How to play evil Bard?

[JobsforFun]

I was going to do a campaign where most of the party should be evil and I wanted to try bard but I wasn't exactly sure how to go about playing an evil bard. I wanted to do a Chaotic Evil character who is somewhat crazy but I wasn't exactly sure how this would partake into a bard.

And what would be some good evil music to play? ;)

[gfishfunk]

Evil is generic - go with a specific motivation and write down how far your character will go.

Example: Motivation: self-indulgence and obtaining positions of power
How Far: willing to make decisions that let innocent people die but not willing to actually kill unarmed innocents himself/herself.

[JobsforFun]

Evil is generic - go with a specific motivation and write down how far your character will go.

Example: Motivation: self-indulgence and obtaining positions of power
How Far: willing to make decisions that let innocent people die but not willing to actually kill unarmed innocents himself/herself.

I've played Lawful Evil and a few Neutral Evil but never really Chaotic Evil, plus how would an Evil bard exactly act? I don't know why but it just seems like an odd combination.

[Aett_Thorn]

Is Unearthed Arcana allowed? If so, there are some are some good evil-ish subclasses here, especially Whisper: http://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/UA_Bard.pdf

If not, there really are two good ways to play an evil bard, depending on which college you go with.

Lore:
Cutting Words is a good use of your talents to make others weaker.

Use Magical Secrets to get either some blasty spells to burn the place down (drawing from the Warlock spell list could also be a good route to take for the right feel). Or go more controllish so that you can render your opponents helpless while your companions chop them up.

Focus your expertise on social skills that allow you to manipulate others. Going College of Lore allows you to be the socially evil guy as well. Deceiving and Intimidating others to do your bidding is always fun and evil. Especially if you can convincingly threaten their families.


Valor:
Going to be more of a front-line skirmisher. Harder to really make this sub-class feel evil with the skills it gets, so it's going to be more role-playing than Lore. But focus your skills and magical secrets on ways to hinder your enemies and allow you to wade among them hacking and slashing.


As for song choices, you can go the emo evil route and be overly fond of dirges. OR you can just focus on moving ballads about the corruption and stupidity of your enemies.

[Degwerks]

He'd use his charisma and spells to get what he wanted. Use flunkies to get the dangerous stuff done for you. Play him like a mob boss.

[JobsforFun]

Is Unearthed Arcana allowed? If so, there are some are some good evil-ish subclasses here, especially Whisper: http://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/UA_Bard.pdf

If not, there really are two good ways to play an evil bard, depending on which college you go with.

Lore:
Cutting Words is a good use of your talents to make others weaker.

Use Magical Secrets to get either some blasty spells to burn the place down (drawing from the Warlock spell list could also be a good route to take for the right feel). Or go more controllish so that you can render your opponents helpless while your companions chop them up.

Focus your expertise on social skills that allow you to manipulate others. Going College of Lore allows you to be the socially evil guy as well. Deceiving and Intimidating others to do your bidding is always fun and evil. Especially if you can convincingly threaten their families.


Valor:
Going to be more of a front-line skirmisher. Harder to really make this sub-class feel evil with the skills it gets, so it's going to be more role-playing than Lore. But focus your skills and magical secrets on ways to hinder your enemies and allow you to wade among them hacking and slashing.


As for song choices, you can go the emo evil route and be overly fond of dirges. OR you can just focus on moving ballads about the corruption and stupidity of your enemies.

our DM would most likely allow unearthed arcana. I played a Shepard Druid and am going to play a Cleric of the Grave Domain but so far I enjoy their play test stuff.

[JobsforFun]

He'd use his charisma and spells to get what he wanted. Use flunkies to get the dangerous stuff done for you. Play him like a mob boss.

