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

[Wulffolk]

To have a problem with the Bard class is to have a failure of imagination and creativity on the part of the player. As others have said, Bards do not need to be effeminate lute-picking poets. There are many cooler interpretations of the Bard. I do wish that the 5e Bard was designed a little differently, with it's own mechanics for various forms of inspiration instead of spells, but I still think the Bard is one of the coolest and most fun classes to play in D&D.

If you want to talk about SILLY you should be talking about Gnomes. Perhaps it is a failure of my own creativity and imagination, but I can't imagine a single Gnome concept that isn't absolutely ridiculous. I still have not gotten over my annoyance with 3e using Gimble the Gnome as the iconic Bard.

 

[Brandegoris]

IDK... I think I might rather have an entire group of 8 gnome player characters than a bard?

Just kidding.

Suddenly I realize: Worst fear.... Gnome Bard!

 

[Tony Vargas]

Suddenly I realize: Worst fear.... Gnome Bard!

First session of HotDQ I ran @ Encounters: 2 gnome bards, halfling fighter, dwarf thief, 1/2 elf Warlock (wait, I'm the biggest guy in the party?).
All Harpers.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

If the Bard class was meant to reflect the skald concept, then they would have called the class Skald and it would have art to match. Instead, the picture in the PHB always shows someone carrying a stringed instrument such as a lute.

Have to correct your assumption there: There are a couple of illustrations involving people in the Bard section of the PHB. One shows the subject carrying a musical instrument.

There are three flavour text examples of bards mentioned. Only one of those is using an instrument. Another actually sounds pretty close to a skald concept. (War-chants exhorting their comrades to heroism.)

If you disagree with the underlying intent of a class (or race, feat, spell, whatever), then ignoring that intent is ignoring the real problem.

Pretending that your personal image is the only underlying intent of a class, despite evidence to the contrary however, is also a real problem.

Pretending that something is not what it actually is would be both disingenuous and antithetical to role-playing.[/QUOTE]

Yea sure.Did they give like TWO commands before they were sliced down wielding their drum LaughOutLoudOutLloud
Im not talking about ARMIES guys. Im talking 5-6 dudes fighting 10 Orcs and one of them is being an obnoxious poet while everyone else is sword swinging.

Why do you think the guy throwing filthy limericks in orcish to distract them isn't also swinging a sword?

Some of what people are saying sounds fine when they say Bards as casters or without musical instruments etc... Except that why even have a bard if you take away the instruments? Then they are the same as a sorcerer or Wizard. My point? They are silly if played as is with an instrument or poetry in combat, and if you try and ignore the Musical part they are not needed because they just duplicate a class already in play.

Well, apart from the skill capabilities, unique spell list, inspiration etc.
Any class can also play a musical instrument.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

I like my concept of a bard, but think the bard as presented in the PHB handbook, by the art and some of the fluff is a little silly, like the meme on one of the how to build a bard sites of the man playing a guitar in a gunfight.

Um...

 

[hejtmane]

To have a problem with the Bard class is to have a failure of imagination and creativity on the part of the player. As others have said, Bards do not need to be effeminate lute-picking poets. There are many cooler interpretations of the Bard. I do wish that the 5e Bard was designed a little differently, with it's own mechanics for various forms of inspiration instead of spells, but I still think the Bard is one of the coolest and most fun classes to play in D&D.

If you want to talk about SILLY you should be talking about Gnomes. Perhaps it is a failure of my own creativity and imagination, but I can't imagine a single Gnome concept that isn't absolutely ridiculous. I still have not gotten over my annoyance with 3e using Gimble the Gnome as the iconic Bard.

Remember the only good gnome is a dead gnome (oh and the G is not silent)

Then the best joke of all time how do you know a gnome is lying ? They open their mouth

 

[Krachek]

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

Bard have a long history.
Originally they were a kind of MC Fighter-rogue then Druid. With some ability to charm and have legend and lore knowledge
Nothing to compare with the actual full caster in 5th.
But actually Bard is a arcane caster much appreciated.
If you are DM simply banish this class from your game.

 

[Arnwolf666]

If you disagree with the underlying intent of a class (or race, feat, spell, whatever), then ignoring that intent is ignoring the real problem. Pretending that something is not what it actually is would be both disingenuous and antithetical to role-playing.

Maybe the art misrepresents the class, or maybe the art depicts just one of many possible potentials for the class, same for flavor text or fluff.

 

[rgoodbb]

Are we still sure this isn't...

Trollin' trollin' trollin'
keep those flagons trollin'....

 

[Redthistle]

IDK... I think I might rather have an entire group of 8 gnome player characters than a bard?

Just kidding.

Suddenly I realize: Worst fear.... Gnome Bard!

FYI: "Redthistle" is the clan name of my favorite gnome PC (Pathfinder game). He's a rogue/sorcerer, but I could add a level of bard just for your nightmares' sake ...

Your comment triggered a memory of a meme making the rounds, might have been back in the 1990s. The idea then was that whatever your notion was of the worst way to die, that would be exactly how you'd meet your end.

Putting a twist on that, imagine if when we died we were to reincarnate as our "least favored" race/class combo.

For me, it would be a catfolk barbarian (Grumpycat Conan?) - just thinking of all that tongue-bathing makes me shudder.