Plot/Event ideas for an all-bard one-shot mission?

[Nettlekid]

This spring break my D&D group wants to have a weird and funny one-shot campaign where everyone is a Bard. They'll be 12th level, with about 5 or 6 levels of Bard each, and then a single prestige class each that changes them into a more typical group (Sublime Chord for Arcane Caster, maybe divine Bard/Fochlucan Lyrist for divine/healer, I dunno), that sort of thing. I'm tasked with DMing this group. The group varies pretty greatly, between a couple who are very experienced with D&D and a newbie, between powergamers and anti-powergamers who love the roleplay, etc. And since this is such a casual one-shot, I want to accommodate everyone. So no holds barred. I won't mind giving like artifacts and stuff like that, since there can be no long-term repercussions.

What I want advice on, since this is so short-term, is what are the best things I can do to make a Bard-themed campaign fun? They want to be a band of travelling minstrels, which totally works. I'm thinking maybe a ball at the palace? Maybe they were invited to play, or maybe I'll make them somehow swindle/steal/persuade invitations from nobility. At the ball they could play (so how might I make that more fun besides a simple "Make a Perform check"?) and then maybe...Assassins? Some sort of attack? I know that I want the finale to be against an necromancer, immune to bardsong and mind-affecting powers and under the influence of a Heart of Stone spell. Then they all play together, and I say that he feels himself faltering. Their righteous music has turned his Heart of Stone...into a Heart of Rock! And then happily ever after in an Otto's Irresistible Dance Party. Or something, I dunno, it's supposed to be really cheesy. What should I do to bring it up to that? How can I play up the performance of the music, the Bard qualities of chatting and seduction, and all of that? I'm sure the Playground has some good crack ideas for a silly campaign like this.

[Chaosvii7]

This spring break my D&D group wants to have a weird and funny one-shot campaign where everyone is a Bard. They'll be 12th level, with about 5 or 6 levels of Bard each, and then a single prestige class each that changes them into a more typical group (Sublime Chord for Arcane Caster, maybe divine Bard/Fochlucan Lyrist for divine/healer, I dunno), that sort of thing. I'm tasked with DMing this group. The group varies pretty greatly, between a couple who are very experienced with D&D and a newbie, between powergamers and anti-powergamers who love the roleplay, etc. And since this is such a casual one-shot, I want to accommodate everyone. So no holds barred. I won't mind giving like artifacts and stuff like that, since there can be no long-term repercussions.

What I want advice on, since this is so short-term, is what are the best things I can do to make a Bard-themed campaign fun? They want to be a band of travelling minstrels, which totally works. I'm thinking maybe a ball at the palace? Maybe they were invited to play, or maybe I'll make them somehow swindle/steal/persuade invitations from nobility. At the ball they could play (so how might I make that more fun besides a simple "Make a Perform check"?) and then maybe...Assassins? Some sort of attack? I know that I want the finale to be against an necromancer, immune to bardsong and mind-affecting powers and under the influence of a Heart of Stone spell. Then they all play together, and I say that he feels himself faltering. Their righteous music has turned his Heart of Stone...into a Heart of Rock! And then happily ever after in an Otto's Irresistible Dance Party. Or something, I dunno, it's supposed to be really cheesy. What should I do to bring it up to that? How can I play up the performance of the music, the Bard qualities of chatting and seduction, and all of that? I'm sure the Playground has some good crack ideas for a silly campaign like this.

It's Spring Break in real life? Might as well make it spring break in-game, too.

They could be the entertainment for a HUGE fey gathering during a solstice or festival, and then from there the plot can spring any which way - it could turn into Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire, in which they have to uncover and fight off a group trying to kidnap/corrupt/kill the partying fey, it could be a take on Weekend at Bernie's, in which the music awakens one or more undead and the party has to work to bring him or them back to life/cover up his or their death/find the murderer.

The possibilities are endless, but don't be afraid to add a considerable amount of comedy to it: Bard is by no means a class to be taken seriously. You could cleverly touch on popular culture and current events, you could add hilarious slapstick and physicality, along with outrageously stereotypical and outlandish characters. Bards aren't really classes to touch upon some of the finer and more intense themes of hardcore fantasy roleplaying, but they can represent the clever and fun aspect that livens up any table.