I'm a quite person by nature and I am trying to push myself out of my comfort zone by playing a bard (and I really wanna try the class). But overall I expect to just use Charisma a lot of the time "Did you just kill this man?" "No *rolls natural 20*" "O this arrow sticking out his head must've be my imagination"

[Specter]

An evil bard is different from an evil barbarian or paladin in the sense that they can achieve pretty much anything they want with words. If he wanted money, he would play cons on the cattle to get it, regardless of consequence. If he wanted a position of prestige, he could marry into a family, drive them insane and take the title for himself.

When you walk into a tavern or palace, people should have no idea of who you are, and when you leave mayhem should be stirred. Maybe just for fun? (If you're also chaotic, good role models include the Joker and the Clockwork Orange guy).

One of my villain NPCs was a Neutral Evil bard. He wanted to take revenge on the city that hanged his loved one, and started turning nobility against itself to the point where his Drow buddies invaded and conquered all easily. That's where the players came in.

An evil bard knows the worst thing that can happen to him is being exposed. The web of deceit must never end.

[Aett_Thorn]

our DM would most likely allow unearthed arcana. I played a Shepard Druid and am going to play a Cleric of the Grave Domain but so far I enjoy their play test stuff.

That's good. The whisper bard is definitely a good place to start, even if you don't use it. Think Grima Wormtongue from Lord of the Rings. Someone who uses words to manipulate things to their advantage, and preys on others' weaknesses.

I always find Chaotic Evil to be tough to play. Certainly Lawful Evil and Neutral Evil make sense (someone working for power in an evil city, and someone just out for their own power, respectively), but Chaotic Evil just seems to me like they'd just do whatever evil thought came into their mind at any given time, including murdering their companions in their sleep and taking their stuff. I don't get how you can jive chaotic evil and "team". But the challenge is always part of the fun!

[JobsforFun]

That's good. The whisper bard is definitely a good place to start, even if you don't use it. Think Grima Wormtongue from Lord of the Rings. Someone who uses words to manipulate things to their advantage, and preys on others' weaknesses.

I always find Chaotic Evil to be tough to play. Certainly Lawful Evil and Neutral Evil make sense (someone working for power in an evil city, and someone just out for their own power, respectively), but Chaotic Evil just seems to me like they'd just do whatever evil thought came into their mind at any given time, including murdering their companions in their sleep and taking their stuff. I don't get how you can jive chaotic evil and "team". But the challenge is always part of the fun!

I might do Neutral Evil but just because you're Chaotic Evil doesn't mean you aren't smart. How would you recommend me to play a class such as bard? I am generally quite and I don't talk too much but I am trying to change that by trying a class like bard.

[JellyPooga]

Don't think of Chaotic Evil as being "Demonic", think of it as being both "Chaotic" and "Evil".

Chaotic: You don't play by the rules, you break your given word, you're unpredictable, you don't (necessarily) abide by the law (when it suits you).

Evil: You're self-centered, selfish, you care little for others (if at all), you will gladly take the path that actively hurts others because it amuses you or it doesn't occur to you that their pain is relevant.

Bard: You use your Charisma to achieve your goals.

There's a lot of leeway there. From a shady guy selling illicit goods in back alleys, to a Rock-star legend, to a spoiled princeling noble, to a politician.

It annoys me when people complain about Chaotic Evil being "the worst alignment" because like any other alignment, it doesn't dictate your every action, merely guides them. Just as a Lawful Good guy doesn't have to help every peasant and beggar, a Chaotic Evil guy doesn't have to kill everyone, all the time.

You're not a Demon (though you could be)...you're a mortal creature and even the most Evil dude alive needs allies. Be manipulative, cruel, shady, dismissive, whatever you think will get the job done; there are no boundaries for the Chaotic Evil character, but that doesn't mean you have to cross every one you come up against.

[gfishfunk]

Chaotic does not necessarily mean random uncontrollable urges.

I think of it as a willingness to bypass codes of conduct, improvise, and the like and be blatant about it. Neutral Evil would be willing to bypass the codes of conduct, or use them however they see fit.

