So, how do you guys play Bards? They only get one pip in a weapon, correct? And significantly less spells than a mage. I understand the song does cool stuff, but as my PC I think I'd be disappointed just having my PC stand on the side singing.
Lots of wand use. Also I normally take some kind of a bow/crossbow proficiency just so I have something else to be doing (apart from these).
@shylaman What CAN'T you do? To begin with, the bard's lack of pips is actually a boon for the class. You have (at endgame) a LOT of different weapons to use. The bard can be made to use all the good weapons no matter who you have in your party, or when you get it. So they're the perfect person to give that shiny weapon to that *insert character name here* can't use yet. Or let them have that awesome weapon that no one else needs.
As for the mage spells, they're not true mages, I'll admit. But they're a support character. They're the perfect person for that identify spell or that non-combative buff that you put on everyone. Not to mention, for a first time player just imagine how handy it is to have that extra person who can cast a buff spell when you're suddenly ambushed when you weren't pre-buffed.
When it comes to the song, I don't actually use it much. (not the normal bard song anyway) The skald song and Jester song are pretty nice, but I prefer to be in the thick of it, fighting alongside my fighters and occasionally casting a spell to disable a foe before he can ruin the party. As for ranged and melee fighters, they can be effective at both roles, as they can use almost every weapon.
And if you're worried about their THAC0, think of this. Bards have high requisites for stats, meaning that your total roll is far more likely to be quite good than if you were playing as some other class. I've only rolled a 98 twice. Once was on a bard, and it took me only about thirty minutes of rolling. Think of that. 18 STR, DEX, INT, CHA. A couple of skill books and BAM. Unlimited spellbook, great STR bonus to THAC0 AND damage, excellent ranged attack and AC bonus, and you'll never have to worry about forgetting to cast that friends spell again. Not to mention, you'll get big bonuses to their lore from both their INT and their WIS. And a pretty darn good CON to boot.
Speaking of lore, they have incredibly handy support abilities as well. Ignoring the obvious bard song, you've also got their lore ability, which even on a skald/jester/blade will be massive enough to identify everything by max level. And then there's the pickpocket skill. Most people say it's a useless skill and you should just use potions of master thievery, but what if I want to get that shiny item and don't have the potion? Say my thief doesn't have any skill points in it. Guess who does. The bard. The bard will get that item for you, no problem. And unless you're trying something ridiculous (stealing Drizzt's swords), you'll never need any potions for it.
So how CAN'T you play your bard? I know I can't think of too many things I can't do with mine.
Actually I love the sword dance RP of the blade the most. Even though I'm a paladin and ranger at heart (according to most of those silly D&D quizes) I'm a very offensive finesse based bladework brute force spell casting type class. As I said, sure a fighter/mage might suit me more, but they don't quite get the same overall flavoring that the Blade gets.
The thought of weaving about (with 1 blade or two), taking the opportunity to attack when it presents itself, but otherwise patiently deflecting away attacks. Always ready to unleash a fiery torrent (or lightning bolt) at an enemy.
Ah, that my friend, well, truly finding that would take me away for good from my Cavalier stalker.
I guess another way to view how I envision my blade would be imagining a Kensai and an Invoker mashed into one character. Not for the OPness so much as the pure flavor. I was really sad in 3rd when bards lost all their Evocation magic =(
Edit: To be fair, a 2h wielding skald has always called to me as well. That's another play I haven't done yet but I think a CN, Longbow/Spear/Twohand Sword Skald who worships Tempus and the songs he sings often reference said God
@Dragonspear As long as you're not doing it for pure "I want to be overpowered while still playing a 'bard' huehuehueh" If you genuinely like the sword dancer style of role-play, then good on you! I honestly think it's pretty awesome, but the "must always be OP" crowd has soured me on the poor Blade. Maybe one day I'll make Kiel from Radiant Historia as my blade protagonist, since he's an awesome character who's a sword dancer. (Off topic I know, but Radiant Historia? Really good RPG. Like, seriously excellent RPG.)
To be fair, between this post and your thief one, I'm really considering an evil assassin playthrough and a good blade playthrough instead of my current runs. I feel that in terms of the Bhaal blood spectrum, the smartass NG Blade raised by Gorian in Candlekeep is the counterpart to the NE (also likely smartass, can't help some personality flaws from the person playing it) Assassin who just feels assassinating in her Blood.
Chances are both will be elf too, even though I have to EE keeper the stupid blade =/
I tend towards Elves and Humans for the most part myself. Never really got into halflings or gnomes. And I'm racist against poor dwarves. They're often limited to fighter and cleric only in my world
I think it's less "pretty" people and more that elusive finesse/tactic based fighter. Now I'll give it to halflings that due to their size they require that as well. And even though I "Main" a paladin in multiple things at this point, often with an all out assault playstyle (especially with 2hers), I much prefer tactical or finesse based combat choices. Spears for example are one of my favorite if underrated (and thus far never used in a BG run for my main character) weapon choices out of every game.
