What Should the Bard Be?

[GMMichael]

'Tis the season in which everyone becomes a bard: merry singing, gay dress, lifting spirits. So it's a good time to ask, what do you think a "bard" should be, now that you've been one for a day or more?

My favorite bard from memory was a witcher, less the juicer/monster hunter aspects. He was a gruff, world-wise traveler, skilled with the broad sword, available for hire, and able to entertain with lute if other revenues dried up. He wasn't the joke of the party; he WAS the party.

Let's hear about your bard ideas, beyond the Chris Pine character. (I am interested to know how/if you saw Chris Pine breaking the mold, though.)

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

For D&D-style fantasy, the frames for the bard are defined but wide enough for me, so no change needed.

For other systems it's impossible to answer - we have cyberpunk rockstars, space opera psionic singers, scholars and madmen trading stories about the eldritch evil in the dark between the stars, etc etc.

 

[CreamCloud0]

the concept of a bard for me, is a trinity of performer, storyteller and hype man, put into more game terms that would be more like the face role, making knowledge checks and support/buffing role, they might not be directly powerful but they are useful.

they're good at talking to people,

their stories entertain but they also inform,

they inspire courage and spirit in their allies.

 

[Tonguez]

A Priest
my favourite Bard character was a goliath priest, dispensing inspirational blessings and singing battle hymns 3e, no subclass.

For 5e a goblin college of whispers spy, high stealth and constantly mumbling to itself to disguise its use of abilities (plus nimble escape is awesome)

 

[MGibster]

As one of my players said after watching Fury Road, "Why the hell isn't that in your campaign?"

 

[mamba]

So it's a good time to ask, what do you think a "bard" should be, now that you've been one for a day or more?

nonexistent, never liked them

 

[Divine2021]

What should a Bard be? Glorious.

 

[John Dallman]

To me, the bard is the character who puts stuff together about the setting. They dig out the meanings of old legends, fit those together with the cleric's understanding of people en-masse and the wizard's understanding of esoteric knowledge, and figure out what's really going on. Any character with brains can attempt this, but bards do it better. They also get more out of libraries than other classes, and realise how the world's history is affecting current events quickly. The music and entertaining are ways to earn a living, moving from place to place, and to turn yourself from a suspicious stranger into a trusted friend. And when someone needs to be eloquent now to avoid everything going wrong, the bard is the best bet.

 

[kigmatzomat]

To me the essence of a "real world" bard was that they were historians who kept oral histories. One of the Norse who memorized the Eddas or a Jewish rabbi who could recite the Talmud could both be bards. Depending on the tales, exceptional individuals of both those traditions could do magic. Music to "tame the savage beast" is a classic concept. Modern fiction, like from Mercedes Lackey, continues the theme.

They are skewed toward fey but perhaps that's just the nature of things. Fae are often linked to magical music, control of emotions, knowing tales & secrets, etc which are the province of bards.

I like the 5e bard because the subclasses can be so many different bards. Enchanting, dangerous with a blade, skilled, knowledgeable, sneaky, etc. A party of all bards is plausible with Magic Secrets.

I would note that Chris Pines played a rogue, whose background was "spy" and cover was being a minstrel. He was a bard in name only.

 

[James Gasik]

Spoony.