[Gurston]

You could play a mad bard that is a story teller, who is obsessed with stories and sees them everywhere and has to make them run correctly. e.g. he is in town sees a family with a mother who has 2 daughters and a step daughter but they are all happy that shouldn’t be so that’s not how the story should be so he uses manipulations and magical suggestions to twist the relationship because step mothers should be cruel to step daughters that’s how stories work. You’d need to look for stories and bits of stories in the things you see around you and try to force them to happen.

[Aett_Thorn]

There's actual a good episode of House that features a sociopath that might be good inspiration of how you could play the character. In the story, she basically feels no empathy, and so "fakes it" for most people, but in private she uses any measures at her disposal (chaotic) to achieve her desired end, which is power for her (evil). Basically, she is willing to poison, blackmail, use sex as a tool, emotionally manipulate, or steal to make herself look good. Even marries a guy just because it makes her look more human. I could see that being a good Chaotic Evil Bard template.

Use whatever measures you can to make yourself look good and gain power/prestige for yourself. Entering a bardic competition? Get the other contestants drunk so that they mess up. Get a job from a local ruler? Make sure you get some good dirt on him before you accept the job so that you can increase your pay.

Your own lack of emotion led you to learn about how emotions seem to be a weakness in others. You watched how other bards used thrilling tales to enthrall audiences, and how these people would just willingly give over money for words and music. So you decided to become a Bard yourself, and in the process, learned to manipulate the emotions of others to a great degree. Play your character as someone that is doing actions that they think people with emotions would do (at least in public), but behind the scenes, you do anything to make yourself have better standing.

[jaappleton]

A good example of an Evil Bard?

Littlefinger from Game of Thrones.

Be manipulative. Play the long game. Charm people into doing what you want.

[Slayn82]

I second the recommendations for Whisper college. Otherwise, Lore Bard. I played an Evil Bard inspired by the pulp comic character The Shadow. Disguises, furtivity, lies and betrayal are your tools, along with your extraordinary mental powers.

Need to ask a difficult favor from an NPC? Use your disguise kit, and cast Friends, Charm Person or Suggestion. Use a illusion of their boss, and mistreat and intimidate them to create resentment, them come back as yourself and offer them a form of getting payback. "Yes, your boss is a bastard, and the other guys that work for him aren't any better. (Suggestion) You should make them pay. Take this sonifer and put in their wine, steal whatever looks expensive while they sleep and run away from here (/Suggestion)". Then, hand the poor sap a mixture of sleep inducer and actual poison, and collect him as he exits from their headquarters to get the money, keys, etc.

Disguised, spread false rumors about your targets, specifically to put them in conflict with other factions, so you can take advantage of the chaos to offer your services, getting close to them, and learning their secrets.

In battles, I focus on poison, fear, blindness, invisibility, and debuffs.

[Mordrigar]

Well, as a bard, you have lots of instruments. Not musical instruments but words.

Play like a manipulator, a demagogue. Get what you want with your twisted words and appeal. An ambassador could bring war or peace just by talking.

Do not sing. Instead of do speeches. Turn people into angry mobs and let them rise against government. Become the new leader of them. Then, live your life your way.

Find powerful allies, with them, destroy your powerful enemies. Later, turn your allies into your enemies and crush them.

You don't have to be the executioner but you can convince one to serve you.

Work with guilds. Legal or illegal. Turn them into each other, try to find profits from conflicts.

Let your words fight for you.

In short, be a politician.

[Aurthur]

http://www.comicsbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Doof-Warrior.jpg

:)

[Syll]

You could play a mad bard that is a story teller, who is obsessed with stories and sees them everywhere and has to make them run correctly. e.g. he is in town sees a family with a mother who has 2 daughters and a step daughter but they are all happy that shouldn’t be so that’s not how the story should be so he uses manipulations and magical suggestions to twist the relationship because step mothers should be cruel to step daughters that’s how stories work. You’d need to look for stories and bits of stories in the things you see around you and try to force them to happen.
I think that's a phenomenal suggestion.