So ya, I don't mean to keep derailing this thread into random gameplay aspects or RP that I enjoy
Disclaimer: another reason I don't use halflings (like for my assassin) is because with their huge extra thief point spread it feels like cheating.
Ewww Dwarves. Hairy rock pickers. I have an elf Jester at the moment who will be using a spear, I wanted him in melee but not RIGHT in melee. He also has a crossbow, a seriously under appreciated weapon Bards are just beautiful as a support caster. I plan to outfit mine with the hastes, invisibility and glitterdust type spells that are better left off the more offensively minded casters. Not to mention I shall be hording every want and magical trinket I can find! Whats not to love?! Jack of all trades master of none is probably the most fitting description
Besides, his song causes mass confusion and panic... what's not to love?!
Much thanks to @LadyRhian for digging up the portrait to Her thread is AMAZING!
Thinking more about it, I think Spear will likely be used with my jester as well, simply because a well used spear outside of a forumation is also great at sewing confusion
Thinking more about it, I think Spear will likely be used with my jester as well, simply because a well used spear outside of a forumation is also great at sewing confusion
Exactly my thoughts! Besides, now you can use Minsc as a human shield.
That's what all my more superhero literate friends said. I'd never heard of him, but upon som research it looks like it may be not of him, but definitely inspired by him. From what I gather gambit throws cards, not dice, he doesn't wear a hat, and his stick doesn't have a pointy metal bit on the end(which you can't see in my cropped version. Here:
It's also way to medieval to actually be him. So there you go. Possibly inspired, but probably not of.
Oh, right, one more thing. I shamelessly traced the pic for a painting I'm doing, and I think this is more true to my character(it's not much different) but I'm not good enough at drawing faces to use it as the portrait.
The pic is of a character from wheel of time series "Matrim Cauthon" or Mat
Oooh... I think I may have known that. Now that you mention it that sound right. Funny someone didn't bring it up, one of my friends keeps going on and on about the wheel of time books, apparently one of the characters shares my name(not meagloth), and he thinks that's a big deal.
A poll about bards and no one posted The Bard Song yet? Let me rectify that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC7iR577OQw Edit: Voted Skald, because they have the best bard song till epic levels.
I prefer to play Blade usually, but Skald is more bizare. I've often contemplated soloing with a skald, relying on summons and song. Blade isnt REALLY overpowered, but s truly competetive bard is unexpected.
Blade because I always like my characters to be able to fight a little, in case they get cornered or ambushed, even though my style of playing a Bard is usually as support caster and crossbowman - with the Heavy Crossbow of Accuracy, even a rogue's feeble THAC0 is enough to hit targets pretty reliably. I don't often find the (ordinary) Bard song very useful, because I'll usually have a Mage or Cleric buff against fear before any major battle, so that the Bard can use his crossbow instead of singing.
Jester is also a credible option, for playing a more song-based style. Jester has always seemed to me particularly suitable (in an RP sense) for an Evil run, but I don't play Evil very often.
@SethDavis did you ever see the 3.5 Jester, from Dragon magazine? Weird but a bit of a powerhouse. Also the Gray Jester from Heros of Horror? Legitimately evil.
Also, that Clown is overpowered! In a good way. Great idea for a major villain.
I like the idea of the jester, a character who deliberately plays the fool. Others laugh at them, ignore them. And they use this against their foes, those who confused playfulness for weakness, those who ignore what's underneath the mask and those who think a fool is only ever a fool all pay for they ignorance
Ooh, you know what we need? Racial bard kits. It makes sense, different races would have their own stories, and ways of telling them, and kinds of music. It would be awesome. Also, we need music to play when we turn on the bard song, duh.
I once held a door open for a clown. I thought it was a very nice jester.
Woo woot, Bards represent! I can care less about power gaming superman butt-kickers, just give me acting lessons and a flute and I'll kick yer wee arse
Every kit is awesome. Blades are super cool but are the least bard-y, so can't pick them as my favorite. Skalds are cool, but don't really seem the Candlekeep type.
Jesters however... who doesn't love them? I ALWAYS make Garrick one of these because of my headcanon
But really... they all rule, even unkitted. Best class for coolness
Comments
As for the mage spells, they're not true mages, I'll admit. But they're a support character. They're the perfect person for that identify spell or that non-combative buff that you put on everyone. Not to mention, for a first time player just imagine how handy it is to have that extra person who can cast a buff spell when you're suddenly ambushed when you weren't pre-buffed.
