The Bard from The Strategic Review Volume 2 Issue 1
Nov 5, 2022 19:57:33 GMT -5
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Post by Bartholmew Quarrels on Nov 5, 2022 19:57:33 GMT -5
BARDS (From the Strategic Review Volume 2 Issue 1 February 1976) by Doug Schwegman
INTRODUCTION
I believe it is a logical addition to the D & D scene and the one I have composed is a hodgepodge of at least three different kinds the Norse 'skald" the Celtic 'bard" and the Southern European 'minstrel'. The skalds were often old warriors who were a kind of self appointed historian whose duty was to record the ancient battles, blood feuds, and deeds of exceptional prowess by setting them to verse much like the ancient Greek poets did. Tolkien, a great Nordic scholar, copied this style several times in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (for example Bilbo's chant of Earendil the Mariner). The Celts, especially in Britain, had a much more organized structure in which the post of Barbs as official historians fell somewhere between the Gwelfili or public recorders and the Druids who were the judges as well as spiritual leaders. In the Celtic system Bards were trained by the Druids for a period of almost twenty years before they assumed their duties, among which was to follow the heroes into battle to provide an accurate account of their deeds as well as to act as trusted intermediaries to settle hostilities among opposing tribes. By far the most common conception of a Bard is as a minstrel who entertained to courts of princes and kings in France, Italy and parts of Germany in the latter middle ages. Such a character was not as trust worthy as the Celtic or Nordic Bards and could be compared to a combination thief=Illusionist. These characters were called Jongleurs by the French, from which the corrupt term juggler and court jester are remembered today...
I wanted to put the Bard into perspective so that his multitudinous abilities in Dungeons and Dragons can be explained. I have fashioned the character more after the Celtic and Norse types than anything else, thus he is a character who resembles a fighter more than anything else, but who knows something about the mysterious forces of magic and is well adept with his hands, etc. A Bard's Lore percentage reflects the Bard's knowledge of legends, magic, etc. This is the percentage chance a Bard has of telling what certain objects are, what they do, their properties, purposes, etc. This percentage also reflects his knowledge of locales and legends outside of the dungeon; the referee must decide which places and legends a Bard would have a chance of knowing on the outdoor maps. A Bard's Lore percentage is especially accurate inside the dungeon for reflecting a Bard's chances of successfully delineating the properties of any weapon (its intelligence and ego if any and its 'pluses' etc.) and for correctly doing this a Bard receives additional experience points (generally 100 pts. for every point of intelligence and ego as well as pluses to hit). Note that a Bard does not have to draw or use the weapon to tell its intelligence, alignment, etc., since his knowledge of the weapon comes from legends and his experience in recognizing various types of weapons and armor, both magical and non-magical, as well as his excellent knowledge of magical runes. When a Bard attempts to describe the purposes of an artifact or misc. magic item his chances of success are at least halved, especially when it comes to items that the Bard himself cannot use. Not even the highest Bard can tell any of the books apart, and only a Master Bard will have any chance of telling the different kinds of necklaces and scarabs apart, although almost any Bard has a good chance of identifying a cursed spear of back biting or a shield of missile attraction when he sees one.
In regard to magical items, a Bard may not use any wand, staff, or rod other than those usable by Thieves and Fighters or every class. In regard to miscellaneous magic a Bard may use anything a Fighter or Thief may use or those items employable by all classes. Certain miscellaneous magical items work better in the hands of a Bard, for example a Lyre of Building negates the effects of a horn of blasting for 12 turns and acts as if200 men had laboured for one week when a Bard plays it. Pipes of the Sewers will call 1-100 giant rats in 1-3 turns when a Bard plays them. Since Bard's are a mixture of several classes (though they belong mainly to the class of fighters) they may benefit from many books, thus a manual of stealthy pilfering would give a Bard 1/4 of the experience points needed to reach the next level, the proper Librum would award 1/2 of the experience points needed for the next level, and a manual of Puissant Skill at Arms would award 3/4 of the points needed to gain the next level of experience. As far as damage from books goes Bards are treated as fighters. Bards may not use fighter's potions; however, they may read scrolls due to their vast knowledge of magical runes. All defensive pluses (i.e. rings of protection, etc.) subtract 5% from the Bard's chances of charming creatures.
Bards are basically neutral in nature though they may be lawful or chaotic. If a Bard decides to become lawful he will lose his thieving abilities. Bards and Druids are closely connected and since they both belong to the same sect each must aid the other if they are in need. Bards are usually wanderers and do not like to settle down, for this reason only a Master Bard may build a castle, other Bards are expected to find short time employment or lodgings in return for their songs and legends. Bards are extremely quick at picking up languages, customs, etc., and have a vast knowledge of cults, religions, and legends. Thus Bards are allowed to speak as many different languages as their intelligence score. Bards are limited to chainmail or leather armor. If a Bard chooses to wear chainmail his chances of climbing walls and moving silently are reduced to zero. Note also that a Bard does not receive +4 to hit from behind or x2 on damage.