Also, everything sounds more sinister if you twirl a mustache while doing it. You can use open ended statements to suggest evil, even if you haven't come up with an actual evil plan

[N810]

Isn't Nale a chaotic evil bard ? :nale:

[jaappleton]

Isn't Nale a chaotic evil bard ? :nale:

Well... heh.

He was.

[JobsforFun]

Well... heh.

He was.

Nale is LE

[JobsforFun]

So far from what I understand I just need to use my words to somewhat manipulate people and have them do things they wouldn't normally do.

Also when everyone plays bards do you just say you're rolling to preform and play your instrument then roll and see what you get or do you try to find actual music to play over something like a blue tooth speaker? I thought it'd be fun to play "Voltaire - When You're Evil"

[BW022]

I was going to do a campaign where most of the party should be evil and I wanted to try bard but I wasn't exactly sure how to go about playing an evil bard. I wanted to do a Chaotic Evil character who is somewhat crazy but I wasn't exactly sure how this would partake into a bard.

And what would be some good evil music to play? ;)

Lots of ideas...

Manipulator Imagine Wormtongue in LotR. You are trying to ingratiate yourself with top rulers, lords, merchants, etc. Focus on deception, charms, divinations, and communications. Get others to do your bidding. Spread rumors, pit people against each other. Get people to turn on their friends.

Con Artist Scam people. Focus on ripping people off. Sell fake magical items, protect people from phoney enemies, lead merchants into an ambush, etc. Focus on deception, charms, illusions, stealth, etc.

Information Broker / Blackmailer Gather and sell information, leading to blackmail. Start with overhearing folks and work on gaining a network of informants. Focus on knowledge skills, stealth, and divination-type spells.

"Mafia" Thug Go heavy physical abilities and try extortion. Setup a protection racket. Go for may valor. Focus on intimidation, stealth, etc.

Cat Burglar Bards can make good thieves -- they have expertise, a good range of skills, and magic to make up for weaknesses. Look for athletics, stealth, thieves' tools, etc. Select spells which can enhance these.

Cultist Join some evil religion and try recruiting people.

Master of Disguise / Spy Try assuming other people's identifies and causing infighting.

Poison Master / Assassin Try using poison-based abilities and spells for assassination jobs.

etc., etc.

Bard is a versatile class.

[JobsforFun]

Lots of ideas...

Manipulator Imagine Wormtongue in LotR. You are trying to ingratiate yourself with top rulers, lords, merchants, etc. Focus on deception, charms, divinations, and communications. Get others to do your bidding. Spread rumors, pit people against each other. Get people to turn on their friends.

Con Artist Scam people. Focus on ripping people off. Sell fake magical items, protect people from phoney enemies, lead merchants into an ambush, etc. Focus on deception, charms, illusions, stealth, etc.

Information Broker / Blackmailer Gather and sell information, leading to blackmail. Start with overhearing folks and work on gaining a network of informants. Focus on knowledge skills, stealth, and divination-type spells.

"Mafia" Thug Go heavy physical abilities and try extortion. Setup a protection racket. Go for may valor. Focus on intimidation, stealth, etc.

Cat Burglar Bards can make good thieves -- they have expertise, a good range of skills, and magic to make up for weaknesses. Look for athletics, stealth, thieves' tools, etc. Select spells which can enhance these.

Cultist Join some evil religion and try recruiting people.

Master of Disguise / Spy Try assuming other people's identifies and causing infighting.

Poison Master / Assassin Try using poison-based abilities and spells for assassination jobs.

etc., etc.

Bard is a versatile class.

I love these ideas, man I should've done an evil bard along time ago...

[Slayn82]

So far from what I understand I just need to use my words to somewhat manipulate people and have them do things they wouldn't normally do.

