A few years back, in what is now the last published issue of Knockspell, I wrote up a bard class. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't all of that good either. Three years later I think I have a better concept of how to bring the package together, so it may be time to start doing so.
I've always had an attachment to the bard class. No, not the unworkable one in the back of the Player's Handbook, but what came later, in issue 56 of The Dragon. Now, that class might have been a bit overpowered still, what with a Fighters attack matrix, access to all weapon proficiencies and a powerful spell list, but it was the first time I remember seeing a character class in Dragon and thinking "it would be fun to play that."
So yeah, I want to make a Bard class that is fun, not over powerful and yet useful in the average party. This may be part of my month long "gaming content on the blog" project.
I sure hope so.
ReplyDeleteActually I am looking to add something musical to my Pirates Scoundrel. There are good abilities he can pick up at level to be like a thief and to be like an assassin, but nothing to make him like a bard.
I'll toot my own horn and put in a plug for the bard class in Adventures Dark and Deep. It's a class-unto-itself like the one in Dragon 56 (I was also a huge fan of that one when it came out), but with a lot more unique spells and a verbal patter system somewhat analogous to thieves' skills.
ReplyDeleteAdapt the 2e one, or the one in SR 2/1, which are near each other in concept. Why did Gygax come up with that don't-call-it-a-prestige-class, anyways?
ReplyDeletehttp://jdh417.blogspot.com/2012/11/fantasy-core-rpg-bard.html
ReplyDeleteI made up a Bard as an NPC class. Their value was in their knowledge and their ability to promote (or possibly defame) the characters.
http://jdh417.blogspot.com/2013/03/fantasy-core-ireland-setting-characters.html
http://jdh417.blogspot.com/2013/04/fantasy-core-ireland-setting-groups.html
Put them in the right setting and they make for really interesting personalities.
http://jdh417.blogspot.com/2013/05/fantasy-core-ireland-adventure-npc_2.html
Bard Sean Robbins, in the adventure, functioned as a great means of communicating area history and advancing the adventure.
I still run Dragon 56 Bards.
ReplyDeleteRead Manly Wade Wellman's Silver John the Balladeer stories. No mention of the word bard, as far as I've read, but he's exactly what I imagine an adventuring monster fighting musician would be like. Plus it's Appendix N.
ReplyDelete