When playing the Bard as a historian, it's helpful to convince the DM to let you use Intelligence as your primary Bard stat. That has always been my issue with making Bards who are more than musicians
@@EmergentGM Yes, that's the idea. Int save proficiency, int-based spellcasting modifier, int-based inspiration. Admittedly, it is stepping on the toes of the Artificer a bit. Anyway, I just feel like knowing stories of ancient heroes and using them to inspire enemies requires a bunch of knowledge, not necessarily lute-playing. It's a weird gray area where irl you would need both stats to do it effectively. Also not all subclasses work for thematically for an int-bard. Like Glamour for example. Lore Bard is perfect though.
@jakubgodlewski9104 I see your point and I suppose there’s two ways of looking at historians: the scholarly research types (int-based) and the oral traditionalists (cha-based) types. Both totally thematic based on the core stat you want to run. But that’s just me. I’ve only played as the pro-wrestler bard lol.
@jakubgodlewski9104 as a forever GM it’s the most fun I’ve ever had as a player hands down 😂 In case your interested in the build: www.enworld.org/threads/the-grapplers-manual-2-0-grappling-in-5th-edition.468737/
I ran a bard as a 700 year-old elf. He'd been among the champions who'd defeated the Dark Lord centuries ago, but since then he's settled down, raised a family, been a beekeeper, a healer, a wandering vagabond, and a scholar. A new Dark Lord is threatening the land, and this ancient elf, while a bit rusty, is ready to guide this new generation of heroes to victory. He remembers dribs and drabs of all sorts of things (hence his range of abilities and high skill bonuses) and his "inspiration" is actually time-tested advice he gives his companions to aid in their success.
@trollsmyth I love that your character had the 'time-tested' wisdom earned from their own experience. I'd imagine it would make for really interesting RP moments.
Wow, I really like how you handle the "inspiration". My druid does this with "guidance". He takes out a scroll with relevant information and reads it to PC who he gives guidance to
I got a Swords Bard who is a noblewoman and military leader - gives great speeches, leads by example. She is also lawful evil and trying to use her heroics to further her families status and hinder rival clans.
@@EmergentGM Not yet - I used to play her on play by post servers (where her alignment really didn't matter at all), but plan on playing her in our discord campaign. But that's next campaign, and we are transitioning to Pathfinder. Which means, she'll be a dervish dancer with the same premise, but otherwise the same. The basic idea is, that she journeys the world, to uncover plots against her holdings pretending to be a wandering storyteller and adventurer, while her mother is left in charge. I do plan on being open about her lies out of character. She is not working AGAINST the party in the first place, but tends to make choices that don't make sense without that context, and I think its more entertaining for everyone involved if that is known to the player (even if their character doesn't). As for their characters... I'll have to work with the GM on that, but optimally the party will be able to piece together her allegiance before she is forced to do something irredeemable. Less optimally, that background of hers never even comes up and she's just the jovial party face with a surprising knowledge of that world's equivalent of Sun Tsu - but I'd have a lot of fun roleplaying that, so is it a Win-Win, really.
@Bigslam1993 I hope it works out for you and your group! It's a great idea and I know tying a great backstories into a campaigns are a tough act to balance. Would love to know how it turns out.
An idea that I've had for a bard recently is actually inspired by Neytiri from Avatar: The Way of Water. Namely in the form of his song is his family/tribe's history, and my idea is that over the course of his campaign, whenever he eventually gets to be utilized, he adds major accomplishments and tragedies the party may encounter to his songbeads.
@jacobking7840 Love it! Rather than a recounting the past, it's a ballad to the present. That'll keep things fresh for the party, especially if you troll the crit fails! LOL
The 2E Complete Bard's Handbook had several really good ideas for different Bards. They almost used the framework to create a series of completely new character classes.
@@EmergentGM DnD 2E. There was a Handbook for each of the core classes. The books provided a series of "Kits" to build variations on the classes. Most of these were quite small, but the Bard Kits were really radical. The Skald kind of survives as the College of Valor and the Blade as the College of Swords, but the rest have disappeared. I miss the Meistersinger, a Bard with animal pets.
@bukharagunboat8466 ooooh I remember those kits from Baldurs Gate 2! I didn’t explore the bard class during that time that’s why it didn’t sound familiar. But yes, those ideas were excellent. Kensai was a fave of mine at the time
My two favorite bard characters I've played, in short description. Dwarven bard who's preferred instrument was a timpani (look it up). He dual-wielded the mallets in combat as hammers. The timpani was on wheels, but one of the casters was wonky, so it squeaked with it rolled around and would pull to one side like a shopping cart with a bad wheel. Gnome bard who's preferred instrument was a one-man-band (again, might have to look it up). Couldn't sneak for crap, because walking around was always accompanied by a "boom, crash, boom, crash" with every step. For both characters, their personalities are probably exactly what you would think from just those descriptions.