Also when everyone plays bards do you just say you're rolling to preform and play your instrument then roll and see what you get or do you try to find actual music to play over something like a blue tooth speaker? I thought it'd be fun to play "Voltaire - When You're Evil"

Absolutely. I also like "Hell in a Handbasket" and "Death Death Devil Devil Evil Evil Evil Evil Song". But my friends aren't fluent in English, so what can really creep them a bit is Hotel California.

[Yagyujubei]

just channel the joker. His general actions would fit a totally evil flamboyant bard really well i think, then just add some creepy limericks on top of it. maybe sprinkle a little riddler in there too and speak in really strange riddles when you can.

[DragonSorcererX]

Evil Bard = Death Metal.

Be a Chaotic Evil Abyssal Tielfing (UA - That Old Black Magic), worship Orcus and use your Magical Secrets to get Undead related spells and Demon Summoning Spells (again, UA - That Old Black Magic), if you can be an Abyssal Tiefling Revenant (UA - Gothic Heroes) it will be even darker and edgier.

[The Shadowdove]

Most illusions and enchantment spells can be used for wonderfully evil things.

An evil bard can seek to gain the favor of the populace to earn influence that will allow a position of power.

An evil bard is the best at appearing like a good guy while working towards their own goals. The good guys like having you around to remove the weight of hardship and loss.

Even if they don't realize you're the one killing them off whenever it suits your purposes.

[GungHo]

Lots of ideas...

Manipulator Imagine Wormtongue in LotR. You are trying to ingratiate yourself with top rulers, lords, merchants, etc. Focus on deception, charms, divinations, and communications. Get others to do your bidding. Spread rumors, pit people against each other. Get people to turn on their friends.

Con Artist Scam people. Focus on ripping people off. Sell fake magical items, protect people from phoney enemies, lead merchants into an ambush, etc. Focus on deception, charms, illusions, stealth, etc.

Information Broker / Blackmailer Gather and sell information, leading to blackmail. Start with overhearing folks and work on gaining a network of informants. Focus on knowledge skills, stealth, and divination-type spells.

"Mafia" Thug Go heavy physical abilities and try extortion. Setup a protection racket. Go for may valor. Focus on intimidation, stealth, etc.

Cat Burglar Bards can make good thieves -- they have expertise, a good range of skills, and magic to make up for weaknesses. Look for athletics, stealth, thieves' tools, etc. Select spells which can enhance these.

Cultist Join some evil religion and try recruiting people.

Master of Disguise / Spy Try assuming other people's identifies and causing infighting.

Poison Master / Assassin Try using poison-based abilities and spells for assassination jobs.

etc., etc.

Bard is a versatile class.

There's also, more directly, jealous artists that are willing to resort to extreme means to ensure they have no rivals.

[Yagyujubei]

plz dont be some death metal bard. thats such an obvious and pedestrian choice ;_;

[N810]

Evil Bard: Nathan Explosion
Only does things because they are Brutal (also Metal). :xykon:

[JellyPooga]

plz dont be some death metal bard. thats such an obvious and pedestrian choice ;_;

Doom Metal then? Thrash? Goth? Industrial? Plain ol' Heavy Metal? Christian Metal? Oo oo oo...how about some old school Rock instead? Funk Metal? Jazz Metal? Blues Metal*? Rap Metal? Baroque Metal? Just please please please not Pop Metal...

*This ones definitely not pedestrian; a lot of walking bass lines in Blues...

[DragonSorcererX]

plz dont be some death metal bard. thats such an obvious and pedestrian choice ;_;

All right, so what about Power Metal (the ONE true metal, and the MANLIEST METAL! MAN!!!)...

Chaotic Evil Krynn Minotaur (UA - Waterborne Adventures) Valor Bard, worshipper of Baphomet, who wields a Greataxe and sings Manowar songs like Return of the Warlord and Brothers of Metal!

[Red Vax]

How about playing him like Elvis in the later years? Full of himself, no one can tell him anything. He does what he wants (shooting TVs and marrying teens comes to mind). He has let fame and self-importance go to his head.

[Vogonjeltz]

The obvious route would be a narcissist.

