Bard Roleplaying Suggestions

[Vantharion]

I am making a human bard.
My bard is going to be Bard/Lyric Thaumaturge/Virtuoso/Sublime Chord.
I'm not here asking for 'Whats the best way I can add negative levels to Magic Missiles at Level 1' or any sort of cruelty.

What I am here to ask, is do you have any recommendations to role play it. He will have Perform (Sing), be the face of the party. I haven't really decided on an alignment or personality. I'm usually a charismatic negotiator who will resort to violence or manipulation if absolutely needed.
I was considering an honest Chaotic Neutral character. He would openly tell the other members of the party that he bears no love for the law, but will abide it unless it suits him which is highly unlikely.
I don't know too much about the background of the world yet, the campaign is set to start up when we all get back to college in a week or two.
As a player I enjoy the big 'One day I'll...' setups.
I'm thinking 'One day, my character will ascend to a God of Sound.
I'm always a big lover of lore, I really enjoy learning about worlds. I was thinking of asking my DM to perhaps brew up some manner of Legacy Item [Preferably not one from Weapons of Legacy because they are poorly constructed]

And I have two quick rules question involving Rapid Metamagic & Metamagic Song.
First: Can a bard with Rapid Metamagic use Quicken Spell? [I would love to find some official ruling on this]
Second: Can you use Metamagic Song to cast spells that would normally be above your casting capabilities because of the metamagic adjustments. Casting Quickened Wall of Force is a level 8 spell, but can I cast it with Metamagic Song.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

[PId6]

First: Can a bard with Rapid Metamagic use Quicken Spell? [I would love to find some official ruling on this]
Yes, you can.

This feat can’t be applied to any spell cast spontaneously (including sorcerer spells, bard spells, and cleric or druid spells cast spontaneously), since applying a metamagic feat to a spontaneously cast spell automatically increases the casting time to a full-round action.
Because Rapid Metamagic gets rid of the full-round action increase, this reasoning no longer applies, allowing you to Quicken it as as you will.


Second: Can you use Metamagic Song to cast spells that would normally be above your casting capabilities because of the metamagic adjustments. Casting Quickened Wall of Force is a level 8 spell, but can I cast it with Metamagic Song.
No, Metamagic Song specifically disallows you from making the effective spell level higher than the level you can normally cast (so you can Quicken a 1st level spell when you can cast 5th level ones, for example, but you can't Quicken 2nd or higher spells). That's why it's not nearly as good as Divine Metamagic.

[Greenish]

As a bard, you're already the God of Bluff. You can get away with very nearly everything, and you know it. You're used to it. Consequences are something that happens to other people.

You can be really charming, get nearly everyone to like you, sing like an angel, and on the top of that you have a gift for magic.


Think of what a life such a person would have had, and how it is reflected on how he views the world, how he reacts to hardship, how he interacts with people and so forth.

[sdream]

Just go for a seeker after mystic knowledge.

He's into bardic knowledge as well as arcane knowledge, but hates sitting in libraries, preferring to go out and wrest to knowledge from Rumored Runed Ruins himself.

[cheezewizz2000]

What I am here to ask, is do you have any recommendations to role play it.

I wrote these (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129390). There's a lot for what I saw as every concievable use of bard songs. Feel free to use all or none of them. Or better yet, write your own. Some of them don't scan so well, others make no sense (yes, I wrote a song for inspire competence: move silently). Enjoy.

[Ignition]

If you haven't impregnated at least five different non-human creatures (and/or more demi/humans than you can remember specifically) through your charms, you haven't tweaked/used your bard's seduction abilities enough :smallwink:

Try and go against the "suaver-than-you" bard. Or, if you do go suaver-than-you, make him kind of a charming dork, who tries so hard and ultimately his seductive moves make the target comfortable - because they're laughing so hard, not because he's just that sexy.

Add a little bit of pathos, of Large Ham to his speeches. Make him joke about "the torture of being a misunderstood artist", obsessed with his music and performances, as a mask for his insecurities. Make puns and use euphimisms/metaphors using sound and music references, especially if they go over the heads of everyone else there.

[Tyger]

The personality of your bard, and thus how you roleplay him, are such wide open spaces that you can really shoot for the moon.

My current bard is a homage to many of the bardic stereotypes: womanizer, letch, sybarite, you name the vice, he has it.

He's also a coldly calculating killer, but so passionate about himself :smallbiggrin: that any slight to his pride is a personal insult that must be answered with terrible vengeance. Sometimes that vengeance is direct and delivered with a flaming sword. Sometimes that vengeance is him setting your trusted allies against you and destroying everything you hold dear. Its really up to how much you upset him. :smallsmile:

The other thing to consider is how seriously you take the RP suggestions and flavour of your class choices. Our group is middle of the road on that issue, but I personally like to make sure the class flavour fits the character.

[TheEmerged]

How are you at voices? The last time I played a bard, I decided to roleplay him as an amalgam of several famous old-school country singers in a fantasy world, complete with the voice of one I can impersonate and as many song references as the DM & other players would let me get away with :smallbiggrin: Pick a form of music you know/are comfortable with, of course.

