D&D 5E Bardic Inspiration--How Do You Describe It in-Game?

[Pandaemoni]

Bardic Inspiration allows one to use "stirring words or music" to inspire allies as a bonus action. In what ways have you (or other people in your game) described this for role playing purposes? As a round is just 6 seconds long, even if the bonus action runs concurrently, it seems hard to be truly inspiring in the length of a single Vine.

I have tried invoking quick little sayings ("Victory is an angered dwarf!" or "You are a man of action, our foes have only their boasts!"), though throwing out gnomics seems like my character is yelling them almost like battle cries. As such I have found that I am starting to resort to just saying "I give your character 1d6 Bardic Inspiration as a bonus action," which is just....awful.

I could certainly also describe playing or signing a stirring piece of music, though i tend to think of him as more literary than musical.

When you've had bards in play, how was this handled?

 

[devincutler]

I have thought that the bard is singing all the time during combat (when not casting spells) and that the inspiration is simply weaving the inspire by name into the song or including a verse at that moment particularly apt to influence the person.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

Watch a sports event. Watch how the noise the crowd makes affects the performance of the players. Even a few seconds of the crowd yelling "Go Dan Carter WHOOOOOO!!!!!!" makes a big difference.

The energy coming from the crowd increases performance. Same goes for performers on a live stage.

 

[iserith]

My tiefling bard Kabuki uses interpretative dance while my human bard Falsetto Jones uses friendly taunts and jibes.

One of my players had a warforged bard named Jerusalem S.L.I.M. who would sing songs from Les Miserobots to inspire his comrades and get enemy constructs to join his robo-revolution. The player actually sang the songs during play.

I wouldn't get too hung up on how much can be said or sang in 6 seconds. Just have fun with it.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I always say something like “My dwarf slams out a powerful series of booming hits on his drum” Or “I recite a piece of epic dwarven battle poetry.” I find it so boring when people just say “I give you bardic inspiration.”

 

[Celtavian]

I have this same problem. I try to picture the bard abilities in combat. It makes no sense in my mind's eye that such abilities should be as effective as they are. Why does it last ten minutes?

I've come to the conclusion that bards know magic. They are essentially wizards that sing their spells. They know songs and words that act like spells that do the effects they're supposed to do. It's exactly the same as a wizard or a sorcerer using arcane words and gestures save that most of their abilities are tied to their performing skills. But the underlying ability is magical. The song need not make any sense in any real way, but the power in the music, words, or movements does what it does because bards learned how to perform in the same way a wizard learned to cast arcane spells or a cleric learned prayers that provide real power. A bard's tapping foot or melodious song or graceful dance or harmonious playing can be anything from mind-numbing to painful to invigorating. It works because it is magical.

My current bard knows the music of the heavens. I imagine her music sounds like an angelic choir or orchestra. That heavenly music lends power to whoever she chooses that can hear it.

 

[Bupp]

 

[Lord Twig]

I have this same problem. I try to picture the bard abilities in combat. It makes no sense in my mind's eye that such abilities should be as effective as they are. Why does it last ten minutes?

I've come to the conclusion that bards know magic. They are essentially wizards that sing their spells. They know songs and words that act like spells that do the effects they're supposed to do. It's exactly the same as a wizard or a sorcerer using arcane words and gestures save that most of their abilities are tied to their performing skills. But the underlying ability is magical. The song need not make any sense in any real way, but the power in the music, words, or movements does what it does because bards learned how to perform in the same way a wizard learned to cast arcane spells or a cleric learned prayers that provide real power. A bard's tapping foot or melodious song or graceful dance or harmonious playing can be anything from mind-numbing to painful to invigorating. It works because it is magical.

My current bard knows the music of the heavens. I imagine her music sounds like an angelic choir or orchestra. That heavenly music lends power to whoever she chooses that can hear it.

I play it the same way. Bards are not just musicians, they are magical musicians. Their music can accomplish feats or generate effects that are just not possible without magic.

 

[77IM]

"Remember what we talked about earlier!!!"

 

[Jester David]

Bardic inspiration in 5e is a little funky. The description doesn't really match the effect. There's a disconnect.
The narrative describes the bard cheering the hero to victory, giving them that last little boost of morale or encouragement.
In practice, the bard cheers the hero. And then 1-100 rounds later the character suddenly chooses to feel inspired and gets a buff. It's not the next time they fail, but the next time they know they failed by a certain amount.
It's weird.