[Yagyujubei]

How about playing him like Elvis in the later years? Full of himself, no one can tell him anything. He does what he wants (shooting TVs and marrying teens comes to mind). He has let fame and self-importance go to his head.

only if one of the reoccurring villains in the campaign is bubbahotehp

[MarkVIIIMarc]

I am playing a Chaotic Neutral Bard with some revenge and hatred issues due to recent past events. It is not a slippery slope to imagine her pushing a bit too far and being classified as Evil.

SO, you don't have to role play a total jerk. Heck, Even Tony Soprano had kind moments.

How evil would you like to be? Hitler like? Mob boss? Corrupt politician? Narcissistic rock star...er, tavern star, who uses people a bit?

[GungHo]

plz dont be some death metal bard. thats such an obvious and pedestrian choice ;_;

Steve Vai from Crossroads bard.

[CaptainSarathai]

I've wanted to run an evil Bard as a sort of 'Pied Piper of Hamlin' character after reading 'The One Who Stayed' by Shel Silverstien.


You should have heard the old men cry,
You should have heard the biddies
When that sad stranger raised his flute
And piped away the kiddies.
Katy, Tommy, Meg and Bob
Followed, skipped gaily,
Red-haired Ruth, my brother Rob,
And little crippled Bailey,
John and Nils and Cousin Claire,
Dancin', spinnin', turnin',
'Cross the hills to God knows where-
They never came returnin'.
'Cross the hills to God knows where
The piper pranced, a leadin'
Each child in Hamlin Town but me,
And I stayed home unheedin'.
My papa says that I was blest
For if that music found me,
I'd be witch-cast like all the rest.
This town grows old around me.
I cannot say I did not hear
That sound so haunting hollow-
I heard, I heard, I heard it clear...
I was afraid to follow.

The original story of the Piper is that a town hires him to exterminate rats. They expect it will be difficult, but he pulls out his pipe and plays, and the rats follow him to their deaths. The town is amazed, but since he didn't have to do much work, they won't pay him the full value agreed upon. So he returns to town one night, plays his pipe and leads all of their children away.

So a Bard who is basically a Grimm fairytale, like Rumplestiltskin and so on. He offers you things, but for a price. Sometimes, not even money.
"You want her to fall in love with you? That's fine, I can make that happen. But I want your firstborn child."
"You want to be rich and famous? Done. The price is just enough gold to fill this barrel (of holding)"

Basically doing favors for people, but always making sure that you come off better than them, in the end. And if they swindle you, you unleash horror and madness on an unprecedented scale.

I play Warlocks like this sometimes, where its not about being outright evil and murderous, but about being sinister. You should seek to skeeve people out at the table around you. A visible shudder from a player or DM is a gold-star day for me.

[autavic]

An evil bard you say? Interesting you should bring that up, as I'm currently doing it in my campaign. Currently Lord Bard 9. Here are some tips based on my experiences:

1. Do not let people know you are a bard. People expect bards to do all the talking and play songs for them and inspire them. Forget that. Tell everyone you a ranger. Rangers are pretty useless so they won't be surprised if you aren't that hard hitting. Rangers mostly exist to fail at tracking rolls, cast cure light wounds, and hit people with bow. You can do the first two as well as any ranger and if questioned on the third claim to be a weird alternate build that will really shine at level 15+. Use #3 and #5 below to further confuse issues to your advantage.

2. Ramp up the deceit and persuasion. Put expertise on them. This is a pretty obvious step, but an evil bard is all about persuading/tricking people into accomplishing things.

3. Establish alternate identities. This is important. Own multiple outfits, a disguise kit, and have multiple identities worked out. Change them often. Try to get the whole party used to the idea of you answering to different names.

4. Keep track of all the treasure for the party, and be scrupulously honest about it. In a party of evil characters everyone will be watching like a hawk for loot shenanigans. So don't do any.

