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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Harpsichord" data-source="post: 2393753" data-attributes="member: 34058">I like the Bard. I have since before 2e came out. It is the class I play most often. The first bard I played was based off an article from Dragon in which it became easier to become a bard, but was not as powerful as the original 1e bard. Although, if I had been playing 1e before that rather than Oe, I probably would have tried building one the old way.I think 2e stated it best that a bard ius a Jack-of all-trades, master of none (except which ever peformance he chooses). Bards definitely can forego music, 2e had bard kits that instead used juggling, tumbling, oration, or flashy weapon shows. Others (especially the demi-human racial kits) used less traditional music types: whistling, chanting, etc. The 3e prestige class loremaster was originally a bard kit that mostly forewent performance in favor of obscure knowledge. The 3e addition of healing spells to the bards abilities merely emphasizes the jack-of-all-trades idea.As far as leaving the comfy bar. In 2e it was supposedly a wanderlust that was common to all bards. I prefer to think along the line that bards thirst for knowledge, legends. This type of information doesn't fall into your lap, not if you want the true story. The best epics are created from close knowledge, go out and talk to the people that were there. Or better yet, be there yourself. My favorite character operates on the premise that no one can create the story as well as himself. Adam, the chef on Northern Exposure, once said the reason to cook was to eat, and "Do you think I want to eat some crap you made?" Harpsichord's opinion of performance is the same "Do you think I want to (sing/recite/play) some shlock you wrote?" So he travels in search of material for his own works. Another bard I play does stay in the bar, in fact he owns it. He plays politician and the only adventure he gets is when the town is threatened some way. 2e bards were supposedly based on their celtic counter part. It's a loose connection in my opinion, but they were responsible for education and had to travel to bring this education around to the different clans. And if I'm not mistaken, the were also the experts in the law.A bard could definitely make a good spy, a better use of his performance is acting however--how many times has James bond won because he tricked his opponents into underestimating him, or making them nervous by remaining confident when he was out of ideas?Be creative with the bard and it can do anything, if he uses some skills more than others--don't all charactes rely on some of their skills more than others. So he doesn't use his inspire. Maybe this bard relies on suggest, instead. In the case of the spy, maybe that's how he gets the girl to spill the goods. Or makes the bad guy tell the evil plan, right before the bard/spy escapes and foils it all.And as far as, not having a back up: so he doesn't have a back up skill-he still has the back up plan. Maybe it's magic, maybe he has high skills all around and fights as well as he speaks. If he gets detonated, it's because the bad guy correctly identified him as the real threat, or he didn't have his back up.Yes, any given class can be described as better, but any other class has to be combined/multiclassed to get all the advantages a bard gets. And even then they miss out on something.The skald was a kit in the 2e complete bard's handbook. --"Many of the very interesting takes on bards in film, fantasy, and myth above conveniently ignore the class restriction against being of Lawful alignment. Please, tell me how you get around this peccadillo."-- Simple, follow the law but be disorganized, and follow the spirit of the law but not always the letter, etc.Yes, a bard may not survive in one on one, except that the bard will find ways to avoid this. Use things around you to tip the balance, it's what chandeliers were invented for. To play a bard, you have to be a creative player, knowing you can't last one-to-one--you combine your skills. hack, hack, retreat, cast spell, toss ale flagon, hack, repeat.</blockquote>

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