Bardic Music abilities and the Perform ranks required to use them kept him on theme as an entertainer, and the Bardic Knowledge mechanic, though vaguely described, gave a way to portray them as educated and well rounded. In our games, the Bardic Knowledge ability was always played as, "I recall a song/story that mentioned something about that...". For example, you couldn't use it to know the layout of a thief's warren or castle, unless it had been around long enough to have had songs or stories told about it. I like that house rule, and would like to see it made official. I'd like to see a wider variety of Bardic Music abilities, where there are several choices for each level/stage of advancement. That would allow more customization and person flavor. For example, while Inspire Courage is currently available to all Bards, we might invent another of similar power and let the Bard choose which one he/she knows, just as they have to choose which spells they know. A list of alternate Bard songs might be interesting, but is probably a topic for another thread. But to sum up, to me the Iconic Bard is a support character. They're knowledgeable and clever, more skilled at combat defense/dodge than offense, providers of advice and inspiration. They might be a leading character, personality wise, but "lead from the rear" in actual melee. They play music, sing songs and tell stories, and in turn they write music, songs and stories about the adventures they've seen. They make others work better in combat, and make them look better when they relate the tale afterwards. [/QUOTE]
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