What makes your bard bardy? Rp and theme !

[The Shadowdove]

Hey everyone,

I'd like people here, especially bard lovers, to talk a bit about what they have seen or do/have done to make their bard such a bardass!

What kind of uses have you found for your musical talents? How have you cleverly used your abilities for mundane and extraordinary tasks?!?

What makes a bard bardy to you?

What has a bard done in your games that has stood out so well that you can't help but smile or chuckle when you think of it?

What kind of bard are you? Intelligent, clever, scholarly, martial.. What really makes your bard shine?!

How do you, if at all, incorporate that special bard flavor into your sessions?

While in towns, combat, a sticky situation, or even finally facing that evil overlord.. What would or have you done?

Musical bards.. How do you bring the music to your party? How does it work it's way into your interactions?


I look forward to everything!!! Especially the stories! I love a good story!

Thank you all in advance,

-Dove

[jaydubs]

1. Be versatile. Have an answer to every problem.
2. Mercilessly exploit point #1. Come at those problems sideways. Take that 3rd option. Cheat, lie, steal, and fight dirty.
3. Be a Magnificent Bastard (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagnificentBastard).

As for my moments of bardy glory:

1. We were level 3, stuck in a stand-off between opposing armies. I strapped on a breastplate, requisitioned a warhorse, took up a lance and shield, and started riding in front of their army asking for single-combat with their biggest, baddest warrior. Several taunts later (thank you charisma and expertise), a behemoth in full plate steps forward. When we meet in the middle, I immediately drop the lance, cast heat metal on him, and then play horse archer while he burns to death. The utterly one-sided victory against their champion demoralizes the enemy army, setting the tone for their eventual rout.

2. We were setting an ambush for a group of enemy guards. We prepared a "gift basket," and then I used invisibility to walk in and hang it somewhere conspicuous. A few luring, invisible whispers later (deception and expertise), and our quarry comes out to investigate. I pop a shatter spell on top of our little surprise. The basket explodes. The pints of oil inside explode. The alchemist's fire explodes. The entire group takes gets lit on fire on top of the thunder damage, just as the rest of the party rushes down on top of them. It was a very one-sided fight.

3. Probably my favorite. The resident rogue and I worked together to basically reenact the climax from Willow (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeKnHm7JuW4#t=6877). Despite being too low level to actually have access to teleportation spells, we banished the MacGuffin "to a realm where evil cannot touch it" with good old stage magic (sleight of hand and deception). It didn't lead to the BBEG randomly being destroyed by lightning, but it did buy us enough time to escape the old-fashioned way (we ran away while he wasn't looking).

[The Shadowdove]

Haha! I love it jay!

Inspirational!

I love the single combat story. And the idea of luring enemies to a "gift basket" priceless..

[Ashrym]

My current bard is a concept build for loremaster over mechanical optimization.

Sage background, high CHA INT WIS. Expertise in history, nature, arcana, and religion. Focuses on being a naturalist using nature themed spells, divinations, and rituals. Additionally skilled in survival, persuasion, insight, investigation, and medicine.

His role is information gathering and diplomacy, and he makes an easy DM tool for supplying information to the party on a whim.

Current spell list: light, mending, message, blade ward, detect magic, identify, speak with animals, unseen servant, animal messenger, detect thoughts, speak with dead, speak with plants, find familiar (extra secrets), augury (extra secrets), polymorph, freedom of movement, legend lore, scrying (secrets), awaken (secrets), animate objects, guards and wards

Human, variant, healer feat. CHA taken at levels 4 and 8, resilient (WIS) at 12th level. (currently 12th level in this campaign).


On point buy:

STR: 10
DEX: 10
CON: 12
INT: 14
WIS: 14
CHA: 20


The general concept is a courtly advisor, with a few bigger effects mixed in with the subtle so he's not completely useless, and he does a lot of talking his way out of trouble.