@saldiven2009 I love the mallet as hammers in combat spin! No break from immersion and totally viable lol. I’m guessing the gnome used his one man band as an arsenal of ranged and melee weapons? Haha
I went 2 levels Paladin/12+ Sword Bard Dwarf. Background was easy to generate, began singing as he and his brothers joined battle. My Dwarf is so non-Bard that when a Lore Bard joined, there was very little, if not no overlap. A VERY fun character, riding on his battle boar. The idea was to create a Gish, that could be as strong a mele character AFTER level 10, as before, while having versatility. Fun as hell.
How do I love thee? *hack!* Let me count the ways. *slash!* I love thee with all the depth *bash!* and breadth *gash!* of my blade! Bards really have a lot of possibility that doesn't seem to be acknowledged as much as it should. I played my first bard in 3e as a cleric/bard who inspired the troops in battle (since that was 3e's main thing anyway) for a righteous cause -- liberating the elves from imperial oppression. Good video.
Thanks @MemphiStig! And 💯. I feel the stereotype has suffered overuse from both the player and GM side of things. I’ve got to reminder to myself that there are the Dandelion’s from Witcher, and the Gurney Halleck’s from Dune. There’s much to explore with a little imagination.
Swords Bard/ Swashbuckler Rogue - Sword Swallowing Juggling performer Valor Bard / Blademaster Fighter - the Bannerman. Blasting a horn on the battlefield to inspire troops
@@EmergentGM It's essentially an OSR game. Their character creation is pretty awesome. It uses playbooks to give the PCs a bit of customization. The Untested Thief, Nobleman's Wild Daughter, Assistant Bee Keeper etc. Each has a series of tables you roll on creating a back story and adding some stats and skills.
When playing the Bard as a historian, it's helpful to convince the DM to let you use Intelligence as your primary Bard stat. That has always been my issue with making Bards who are more than musicians
@jakubgodlewski9104 that’s a fair point. Although would that mean all your skill checks and abilities are INT based? Or just skill checks?
@@EmergentGM Yes, that's the idea. Int save proficiency, int-based spellcasting modifier, int-based inspiration. Admittedly, it is stepping on the toes of the Artificer a bit.
Anyway, I just feel like knowing stories of ancient heroes and using them to inspire enemies requires a bunch of knowledge, not necessarily lute-playing. It's a weird gray area where irl you would need both stats to do it effectively.
Also not all subclasses work for thematically for an int-bard. Like Glamour for example. Lore Bard is perfect though.
@jakubgodlewski9104 I see your point and I suppose there’s two ways of looking at historians: the scholarly research types (int-based) and the oral traditionalists (cha-based) types. Both totally thematic based on the core stat you want to run. But that’s just me. I’ve only played as the pro-wrestler bard lol.
@@EmergentGM Pro wrestler bard sounds cool as hell haha
@jakubgodlewski9104 as a forever GM it’s the most fun I’ve ever had as a player hands down 😂
In case your interested in the build:
www.enworld.org/threads/the-grapplers-manual-2-0-grappling-in-5th-edition.468737/
I ran a bard as a 700 year-old elf. He'd been among the champions who'd defeated the Dark Lord centuries ago, but since then he's settled down, raised a family, been a beekeeper, a healer, a wandering vagabond, and a scholar. A new Dark Lord is threatening the land, and this ancient elf, while a bit rusty, is ready to guide this new generation of heroes to victory. He remembers dribs and drabs of all sorts of things (hence his range of abilities and high skill bonuses) and his "inspiration" is actually time-tested advice he gives his companions to aid in their success.
@trollsmyth I love that your character had the 'time-tested' wisdom earned from their own experience. I'd imagine it would make for really interesting RP moments.
@@EmergentGM there were also some fun, "It's been, what, 200 years? At least? Surely they've forgotten by now..." moments.
Wow, I really like how you handle the "inspiration".
My druid does this with "guidance". He takes out a scroll with relevant information and reads it to PC who he gives guidance to
I got a Swords Bard who is a noblewoman and military leader - gives great speeches, leads by example. She is also lawful evil and trying to use her heroics to further her families status and hinder rival clans.
@Bigslam1993 that lawful evil twist at the end was brilliant! How’d the rest of the party take that?
@@EmergentGM Not yet - I used to play her on play by post servers (where her alignment really didn't matter at all), but plan on playing her in our discord campaign. But that's next campaign, and we are transitioning to Pathfinder. Which means, she'll be a dervish dancer with the same premise, but otherwise the same.
The basic idea is, that she journeys the world, to uncover plots against her holdings pretending to be a wandering storyteller and adventurer, while her mother is left in charge. I do plan on being open about her lies out of character. She is not working AGAINST the party in the first place, but tends to make choices that don't make sense without that context, and I think its more entertaining for everyone involved if that is known to the player (even if their character doesn't).
As for their characters... I'll have to work with the GM on that, but optimally the party will be able to piece together her allegiance before she is forced to do something irredeemable. Less optimally, that background of hers never even comes up and she's just the jovial party face with a surprising knowledge of that world's equivalent of Sun Tsu - but I'd have a lot of fun roleplaying that, so is it a Win-Win, really.
@Bigslam1993 I hope it works out for you and your group! It's a great idea and I know tying a great backstories into a campaigns are a tough act to balance. Would love to know how it turns out.
