Making a dangerous, villainous bard

[SnowleopardVK]

Hiya. For a particular campaign I've just started running I'm planning to make the main villain a bard. I've never played a bard, played in a party with a bard, or had a player who I've GM'd play one though, nor have I ever made or met an NPC bard. In other words this will be my first experience with the class. Ever.

This particular villain by the way is of a homebrewed werewolf race. +2 Wis, -2 Cha, and +2 to either Str or Con (my choice at character creation)

I'd appreciate some tips on things like skills, feats, bard spells, weapons and armour, and probably minions as well for making a dangerous, villainous bard. This will be the main villain of the whole campaign after all, and I want him to be a challenge when the players finally do go up against him.

 

[hippononymous]

I don't know about bards, but it'd be pretty interesting to have a dancing villain who casts Charm Person on the main fighter to turn them against the party.

 

[Crothian]

An effective Bard should never get in battle. He should be able to turn people against the PCs and ruin their reputation. They will hear rumors and stoires that place the Bard in a dozen different locations. they will almost always arrive a few days too late for a good Bard knows when to leave town before those that seek him harm come after him.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

An effective Bard should never get in battle. He should be able to turn people against the PCs and ruin their reputation. They will hear rumors and stoires that place the Bard in a dozen different locations. they will almost always arrive a few days too late for a good Bard knows when to leave town before those that seek him harm come after him.

Exactly. He will be the master of the social and political games. The heroes will be seen as jerks (at best) in the eyes of the public, outright villains at worst.

Most of his dupes won't need magical coercion to do his will -- some of them may even be heroes themselves. Enjoying defending yourselves from well-meaning paladins, guys!

When they do finally come for him, enchantments and illusions will be his forte. He knows he can't win a stand-up fight, and won't -- it'll be a matter of trying to reach him, more than anything else.

Even after he's defeated, he should have no shortage of NPCs trying to help him out of his predicament, from jailhouse guards who believe the PCs are the real villains to the princess who adores him and whispers in her devoted father's ear to pardon the bard.

 

[Volaran]

You may wish wish to consider the Demagogue from Ultimate Magic. Somehow, it seems to fit.

 

[Aeolius]

Is this for your undersea game? If so, you might find inspiration in the game Aquaria ( Mac | Windows ).

The BBEG in my current game is also a bard, inspired by this sculpture:

Coupled with the ability to cast multiple spells simultaneously and a bit of inspiration from Loom .

 

[SnowleopardVK]

Is this for your undersea game?

Yes it is.

An effective Bard should never get in battle. He should be able to turn people against the PCs and ruin their reputation. They will hear rumors and stoires that place the Bard in a dozen different locations. they will almost always arrive a few days too late for a good Bard knows when to leave town before those that seek him harm come after him.

Well that's actually pretty much exactly how it's been going so far to be honest. Last they heard he was seen on goblin submarines, so they went to the goblins. The goblins hadn't heard of this, but (after a bit of fighting) directed them to a human city where a wanted criminal had supposedly been in contact with the villain. That's where they are now, and once they've dealt with said criminal he's going to correct the mistake that the villain had been on goblin submarines, when he'd actually been on hobgoblin subs. Then they travel to confront the hobgoblins and get their first meeting with the villain, even though he's likely just going to sic some mooks on them and run. (after a nice quick villainous monologue of course )

You may wish wish to consider the Demagogue from Ultimate Magic. Somehow, it seems to fit.

It does indeed, good call. Speaking of Archetypes I was also considering giving him some of the skills of an Animal Speaker bard, both because it makes sense for bards from his particular race, and because it would allow him to use Summon Nature's Ally - another alternative to fighting directly. I'm pretty sure I saw somewhere that a bard can fit multiple archetypes and those two don't seem to conflict, especially if Animal Speaker is mostly being used for the purpose of Summon Nature's Ally.

 

[Dingo333]

Archtypes can be used together

The only stipulation is they can not replace the same things

Sadly Animal speaker and demagoge both replace lore master (AS with Attract Rats, Demagoge with Attract crowds)

Now, as your the DM and this is your bad guy, you could always just say he has one or the other

Personally, I let one of my players take the Packlord and Animal (Bear) Shaman archtypes for his druid, I saw no reason why they couldn't be used together as long as the only companions were bears. It has been working out well so far

 

[SnowleopardVK]

Sadly Animal speaker and demagoge both replace lore master (AS with Attract Rats, Demagoge with Attract crowds)

Now, as your the DM and this is your bad guy, you could always just say he has one or the other

Mmm, I don't see rats getting that much use from this guy, so I'd likely just give him attract crowds. But yes, just giving him one or the other is certainly my intention.

 

[Terath Ninir]

Bards make excellent villains, because the PCs don't know what to do with them. Diviners are even more fun. Speaking of which, I haven't thrown one at my present party, so I should do that...

Have him use his social skills to the fullest in the background, especially if the PCs have neglected them. The best minions for him are dupes. Have him charm, beguile, lie to, and otherwise trick other good guys (or at least non-villains) go after the PCs. Make them face hostile forces that they can't just wade through -- or, if they do, they'll be villains, too. By the time they *do* get to him, fighting him will be much more satisfying than the usual sorts of enemies.