Unusual Bard Trainers

[Targeteron]

Hello all,

one of my players is currently the proverbial Halfling/Rogue, but with a distaste for fighting. He already put points into perform since he actually plans to become a bard sooner or later, and his whole background is basicly Bard oriented (family a Show troupe/circus/Gypsies). It would be ok by me if he would just take the Bard class at his next LvL. Alas, contrary to my other players, he wants to really develop him through roleplay so wants to find a trainer in game etc. Wich i adore him for, the others are more "meta-Thinking". But i want to give it to him soon, since the group could really use a Bard *g*

Now i am pondering what kind of "trainer" would i give him? The Standard BardInTheTavern(tm) would not do him justice and i want to reward him for his roleplaying focus with something special. What could be an interesting and unusal Bard Trainer/Teacher with a twist? An intelligent Instrument? A Ghost? I am looking for inspiration and would really appreciate some input. I have some ideas, but since he knows me pretty well i was thinking i should ask here where i might get something i would never think of and so can totally take him by surprise Fire away, if you´d like.

 

[Quick Leaf]

Hmm...3 ideas....What about walking into a dragon's lair, and rather than killing him the dragon is enchanted by his music and invites him to come back. It ends up the dragon is master storyteller and student of music. Thus, the poor halfling, to save his life ends up becoming a bard.

Another idea is a horribly disfigured bard who seeks adoration of the people and receives hatred. For a time he may have lived among the gypsies. The bard seeks to train a protogee to enjoy the adoration sympathetically, that is, he lives for his student's success and the fame that goes with it.

Or the trainer could be a gnome who ranaway from a school for bards. The gnome was part of a prestigious family (his brother is a paladin, his mother a noble council member), but he wanted adventure. He meets his soon to be student when someone insults/praises one of them, leading to a duel. Mission from the trainer might be focused on his own escape from the school, such as deceiving the other bards who want to bring him back.

Kudos to your player!

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three featured a bard who had a harp that played wonderfully but would snap a string whenever he lied. This isn't completely relevant to your situation, but I loved those books when I was a kid so I promote them when I can.

Frankly, I really like the idea of a ghost tutor.

But if you're looking for alternate suggestions I'd look into having a bard approach the character with a job to steal a trinket for his lady-love. In exchange, he will compose a ballad in the PCs honor and avail himself to the PC if the PC needs anything (like music lessons). But, again, I think your ghost idea is pretty cool.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

A retired bard-turned-courtesan that runs a house of ill-repute. Not so good for the magic, but it would be a great place to get social, er, skills. Not to mention some new subskills for perform.

A once-famous bard that penned a song that *everyone* knows and loves, and who has retreated from society because everything else he's written hasn't been as good. He just tears the compositions up when they're done.

You could have a Juliard-like bardic academy. That could be fun -- let the potential bard hone his musical and intrigue skills at the same time. Or apprentice him to a master bard that entertains at the king's court.

 

[Owen K.C. Stephens]

You might consider having a creature with music-based magical ability or natural bardic talent be attracted to PC after a particularly good perfromance, and offer to teach some muscial lore. A lillend is an obvious choice for this role, as is a satyr. A harpy could even do it, especially a harpy that is old and near death (perhaps blind), and too tired to wreck much havoc anymore, but lonely.

Owen K.C. Stephens

 

[Mark]

How about an old woman who was once the court singer for some local nobles but because she fooled around with a young prince has her tongue removed? She can still teach, but not by example, which makes her mostly unemployable and thus willing to take a non-bard under her wing.

 

[MDSnowman]

Two Words... Jack Black

 

[Oni]

I really like the ghost idea. I think that has a lot of fun potential.

 

[janta]

Have you heard the legend of Robert Johnson ? Basically, the legend claims that he met the Devil at a crossroads and sold his soul in exchange for his musical prowess. Perhaps something like that could happen to the halfling? With appropriate changes to the details, of course -- he gets his training, and you get a interesting plot hook.

--Janta

ETA: my husband just suggested that this could even be a way to "retrofit" a couple levels of rogue into bard levels, if you were willing to do so.

 

[Pbartender]

I really like the ghost idea. I think that has a lot of fun potential.

I agree... Though I think an interesting variation on that would be to make the trainer appear in his dreams. Perhaps it is a ghost bard. Perhaps it is the manifestation of an intelligent instrument. Or perhaps it is the manifestation of a ghost bard who has possessed an instrument to make it intelligent.

At any rate... I think a Trainer in Dreams, to parody WotC if I may, would be pretty neat.