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Ranking and discussing Strongholds and Followers
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<blockquote data-quote="Chaosmancer" data-source="post: 7840465" data-attributes="member: 6801228"><p>Bard</p><p></p><p>If you've followed the S&F stuff before, you might know that Bard abilities are seen as very lacking, and I find that only sort of true. Their Demesne and Class Improvements? Yes. Their Stronghold actions though, despite some weird flavor, are really good.</p><p></p><p>Demesne</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px"><span style="color: rgb(251, 160, 38)">1 -</span> </span></strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Whenever the wind blows through the trees music plays. Hoofbeats make a complex rhythm </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px">So, I know this is fairly "bardic" in nature, but I find it lacking because of the phrasing more than anything else. These Strongholds can be anywhere, but you need trees for the music, and every hoofbeat is a complex percussion solo? </span></p><p></p><p>And, this gets into a problem with S&F which is he stuck to the PHB classes. A college of Blades or Whispers bard isn't going to find these nearly as iconic to what their class does. This is orange, but I would simply rephrase it as "Music is easy to find, and even daily activities have the feel of a grand play or show" The butcher doesn't just chop meat, it is a performance of skill. The people laying the cobblestones swing and beat out a rhythm. I find that much better for what is intended here</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="color: rgb(251, 160, 38)">2 -</span> </strong>Folks that live within the Demesne for a week find themselves ending conversations with a rhyming couplet </span></p><p></p><p>Didn't we just do something like this? Yeah, this is straight orange. Not only is "everyone rhymes" annoying to me, but I can't imagine trying to portray this as a DM. I would need to come up with something entirely different than this.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: rgb(251, 160, 38)"><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">3 - </span></strong></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span style="font-size: 18px">Thunder rolls when something dramatic is said. Ravens will dramatically alight on branches at the right time</span> </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Didn't we just- Yeah, doing the same exact type of thing for a third time is just aggravating. I'd almost make it red out of spite, but I will keep it orange. </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Honestly, I feel like "bard's perform" was just taken to "make everything shakespeare as fast as you can" here. There is sooo much we can do with these. Maybe performances find illusions enhancing the experience, storytellers literally weaving visions in front of audiences. Maybe people find it easier to learn new skills, halving the time to gain proficiency in any skill or language they choose. Maybe all creatures that speak can be understood in a Bard's domain, allowing the free flow of information and diplomatic missions. Demesne effects can be so cool, and this just wasn't.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Stronghold Actions</span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: rgb(41, 105, 176)"><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">1 - </span></strong></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span style="font-size: 18px">Until Initiative count 20, all bardic dice use their maximum result. </span></span><span style="color: rgb(251, 160, 38)"><span style="font-size: 18px">Then music plays afterwards?</span></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(251, 160, 38)"></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(251, 160, 38)"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">So, this is clearly a Blue ability. All of your inspiration dice, when used this turn, will give the maximum result. That is amazing. I'm just confused on why we also get the "and afterwards a root note followed by a note a fifth higher than the root" part of this. It... probably sounds dramatic, but I find it completely unneccesary, and again, not all bards are playing music all the time. </span></span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: rgb(41, 105, 176)"><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>2 -</strong></span></span><span style="color: rgb(251, 160, 38)"><span style="font-size: 18px">Three piece band arrives singing your praises? Band has world class lute fingering, exceptional rhythm, and the vocalist has an unusually high voice?</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span style="font-size: 18px"> Until Initiative count 20 on next turn, enemies have super disadvantage to resist your spells. This takes precedence over all other abilities (due to phrasing, this cancels advantage they might otherwise have) </span></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span style="font-size: 15px">Ah, the Three-Piece band. I almost can't believe it is actually a blue ability, but if you ignore what I imagine is a very specific reference to a very specific band, you get super disadvantage against your spells, and since it is worded that they roll three and take the lowest, it cancels out things like spells resistance, making it insanely powerful. I'll just... have to give different flavor than random band showing up. </span></span></p><p></p><p></p><p><span style="color: rgb(41, 105, 176)"><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">3 -</span></strong></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> <span style="font-size: 18px">You regain all inspiration dice</span> </span></p><p></p><p>Not a flashy ability, and you could get them all back on a short rest anyways. But, Bardic Dice are incredibly powerful and can be used in a lot of different ways. Especially with classes like the Lore Bard who can expend two a round, this can give a lot of mileage. So, Blue, but barely.