[Daehron]

Daerion the Lorist (as planned)

Male Half-Elf Sage Bard 7 / Cleric 1 (Knowledge) / Wizard 2 (Divination)
Lawful Good

Strength 10 (+0)
Dexterity 10 (+0)
Constitution 14 (+2)
Intelligence 13 (+1)
Wisdom 14 (+2)
Charisma 18 (+4)

Languages: Common Draconic Druidic Elvish Giant Orc Sylvan
Owl familiar

Arcana (Expertise)
Deception
History (Expertise)
Insight (Expertise)
Investigation
Medicine
Nature
Perception (Expertise)
Performance
Persuasion
Religion
Survival

Daerion is a sage / acolyte in the order of Oghma. Rarely does Daerion engage in battle himself, he prefers to convey wisdom, inspiration and encouragement. He wears his fathers fine chain shirt below his sagely robes, and can grab a shield and sword when needed. He learned the oldest forms of magic, tied to the harmonious rhythms of the weave. He casts spells as if plucking on harp strings, his chants and murmurs tapping into the undercurrents, echoing the eternal music of creation.

[The J Pizzel]

I played a few sessions of Lost Mines with my Half-Orc Bard. However, I role-played him as a war-chanter who carried a massive war drum slung around his neck that rested on his hip. I then carried a massive war-club maul thingy, but the butt end of it was fashioned into a broad circle for hitting the drum. All my spells manifested as glowing runes that sprang off the drum head like water and then flew to the recipient. This is pretty much what I carried... http://www.ringgame.net/SecondAge/weapons/club.jpg

The group loved him.

[BranMan]

In Adventurer's League, my 1st level (at the time) bard was pretty awesome. There were very few people at the game, so the entire party was just me, a first level bard, and a second level monk. We were tasked with going into a sewer-like area controlled by some baddies. Eventually we came upon a locked door- we could either try to break it down or pick the lock. Seeing as no one in the party had a strength above ten (the monk was dex-based) we chose option C- minor illusion, the most versatile cantrip. After looking through the keyhole, I saw that there were cages inside the door. I used MI to make a shrill, high pitched noise, which got someone in one of the cages to start rattling the bars. I tried knocking on the door, so that the monk and I could ambush whoever was guarding the cages. No answer. I used MI again, this time, having it emit a deathly, shallow voice that said "this is insanity!" I heard some scrambling coming from behind the door, as well as more rattling of bars. Once more, in the same voice, Leave this place, and you may escape with your lives! I was hoping one of them would rush to the door. One of them ran away further into the sewers, and the other ran towards the door, hurriedly unlocking and running through it. Within a round, I had skewered him with my rapier and the monk had flurry-of-blown him into another dimension. We looked into the room they had been guarding, and found several people caged up and in rags. The monk suggested that we free them, but no, my bard is LE. I immediately wrote up a legally binding document of indefinite servitude that I required each of them to sign in order for me to free them. The DM asked that I roll for intimidate... and I got a 12. Not enough, so I spent an inspiration point, which turned up to be... a 3. It was a horrible anticlimax, but I did get my inspiration point back for my attempts at gaining a small legion of indentured servants. We finished up the adventure successfully, and ended with me locking up the other guard who had run away. I gave one of the (particularly insane) former jailed people a dagger, and let him have his fun with his former captor as we left the sewers.

[Yagyujubei]

in my main campaign; when my main character was temporarily dead, I played a dwarven bard that dual wielded battle axes and waded through battle slicing stuff up and singing dwarven drinking songs at the top of his lungs. otherwise I just did things that were appropriate on a case by case basis.

so like when I would cast shatter, I said that I slammed my axes together and shouted a word of power that created a blast of discordant sound.

out of battle effects (like guidance or mend) I usually got through humming my "favorite" tunes from when i was a child.

and song of rest was obviously more drinking songs.

just stuff like that. The only instrument that he had was a harmonica, but that was more for flavor during downtime type stuff. Most everything magical was through his voice.

[3SecondCultist]

Oh yes. I'm quickly discovering that Lore Bards are the most fun class in 5th Edition to play. I wholeheartedly agree with all three of the points raised by jaydubs - playing to your versatility as a class and being unpredictable really is the most stylish way of doing things.

