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Message: <blockquote data-quote="System Ufera" data-source="post: 6539361" data-attributes="member: 6671268">Hello! I'm designing my own PnP RPG, and in preparation for the next playtesting campaign, I'm designing new content according to what the players want to play. One of the desired character concepts among my players, however, is a bard. Now, unlike in DnD, my game won't give bards intrinsic magic - in fact, as of right now, there aren't really any "classes," since the way characters are designed is more like GURPS (you can pick and choose from individual features you want your character to have, and you obtain those features by spending XP) - but I digress.Like most games, there is combat in my game, and the next campaign is going to have a significant amount of time dedicated to combat (it's set during a revolution, after all). Bards, in my game, are defined by their knowledge of culture and history and their artistic ability, and while it would make sense for a knowledgeable character to pick up a few spells or direct allies toward enemy weak spots, and for a charismatic/willful character to inspire allies, I'm still not entirely sure that all of that would allow for a dedicated "bard" character to be balanced in terms of effectiveness in combat. The applications of solving this conundrum are even greater once you consider the fact that I've designed an entire race to be especially good at "bardic" pursuits.As of right now, I'm thinking any bard adventurer would be well served to pick up a secondary set of abilities, or even have the whole "bard" aspect of the character be secondary, but I still would like to explore what sort of things would mechanically benefit a bard character enough to make a dedicated bard character viable. So... any ideas?Another thing I'd like to point out is that the player who wants to play a bard wants to play a melancholy, depressing, "emo" sort of bard. Any ideas for what mechanics can be designed for that sort of character? I mean, a depressing bard doesn't seem like it would have the obvious ability to inspire allies, so... yeah.</blockquote>

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