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Bards have an identity problem!
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<blockquote data-quote="Ruin Explorer" data-source="post: 8072506" data-attributes="member: 18"><p>One of the major problems D&D has always had is that the Wizard class isn't a great match for fantasy-literature wizards. D&D Wizards have had very limited influence on "wizards" in fantasy literature post-D&D (barring that directly based on D&D or parodying D&D). Most fantasy from say, 1985-present has wizards/sorcerers with fairly limited/specific powers. None, that I'm aware of it, uses a "fire and forget" approach (which is from the novels of Jack Vance). TH White, Ursula K. LeGuin and others have, overall, been bigger influences, and superhero comics and their approach to powers have been an increasing influence in fantasy fiction (indeed, as, I'd argue, have Steven King and others been).</p><p></p><p>I read tons of fantasy fiction, and it's notable that when fantasy has wizards with even D&D-levels of magical power, that's exceptional, not usual.</p><p></p><p>What real Druids did is irrelevant, but the mythology around Druids, particularly Irish Celtic mythology (as written down largely by Christian monks/clerics) is profoundly influential on a lot of stuff that leads to what we think of as "wizards". For example, Merlin was Myrddin Wyllt - explicitly a bard - before he became thought of as a wizard.</p><p></p><p>[URL unfurl="true"]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrddin_Wyllt[/URL]</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>What? What are you even talking about? Gigolo is a job. Jester is a job. Caravan Guard is a job. Musician is a job. Clerk is a job. Scrivener is a job. Night Watch is a job. Soldier is a job. Apothecary is a job. Do I need to go on? </p><p></p><p>Fighter is a class. A Fighter could be a gigolo, or a caravan guard or even a scrivener. Likewise a Rogue could be any of those things as a job, but would remain a Rogue as a class. The idea that because a Bard doesn't make a good "gigolo" they're not a good Bard class is a total logic failure. It's ridiculous and nonsensical.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ruin Explorer, post: 8072506, member: 18"] One of the major problems D&D has always had is that the Wizard class isn't a great match for fantasy-literature wizards. D&D Wizards have had very limited influence on "wizards" in fantasy literature post-D&D (barring that directly based on D&D or parodying D&D). Most fantasy from say, 1985-present has wizards/sorcerers with fairly limited/specific powers. None, that I'm aware of it, uses a "fire and forget" approach (which is from the novels of Jack Vance). TH White, Ursula K. LeGuin and others have, overall, been bigger influences, and superhero comics and their approach to powers have been an increasing influence in fantasy fiction (indeed, as, I'd argue, have Steven King and others been). I read tons of fantasy fiction, and it's notable that when fantasy has wizards with even D&D-levels of magical power, that's exceptional, not usual. What real Druids did is irrelevant, but the mythology around Druids, particularly Irish Celtic mythology (as written down largely by Christian monks/clerics) is profoundly influential on a lot of stuff that leads to what we think of as "wizards". For example, Merlin was Myrddin Wyllt - explicitly a bard - before he became thought of as a wizard. [URL unfurl="true"]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrddin_Wyllt[/URL] What? What are you even talking about? Gigolo is a job. Jester is a job. Caravan Guard is a job. Musician is a job. Clerk is a job. Scrivener is a job. Night Watch is a job. Soldier is a job. Apothecary is a job. Do I need to go on? Fighter is a class. A Fighter could be a gigolo, or a caravan guard or even a scrivener. Likewise a Rogue could be any of those things as a job, but would remain a Rogue as a class. The idea that because a Bard doesn't make a good "gigolo" they're not a good Bard class is a total logic failure. It's ridiculous and nonsensical. [/QUOTE]
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