Worst case scenario, you can make a drinking game out of it. But that doesn't requires Bards nor any amount of humor.

[Dissonance]

What should I do to bring it up to that? How can I play up the performance of the music, the Bard qualities of chatting and seduction, and all of that? I'm sure the Playground has some good crack ideas for a silly campaign like this.

Well first you can start off with the party not actually invited to the ball to play, but just that the palace is "looking for entertainment". It will give them options on how to go about it. If they botch the audition whose to say they don't just kidnap the actual performers and play anyway. Or if they are mostly good aligned (hah) let them get word of the imminent assassination and they will kidnap the performers anyway. Nonlawful bards are good like that. If you give them the options the rest will unfold.

For the preformance itself, don't have them just playing. Have them describe what they are playing WITHOUT any rolls. Don't let them roll what so ever on the preformance check. You can roll for them after they are done describing, and if that doesn't fly with the players, say anything that is rolled before the description doesn't count. This is an all bard party weilding the power of rock, give them the chance; nay, MAKE them become the rock gods of the ages.

Like the guy above me said, ridiculousness and references will be appreciated. It is a one off after all.

Protip: since it is a one off, you might as well let the powergamer have a deck of many things. it will at least make it hilariously interesting when he inevitably uses it.

[Fates]

My suggestion? Introduce a rival band.

Have them be evil-leaning but not obviously so- make them people the characters can't just kill, and who don't just want the characters dead. Make them play a kind of music drastically different from that which the party plays.

The result? Dance offs, rap battles, ear-piercing noise wars, a member of each team trying to win the heart of a beautiful woman, a long simultaneus performance, where the two bands pander to every whim of the crowd and are forced to use every asset in their repetiore to come out top.

Or, to make it really interesting (and easier on yourself) have the players split up into two groups, and each group plays one of the bands.

[Preaplanes]

The result? Dance offs, rap battles, ear-piercing noise wars, a member of each team trying to win the heart of a beautiful woman, a long simultaneus performance, where the two bands pander to every whim of the crowd and are forced to use every asset in their repetiore to come out top.


rap battles

♫Call, call, call his mom a hooker.♫

[zlefin]

sounds like a setup for a "battle of the bands" story. that's a common enough plotline that it shoudl be quite easy to work with.

[mangosta71]

All the bards are dwarfs. The first step of their plot to reclaim their ancestral treasure is recruiting a recalcitrant halfling commoner...

[Telonius]

This homebrewed monster (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10380&highlight=Shiney+Demon) might be of interest.

[Bastian Weaver]

An all-bards team, eh? Maybe one of them is targetted by mysterious assassins who need him for a sacrifice...
Or maybe they are the only ones who can stop the Blue Meanies!

[Ardantis]

SPY GAME

Stay with me

-Disguise, Invisibility, Animal Messenger, Social Skills
-Enchantment spells with individual effects that matter MORE than just "he's out of combat for a few rounds"
-Comedy and Drama based on hiding things and secrets
-Actual use for stuff like Subsonics, Still and Silent Spell

EDIT

Also information gathering, sneaking into enemy outposts, pretending to be enemy officers- it's like Indiana Jones meets Planeswalkers!

[gorfnab]

The Blues Brothers movie might give some inspiration. Get "the band" back together, raise funds for a local church orphanage, avoid the local authorities, perform at dubious locals, avoid the vengeful ex-fiancé, etc...

[Sith_Happens]

The Blues Brothers movie might give some inspiration. Get "the band" back together, raise funds for a local church orphanage, avoid the local authorities, perform at dubious locals, avoid the vengeful ex-fiancé, etc...

Or, for a very different direction, you could borrow as heavily as possible from Brütal Legend.

[karkus]

Specialize, of course! The Bard wasn't invented to not be a class with near-limitless potential; have a bit of fun with a 25-point buy! :smallsmile:

-assassin/stealth-based character
-swashbuckler/melee-based character
-another build based on archery and/or ranged attacks in general
-pure spellcaster, probably with ranks in Use Magic Device and tons of wands/scrolls
-mostly support; specializing in Bardic Music, healing spells, buff spells, and Gather Information-like skills

There you go; 5-6 simple Bard builds ready for use! you also might want to look into those "alternate class features" to change up the exact usage of each Bard...