As for Chaotic... I realize we're in danger of the "how to define the alignments" tangent here, but what you're describing sounds more Neutral\Unaligned to me. I typically roleplay Chaotic as being someone who thinks rules/law are the problem. So I'd be roleplaying a chaotic bard as someone who is actively tweaking the law wherever he can -- "just a neutral boy, never meaning no harm... but been in trouble with the law since the day he was born..." if you will.

[Project_Mayhem]

Scrap sing and take Perform: Battle Commentary.

Also, CN doesn't mean you can't follow laws, especially if there's consequences for breaking them. It might just be that you only follow them when you'll get caught and beaten up otherwise. Following laws isn't the only aspect either. Chaotics are more likely to be spontaneous, and plan less.

[Greenish]

I agree with Ignition: a helping of ham (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LargeHam) can definitely improve your bard. :smallbiggrin:

[Vantharion]

Well I'm going to choose different feats then Metamagic Song/Quicken/Rapid Metamagic. They just downright are poor when I have the casting class switch (I can't metamagic my bards 2nd level spells into Sublime Chord, I can't metamagic my Sublime Chords any higher).

I like the ideas. I honestly love being arcane casters. Adding Charisma onto that seems fun.

I really liked the songs for bards. I'm probably going to print those out and make a tiny book and when I can't think of one resort to it. I generally add a good RP value to casting spells and I probably will do the same with Perform checks.

Thanks for input, the more the merrier and more thoughts are welcome.

I'm thinking a okay respectable character until you cross the wrong nerve, then things go down and marriages get ruined.
I've never been a womanizer type, I always have trouble completely objectifying everyone in that way.
Ham: Probably wouldn't be able to play it successfully so pass
Life Ruining Hidden Potential: Definately a good idea.

I'll probably play Neutral Evil then because it's more in flavor. Evil of course being more in personal gain. I don't have an open obligation to negate authority, but a very self centered mindset beyond anyone who I consider trustworthy.

Thanks for help again (Typed reply, proofread and didn't hit submit for a bit, edited with the more recent ones.)

[IcarusWings]

I've always wanted to play a true neutral bard who judges morality based on how good a story an act makes, no matter what happens. He despises people who won't play their story out to the end, even if it is a tragedy.

[Dr Bwaa]

I don't really know how to describe "how to roleplay" a character, so I'll give you what I usually work with: inspirations. My two favorite bards are Clopin (from Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame) and Donovan Deegan (Dominic (http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2004-01-30) Deegan (http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2004-02-21)'s father), for very different reasons. Unfortunately, if you haven't read DD before, you'll have a lot of reading to do before you get to my personal favorite bit of Donovan's character (the links go to his first appearances in the comic).

[Greenish]

Unfortunately, if you haven't read DD before, you'll have a lot of reading to do before you get to my personal favorite bit of Donovan's character (the links go to his first appearances in the comic).The reveal that he can actually speak orcish just fine?

[Dr Bwaa]

The reveal that he can actually speak orcish just fine?

That's the one :smallbiggrin:

[bobspldbckwrds]

step1: watch walk the line, take notes
step 2: watch the doors, take notes
step 3: watch metal: a headbanger's journey, take notes
step 4: watch we are spinal tap, enjoy a good laugh
step 5: you should have a personality thought up by now, so just forget the notes, drink you some whiskey before you go in, develop a tic, always be humming a song, and if all else fails, just remember wwdd (what would dio do?)

[erikun]

An honest CN face of the party? How about a master linguist who just doesn't know better than to speak his mind in every possible situation? This would seem to rule out using Silence as a spell, but beyond that, I don't see any problems with the idea.

Your character is unlikely to put ranks into Bluff, but would have no problem with Disguise or Forgery. After all, saying what is on your mind and being perfectly honest is not the same as refusing to lie and volunteering information at all opportunities.

As for race, human (generalist) or elf (long lived) would make sense. So would halfling, although being annoying and small enough to punt are not a good combination.

[Noneoyabizzness]

ah bard offers so many fun things.

did a spiked breastplate wearing warrior skald. perfom with both a lute and weapon drill, think something mixed between manowar and gwar. last time I got to use him level 12 and with clap of thunder. not bad with a sword but a build in 4d6 sonic touch attack is nothing to sneeze at either.

obviously this may not be the goal you have, but not every bard is a lothario. and if you are aiming for godhood look up the epic destiny info on wizards.com epic insights, it was the last piece of sweet epic candy given to us by wizards.
edit: link http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/drfe/20080428

[Vantharion]

With Sublime Chord I'll be able to cast Permanency on Tongues pretty quick...
The most difficult thing is going to be figuring out what LANGUAGES things speak so I can suggestion them in it.
I'm thinking of acting the 'Doesn't know when not to speak his mind' except that he truly does.
Definately Neutral Evil acting True Neutral or Chaotic Neutral.

[Greenish]

The most difficult thing is going to be figuring out what LANGUAGES things speak so I can suggestion them in it.Well, aside from setting specific stuff, there's a handy dandy list in SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/speakLanguage.htm).

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Be this man:
http://testwp.sabrikee.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ominous_kamina.jpg

[Greenish]

Be this man:
LARGEST HAM EVER!I believe ham was not in order. Besides, I don't think you can boost Inspire Courage high enough to adequately represent him.