Need help with Bard Roleplaying strategies, like creating Distractions and Diplomacy.

[CatofRiddles]

I recently started playing a Bard/Arcane Trickster in a new campaign. My other party members are a Dragonborn Rogue, a Drow Ranger, a Wood Elf Moon Druid, and a Human Fighter.

I have played a Bard before, but I've always been in the background. Other Players like Clerics and Paladins took the lead and did most of the talking. This was ok because i'm a shy person in introductory situations. I have been able to pipe up and roleplay a little when needed.

This time, to my surprise, everyone keeps looking at me for the big decisions, and it's taking me a bit too long to think and come up with distraction ideas, and i freeze when trying to ask for information or a service.

Are there ways to prepare or adapt for situations like this? What spells/strategies can i use to create appropriate distractions or manipulate NPCs in an appropriate manner?

[ChampionWiggles]

If you're naturally shy, then you kind of chose a class that you're going to have to be willing to go out of your comfort zone with. Bard and Paladin are arguably the most social classes to play as. But just because you have the highest CHA in the party doesn't have to necessarily mean you're the leader of the party. I'm part of a campaign where our Fighter is the leader, despite me (the Rogue) and the Bard having higher CHA than her. She had the Soldier background and was a high ranking soldier and so was used to commanding a platoon. So you're not required to lead the group, despite the lack of paladin/cleric.

That being said, if you're trying to lead the group you can try and work with the DM in terms of interacting with NPCs and whatnot. If the DM is understanding, then what you can try to do is say what you're trying to accomplish to the DM and then roll your CHA skill check to see if you accomplish this. That's how I DM, because you're playing DnD to roleplay and have your character accomplish things that you can't normally do in real life. Just because you play a super charismatic bard doesn't mean you yourself are a charismatic person. But I've had some DMs that will have you roll your CHA checks and then ask "Alright...what do you say?" and then make it possible for you to still fail based on what you say, which is retarded because no other skill checks can have a similar caveat and make sense (Well, because you said you lifted with your back, you now have a sustained back injury and fail to lift the heavy object). If your DM is going to enforce crap like that, I'd honestly suggest considering a new character, otherwise I see you growing disheartened quickly. So try and talk to them and see if you can do what I suggested and ask if you can declare what your intention is with the Persuasion/Deception/Intimidation check and roll to see if it succeeds or how well you do it. RP the interaction when you can or feel comfortable with it.

As far as distractions go? The most obvious one is to draw attention to yourself with your bardic charisma. As a bard, it's not weird for you to draw attention to yourself by playing a song, reciting a poem, or acting out a story with such flamboyance that people can't help but look at you. If you're looking more in the terms of magic distractions, there's plenty of spells. Minor Illusion, Prestidigitation (maybe), Dancing Lights/Light, Silent Image, Unseen Servant (maybe), Thunderwave (as long as you're not hitting anyone and can run away from the point of origin, the spell causes really loud noise and can be distracting enough).

Magical means to manipulate NPCs should really only be after you've failed the CHA check to naturally persuade them, because Friends and Charm Person can get you what you want, but will have bad results after the spell has ended and they realize you used magic to influence them. This can also be avoided if you cast Disguise Self prior to using Charm Person or Friends, since you can magically look different, cast Charm/Friends to influence the NPC, walk away before the charm spell ends and undisguise yourself out of sight so that when the NPC realizes magic influenced them, you no longer look like that person they were just talking to.

[Cespenar]

It helps if you picture and define your character in your head and set out some aspects beforehand, like how he/she would approach a situation or person. Is he/she flamboyant, jovial, serious, sarcastic, etc.? It's okay even if you picture it a bit caricaturistic.

The methods of deception would follow. If jovial, then it'd make sense to befriend and praise your targets. If sarcastic, it'd follow to taunt or antagonize them. Etc. While your character shouldn't exactly limit your methods, it would at least show a preferred path so that you don't freeze up.

[Contrast]

If you have a tendency to freeze/stumble then have a think about what kind of person your character is.

I once played a character who, on meeting someone new, would always 'mistake' them for a long lost relative. Their confusion gave the DM something to react with and usually allowed me a break to start any conversation I wanted to as a follow up.

Another player I played with would always make sure to introduce himself (on the expectation that they would know who he was and shower him with adoration as a result).

A quirk can be a useful tool to fall back on if you're having a hard time coming up with stuff on the fly (just try not to overdo it too much :smalltongue:).

Worst comes to the worst just start talking and say the first thing that pops into your head. Part of the joy of playing a charmismatic character is talking your way out of situations you accidentally talked yourself into :smallbiggrin:

[Regitnui]

Am I the only person who pictured Star-Lord taking on Ronan the Accuser in a dance battle when someone said "creating distractions"?

