Influencing the Masses with Song

[Stormborn]

One of my player's approached me with this problem:

She has a bard. Said bard is trying to raise opposition to the rulers of a particualr city-state. She wants to create a song that will stir the masses. The example she gave was a Union Song that caused a strike, or a folk song that lead to support for a war. Are there any existing rules for that?

Said song should be non-magical, so that it can be spread by the populous.

 

[Gregor]

"Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!"

That outta get your revolution started!

As for the rules...beats me.

 

[Melkor Lord Of ALL!]

Don`t do everything with rules, let the player come with a good song!

 

[WillieW]

One of my player's approached me with this problem:

She has a bard. Said bard is trying to raise opposition to the rulers of a particualr city-state. She wants to create a song that will stir the masses. The example she gave was a Union Song that caused a strike, or a folk song that lead to support for a war. Are there any existing rules for that?

Said song should be non-magical, so that it can be spread by the populous.

If you're oppressed and you know it
Clap your hands!
If your manacles allow it
Clap you hands!
If the City Fathers ru-le
Is exceptionally cr-uel
If you hate the prison gr-uel
Clap your hands!

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

If you're oppressed and you know it
Clap your hands!
If your manacles allow it
Clap you hands!
If the City Fathers ru-le
Is exceptionally cr-uel
If you hate the prison gr-uel
Clap your hands!

That's fantastic.

It'd make me riot, anyway!

 

[WillieW]

That's fantastic.

It'd make me riot, anyway!

Heh Heh Heh

So, the song is written and performed by the Bard. The listeners join in, and find the tune is a catchy one and is worth repeating.

So in a day or two, the locals are singing this song, created by the bard. The bard's guild wants to know where this came from, and why they're not getting a pice of the action.

Within a week or so, the song is available in printed form in middle-class districts for a penny a songsheet, and is being sung in semi-operatic style in palours and at teaparties.

A month later, there is a small industry in "If you're oppressed and you know it clap your hands" souvenir mugs and tunics.

Parchment "Clap your hands if you love freedom" bills are on sale in all waggoners shops and can be seen tacked onto the rear of carts stalled in city traffic in the merchants district.

Within two months, the bard is being pursued by government agents for sedition, and by the bards and musicians guild for loss of earnings.

The City Fathers have earned 1,275 gold pieces in revenue from taxes on music sheets, inks, musical instruments, combs and paper and have employed six new torturers and a hangman from the money generated by the bard's composition.

Go for it.

 

[Piratecat]

I love it when bards do this. One method with rules is to say that a "masterwork song" is incredibly catchy and easy for folks to remember and spread. If she really wants it to move quickly, have her teach it to a bunch of different bards.

 

[Stormborn]

Hmmmm....at the time I didn't think it mattered but: She isn't in the city state she wants to oppose. She has escaped it and is now trying ot raise support in what is, for lack of a better term, the capital of a loose economic confederation. A vote is coming up in Parliment soon and she wants the populous to side with the "do something about it!" group.

Piratecat, you mentioned "Masterwork Songs." Are you refering to the rules set forth in Dragon a while back, or some other system?

 

[Piratecat]

Just thinking out loud. I don't have a system for it per se, but you could easily use the crafting rules along with Perform to fake something.

 

[WillieW]

Hmmmm....at the time I didn't think it mattered but: She isn't in the city state she wants to oppose. She has escaped it and is now trying ot raise support in what is, for lack of a better term, the capital of a loose economic confederation. A vote is coming up in Parliment soon and she wants the populous to side with the "do something about it!" group.

Over there!
Over there!
They drain poor people dry
Over there!
First it's evil taxes
Then they put matches
To anyone saying
"'S'not fair!"