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View Full Version : Bard concept: Could it work?



chiasaur11
2008-05-01, 05:32 PM
Could a Bard use diplomacy checks, ect. to convince enough people he was a god and deserving of worship to, basicly, make himself a god?

AngryRussian16
2008-05-01, 05:48 PM
For an average person to be the worshiper of this bard?


I would think it would be a bluff check, with an incredibly high DC

holywhippet
2008-05-01, 05:57 PM
If I was a DM facing that kind of situation, I'd require a large amount of work on your part to make it happen. Diplomacy/bluff alone wouldn't be enough, you'd have to do something to make people believe you were a god. A show of power of some description would be an important step. But given that D&D is an environment where magic is commonplace, it would need to be a display which didn't make people think you are just a high level spellcaster.

Given that you are a bard, your best option would be using the modify memory spell a lot. Leave people with false memories of you doing something awesome. Your starting followers should be both numerous and dumb.

Starting a cult might be a good step also as many cult leaders are able to convince their followers of their own divinity.

Kurald Galain
2008-05-01, 06:25 PM
Could a Bard use diplomacy checks, ect. to convince enough people he was a god and deserving of worship to, basicly, make himself a god?

No, you need a hand puppet.

Talya
2008-05-01, 06:28 PM
No, you need a hand puppet.

This is full of win.

chiasaur11
2008-05-01, 09:14 PM
No, you need a hand puppet.

Actually, that's what made me curious.

Hmm...
Could you give false memories of Clerics of (insert name here) living in town previously?
That and some far off illusions might be a good start.

holywhippet
2008-05-01, 10:29 PM
Actually, that's what made me curious.

Hmm...
Could you give false memories of Clerics of (insert name here) living in town previously?
That and some far off illusions might be a good start.

Not easily. Modify memory only allows you to edit 5 minutes worth of memories. With patience and enough castings you could introduce enough 5 minute segments in order to make people think some clerics used to live in a town. But it wouldn't be easy. The main problem is having something to base the belief off of. You can't use the spell to make people believe the impossible. Clerics would require a temple to work out of. If no such temple exists, the target of the spell will just shake the spell off as a bad dream.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-05-02, 12:01 AM
You use Epic Diplomacy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/skills.htm#diplomacy) to make people Fanatic in their devotion to you, and then their worship turns you into a god.

MorkaisChosen
2008-05-02, 05:34 AM
That'd be an interesting one for the Epic Destinies thing on the Wizards website- using the Demigod destiny, but rather than having an inherent spark of the Divine, you've convinced people (maybe even, with an Epic Diplomancer, a God or two!) that you're a god and you get power from there.

Pironious
2008-05-02, 06:01 PM
Well, I'm doing it...

I'm playing an "Empire" game(3rd party book, all about a large scale turn based strategy for running a kingdom), and my ruler character is a Bard6/Warchanter7 who has convinced his kingdom he's a god.

The fact that he made a pact with an evil god, and proceeded to backstab said god and actually got away with it* helps. He stole a succubus to be his cohort. (Who is ridiculously useful. Most of the time she sits by his throne disguised as a normal human, while using detect surface thoughts and telepathy to mind-read and channel information back to her master. This plus obscene spot and listen plus a ring that makes her aware of any spell cast within 60ft of her makes her a great bodyguard. And she'd also make a great thief or assassin too)

His followers are all expert 1/cleric # (as many levels of cleric after their first level of expert) and function as his clergy.

Basically, he's set up with enough perform (oratory) and intimidate that his people are willing to follow him as a god. Add to that the fact that he's a 13th level DnD character, and he's got enough power behind to convince the average common folk.

There's a neat 2nd level vile bard spell, deals 2d6 damage a round for as long as the caster concentrates and chants (RAW it says it has to be a perform sing check, but the DM agreed that was stupid) Good for public executions, very flashy. Just a shame the average level 1 commoner dies first round.

However, as per deities and demigods, becoming a god isn't just getting followers. The actually requirements of getting divine rank 0 is purely up to the DM, but is usually something fairly difficult. So you cannot become a god simply by convincing the populace you are, unless your DM allows you to.

* See: Will be killed on sight by worshipers of said god

chiasaur11
2008-05-02, 06:03 PM
Not easily. Modify memory only allows you to edit 5 minutes worth of memories. With patience and enough castings you could introduce enough 5 minute segments in order to make people think some clerics used to live in a town. But it wouldn't be easy. The main problem is having something to base the belief off of. You can't use the spell to make people believe the impossible. Clerics would require a temple to work out of. If no such temple exists, the target of the spell will just shake the spell off as a bad dream.

Hmm...
How about a mention from a local cleric in a list of general deities, as a majorish one?

Or forcing defeated Gobbos and such to worship you or die?