An idea that I've had for a bard recently is actually inspired by Neytiri from Avatar: The Way of Water. Namely in the form of his song is his family/tribe's history, and my idea is that over the course of his campaign, whenever he eventually gets to be utilized, he adds major accomplishments and tragedies the party may encounter to his songbeads.
@jacobking7840 Love it! Rather than a recounting the past, it's a ballad to the present. That'll keep things fresh for the party, especially if you troll the crit fails! LOL
The 2E Complete Bard's Handbook had several really good ideas for different Bards. They almost used the framework to create a series of completely new character classes.
@bukharagunboat8466 D&D 2e or Pathfinder 2e?
@@EmergentGM DnD 2E. There was a Handbook for each of the core classes. The books provided a series of "Kits" to build variations on the classes. Most of these were quite small, but the Bard Kits were really radical. The Skald kind of survives as the College of Valor and the Blade as the College of Swords, but the rest have disappeared. I miss the Meistersinger, a Bard with animal pets.
@bukharagunboat8466 ooooh I remember those kits from Baldurs Gate 2! I didn’t explore the bard class during that time that’s why it didn’t sound familiar. But yes, those ideas were excellent. Kensai was a fave of mine at the time
Why have I not thought to be a pro wrestler bard... 5E Ric Flair would be glorious!
@bweber1226 WOOOOOOOOOO!!!
multiclass with druid for proper NATURE BOY vibes @@EmergentGM
@bweber1126 redefining the term “nature boy” hahaha
My two favorite bard characters I've played, in short description.
Dwarven bard who's preferred instrument was a timpani (look it up). He dual-wielded the mallets in combat as hammers. The timpani was on wheels, but one of the casters was wonky, so it squeaked with it rolled around and would pull to one side like a shopping cart with a bad wheel.
Gnome bard who's preferred instrument was a one-man-band (again, might have to look it up). Couldn't sneak for crap, because walking around was always accompanied by a "boom, crash, boom, crash" with every step.
For both characters, their personalities are probably exactly what you would think from just those descriptions.
@saldiven2009 I love the mallet as hammers in combat spin! No break from immersion and totally viable lol. I’m guessing the gnome used his one man band as an arsenal of ranged and melee weapons? Haha
@@EmergentGM Gnome was more of a spellcaster/support; not great in combat.
I went 2 levels Paladin/12+ Sword Bard Dwarf. Background was easy to generate, began singing as he and his brothers joined battle. My Dwarf is so non-Bard that when a Lore Bard joined, there was very little, if not no overlap. A VERY fun character, riding on his battle boar. The idea was to create a Gish, that could be as strong a mele character AFTER level 10, as before, while having versatility. Fun as hell.
I'm a simple man. I see the Ultimate Warrior in the thumbnail of a video that he would hate to be associated with and I click. Well done. 🤙
@gollumandeowyn I aim to please lol 😂
My friend, who is very talented in poetry, once made a coolest bard. He spoke ONLY in rhymes :D It was so fun while it lasted :D
@SiberianOldPal Lol! Reminds me of my friend who used 90s pop songs as one liners every chance she could. Friends like these are gems.
How do I love thee? *hack!* Let me count the ways. *slash!* I love thee with all the depth *bash!* and breadth *gash!* of my blade! Bards really have a lot of possibility that doesn't seem to be acknowledged as much as it should. I played my first bard in 3e as a cleric/bard who inspired the troops in battle (since that was 3e's main thing anyway) for a righteous cause -- liberating the elves from imperial oppression. Good video.
Thanks @MemphiStig! And 💯. I feel the stereotype has suffered overuse from both the player and GM side of things. I’ve got to reminder to myself that there are the Dandelion’s from Witcher, and the Gurney Halleck’s from Dune. There’s much to explore with a little imagination.
Swords Bard/ Swashbuckler Rogue - Sword Swallowing Juggling performer
Valor Bard / Blademaster Fighter - the Bannerman. Blasting a horn on the battlefield to inspire troops
@rustlepalace-inn7229 tons of versatility for sure and love the swashbuckler + valor bard ideas!
This will be interesting to work into my Shadowdark campaign. I added playbooks from Beyond the Wall to customize PCs so there's wiggle room.
@johnmagowan6393 Haven't heard of Beyond The Wall. What's that about?
@@EmergentGM It's essentially an OSR game. Their character creation is pretty awesome. It uses playbooks to give the PCs a bit of customization. The Untested Thief, Nobleman's Wild Daughter, Assistant Bee Keeper etc. Each has a series of tables you roll on creating a back story and adding some stats and skills.
@johnmagowan6393 oh cool! Sounds like fun, I’ll check it out! So you do Shadowdark for the system and Beyond The Wall for characters?
@@EmergentGM Exactly!
@johnmagowan6393 noice! How would you compare OSR vs 5e? I have ideas but wanted to hear from others actually playing OSR
I play a criminal bard
I hate the horny bard trope
@RIVERSRPGChannel that's an interesting twist! more scoundrel than gigolo lol