How do you roleplay bards if you have no perform talent?

[smootrk]

I have a player in my group playing a Drow Mute Mime Bard....

Scary Eh?

 

[Runesong42]

In a related question, I unfortunately am about 20 lbs. overweight, sedentary urban cubicle worker who's idea of "exercise" is having to run up from the basement to the second floor with a basket of laundry. I've always struggled to imagine how my adventuring half-orc ranger/barbarian performs at all in the dungeon or combat etc.

Any tips on how to bring to life a combat monster?

In any role-playing forum, the most imporant question is "Why?"

This is mind, 'why' did your character become a ranger, or a barbarian? Both classes are outdoors types; rangers tend to be loners, and barbarians tend to be very clannish. Perhaps there is some reason why this half-orc doesn't fit with the rest of his clan, and is thus forced/encouraged/happier/better off taking the solitary life of a ranger. This, in turn, gives you opportunity to create your character's clan, which in turn creates other role-playing opportunities.

Perhaps he feels he has to make up for his lack of personality by being "The Brute". Maybe he resents being muscular instead of attractive. Maybe he has many intellectual or perhaps even spiritual pursuits that are better kept personal.

There are simply too many factors that can create a well-thought out character. Perhaps if you posted more information about him/her (weapon of choice, vital stats, charater stats)?

 

[Runesong42]

A goblin bard, eh? I already love it.

Remember that bards don't have to be goofy minstrels. Perhaps this particular goblin has a huge interest in magic, and follows around adventuring groups chronicling "magic in action". Yeah, it's hackneyed, but what isn't nowadays?

A goblin beating a war drum presents an amusing picture, but why would the goblin waste his wonderful talent on non-goblins? I say give the goblin an attitude of an Ogre. Maybe this goblin is "upper class" in his clan. Bards in Norse tales tend to be important as history teachers as they did not keep written records of their exploits; combine this with the goblin's ability to use magic (or even read and write, perhaps). Now the Goblin expects the same treatment from other non-goblins that he received from his own clan. He should be downright offended if expected to do any "real" work, and he should treat the others as inferiors.

 

[Hand of Evil]

You know, could be a promoter, someone to anounce and or make deals for other bards. Would have to see IF the bard class could be modeled that way. :\

 

[Templetroll]

You know, could be a promoter, someone to anounce and or make deals for other bards. Would have to see IF the bard class could be modeled that way. :\

Bard like Michael Buffer, "Are you ready to rummmble?"

That would be pretty entertaining, especially if you can get someone to play a wrestler.

This will show my age, but a Maynard G. Krebs beatnik style bard with bongo drums.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Bard like Michael Buffer, "Are you ready to rummmble?"

Or Jimmy Heart

 

[Desdichado]

In any role-playing forum, the most imporant question is "Why?"

This is mind, 'why' did your character become a ranger, or a barbarian? Both classes are outdoors types; rangers tend to be loners, and barbarians tend to be very clannish. Perhaps there is some reason why this half-orc doesn't fit with the rest of his clan, and is thus forced/encouraged/happier/better off taking the solitary life of a ranger. This, in turn, gives you opportunity to create your character's clan, which in turn creates other role-playing opportunities.

Perhaps he feels he has to make up for his lack of personality by being "The Brute". Maybe he resents being muscular instead of attractive. Maybe he has many intellectual or perhaps even spiritual pursuits that are better kept personal.

There are simply too many factors that can create a well-thought out character. Perhaps if you posted more information about him/her (weapon of choice, vital stats, charater stats)?

You do realize that my post was sarcastic, right? I know perfectly well how to bring a character, of pretty much any stripe, to life.

My point was, if I'm playing a combat monster, nobody expects me to actually be a combat monster in order to be able to play him. Why does the player of a goblin bard suddenly need to actually be able to perform? If every player who played a bard had to literally sing/dance/play a flute/lyre/dulcimer or whatever in order to play the character, we'd all be up a -creek.

 

[Voadam]

This is why 3e has all those Social skills for, to supplant players actually performing or speaking as their character (and saying dumb things in funny accents).

"I perform an inspiring battle ballad, rolled a 23 on Perform"

"I talk the mayor into letting us bivouak our troops here, rolled a 19 on Diplomacy"

"Is he lying? I got a 13 on my Bluff check"

Janx

Those might be relevant examples if he was asking advice for playing a bard PC instead of asking for advice on how to present an interesting NPC when running the game.

If a DM said

"He performs an inspiring battle ballad, rolled a 23 on perform." I would find the numbers take away from the impact of the mental picture the DM is painting. They would bring the characters from a more 1st person perspective of what is going on with what the characters hear to a more gamist one of what die rolls and skill modifiers are going on.

I would advocate a more narrative one where applicable. That's the mood I go for when DMing.

So "He performs an inspiring battle ballad." is more of what I would suggest for the DM portrayal of the NPC depending on the circumstances.

 

[Tinner]

A goblin bard eh?
I'm thinking he's a no-talent hack who somehow manages to still amuse audiences with his antics.
I'm thinking William Hung!
C'mon, can't you just see the little green-skinned guy wailing "She bangs! She bangs!?"

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

Perform (erotic dance)

Nuff' said.