Why Are Bards...Bards?

[fusangite]

The reason the bard doesn't resonate in D&D worlds is that powerful Bard archetypes exist in societies that are pre-literate or just becoming literate. The idea of knowledge and magical power being stored in song or verse is compelling when that's essentially the only means of knowledge storage most people have access to. If reading were rare in the standard D&D world, the bard would be a more compelling type of character. As it is, they try to make the bard archetype fit by combining it with a smattering of urban literate skills like Decipher Script or feats like Martial Weapon Proficiency (Rapier) that sort of alude to the high medieval troubador and sort of don't.

The original Merlin, Taliesin, was a bard but, as society became more literate between the 9th and 13th centuries, Merlin transformed into a more traditional wizard figure.

 

[theodinheadbasher]

A follow-up question: Would you play in a "low magic" campaign where bards were the only spellcasters? Aragorn could be a (non-spellcasting variant) Ranger with a few Bard levels (to represent his kingly lineage), Saruman would obviously be a high-level Bard, etc.

I dont think Saruman would have or need any levels in Bard. There is a difference between inspiring and terrifying people into servitude/action.

 

[Turanil]

But what stands out to me is how well the bard class represents so many other concepts that have nothing to do with being a minstrel -- if you just assume "oratory" in place of "bardic music".

For example Courtier: a nobleman trained in many different things at once (including magic and swordplay), who also has learned to be charming and influential as is required to thrive at the court.

 

[Evilhalfling]

I am having a blast with an bard inspired from another Enworld thread about Bards. Now 6th lvl he is a member of a military unit. He serves a face for the unit, and on the battle field he is definatly the odd jobs character. He responds to whatever is going on more than any other character, they mostly have effiecent ways of attacking each round, where I am choosing between providing lighting, flanking, healing, archery, illusions or silencing spellcasters. He is a insperational storyteller, and most of his stories are enworld ancedotes or from my own former campaigns.

 

[The Sigil]

The problem with the bard as written is that his principle schtick - his music - is woefully underdeveloped. Plain and simple. I mean, if your wizard had the same spell list as every other wizard, and there was only one spell per level, it would suck.

Clerics have tons of domains and spells. Fighters have a bucketload of Feats. Thieves have skills and sneak attacks and evasion. Wizards have even more spells. Druids and monks and rangers and paladins and barbarians get new and varied little "goodies" every level or two.

Bards get very few spells, a limited list at that, and music which really doesn't do a whole heck of a lot. Develop music, and you develop a bard class worth playing. Monte's spellsongs in the Book of Eldritch Might series, for instance, got some people interested that weren't before - not because the abilities are all that different, but because the schtick of music is more thoroughly explored.

Obligatory Disclaimer - I wrote a 144-page PDF centered around bardic music, so I'm biased. I won't link it here in self-promotion because I want the discussion to be around my point - underdeveloped "core schtick" is the problem with the bard - than I want to put in a plug.

--The Sigil

 

[I'm A Banana]

It's true, going by title and schtick the Bard is underdevelloped. Bardic music is just not that impressive of an abilit.

However, mechanically, the bard works fine as a jack-of-all-trades. Remove the flavor of bardic music and keep the effects, and it becomes very nice. However, this is removing what makes the Bard a Bard and not Something Else Entirely. Which isn't nessecarily a bad thing....

If you want a songmage, do a songmage. If you want a charisma-monkey, do a charisma-monkey. What the Bard is all about is hard for anyone to figure out....so he becomes a little about everything, which suits an average D&D party just fine as a 5th man.

 

[DragonLancer]

I like to see the Bard not just as a minstral type, but as the loremasters and chroniclers, passing on the stories and lessons of old. They travel the land passing on these stories, and collecting new ones. When the land once again falls under a new dark age, the bards will be the ones to carry history into the future.

A little melodramatic maybe, but it also gives a good reason why they join adventurers on quests into dungeons and ruins.

 

[Particle_Man]

See people all bards donm't have to be pansies take a a level or two in barbarian and you can be like Fafhrd or Wizards or Monte Cook or some d20 publisher could make a skald core class.

Check out Legends of Excalibur: Arthurian Adventures for THREE variants of bards, including: Minstrel (druid magic and wildshape), Fool (no magic, good at taunting), and Skald (inspire rage in others). By RPGObjects.