Re-imagining the Bard
CROW3
Member
The Bard tends to be the red-headed step child in most CRPGs (and MMOs where they exist). Their skills are often support heavy, focusing on generic buffs, weak heals, and half-handed attacks that pale compared to other classes.
My theory is that we under-estimate Bards because we under-estimate the power of music in our lives, or maybe it’s too personal and any attempt to do something grand would come off as cliché, or trite. Either way limits the creative approach for a Bard’s skill, power, & capability.
So, I reimagined Bards as I would want to play them – meaning I would CHOOSE to play Bard over my typical classes: rogues, tanks, & rangers.
I started with music I listen to – not just to have in the background – but music I listen to that elicits an emotional reaction, what makes me feel sad or powerful, energetic or thoughtful, at peace or full-out blinding rage. Then I thought about actions associated with those emotions.
I was a competitive fencer for a number of years and would listen to black metal before every bout to get my adrenaline up. I fought harder, faster, and more focused. As a side note, I was also more dangerous, I quit after I broke someone’s hand during a match. So the obvious benefit are buffs & debuffs. A Bard can make himself and his allies stronger, quicker, more focused. They can also debuff instilling fear, causing confusion, or stunning someone silent.
But I wouldn't stop there... There is a literary device called ‘pathetic fallacy’ which basically allows a character emotions to manipulate nature, objects, or others. For example, I’m angry and can start fires (a dated reference to Drew Berrymore). So what if the music I create and play can move objects, can part water, can call lightning, heal a friend, raise the dead, manipulate energy, or stop time? This would push Bards toward some of the old pnp schools of magic: illusion, transmutation, alteration, telemancy, and psionics – all through the medium of music.
So to recap, my skills would revolve around a core sequence
I haven’t thought through all 16 combinations. But I’ll just take one:
What are your thoughts? What are some examples of a Bard you would find compelling?
My theory is that we under-estimate Bards because we under-estimate the power of music in our lives, or maybe it’s too personal and any attempt to do something grand would come off as cliché, or trite. Either way limits the creative approach for a Bard’s skill, power, & capability.
So, I reimagined Bards as I would want to play them – meaning I would CHOOSE to play Bard over my typical classes: rogues, tanks, & rangers.
I started with music I listen to – not just to have in the background – but music I listen to that elicits an emotional reaction, what makes me feel sad or powerful, energetic or thoughtful, at peace or full-out blinding rage. Then I thought about actions associated with those emotions.
I was a competitive fencer for a number of years and would listen to black metal before every bout to get my adrenaline up. I fought harder, faster, and more focused. As a side note, I was also more dangerous, I quit after I broke someone’s hand during a match. So the obvious benefit are buffs & debuffs. A Bard can make himself and his allies stronger, quicker, more focused. They can also debuff instilling fear, causing confusion, or stunning someone silent.
But I wouldn't stop there... There is a literary device called ‘pathetic fallacy’ which basically allows a character emotions to manipulate nature, objects, or others. For example, I’m angry and can start fires (a dated reference to Drew Berrymore). So what if the music I create and play can move objects, can part water, can call lightning, heal a friend, raise the dead, manipulate energy, or stop time? This would push Bards toward some of the old pnp schools of magic: illusion, transmutation, alteration, telemancy, and psionics – all through the medium of music.
So to recap, my skills would revolve around a core sequence
- I play music,
- That music results in an emotional response,
- That response grants me power in the world around me (i.e. magic, skills, etc)
I haven’t thought through all 16 combinations. But I’ll just take one:
- Bard/Fighter (Tellsword) –
- Basic Idea: A telekinetic weaponmaster. The first note draws my sword, the second note strikes at the enemy, the third disarms my opponent turning his weapon against him. A combo creates a whirlwind of steel. The steel heats with energy, igniting. The tempo increases, the music transcending individual strikes and parries until it flows like water – a river of flowing death
- Theme: Psionics, Telekenetics
- Examples: Jet Li in One, Alucard in Castlevania, Magneto in the X-Men
What are your thoughts? What are some examples of a Bard you would find compelling?
1
Comments
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I look at bards a little different to others, I think. Especially if you are talking about the lore of a world, rather than just the mechanics of it.
