Now That's Entertainment!

[Palanan]

...But seriously, folks, there's this bard. He kicks around the islands, plays in taverns and sleeps in haylofts, spins a good tale and doesn't ask for more.

I need a quick bard for my next session, and I'm looking for a character focused more on entertainment than the usual IC optimization. I don't really work with bards much, but I have a player who wants to go that route and I'd like to provide him with an NPC mentor.

The bard will be human, third or fourth level, and he's lived all his life in the Moonshaes. Is there anything I could do with his build to focus him more on entertainment and island lore (maybe with a side helping of unobtrusive departures) and less on fighting and buffing?

[Kazyan]

Use the Bardic Sage ACF for a bonus on Bardic Knowledge, max some Knowledges, and take the Versatile Performer feat. Mechanically, that should cover what you want, but it really comes down to how you roleplay the guy.

[Uhtred]

There are some good skill tricks in Complete Scoundrel that would help.

[QuidEst]

Get some tall tales for him to tell. Check through the Funny D&D Stories threads, and grab a few of those for him to recount. Consider making him a theatrical bard, using Act, Oratory, and/or Comedy for his perform skills. Telling stories with a bit of acting and different voices for the characters is great. Toss in a little reminiscing about the good ol' days, but throw in a little dark humor with it. Bards are really good at playing people, and he might have taken advantage of that for any number of reason- probably a bit of revenge in there. Have him gloss over that, though, and move on. "Oh, you wouldn't want to hear that one. Not when you could hear…"