a different kind of bard..would you allow him in your campaign

[kenobi65]

My only question would be how the PC obtained a familiar. Stylistically everything else is cool.

Possibly via the "Obtain Familiar" feat in Complete Arcane (though Sir T's group seems to have a lot of house rules, so it might be via that, too).

I agree...it sounds like a fun character, and as long as it fits in with the style of the group, I wouldn't have a problem with it. People get hung up on bard = playing an instrument and singing, and forget that he could be an orator, a dancer...or even a comedian.

 

[Umbran]

Question would you allow this guy, as is? Don’t take my campaign into consideration just the bard itself as a comedian....Have any of you done this? Would you alter his abilities?

The problem with comedy is simple - if the comedian doesn't have an awfully big bag of tricks, it gets old really quickly. While one given opponent hears a given joke or taunt only once, the PCs hear the same thing over, and over, and over and over.

Add on top of that the fact that very few comedians are all that good at improvisation. There are a few, and they're worth their weight in gold.

So, if the player has a talent for improv comedy, this can be a fine thing. But otherwise, it may rapidly become a one-trick pony in the form of a jackass.

 

[Sigurd]

Whats the players goal though

It is heroic to laugh and tweak the nose of death but it is moronic to try and be funny so the DM will cut you some slack. I would give him a heads up to try and put his talents in context and come up with some non-funny goals for his char. His comedy might further those goals but, for example, drawing a rubber sword when my player is being crushed by a baddie would not be funny or make him points.

After that its all good. I like the idea for the character if the player can make it work with the rest of the party. (over time, no small feat)

S

 

[Mixmaster]

In a minute. I have the same idea for a LG character I just created. I'm going to 'yoink' the idea for the mule(jackass) as a companion.

I'm going to use Magic Mouth as a "so'right" "so'ok" type bit, with the closed hand!

I'll use perform with "You ever noticed....." or "I get no respect (RIP Rodney!)" type jokes. And definately Goad as my 3rd level feat!

 

[Sir ThornCrest]

The player is one of those guys that remember jokes, recent to years past...he's pretty good at taking modern jokes and fitting them into the campaign; did you hear the one about the orc "enter in punch line" etc.

He goes from dead serious to moronic in the blink of an eye. He manages to keep the other players even guessing. He is usually very good at misdirection, confusing, pissing off, frustrating the enemy all the while he aids the party as only a bard can. He seems to specialize in passing himself off as a complete incompetent, thusly gaining many advantages
via bluff, perform etc. He is rarely taken seriously by the enemy and that can only work to your advantage.

Over all I would have to say our group is impressed with the pc because of his contributions to the party but you are right we tend to see the same antics and hear the same jokes a we bit too much.

As a DM it challenges me to have the npc’s, villains all others react according to there position and situation.

Thorncrest

 

[nopantsyet]

Assuming it's not just a tactic for the player to get more air time during the game, I'd absolutely allow it. Detraction from the game is about the only thing I don't allow. Not a problem with my players, thankfully. I've actually got an artist in the current party, and he frequently does street portraits to make some extra cash. On the basis of the rules, I see absolutely no problem, though we generally do assume bardic music is still music.

 

[RandomPrecision]

If everyone finds the antics to be amusing and not disruptive to play, then I say the player is an asset to the game.

 

[F5]

I'd allow that in a heartbeat. I'm experimenting with bards in the game I'm running now; I'm letting them choose between Perform, Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate to base their bardic abilities off of, and tweaking said abilities slightly to compensate. So, a standard bard with a comedy focus is not so big a strech....

 

[fusangite]

Sounds like a great character. And as to the concern that Umbran expressed, I think you can deal with it pretty effectively by only playing out the performance when the player has a new joke/routine to try. Otherwise, he can just roll and people can fondly remember his last routine.

I also like the idea of giving bards familiars. It seems like a smart cool variant.

 

[Razz0putin]

Sure hell I've played a toreador comedian in vampire. He was very serious about his comedy and like all great comedians his life had been hell.