To me, a bard is a class that tags along with adventurers in order to gain insperation for some form of artistic expression. This is often in the form of music, but to be it could just as easily be spoken word (and there is history to back this up). At a stretch, I would also say that it could also be any of the high arts that they are looking for insteration for. A painting of heroic deeds is always going to be more interesting by an accomplished painter that witnessed those deeds first hand.
In order to facilitate this, the bard needs to be somewhat competent in combat themselves - but this is not why the group takes them along.
To me, the group is happy having the bard come along to ensure that the heroic deeds they are about to perform are recorded appropriately, but are also aware that the bard being present will increase the morale of the group, and help everyone else present be the best that they are able to be.
Based on all of this, I would be quite happy if music wasn't a required aspect for bards - as to me they are there to write music, not to play it.
To me, rather than the focusing on what the bard can do, the class should be focusing on what the bard can assist the others in the group or raid do.
If you take musical ternary form (A - B - A) then your basic skill A activates some ability/buff when you transition from A to B, and a different ability/buff when transitioning back from B to A. Now, if you give a bard skills A B C D E then that's way too many combinations for the brain to keep track of, so you treat Skill A as the motif skill, and only proc extra effects to and from skill A - maybe throw in skill Z that can be used as a "finisher" kindof skill. This would be more like a Sonata Rondo form (A - B - A - C - A - D - A - Z)
If you take musical Arch form (A - B - C - B - A) then there's an optimal order for the bard to use his skills, though the bard can use his skills out of order - but there's a mana penalty/no procs when he does so.
If you take musical Binary Form (A - A - B - B ) then your A skills can generate charges that your B skills consume.
I would LOVE if we took inspiration from Sonata form (Expo{ A - B } - Dev{ A } - Recap { B }) Where using skill A followed by B changes the state of your A skill to have added effects for some time, and once your A skills are no longer empowered, your B skill gets empowered for a time, and then you go back to an unempowered state.
Strophic form (A - A' - A'') where repeated uses of skill A enhance/modulate the skill
Finally you could follow modern verse-chorus form (intro - verse - prechorus - chorus - post chorus - verse - bridge - prechorus - chorus - breakdown - bridge - chorus - post chorus - conclusion)
With verses as typical attack skills, pre chorus as a skill that switches you in and out of chorus mode, in chorus mode your skills are empowered and more offensive, post chorus releasing a bunch of buffs depending on how much damage you pulled off in the chorus, the breakdown being your healing skills, and then a finisher skill for the conclusion.
Music is hard to break up into rules, but this is how I'd do it.
Different Class combinations:
Bard/Fighter (Tellsword, focused on enacting stories and inspiring allies by setting an example)
Bard/Tank (Siren, focused on focusing the enemies on himself instead of on his allies, while slowly draining them of their resolve to resist)
Bard/Rogue (Trickster, focusing on influencing his enemies and controlling the battlefield with his illusions, attacking enemies instead of buffing allies)
Bard/Ranger (Songwarden, no idea xD)
Bard/Summoner (Songcaller, focusing on enacting stories and summoning ancient heroes and creatures to fight for him)
Bard/Mage (Magician, focusing on illusions and supporting his allies by debuffing and confusing his enemies)
Bard/Cleric (Soulweaver, focusing on mending the bodies of his allies and strengthening their souls)
Bard/Bard (Minstrel, focusing on musical magic buffing allies around him and debuffing enemies: TRUE buffmachine)
Augmentations wont be able to change the core aspect of a class' ability. A Tellsword will have the same base abiltiies as a Siren
Lets look at an example:
Bard - Heroic Strike - The Bard lunges at his enemy, inspiring his allies and giving them enhanced attack and movementspeed for 10 sec.
Tellsword - Heroic Strike - The Bard lunges at his enemy, inspiring his allies and giving them enhanced attack and movementspeed for 10 sec. He additionally knocks up all enemies surrounding his target.
Siren - Heroic Strike - The Bard lunges at his enemy, inspiring his allies and giving them enhanced attack and movementspeed for 10 sec. He additionally taunts all enemies in an 5m radius around his target.
https://knightsofember.com/forums/members/winner909098.54
Maouw's idea of using different skill combos ("notes") to create different effects ("songs"), is a great idea and would probably fit the bard/bard class very well, for example.
I was thinking they could include some kind of guitar hero riff track to activate your ultimate abilities!
So if they can get more creative, and not wrap the bard as a "note casting wizard" it will be great; with of course the ability to use instruments.
As of the moment I'm still leaning towards a Orc Bard for launch...