Bards

[ewancummins]

I am curious about how you guys use bards in Ravenloft.

IMC, there's been just one bard thus far. That bard is a PC. Most of my NPCs are built with NPC classes. I may include NPC bards in the future.

[ewancummins]

I've been looking at ways to 'reskin' the PHB bard into something more like the AD&D 2E Blade bard, but without heavy mechanical alterations..


Behold:


Blade Bard for 3E-


As standard bard , but some class features have been renamed, and in some cases tweaked, as follows;

Flashing Blades (bardic music)
This works as per the usual bard ability, except that the bard uses Perform: knife and sword tricksinstead of music or poetics. Deafness has no effect on his bard abilities. He does, however require a bladed weapon on order to use his special bard abilities that would ordinarily require a bard to speak to speak or sing.

Sword-Lore (Bardic lore, with the flaw Frivolous Performer) He gains a bonus feat related to showy swordsmanship or blade juggling. He takes a -10 to lore checks on anything not related to Perform: weapons drill. This means that he could use his lore without penalty on a magic sword, but not on a magic suit of full plate or a hand of glory. )

Ring of Steel (counter song)
He strikes the flats of blades together, or a knocks blade against a hard object to make a ringing sound or rhythmic clatter. The “steel-song” ‘can counter the effects of magical music and noises.)

Dagger Dance (fascinate)
This works are usual, but with whirling steel instead of music or poetry. The effect is only broken if the bard’s use of the weapons becomes threatening or hostile. Actually harming anybody or shedding blood will definitely break the spell.

Inspirational Display (inspire courage)
The bard juggles a naked sword or makes some other sort of daring, impressive display with his weapon.


Required skill: Perform: knife and sword tricks (This covers all sorts of flashy moves with swords and knives, like juggling knives or twirling swords. It imparts no actual fighting skills; it's all for show.)

recomended skills: sleight of hand, disguise, knowledge:local, craft: weaponsmithing, intimidate

Recommended feats: blindfight, two weapon fighting, battle dancer (PHB2), intimidating strike (PHB2), dodge , mobility, spring attack, whirlwind attack

[ewancummins]

The blade is not really a great swordsman- but he's great at looking like one! He scares the heck out of mooks, impresses the ladies and gentlemen alike with his knife juggling, and maybe moonlights as a spy or assassin.

This 'kit' would certainly make liberal use of the intimidate skill in combat. I'd allow a +2 untyped (synergy) bonus to intimidate if his perform with blades skill were 5 ranks or higher. He'd have to actually show off with his sword or knife, or course!

[Jack of Tears]

The "Artiste" from the Book of Sorrows (in the article titled "classes of the damned") is a rather decent modification on the standard bard.

http://www.kargatane.com/

[ewancummins]

Hmmm, yes, it looks cool. I really don't run or play AD&D 2E anymore (although I still run B/X D&D).


I never bought off on the 'no bards in Ravenloft cuz bards are silly' thing. Bards are only merry minstrels that caper about in tights if you wish to play them that way. An AD&D 2E bard is an adventuring jack of all trades, with remarkable abilities in some field of performance(not always music, although that's typical). He's a petty mage as well.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I have a bard PC, and I've used a heavily modified version of Andres Duvall (the bardic lich from RLMCII) as her father.

I don't really see any inherent conflict between Ravenloft and Bards, and as far as I know that restriction only appeared in 2e's Domains of Dread, and was rightfully removed in 3e. I don't really do much different for my bard than for any other PC.

[Jack of Tears]

I don't have a problem with Bards in Ravenloft personally. Indeed, I ran a three year campaign in which the major npc companion was a Bard undead hunter and he was a very interesting character - adding both drama and the occasional bit of levity to the game. (he was a unapologetic womanizer and that occasionally got them in trouble) His "bardic knowledge" skill came in incredibly handy during adventures, as well as his thief skills, and spell casting - not to mention his countersong when they ran into that banshee.

I don't think I've ever actually played or run an Errol Flynn type of bard and never understood the general dislike of the class one sees in DnD.

[Deewun]

My first character in Ravenoft was a bard, so I have a soft spot for them. Of course, my DM got so frustrated with my happy-go-lucky Bardic ways that he cursed me to never again gain a level in the class after I one shotted Gywdion at the end of Shadow Rift with a duplication spell and that level stealing dagger from Death Ascendent. Heh.

