Building a Better Bard - Some examples of non-musical bards for character builds

[Hand of Evil]

Mime Bard - nuff said

Shadow Bard - creates story in shadows displayed on walls and in smoke

Puppeteer - stories with puppets

Play Write - does not performs but writes great plays

Novelist - power of the press!

 

[Samloyal23]

Well, IRL, speed drawing/painting is really no slower than singing a song. (See vids on YouTube.) Ditto modeling with a putty. D&D just used Handwavium and condensed the time frame to fit combat. Do the same with the visual arts, and it will be fine.

The REAL trick, though, is justifying bardic knowledge. Even then, it isn't uncommon for visual artists to learn something about what they intend to depict.

A bard is a master of his culture's lore and wisdom, the communicator of tradition. This could be passed down through any medium, verbal or otherwise. Think about the first Stone Age art, it showed gods, monsters, customs, lore. It illustrated the culture of the tribe before the written word could put it down on paper. In the Middle Ages cult secrets such as the royal descent of certain families from Jesus was encoded in paintings and sculptures.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Like I said, it's not uncommon for visual artists to learn about their subjects.

However, it's nowhere near ubiquitous. Lots of visual artists in many media only care about what they see and how they choose to depict it- they don't care about its history. If they have the materials in hand to do their thing, they're not too concerned about the reasons why something is the way it is.

Claude Monet spent a lot of time painting haystacks. It is unlikely he knew the local history of all the farms he painted.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Oh, Law or Lore givers - the Bard is the verbal history keeper in a culture and will judge conflicts. The low level bards will roam about and provide services as needed, using the history of poems and stories. Also, can help with verbal documents by creating a poem for the local people to recite.

 

[Rod Staffwand]

Agree with DMMike...my last bard was a dapper politician who disliked to get his hands dirty (and since the barbarian's hands are always dirty, it just makes since to give him extra attacks). I really liked the 4E bard. Haven't played the 5E one. Won't touch 3X bards or before.

I think "thespian" might be a fun way to go. You've got dramatic soliloquys and references, overwrought scenery chewing, stage fighting skills, and even disguise and impersonation stuff to play with. And, at the risk of my group throwing stuff at me, I'd even call him something like Will Steadyspear.

 

[SavingThrow]

I like getting my bards into combat. I feel like too many bards go the "dainty" route and flit about the sidelines. It's a legit choice, for sure, but not my style. I do like the thespian comparison, makes me think of a Mission: Impossible character or something.

I also like the concept of a historian and lawman - this stems back to the orator build, I think. Not quite as posh as the politician, but also not as base as a court jester or something. A good mix of the classes strengths.

 

[TrippyHippy]

I wonder if anybody could build a version of the Bard that operates as a Machievelian politico - using words and half-truths towards a political end? It would be the sort of thing one could use to build a Tyrion, Varys or Littlefinger (GoT) perhaps?

 

[GMMichael]

This musical bard seems to have power over dragons. That's always nice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuJnvC8voJY

And an artist bard example. The painting part hits at about 1:20.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjEWP10EUsM

 

[Samloyal23]

I wonder if anybody could build a version of the Bard that operates as a Machievelian politico - using words and half-truths towards a political end? It would be the sort of thing one could use to build a Tyrion, Varys or Littlefinger (GoT) perhaps?

Is not that the reason for the entire school of Enchantment and the Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidation, and Innuendo skills?

 

[TrippyHippy]

Is not that the reason for the entire school of Enchantment and the Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidation, and Innuendo skills?

I’m not saying it can’t be done - choose the right spells and probably the Noble background - but it would be nice to see it acknowledged as an Archetype.