In the game I'm playing, my character is a Half-Elf Charlatan Lore Bard. We've just gotten to 5th level, where Bardic Inspiration / Cutting Words really comes online and the other four members of my party are starting to benefit greatly from it. She's a poet, a philosopher, an heir to grand traditions of republicanism in a world ruled by dragon tyrants (we're talking dracoliches and ancient chromatic dragons of pretty much all types). I've got a couple of good stories, but I want to write them out first.

Great stuff!

[Lindonius]

I have a half-elf bard called Elvish Presley. I use the Elvis voice and have Elvis mp3s queued on the ipod for his "bardic inspiration".

Of course whenever he leaves an area he casts minor illusion and a big amplified booming voice says "ELVISH HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!"

http://media.tumblr.com/7ae274425544d8b00cf2834ca50d0d02/tumblr_inline_mhrrochNBS1qz4rgp.jpg

Oh and his "battle music" is "a little less conversation".

[Phion]

In terms of RP I have said my guy Barnaby Jones is actually more of an upcoming author/script writer for theater, something that bothers him to no end is his best selling book is actually a porn novel and he sets out into the world so he can become inspired and write his greatest adventure and drama book.

[unwise]

IMHO, Elvish Prestley's name should be Elvish/Elfiss "Pressleaf", to be more genre specific :) I had a bard called that way back in the day.

My two bards are rather non-standard. One is an Indiana Jones style guy, 16dex, 16int, 14cha. All of his spells are divination/archaeology related, so he does not need a very high charisma.

My other bard is the son of the overlord of the barbarian tribes, but he just wants to be a poet and playwright. He is a Skald, with huge Str and heavy armor, but is really more into flower pressing than beheading. He wants to keep his people safe and adventure and all that, but would much rather do it wearing something faaabulous and writing catchy showtunes about it. His dad and people are happy enough that technically he is a Skald which is an honoured position. He just makes sure to butch it up around them.

[MadGrady]

I've got a level 3 5e Bard. His name is Khalid "The Jackal" Jessan. He's a half-elf, who favors his elven features, but the darker skin of his human half. I went completely Han Solo with his background - criminal: smuggler. Had to dump a shipment of cargo, and now he has a bounty on his head. He adventures to try to pay it off. His personality is basically this - he's kind of an *sshole. Smooth talker, braggard, etc.

The best moment I've had with him so far was we were assiting this cleric with clearing out a catacombs where undead were popping up. He sent us with an acolyte to help guide us through the tombs. We were warned not to steal anything we found in the tombs. Well, my guy found some gold, and he stole it. The acolyte caught him (rolled a bloody 1 on my stealth check), but didn't really have the power to make me put it back, so this NPC was angry at me for the rest of the encounter.

Long story short, we get into this battle, and the acolyte gets pretty heavily wounded. We all survive, and heal up, to which the acolyte makes the statement "I don't get paid enough for this."

Without missing a beat, my bard pulls out one of the stolen gold coins, and flips it to her, and just gives her the biggest grin ever. The DM's face was priceless.

[MadGrady]

I have a half-elf bard called Elvish Presley. I use the Elvis voice and have Elvis mp3s queued on the ipod for his "bardic inspiration".

Of course whenever he leaves an area he casts minor illusion and a big amplified booming voice says "ELVISH HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!"

http://media.tumblr.com/7ae274425544d8b00cf2834ca50d0d02/tumblr_inline_mhrrochNBS1qz4rgp.jpg

Oh and his "battle music" is "a little less conversation".

This is brilliant. My hat is off to you good person.

[The Shadowdove]

Haha I'm loving everything guys!

I've taken to playing my half-elven bard a bit more lately because of this thread.

These last few sessions, I actually spent a decent amount of our sessions noncombat time rehearsing and editing stories and songs having to do with our parties most recent exploits.

The next session I have an actual song or story and perform it any chance I can get.

Last night I scored a couple of gold coins at an inn by over exaggerating out blue dragonkins combat abilities.

Claiming that he can fly and shoot bolts of blue flame from the sky that can melt armor and burst bones. While also highlighting moments of mercy and making him out to be a saint.

I've now made it my duty to make sure he had a fanbase in each town we stop in.

I'm thinking of writing them out and actually playing guitar to them in the future!

Oh, he also fell down a kobald pit today and stayed in there while everyone fought up top, while casually singing and blasting anything that peeked it's head down with mad lute riffs.