But I see why they removed them. Thematically, they don't fit well, and from a mechanical aspect, they replaced it with a more "thematic" class in 2nd with the Gypsy. Seeing as I still play 2nd when I run Ravenloft, I keep this true. Bards as a class I find distracting to the setting, as they represent a carefree and "happy magic" attitude that just does not fit. With anyone being able to play musical instruments if they like, you can play a "bard" without the mechanics behind it, and I suggest that to my players if they are looking for bards.

Also, Artiste is a godsend, and a wonderful class. I've had one in just about every campaign I've played, they are so incredibly thematic and built very well.

[Jack of Tears]

Eh, it is all in how you play any class. The NPC I mentioned tried to be up beat, but he was a melancholy soul with a dark past, forbidden love, blood pact, horrible secrets, and hatred for soul draining undead. (he could never make a save against level drain - not once in his entire career)

In fact, most of my bard pcs have also had very serious sides to them ... in general I'm not a whimsical guy, I guess.

But melancholy songs, dirges, dark poetry, et. al. have their place in Ravenloft and can be used to cast spells as easily as merry jingles.

And Ravenloft isn't all about people being depressed all the time ... the darkness is best contrasted against moments of joy and merriment.

Bards, in one form or another, are a constant throughout history and I find it difficult to imagine Ravenloft simply being without storytellers, song writers, and soulful poets; even Edgar Allen Poe was a bard, (using poetry and storytelling as his medium) and you'd not have Ravenloft without people like him.

[alhoon]

Generally I don't use bards. Well, except of Kartakass.

[Strahdsbuddy]

Bards have been used as a base-class for two memorable characters IMC. My friend played Laxtan, a blade like Ewan mentions, who was known to pull a Zorro and leave an L on people's cheeks. I liked the blade kit a lot and thought it added a lot to the class by showing that not all bardic entertainment is rooted in strumming a lute.

Also, my GMPC was a loremaster, which was also from the Complete Bard's handbook. Sort of a bookish Indiana Jones type. I re-statted him as an expert when 3E came out, but kept a casting level just for kicks.

The Dirgist from Dragon 252 put a very Ravenlofty spin on the class, and while I never used it, it showed that with a little creativity, the Bard could be a lot more than just a court jester. Inspiring allies is something any class can do, but when it is your MAIN contribution to the group, there is more than one way to get this done An epic poem of being the first through the castle gates could both be inspiring.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Check out the original "Evening with the Fraternity" board, if you'd like to see what I did there with a Ravenloft bard. FWIW, Crow started out as an NPC contact for my players, who'd slip them clues and adventure hooks, long before he became my FoS avatar.

[Germaine]

Frankly, I see no problem with bards per se in Ravenloft, have used several, and think there should be a whole slew of them running around Kartakass- without the silly DoD caveat about them all being narrulv. That said, I feel the resources mentioned by Strahdsbuddy can go a long way in better adapting the class to Ravenloft. I find the Dirgist- which I believe was updated to 3E in VRA- rather interesting, and several of the CBH kits- particularly Loremaster, Gypsy-Bard, Blade, Charlatan, and Thespian- seem to me to fit quite well. Personally, I feel the Gypsy-Bard kit to be a much better option for half- and non-Vistana gypsy characters than the...ahem...less-than-impressive DoD Gypsy class.

[Jennifer]

Hi all,
I my campaign I currently have a Bard, a Blade to be precise, a kit from the complete Bards handbook.

It works rather well. He has a background as a circus preformer, with e knife act, eating swords and that sort of thing. Right now he is a bodyguard for one of the other party members. He is more able to fit in in the social circles his client moves in. He is able to have a conversation, he can protect his client and he does not offend the sensibilities of those he meets too much.

secretly he is a spy/ assasin. He is hired by a political enemy of his client to watch him. If the client goes too far or in the wrong way, he must kill his client.

Jennifer

[alhoon]

Well actually bards are an unfavorite class for me. They fill a niche in the Northern-Western European middle ages culture, but truth be told, I think their role could just be filled by NPC experts. Their mundane bardic music abilities could be made as feats for everyone having enough ranks in perform and that fills the gap of the guy singing the paian or playing the flute to inspire his co-warriors or distract (fascinate) people. For the rest? Perhaps a prestige class.

Still in Cartacas or "ancient Celts" setting they fit.