[JackPhoenix]

Am I the only person who pictured Star-Lord taking on Ronan the Accuser in a dance battle when someone said "creating distractions"?

Maybe, but now I can't get that image from my head. Thanks.

[Astofel]

As others have already said, it's a good idea to know what kind of person your bard is so you can figure out how they approach social situations. If you're struggling, look at your choice of Bardic College for inspiration. A Whispers bard will act very differently to a Lore bard, for example.

As for a distraction, I'd like to point out the Enthrall spell, which causes anyone within 60 feet of you that can hear you to make a Wisdom save or have disadvantage on Perception checks to notice anything other than you for a full minute. It's also a charm spell, so it's especially effective if you have an Instrument of the Bards.

[RSP]

It may help to establish a gimmick your PC does. Maybe they like to sing to draw attention to themselves (and through others off their game). A guard asks what you're doing in the kitchens, in character your PC sings a few lines to throw them off their questioning. The out of character Performance roll buys you time while you think of what you want to say.

Also, yeah, as a 10 is supposed to be an average stat, most Players don't have the ability to actually duplicate 13+ Int, Wis and Chr scores, much less 18's and 20's. That's why we have die rolls. Your DM should allow you to get away with a description of what you want to try to do, rather than forcing you to mimick your character's actions.

[Regitnui]

Maybe, but now I can't get that image from my head. Thanks.

My absolute pleasure. Honestly, he's probably one of the best examples of a bard as "hero" in movies now. A philandering, charismatic conman who's bound up with his music and always talks himself out of trouble he got himself into.

[JackPhoenix]

My absolute pleasure. Honestly, he's probably one of the best examples of a bard as "hero" in movies now. A philandering, charismatic conman who's bound up with his music and always talks himself out of trouble he got himself into.

I always thought him more of a Thief Rogue, but I guess he may be multiclassed...

[Regitnui]

I always thought him more of a Thief Rogue, but I guess he may be multiclassed...
He has a little too much interpersonal skill to be a rogue. The entire reason the team forms is his skill at keeping them together. Not that rogues can't be charismatic, b

[Regitnui]

I always thought him more of a Thief Rogue, but I guess he may be multiclassed...
He has a little too much interpersonal skill to be a rogue. The entire reason the team forms is his skill at keeping them together. Not that rogues can't be charismatic, but they're a little more self-serving tha a bard of equivalent alignment.

[Douche]

If you want to be a good roleplayer & convince NPCs of stuff, you should really look at some public speaking techniques. The simplest is "Ethos, Pathos, Logos"

Ethos; Begin by establishing who you are & your credibility;

"We are the Lords of Justice, a merry band of adventurers out to stop the spread of Demogorgons influence. We've fought many hard battles on our path here. Example, blah blah."

Pathos; Appeal to their emotion... which you must identify first; fear, pride, desire. Or you can just do a shotgun approach and hit as many as you can. Personally, if I failed one persuasion check, then I'll try a different emotion.

"Demogorgons cultists are going to take your children & destroy your kingdom from within. If you care for the good of your people, you must stop him." (Fear)

Fail

"So, then, what? Have you no pride in the sovereignty of your own kingdom? You would sit by and watch as these cultists convert your people to madness?" (Pride)
"
Etc. You don't get infinite persuasion checks though, and eventually it'll become contrived anyway, at which point you have to come up with a new plan.

Logos is just logic so you can apply that to Pathos. Facts that back up the emotion. That should be applied to the above arguments if you haven't reached a persuasion check from that alone.

"Have you even heard the news from Westport? Surely not, or else you would have known that they've been permeated by the cultists at every level. They've reached the point of no return, where the followers of Demogorgon outnumber those who oppose him. Anyone who speaks out is publicly executed. They have fallen, but it's not too late for you!"


This also works IRL for picking up girls at the bar. Establish yourself as the guy who stopped the demon cultists in Westport & then give them a logical argument on why they should sleep with you

[frost890]

As a general rule I always have a go to thing to do. This works good for combat(um...um.. fire the crossbow) or distraction (I start singing a crude sailor song as I enter the seedy bar). If you get stuck take a moment to imagine the character in your head. Since someone brought up Starlord, how would he get someone on their side? (now we are a bunch of idiots standing in a circle.)

[EvilAnagram]

I think we can look towards improv to help out the situation. In improvisational comedy the key building on a scene is to always say, "Yes, and..." By doing so you accept the inputs of your comrades, and make room for further developments.

And keep in mind that this is a game. Bad plans are frequently fun plans, so don't fret too hard.