tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829093857574761981.post222303819834925998..comments2024-03-26T01:17:49.256+00:00Comments on Roles, Rules, and Rolls: The Bard as HirelingRoger G-Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08594440701279968693noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829093857574761981.post-64379684740987708612014-05-07T22:38:32.146+01:002014-05-07T22:38:32.146+01:00normal men and men-at-arms might be musical. The s...normal men and men-at-arms might be musical. The same effect may apply. Scott Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12067161332003628237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829093857574761981.post-90700036730091181392011-10-06T16:33:45.831+01:002011-10-06T16:33:45.831+01:00I guess it all depends on how you cut up your cow ...I guess it all depends on how you cut up your cow - it's certainly possible to pass the abilities around the classes however you wish. My own experience at my own table has been to find persuading to be one of the core PC jobs, although I confess mostly in games other than D&D (to my D&D games' disadvantage, frequently - I find otherwise smart and lateral-thinking players get a bit of <em><b>Me Axe</b></em> syndrome when the PHB comes out).<br /><br />I'd buy all the figures I named as possible bards, given the breadth of the discussion about the class around here recently (Rients' inclusion of Gandalf strikes me as brilliant). I've never subscribed to the floppy sleeves and lute image. No doubt all that makes me off-canon - something I easily forget, sorry - and likewise in my not finding music to be particularly indispensable to the type.<br /><br />And sure, Byron. Why not, if we accept John Carter of Mars?richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13517340075234811323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829093857574761981.post-38391341850028669742011-10-06T15:59:07.917+01:002011-10-06T15:59:07.917+01:00@richard: All the archetypes you mention had day j...@richard: All the archetypes you mention had day jobs. Taliesin was a druid, Gandalf (how was he musical anyway?) a wizard, Will Scarlet a fighter, Byron ... Byron?? If you look back a few weeks at my one page character class system, there's a place for the high CHA persuader, but defaulting to one of the other classes. I don't think "persuader" is a strong or often enough used ability to warrant a whole class on its own.Roger G-Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08594440701279968693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829093857574761981.post-23572816694894993582011-10-06T08:08:46.549+01:002011-10-06T08:08:46.549+01:00Yes, this is a good idea, sort of the fantasy equi...Yes, this is a good idea, sort of the fantasy equivalent of shunting the <i>Cyberpunk</i>/<i>Shadowrun</i> computer-hacking-guy into the NPC role.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829093857574761981.post-43255478059789773882011-10-06T06:48:52.163+01:002011-10-06T06:48:52.163+01:00Nice idea!Nice idea!Gavin Normanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12362875699031245377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829093857574761981.post-233797263724327012011-10-06T04:13:10.941+01:002011-10-06T04:13:10.941+01:00Interesting thought.Interesting thought.Theodric the Obscurehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18201793290118146978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829093857574761981.post-43447037093786326102011-10-06T03:51:40.400+01:002011-10-06T03:51:40.400+01:00Great idea. I love it.Great idea. I love it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829093857574761981.post-3095440810605138702011-10-06T02:17:02.769+01:002011-10-06T02:17:02.769+01:00I really like this and am surprised I haven't ...I really like this and am surprised I haven't seen this before. Very good idea!<br /><br />-Jeff Queen (silentjudas)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829093857574761981.post-15773001920463930702011-10-06T01:03:59.910+01:002011-10-06T01:03:59.910+01:00You had me at 'Gabrielle.' I think this i...You had me at 'Gabrielle.' I think this is a great idea and I'm going to give it a try in my game.<br /><br />- ArkArkheinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04197738947435750745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829093857574761981.post-28855514323217895212011-10-06T00:37:19.978+01:002011-10-06T00:37:19.978+01:00Boswell and Watson are bards, I guess. But what ab...Boswell and Watson are bards, I guess. But what about Casanova and Cyrano de Bergerac? (the latter seems rather to support your argument by perversely/ironically stealing the protagonist's role from the lacklustre romantic lead). Byron? Will Scarlet? Is the protagonist appeal so easily brushed aside?<br /><br />I have a place in my games for the Persuader, a role which falls to the thief or cleric if there's no bard available. Trouble is, nobody trusts the thief and the cleric's often unwilling to negotiate with monsters. So while I hate the standard bard mechanically, without him I have a negotiator-shaped hole in my games (and correspondingly more violence). FWIW I also hate the fighter mechanically: he does nothing special, he just hits a bit better than the others. <br /><br />I see you're still not buying Taliesin or Gandalf as the class archetype.richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13517340075234811323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4829093857574761981.post-61114383312353751782011-10-06T00:19:41.147+01:002011-10-06T00:19:41.147+01:00I like this a lot. I was already going to incorpo...I like this a lot. I was already going to incorporate the music-for-extra-hitpoints rule because I saw it Nine and Thirty Kingdoms. But I love the idea of paying someone else to provide the music too. It makes for another useful hireling to act as a money drain and that might result in dramatic situations because of needing protection in combat. I think Nidus just got a bunch of horn and harp playing hirelings.Telecanterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07238356788092725244noreply@blogger.com