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Do not RESTRICT the bard archtype to only being a musician
Marzzo
Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
I am aware bards during the 1400s to 1500s were often only connected to music. Bard even means singer in gaelic. But during the 1700th century, the meaning of bard shifted. The meaning is MOST ACCURATLY translated to "poet".
Bardh will most likely be the least popular class in my opinion. And while there are a lot of people liking the idea of a banjo playing singer in the battlefield, this fantasy will put of a lot of people. So what can we do then? The solution is simple.
The bard has 8 class options to choose from. Don't make all 8 of these music-oriented classes. This is uneccesary restriction. Remember, bards are poets. They dont have to be musicians. 4/8 of the bard classes can be focused around music in some way, but dont limit it to that, let the other 4/8 classes specialize at stuff outside music.
I really want to be a bardh, I never want to play music.
From the wiki:
The bard knows secret and powerful words, is able to speak into being terrible nightmares, or convince foes to become friends = does not need to be musical
Bards have often been portrayed as a musical class and while they can be that, many Bard applications may exist in just telling a story.
Bards will have a wide range of abilities to choose from, such as wordsmithing, acting, and musical aspects.
My wish
The bard/bard class should have a mix of everything a bard can do. The other bard classes should specialize it more.
Some of the 8 bard classes should have nothing to do with music. Not a single ability should have to do with playing an instrument, or singing music. I am very sure this would attract more people to the class.
Bardh will most likely be the least popular class in my opinion. And while there are a lot of people liking the idea of a banjo playing singer in the battlefield, this fantasy will put of a lot of people. So what can we do then? The solution is simple.
The bard has 8 class options to choose from. Don't make all 8 of these music-oriented classes. This is uneccesary restriction. Remember, bards are poets. They dont have to be musicians. 4/8 of the bard classes can be focused around music in some way, but dont limit it to that, let the other 4/8 classes specialize at stuff outside music.
I really want to be a bardh, I never want to play music.
From the wiki:
The bard knows secret and powerful words, is able to speak into being terrible nightmares, or convince foes to become friends = does not need to be musical
Bards have often been portrayed as a musical class and while they can be that, many Bard applications may exist in just telling a story.
Bards will have a wide range of abilities to choose from, such as wordsmithing, acting, and musical aspects.
My wish
The bard/bard class should have a mix of everything a bard can do. The other bard classes should specialize it more.
Some of the 8 bard classes should have nothing to do with music. Not a single ability should have to do with playing an instrument, or singing music. I am very sure this would attract more people to the class.
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Comments
Hopefully we will see lots of bearded bards in boots, bringing beer, beating beasts & blearing the beat!
If bard A is music and ability 1 plays a heavy beat for say a damage buff. Than what will bard B do? Recite a poem or limerick?
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This is something I am personally very happy with.
What does music do? Raise morale, while the tune is being played.
Now a Bardh without music might grant longer lasting buffs, might curse enemies or trick them.
In the middle of a siege's battlefield, a bard paces slowly with forlorn expression speaking to a skull in his hand and gesturing wildly with the other.
Three soldiers are sitting huddled before him, captivated by his performance, weapons on the ground.
I cast words of power "why is one hitting thy self"
does that make harlequins max level bards?
I'd like to add that the skull's probably somewhat charred on the outside due to fire magic burning the flesh & hair away in an instant, while the inside's still rare ~ medium rare, with blood still dripping from where used to be the neck. Apparently the mage who threw that fireball's also a master chef.
Now I can see perfectly why the soldiers are sitting huddled before him.
Anyway, yup definitely plz go beyond the typical bards=musicians stereotype. As others have mentioned already bards are more like storytellers (or Loremasters?), I won't be surprised if they can pull a super-ancient draconic / rune magic or two... that buffs ppl.
To be honest I would even love to see bards have to weave together different spell/songs ocarina of time style by playing different note patterns, but maybe that's a little unlikely.
the bind bard<=>music mainly comes from (i think) D&D... where Wizard of the Coast... did one of its many big, stupid mistakes on bard. While presenting bard as artist, they made all bard capacity bind to... music. while i can understand to not include dance (because the friend/victim have to see/hear the artpiece the bard use to do magic for the system logic in DD) the sound can be far more way than music.
I just want one thing in games : the bard has to be artist, and skill around it. If it is stick to music (with a lore logic) i am find with it, any artistic sound, ok. dance ? also. But not like most pen&paper player does play the bard : a character based on dexterity/agility, with big charism. and just saying "i use this skill to boost this rogue stats" ... Not it has to be an artist first !