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

[doctorbadwolf]

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?

This is a prime example of a concept that begs for multiclassing.

Hexblade or Archefey Tomelock/Glamour Bard. Possibly Changeling, or Half-Elf, maybe Hexblood, but in story they're a human or halfling.

Hexblade because it allows you to also be able to fight in an unnatural, "how are you strong enough to swing that hammer!?" kind of way that gives a strong hint that they aren't normal, and their instrument can be the item they have a "pact" with. I do think there should be an instrument pact boon (and a spellcasting focus item boon), but let's stick to RAW. It also has a darker vibe that fits crossroads deals, you can turn people's ghosts against their friends when you kill them, and Hexblade works fine for an EB spammer, too, if you want to dance around the fight hurting people while playing your fiddle, or whatever.

Archfey goes a little more into the charm and such that you'd expect from such a character, and suggests a specific patron. IMO Fiend ironically doesn't offer much, here.

Glamour Bard is obvious. They didn't just give you musical gifts you never had, they made your voice and music powerful. I'd probably go more Bard than Warlock, but IMO neither class relies all that much on having a certain level of spell at a given level, and low level control spells don't really ever become weak spells to have. I don't think you'll miss anything by multiclassing.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I'd write a bard subclass especially for it, to be honest. It's kinda begging for one. Expertise in either Performance or one musical instrument, and when using that proficiency in competition with another, you get advantage on rolls (the ability is of course called 'best there's ever been').

A few fiendish-themed spells at higher level. Hellish Rebuke, fiend summonings etc. The 'sold your soul' bit I think can be handled through roleplaying just like a warlock's relationship with their patron is, or a cleric's with their deity. After all, there's also the bards who challenge the devil to a fiddling competition, stake their soul, and win, and get away scot free - for now.

That's actually the concept for one of my warlock characters I have on deck, albeit with a Fey rather than a Fiend. She outsmarted and outplayed Hirsam the Satyr lord of the wild Fey, and he was like....damn, fair enough, here is my magic fiddle and all my knowledge of music. And now he like, occasionally points her toward situations where her natural dislike of systems of assymetrical power will lead to her burning something down.

 

[FrozenNorth]

I have done exactly this. I just used a straightforward Bard (I think it was a Glamour Bard to emphasize the ethereal nature of their music). A warlock with the Entertainer background is a good alternative.

 

[embee]

If you REALLY want the Robert Johnson background, for his background, you need to give him the Homewrecker flaws (can't resist romantic dalliances with married women) and an additional flaw that he won't turn up a free drink and make him Vulnerable to Poisons.

Robert Johnson died after being poisoned by the husband of a woman he was having an affair with. The husband poisoned a bottle of whiskey.

According to the lore, Johnson's friend scolded him, saying, "Robert, don't you know to never drink from an open bottle?" To this, Johnson replied, "And don't you know to never take a bottle from my hand?!"

This story, of course, is part of Robert Johnson's legend, not his life. In reality, no particulars of his death are known other than the date listed on his death certificate, which itself was lost for 30 years.

 

[embee]

Hiya!

Talk to the DM and work something out.
Simple.

But, that said, "I'm a really good musician...so, naturally, I figured I'd join an adventuring group and head off into dungeons, ruins and dark forests infested with all manner of horrible monsters that want to kill me. I mean, I sold my soul so when I do die I go straight to Hell. Literally. So lets get out on our firs adventure! I think it will be...uh...wait. Hold on. ... ... ..sold soul... ...musician... ...risk death every minute of every day in a dungeon... ... O_O WHAT AM I THINKING!!! I'm staying as FAR AWAY from adventurers as I can!".



^_^

Paul L. Ming

You roll 15 1's and what do you get?
A new character sheet because your first one is dead.

 

[Li Shenron]

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.

It's a matter of perspective. I find, instead, that NOT knowing where it comes from can be even better. Which is actually why Robert Johnson is a legend.

 

[Li Shenron]

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.

Except that the mechanical results do not match with the wanted abilities.

In fact now that I think about it, there is nothing mechanical in the Warlock class that has something directly to do with the pact.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Custom Warlock patron: The Sirensong.
1st level features
Sword-Tongue (gain Vicious Mockery as a bonus cantrip), Unearthly Performance (Perform proficiency, or expertise if you already have prof), patron spells:
1st - command, dissonant whispers
2nd - detect thoughts, enhance ability
3rd - catnap, speak with dead
4th - compulsion, freedom of movement
5th - dominate person, modify memory

If you later gain the Book of Ancient Secrets invocation, it is instead a Songbook of Secret Melodies, and you gain proficiency in two instruments of your choice (or expertise in up to two instruments with which you were already proficient). You retain all the normal benefits of this invocation.

--

I'd need to do a lot more thinking on what to fill in for the 6th, 10th, and 14th level features. Heavy heavy emphasis on beguiling, enchanting, mind manipulation, ally support, that sort of thing. The Sirensong loosens inhibitions and encourages creative (some say mad) leaps, but at the cost of doing stupid things or losing part of yourself in the process. Buffs, debuffs, and repositioning would be the main focus--I imagine the 6th level feature could grant an ally the ability to move up to your movement as a reaction, or force an enemy to move if they fail a saving throw, etc. Potentially have features with "useful but narrow base effect, or take a risk and potentially get a sizable effect." E.g. a buff you can put on one ally, or you can roll a Wisdom saving throw, and if you pass you can affect a number of additional allies equal to half your proficiency bonus, or something like that. Courting with madness in order to strive for greater inspiration, burning yourself out in order to fulfill a fever-dream of artistic expression, etc.

 

[jasper]

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?

+15 Performance skill. The other stuff does not have a die roll.

 

[ECMO3]

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?

Warlock with the entertainer background. You could do any background that gets performance and an instrument.