5. Hire secret accomplices. Every good evil mastermind needs henchman. Bards get a variety of spells (hi Geas!) that make keeping henchman honest a non-problem. Do not let any other PC know about the accomplices. If possible, pitch your DM on the idea of having the accomplices assume some of your alternate identities from #3 and letting you actually play them. The party won't suspect a thing while your real character is off selling them out for a sackful of gold!

6. Avoid becoming the official or unofficial party leader. Take point on negotiations of financial import but never be the party "face" to the King or Mayor or Captain of the Guard or any other authority figure. You want plausible deniability should party actions have later consequences.

7. To whatever extent possible, don't kill enemies. Bards aren't murderhobos. Leave enemies alive but humiliated to spread fear in your name(s). Whenever possible recruit them. It's easier than you think with that high CHA. Hypnotic Pattern is your friend because it prevents enemy actions but not enemy conversation. I once used Hypnotic Pattern on a big group of charging orcs to immobilize the lot, them harangued their leader until he agreed to join me. But I made my empathy roll and knew he was lying, so had the party knife him. The newly promoted second-in-command of the orcs was much more reasonable. So briefly I had my own orc warband. Until I used them to solve a drow problem. But that's okay, now I'm running a drow cult.

[JackPhoenix]

Isn't Nale a chaotic evil bard ? :nale:

Bards are underpowered. Nale is multiclassed Fighter/Rogue/Sorcerer

I'm about to play NE lore bard (OK, I'm saying it for over a half a year, and there's still no sign of the game actually starting :smallfrown:). Except she's no bard, she's a noblewoman with good education and versatile training (some skill with weapons, magic, social and physical skills, use and making of poisons), thank you very much. She's actually a bastard of a young human noblewoman and random elven mercenary in employ of her family. She's cunning and very manipulative and sneaky, and her main motivation is greed... not for money, those are just a tool, but for personal and political power, influence and position in society. As bastard, she won't inherit her family title, even though her legitimate half-siblings are younger, though she cares about her family and won't try to reach her goals over their dead bodies. Instead, she joined a band of good(ish?) adventurers to earn fame, starting capital and heroic reputation to cash in with the king for a noble title of her own. While she's outwardly a paragon of goodness and virtue, she's not above using tactics like hiring a bunch of orcs to attack undefended villages so she (and the rest of her group) could heroically kill them and save the poor, helpless peasants, blackmailing, framing or assassinating other nobles, secretly running a criminal organisation partially formed from defeated enemies she forced/manipulated to sign (fake) infernal contracts, etc., using an alternate persona(s?) to avoid anyone connecting her to the shady stuff.

Gotta love lore bard's toolkit.

[Finback]

Does a bard NEED to be musically focussed? You could have them be a storyteller, who tells fables a la Aesop - which are very obviously stories about political leaders, nobles, and generally the opponents of the PC.


"Let me tell you the tale of the king who slept while his kingdom burnt..."
*makes up story on the spot*
*peasants immediately think this sounds EXACTLY like their lord*
*vive la revolution*

Spreading lies and slander instead of hopeful and heroic tales could be her thing.

The instrument could just be there for effect - a dramatic chord from a lute instead of going "DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNN".

[grell]

just channel the joker. His general actions would fit a totally evil flamboyant bard really well i think, then just add some creepy limericks on top of it. maybe sprinkle a little riddler in there too and speak in really strange riddles when you can.


In particular see if you can check out Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. It's got multiple scenes of him interacting with his gang of kids and being the epitome of a CE charisma beast. No bardic powers but he's got most people hanging on his every word.

Also before you go any further I would decide up front if you want to be an upfront monster who people know not to trust or a hidden manipulator who leaves people in the dark. It will influence everything from role play with NPCs to spell selection.

"Disguise? your acting like I should be ashamed or something!" or "Oh no the orphanage burned to the ground! Tearing up while shuffling the deed to the property into a satchel.

Nothing says you have to to obviously Palpatine right off the bat but good luck with it whichever path you choose.