D&D 5E How would you make a musician who sold their soul at the crossroads?

[see]

Well, from that thing I've been working on that I occasionally mention in comments, I've got two obviously theme-appropriate Eldritch Invocations for a warlock with that concept:

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Entrancing Melody​

You may cast charm person without expending a spell slot by playing a musical instrument you are proficient with for one minute.

Preternatural Maestro​

You gain both proficiency and expertise with one musical instrument of your choice. This means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with it. You may use a musical instrument of the type chosen as a spellcasting focus.

Whenever you complete a long rest, you may replace your choice of musical instrument with another.

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(Yes, yes, optimizers, these are obviously not EIs you take unless you're doing a social-focused campaign. In a dungeon they're worthless.)

 

[Ancalagon]

You clearly have not seen the groupies.

ha.

But seriously. " Why would they trade away their soul?" Well it's because they really want to be a bard. But they don't have what it takes! But with a pact with a fiend, they get magic, they can get the devil's luck eventually, etc etc.

 

[Leatherhead]

There are rules for selling your soul in the Decent into Avernus adventure, in case you are curious.

If you are a DM looking for how to mechanically represent this event, give the player a Charm (Rules are in the DMG) that grants the Magic Initiate Feat (the bard type obviously), the ability to use a magical Instrument for whatever spells they can cast, and Expertise in the Performance skill.

Keep in mind, that's more powerful than a Charm would normally be, but Charms in general are just extra power for your PCs to begin with.

 

[MarkB]

ha.

But seriously. " Why would they trade away their soul?" Well it's because they really want to be a bard. But they don't have what it takes! But with a pact with a fiend, they get magic, they can get the devil's luck eventually, etc etc.

Maybe worthy of a new pact - Pact of the Fiddle?

 

[Li Shenron]

As per the legend of Robert Johnson: A musician seeking unearthly musical skill, glory and all that comes with it, sells their soul at the crossroads to an infernal being.

How do you make that character for D&D? Bard? Warlock? Something else?

Who says that because Infernal Warlocks sell their soul (assuming they actually do), then everyone who sells their soul is an Infernal Warlock?

I would make it a Bard, and keep the rest as fluff.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It would depend if you where making the character as an NPC or a PC to play.

As of VGR, Harkon Lukas is basically this archetype.

 

[Ancalagon]

Who says that because Infernal Warlocks sell their soul (assuming they actually do), then everyone who sells their soul is an Infernal Warlock?

I would make it a Bard, and keep the rest as fluff.

The OP is trying to duplicate the legend.

Your answer is "who says that!?!" The legend does. Which the OP is trying to duplicate.

As far as "fluff" - you would, ok. Personally, I find, from a world building perspective, that the notion of "where do casters get their magic from" to be very important, and not an issue of fluff.

 

[Voadam]

Entertainer background and done. Any class. Maybe go with a bond or flaw tied to the deal.

 

[MarkB]

Who says that because Infernal Warlocks sell their soul (assuming they actually do), then everyone who sells their soul is an Infernal Warlock?

They don't have to be, but if you're building a character whose deal is that he sold his soul to the devil, a class that specifically provides mechanical support for characters having made deals with devils could be useful.

 

[Ovinomancer]

They don't have to be, but if you're building a character whose deal is that he sold his soul to the devil, a class that specifically provides mechanical support for characters having made deals with devils could be useful.

There's no mechanical support for selling your soul to a devil. I get the same suite of benefits for offering the devil a lollipop. There's no followup, mechanically, for having a lien on the soul -- nothing about not being resurrected, nothing about effects regarding anything soul related (this is missing throughout the game), nothing mechanical to enforce this at all.

And, for the OP, this is goes to my fundamental question: lots of ways to build characters here, but nothing at all about how you actually address the concept in play. 5e has no support for this concept -- very light support for gameplay that addresses musical challenges or the concept that you're supposed to be the best ever; many challenges where this isn't even a consideration; lack of any resolution mechanics for the question of "am I the best musician, and what happens to my sold soul?"

All of this is just dropped squarely into the GM's lap as "you figure out how to make this work." So, to me, the real question on how to build this character is not at all what abilities you'll select for character builds, but how is the GM going to make this work? Without that answer, the build choices seem meaningless because it's shooting in the dark.