How/Can you roleplay a non-musical bard?

[Dragonbait]

Archetypes for Non musical bards?
5) An ac-TOR!

I had an NPC bard that was the equivalent of a motivational speaker. He was based off of an old comedian, of which I have forgotten the comedian's name, but later became more like Danny's bard option #5.
ac-TING!

 

[Voadam]

Perform: chanting. Treat it like verbal components. "As Janec begins a potent war chant tapping secret bard magic you feel inspired to martial greatness. And you get a +1 to hit and damage, woohoo!."

 

[LostSoul]

I've posted this idea before, but it might bear repeating. The bard class in my game is called the thaneblooded.

That's a really cool idea!

 

[Thunderfoot]

Though lightly touched upon about a Dwarven drummer -
What about a percussive arts specialist - bang the snot out of whatever is at hand. Think "STOMP" the broadway musical where all the performers beat the crap out of the floor, each other and anything else in order to get sound. Drummers have been playing marshal tunes for years, so the act of drumming up a battle tune is also plausible.

Slap your legs, beat the table (lightly so the minis and dice don't go everywhere), slap your books together, shake your dice in a cup - all to an appropriate rhythm. Throw in those "spoken word" lyrics (Like the aforementioned St Crispen speech or some other military tale and you have a 13th century rap star - Just don't "beat box"

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've always wanted to play a bard who does the "evil villain who talks too much" thing. He intimidates his enemies and cajoles his comrades through describing just how well he's beating the enemy, and supporting his friends as they fight.

"I've just broken two of your ribs. *crack* Sorry, make that three."

Or as I put it in a different thread...

"I'm SINGING! I'm SINGING and kicking your AAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSS!"

He was based off of an old comedian, of which I have forgotten the comedian's name, but later became more like Danny's bard option #5.
ac-TING!

John Lovitz, perhaps?

 

[Errant]

Lots of awesome ideas, thanks all - I'm leaning toward an Oratory specialist and the tips here are showing me at least three ways I can portray that skill in game: encouraging speaches (ala Mark Hope's Dunedain suggestion); tactical advice (drawing on Knowledge and Bardic lore for tips on battle tactics); & straight out encouragement (he says "I KNOW you can do it..." so compellingly it makes you believe it) .

I'm sure I can go further though & there must be others out there that can draw inspiration from other ideas though, so if you've anything else to add please do!

 

[VirgilCaine]

Don't be original. Go and get some *real* poetry/jokes/oratory. Note the names that need to be replaced and have fun. "Real" Bards don't use all their own material; improvisation is a useful skill, but they spend far more time repeating stuff than creating it anew.

Fill a page or two with this sort of material and then use it as needed.

Personally, I want to play a studious cleric-like Bard who uses quotes from say, the Bhagavad Gita (the nuclear missile-sounding stuff) or the Old Testament or something like that. Not music, but poetics. This approach would be exactly what I would use to play this character.

 

[Dark Psion]

You can also play up the Lore ability by having your Bard be the tactician. He may inspire others just by going over the battleplan and cueing each PC at the right moment.

Also, he can boost his alies by pointing out the weekness and vulnerabilities of a foe.

"That is a Ghast, your crowbar will work better than your blade becuse it is cold iron"


The 2e Complete Bard's Handbbook had the following kits;

Blade: Juggles daggers, swallows swords and does archery trick shots
Charlatan: Con-man and Grifter
Gallant: Knight who is more showman than fighter
Gypsy: Dance, fortune telling and circus tricks
Herald: Spy, Diplomat and Courtier
Jester: Clown, Scapegoat and Comedian
Jongleur: Acrobat, Tightrope walker and Show off
Loremaster: Sage, Historian and Archeologist
Meistersinger: Pied Piper, Animal Charmer and Horse whisperer
Riddlemaster: A MacGuyver who can solve any problem
Skald: The Viking stlye poet/warrior
Thespian: Actor who can be anyone, like the Pretender

 

[Storyteller01]

I toyed with the idea of a manga-ish ninja. Instead of singing, mudras and kotodama would be used for spells and abilities. Haven't had a chance to try it though.

 

[diaglo]

The Librarian.. all sage like.

go all history buff guy. build up your bard knowledge. and then spew forth volumes of information about your adversaries during combat in their native or ancient tongue.


"I recognize your make of armor... it was from the Fourth age of the Skullcrusher Clan. Your ancestors were slain and eaten by the Great Wyrm ... " all spoken in Orc to the orcs you are about to slay.

then afterwards... "Pity you fell here. Your ancestors would be ashamed of their line"