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Class Improvement</span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: rgb(251, 160, 38)"><strong>Encouraging Inspiration</strong></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">: While an ally has unspent inspiration dice, they get +1 to proficiency. This applies to a number of dice equal to stronghold level and resets on an extended rest. </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">This was so close to being good. So, how it works. You give your ally Bardic Inspiration. As long as they do not use it, they get +1 to all things they are proficient in. This applies to a lot, I grant. It increases Spell DC's, attack rolls, proficient saves, all of it. And Bardic dice last a minute, so it is essentially a +1 for the entire fight. But, this only works on 1 die to start with, and giving multiple dice don't increase it more... </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">I might be being too harsh on this one. It might be good enough for Green. But, a +1 if you don't use my thing, and if you miss something by 2, you have to balance using the die and succeeding here vs losing the +1 for every subsequent turn. Frankly, I think I would just make it simpler. "When the Bard gives you an inspiration die, increase your Proficiency by +1 until the end of the encounter. This ability cannot stack, and you can only use it a number of times equal to your stronghold level. Refreshes with an Extended Rest." I think that is a much better version of this ability that a) prevents confusion and b) feels better since you aren't holding onto a resource meant to be spent. </span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Chaosmancer, post: 7840465, member: 6801228"] Bard If you've followed the S&F stuff before, you might know that Bard abilities are seen as very lacking, and I find that only sort of true. Their Demesne and Class Improvements? Yes. Their Stronghold actions though, despite some weird flavor, are really good. Demesne [B][SIZE=5][COLOR=rgb(251, 160, 38)]1 -[/COLOR] [/SIZE][/B][SIZE=5]Whenever the wind blows through the trees music plays. Hoofbeats make a complex rhythm [/SIZE] [SIZE=4]So, I know this is fairly "bardic" in nature, but I find it lacking because of the phrasing more than anything else. These Strongholds can be anywhere, but you need trees for the music, and every hoofbeat is a complex percussion solo? [/SIZE] And, this gets into a problem with S&F which is he stuck to the PHB classes. A college of Blades or Whispers bard isn't going to find these nearly as iconic to what their class does. This is orange, but I would simply rephrase it as "Music is easy to find, and even daily activities have the feel of a grand play or show" The butcher doesn't just chop meat, it is a performance of skill. The people laying the cobblestones swing and beat out a rhythm. I find that much better for what is intended here [SIZE=5][B][COLOR=rgb(251, 160, 38)]2 -[/COLOR] [/B]Folks that live within the Demesne for a week find themselves ending conversations with a rhyming couplet [/SIZE] Didn't we just do something like this? Yeah, this is straight orange. Not only is "everyone rhymes" annoying to me, but I can't imagine trying to portray this as a DM. I would need to come up with something entirely different than this. [COLOR=rgb(251, 160, 38)][B][SIZE=5]3 - [/SIZE][/B][/COLOR][COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 0)][SIZE=5]Thunder rolls when something dramatic is said. Ravens will dramatically alight on branches at the right time[/SIZE] Didn't we just- Yeah, doing the same exact type of thing for a third time is just aggravating. I'd almost make it red out of spite, but I will keep it orange. Honestly, I feel like "bard's perform" was just taken to "make everything shakespeare as fast as you can" here. There is sooo much we can do with these. Maybe performances find illusions enhancing the experience, storytellers literally weaving visions in front of audiences. Maybe people find it easier to learn new skills, halving the time to gain proficiency in any skill or language they choose. Maybe all creatures that speak can be understood in a Bard's domain, allowing the free flow of information and diplomatic missions. Demesne effects can be so cool, and this just wasn't. Stronghold Actions[/COLOR] [COLOR=rgb(41, 105, 176)][B][SIZE=5]1 - [/SIZE][/B][/COLOR][COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 0)][SIZE=5]Until Initiative count 20, all bardic dice use their maximum result. [/SIZE][/COLOR][COLOR=rgb(251, 160, 38)][SIZE=5]Then music plays afterwards?[/SIZE] [SIZE=4][COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 0)]So, this is clearly a Blue ability. All of your inspiration dice, when used this turn, will give the maximum result. That is amazing. I'm just confused on why we also get the "and afterwards a root note followed by a note a fifth higher than the root" part of this. It... probably sounds dramatic, but I find it completely unneccesary, and again, not all bards are playing music all the time. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/COLOR] [COLOR=rgb(41, 105, 176)][SIZE=5][B]2 -[/B][/SIZE][/COLOR][COLOR=rgb(251, 160, 38)][SIZE=5]Three piece band arrives singing your praises? Band has world class lute fingering, exceptional rhythm, and the vocalist has an unusually high voice?[/SIZE][/COLOR][COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 0)][SIZE=5] Until Initiative count 20 on next turn, enemies have super disadvantage to resist your spells. This takes precedence over all other abilities (due to phrasing, this cancels advantage they might otherwise have) [/SIZE] [SIZE=4]Ah, the Three-Piece band. I almost can't believe it is actually a blue ability, but if you ignore what I imagine is a very specific reference to a very specific band, you get super disadvantage against your spells, and since it is worded that they roll three and take the lowest, it cancels out things like spells resistance, making it insanely powerful. I'll just... have to give different flavor than random band showing up. [/SIZE][/COLOR] [COLOR=rgb(41, 105, 176)][B][SIZE=5]3 -[/SIZE][/B][/COLOR][COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 0)][B][SIZE=5] [/SIZE][/B][SIZE=5]You regain all inspiration dice[/SIZE][B][SIZE=5] [/SIZE][/B][/COLOR] Not a flashy ability, and you could get them all back on a short rest anyways. But, Bardic Dice are incredibly powerful and can be used in a lot of different ways. Especially with classes like the Lore Bard who can expend two a round, this can give a lot of mileage. So, Blue, but barely. [COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 0)]Class Improvement[/COLOR] [COLOR=rgb(251, 160, 38)][B]Encouraging Inspiration[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 0)]: While an ally has unspent inspiration dice, they get +1 to proficiency. This applies to a number of dice equal to stronghold level and resets on an extended rest. This was so close to being good. So, how it works. You give your ally Bardic Inspiration. As long as they do not use it, they get +1 to all things they are proficient in. This applies to a lot, I grant. It increases Spell DC's, attack rolls, proficient saves, all of it. And Bardic dice last a minute, so it is essentially a +1 for the entire fight. But, this only works on 1 die to start with, and giving multiple dice don't increase it more... I might be being too harsh on this one. It might be good enough for Green. But, a +1 if you don't use my thing, and if you miss something by 2, you have to balance using the die and succeeding here vs losing the +1 for every subsequent turn. Frankly, I think I would just make it simpler. "When the Bard gives you an inspiration die, increase your Proficiency by +1 until the end of the encounter. This ability cannot stack, and you can only use it a number of times equal to your stronghold level. Refreshes with an Extended Rest." I think that is a much better version of this ability that a) prevents confusion and b) feels better since you aren't holding onto a resource meant to be spent. [/COLOR] [/QUOTE]
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