When it comes to the song, I don't actually use it much. (not the normal bard song anyway) The skald song and Jester song are pretty nice, but I prefer to be in the thick of it, fighting alongside my fighters and occasionally casting a spell to disable a foe before he can ruin the party. As for ranged and melee fighters, they can be effective at both roles, as they can use almost every weapon.
And if you're worried about their THAC0, think of this. Bards have high requisites for stats, meaning that your total roll is far more likely to be quite good than if you were playing as some other class. I've only rolled a 98 twice. Once was on a bard, and it took me only about thirty minutes of rolling. Think of that. 18 STR, DEX, INT, CHA. A couple of skill books and BAM. Unlimited spellbook, great STR bonus to THAC0 AND damage, excellent ranged attack and AC bonus, and you'll never have to worry about forgetting to cast that friends spell again. Not to mention, you'll get big bonuses to their lore from both their INT and their WIS. And a pretty darn good CON to boot.
Speaking of lore, they have incredibly handy support abilities as well. Ignoring the obvious bard song, you've also got their lore ability, which even on a skald/jester/blade will be massive enough to identify everything by max level. And then there's the pickpocket skill. Most people say it's a useless skill and you should just use potions of master thievery, but what if I want to get that shiny item and don't have the potion? Say my thief doesn't have any skill points in it. Guess who does. The bard. The bard will get that item for you, no problem. And unless you're trying something ridiculous (stealing Drizzt's swords), you'll never need any potions for it.
So how CAN'T you play your bard? I know I can't think of too many things I can't do with mine.
Actually I love the sword dance RP of the blade the most. Even though I'm a paladin and ranger at heart (according to most of those silly D&D quizes) I'm a very offensive finesse based bladework brute force spell casting type class. As I said, sure a fighter/mage might suit me more, but they don't quite get the same overall flavoring that the Blade gets.
The thought of weaving about (with 1 blade or two), taking the opportunity to attack when it presents itself, but otherwise patiently deflecting away attacks. Always ready to unleash a fiery torrent (or lightning bolt) at an enemy.
Ah, that my friend, well, truly finding that would take me away for good from my Cavalier stalker.
I guess another way to view how I envision my blade would be imagining a Kensai and an Invoker mashed into one character. Not for the OPness so much as the pure flavor. I was really sad in 3rd when bards lost all their Evocation magic =(
Edit: To be fair, a 2h wielding skald has always called to me as well. That's another play I haven't done yet but I think a CN, Longbow/Spear/Twohand Sword Skald who worships Tempus and the songs he sings often reference said God
To be fair, between this post and your thief one, I'm really considering an evil assassin playthrough and a good blade playthrough instead of my current runs. I feel that in terms of the Bhaal blood spectrum, the smartass NG Blade raised by Gorian in Candlekeep is the counterpart to the NE (also likely smartass, can't help some personality flaws from the person playing it) Assassin who just feels assassinating in her Blood.
Chances are both will be elf too, even though I have to EE keeper the stupid blade =/
So ya, I don't mean to keep derailing this thread into random gameplay aspects or RP that I enjoy
Disclaimer: another reason I don't use halflings (like for my assassin) is because with their huge extra thief point spread it feels like cheating.
Bards are just beautiful as a support caster. I plan to outfit mine with the hastes, invisibility and glitterdust type spells that are better left off the more offensively minded casters.
Besides, his song causes mass confusion and panic... what's not to love?!
Much thanks to @LadyRhian for digging up the portrait to
Same kudos to ladyrhian for the portrait.
You've got one hell of a roll there though.
Also @meagloth your pic reminds me of gambit
It's also way to medieval to actually be him. So there you go. Possibly inspired, but probably not of.
Edit: Voted Skald, because they have the best bard song till epic levels.
also I agree it sucks that halflings cant be bards
http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Evil_Clown_(3.5e_NPC_Class)
That look merry to you?! HELL NAWH.
Jester is also a credible option, for playing a more song-based style. Jester has always seemed to me particularly suitable (in an RP sense) for an Evil run, but I don't play Evil very often.
Also, that Clown is overpowered! In a good way. Great idea for a major villain.
They are especially ***ass with the RR mod.
Woo woot, Bards represent! I can care less about power gaming superman butt-kickers, just give me acting lessons and a flute and I'll kick yer wee arse
Every kit is awesome. Blades are super cool but are the least bard-y, so can't pick them as my favorite. Skalds are cool, but don't really seem the Candlekeep type.
Jesters however... who doesn't love them? I ALWAYS make Garrick one of these because of my headcanon
But really... they all rule, even unkitted. Best class for coolness