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What's Bardier than a Bard?
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<blockquote data-quote="Jack Daniel" data-source="post: 8541350" data-attributes="member: 694"><p>"Trickster" is a bit <em>too</em> generic, I think. But "jester" has at least two really good things going for it: it's close enough in meaning to "minstrel" to convey almost the same idea (but more adventurous-sounding, and without the unfortunate implications attached to the term in the 19th century); and it already has a functional character class which is mechanically <em>very</em> similar to the 2e-style bard archetype that I'm trying to preserve here (first appearing in <em>Dragon</em> #3 and then revised in <em>Dragon</em> #60). </p><p></p><p>My aim in starting this topic — to perhaps make matters a little clearer — is that I'm designing a class system that will have <em>both</em> a 2e-style "magical thieving street-entertainer" bard (in the vein of the 2e class) <em>and</em> a "druidic warrior-poet" bard (perhaps most directly inspired by the <em>Castles & Crusades</em> version of the class, which is a straight-up warrior-type with d10 hit dice and the full attack bonus, but no thieving or magic at all). While most gamers might be inclined to continue calling the former archetype "bard" and the latter "warlord," I'm not going to do that, because to me, a bard is a very Celtic and warlike archetype. A proper bard class IMO should evoke "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9suTOPc6uI" target="_blank">The Minstrel Boy</a>" more than Jaskier — but that leaves me needing a name for the Jaskier archetype, and "jester" is pretty damn good for that. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><em>You</em> stay out of this. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Only if I were running a <em>ThunderCats</em> campaign.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>You know, I don't think I mind that. The jester is a fairly well-defined fantasy archetype, and its whole shtick is being annoying via speaking truth to power or otherwise being more competent than first appearances would suggest, which is kind of great. And players, frankly, relish the opportunity to be jerks to deserving NPCs…</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jack Daniel, post: 8541350, member: 694"] "Trickster" is a bit [I]too[/I] generic, I think. But "jester" has at least two really good things going for it: it's close enough in meaning to "minstrel" to convey almost the same idea (but more adventurous-sounding, and without the unfortunate implications attached to the term in the 19th century); and it already has a functional character class which is mechanically [I]very[/I] similar to the 2e-style bard archetype that I'm trying to preserve here (first appearing in [I]Dragon[/I] #3 and then revised in [I]Dragon[/I] #60). My aim in starting this topic — to perhaps make matters a little clearer — is that I'm designing a class system that will have [I]both[/I] a 2e-style "magical thieving street-entertainer" bard (in the vein of the 2e class) [I]and[/I] a "druidic warrior-poet" bard (perhaps most directly inspired by the [I]Castles & Crusades[/I] version of the class, which is a straight-up warrior-type with d10 hit dice and the full attack bonus, but no thieving or magic at all). While most gamers might be inclined to continue calling the former archetype "bard" and the latter "warlord," I'm not going to do that, because to me, a bard is a very Celtic and warlike archetype. A proper bard class IMO should evoke "[URL='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9suTOPc6uI']The Minstrel Boy[/URL]" more than Jaskier — but that leaves me needing a name for the Jaskier archetype, and "jester" is pretty damn good for that. :) [I]You[/I] stay out of this. :p Only if I were running a [I]ThunderCats[/I] campaign. You know, I don't think I mind that. The jester is a fairly well-defined fantasy archetype, and its whole shtick is being annoying via speaking truth to power or otherwise being more competent than first appearances would suggest, which is kind of great. And players, frankly, relish the opportunity to be jerks to deserving NPCs… [/QUOTE]
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