I think the 2 up top who were meleeing fought a good .. 15 kobalds at level 1-2?

Our cleric was in the hole trying to get up while she blasted thugs wth sacred flame and I Tasha's hideous laughter/dissonant whisper/vicious mockery poked at things since I suck with my shortbow and couldn't be bothered to climb the dirt hole to stab the rats.

[TrollCapAmerica]

Ive had a few over the years starting with 1st/2nd ed with the Bards Handbook kits

1] I played a Halfling Jester kit Bard that was a secret agent for a good secret society that joined the PCs keeping watching over the son of a hero from our previous campaign. He played hilariously stupid but was always contributing magically.By the end of the campaign once he was done with his duty he became the sidekick of the Dragon Hunting Paladin in the party and the two of them rode off into the sunset finding more evil dragons to slay

2] Gallant Bards were awesome even if I barely played more than a couple sessions. Im thinking of re-capturing that in 5E

3] In a higher level 3.5 game the PCs were Indiana Jones style treasure hunters I had an NPC Bard that the party leader hated.He was pretty he was stereotypically CG Elan style spoony and always seemed to come back with a neat treasure to rival his latest find.He was also totally nice to the PC at all times and gave him friendly advice with no perception of the PCs animosity. When they eventually ended up working together they find out he was perfectly optimized to support them.He starts a bad ass heavy metal drum solo that ends up adding hordes of D6s of fire damage and gets them barely through a tough fight with a lich. Needless to say they were conflicted after that ^_^

[Freelance GM]

Hey everyone,
What has a bard done in your games that has stood out so well that you can't help but smile or chuckle when you think of it?
What kind of bard are you? Intelligent, clever, scholarly, martial.. What really makes your bard shine?!
While in towns, combat, a sticky situation, or even finally facing that evil overlord.. What would or have you done?
-Dove

First, I did not intend to play a bard. I always play characters who rely on Dex and Charisma (especially Sorcerers), and decided this time I would do something different. Roll stats in order, pick the class I had the stats for. Naturally, I rolled 16 Dex and 17 Charisma. So, I decided to play a Bard with the Pirate background.

Rather than the musical Bard, I went for the inspirational speaker type. What he lacks in actual ability, he makes up for in enthusiasm, and managing to at least look like he knows what he's doing.

The character's a tall, dark and handsome Pirate Captain with a thing for risk-taking. I throw Inspiration at allies whenever they try to do something daring, typically while role-playing a rousing, "Go Get em!" quip.
The funniest one so far was handing the gnome Rogue an Inspiration die, as my Bard shouts, "You're doing a great job hiding in that tree! She'll never see you coming!" That Inspiration die was used on top of Sneak Attack damage to finish off the Ogre Mage we were fighting.

He's also the de-facto Party Leader, as a powerful Fey creature handed him a magical harp/plot maguffin in the first session. "I've got the God-Harp, I'm in charge!" has been his way of asserting control over the other party members. Or, when that fails, Sleep.
The party Wizard demanded we all gave him our treasure, or else he would leave us to die in the dungeon (which was a legitimate possibility at the time.) I cast Sleep on him, tied him up, looted his body, woke him up, and then asked if the Wizard would like to re-negotiate his terms.

Having just hit Level 3, I now find myself liberally using the Suggestion spell. When 2 Samurai started harassing the owner of the restaurant two other party members and I were currently dining, I told the party Monk and Ranger, "Don't worry- I got this."

I walked up to the two Samurai, who were demanding free food, and said, "I'm sorry, you must be mistaken- this isn't a homeless shelter." They draw their katanas and raved about their noble parentage, and I Suggest to the more arrogant one, "You're not worthy of carrying that weapon. You should go outside and give it to the first person you see." And he did. Then, his friend swung at me, missed, and got the quip, "You should put that away before you hurt yourself," followed by the Suggestion, "And it would be great if you reported yourself and your friend to the authorities."

It burned both of my Level 2 Spell slots for the day, but I beat 2 Samurai without even drawing a weapon, in the middle of a crowded restaurant, in front of other party members. Became the talk of the town as a result. Totally worth it.