A Bard is a jack-of-all-trades in Dungeons and Dragons, he is both an amateur thief and magic user as well as a good fighter. He is supposedly able to extract himself from delicate situations through the use of diplomacy, but since this does not always work he is given the innate ability to charm creatures. A Bard has the thieving abilities of a thief one half his level rounded off to the lower level, thus a Bard 11th level would have the abilities of a 5th level thief. Elves, Dwarves, and Hobbits may be Bards but cannot progress beyond the 8th level (Minstrel). Elves receive an extra 5% on their charm and lore scores and receive all the extra benefits of an elven thief. Dwarves and Hobbits receive only their additional thieving benefits. A Bard may use any weapon and for purposes of hit probability he advances in steps based on four levels like clerics. For purposes of saving throws they are treated like clerics as well.
The percentage listed under charm on the Bard's statistics table reflects the percentage chance a Bard has, at each level, of mesmerizing any creature that can hear his song. However, creatures of more than three hit dice, and men types (Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, etc.) of 5th level or greater, have a higher resistance to the Bard's charm. For every hit die above three a creature, monster, etc., has, subtract 5% from a Bard's chances of mesmerizing it. Likewise, for every level above 4th, men subtract 5% from a Bard's chances of mesmerizing them, and a Monk subtracts 10% for every level he has attained from the Bard's chances. Certain monsters have an especially high resistance to the Bard's charm, like undead, who subtract 10% off the Bard's chances of charming them for every hit die they possess, and Balrogs, who have a 200% resistance to the Bard's charm. However, in some cases a Bard's song may be very helpful, as in the case of the harpies' song, which the Bard can negate by playing. Some monsters even consider a Bard to be a great treasure and many legends are told of Dragons who refused to let Bards stop playing their restful melodies . . . A Bard may attempt to use his charm once per day per level. When a Bard attempts to use his charm he rolls percentile dice once and all those creatures within hearing distance (app. 60 ft.), except the Bard's own party, whose adjusted charm scores are equal to or greater than the number rolled are mesmerized. While a creature is mesmerized by a Bard it does nothing but listen to the Bard play, however, if it is distracted (by a loud noise, etc.) or if it is attacked the charm is broken. Other things affect the Bard's ability to charm; for example, if the creatures were previously enraged or if they are particularly hungry, etc., the chances of charming them may be slightly reduced. While a Bard has the creature mesmerized he may attempt to implant a suggestion in the creature's subconscious, these should be relatively simple suggestions in the case of low intelligence creatures, the complexity of the suggestion being allowed to increase with increasing intelligence of the charmed creature, in all cases it is wise to follow the guidelines of the third level magic user's spell 'suggestion' and saving throws are always applicable versus the Bard's suggestion. If a creature makes its saving throw from a Bard's suggestion (save as VS. magic) then it will immediately realize what has happened and more than likely attack the party. A Bard receives experience points for charming and suggesting according to the hit dice of the opponent (treat as an assist in most cases).
I believe it is a logical addition to the D & D scene and the one I have composed is a hodgepodge of at least three different kinds the Norse 'skald" the Celtic 'bard" and the Southern European 'minstrel'. The skalds were often old warriors who were a kind of self appointed historian whose duty was to record the ancient battles, blood feuds, and deeds of exceptional prowess by setting them to verse much like the ancient Greek poets did. Tolkien, a great Nordic scholar, copied this style several times in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (for example Bilbo's chant of Earendil the Mariner). The Celts, especially in Britain, had a much more organized structure in which the post of Barbs as official historians fell somewhere between the Gwelfili or public recorders and the Druids who were the judges as well as spiritual leaders. In the Celtic system Bards were trained by the Druids for a period of almost twenty years before they assumed their duties, among which was to follow the heroes into battle to provide an accurate account of their deeds as well as to act as trusted intermediaries to settle hostilities among opposing tribes. By far the most common conception of a Bard is as a minstrel who entertained to courts of princes and kings in France, Italy and parts of Germany in the latter middle ages. Such a character was not as trust worthy as the Celtic or Nordic Bards and could be compared to a combination thief=Illusionist. These characters were called Jongleurs by the French, from which the corrupt term juggler and court jester are remembered today...
I wanted to put the Bard into perspective so that his multitudinous abilities in Dungeons and Dragons can be explained. I have fashioned the character more after the Celtic and Norse types than anything else, thus he is a character who resembles a fighter more than anything else, but who knows something about the mysterious forces of magic and is well adept with his hands, etc. A Bard's Lore percentage reflects the Bard's knowledge of legends, magic, etc. This is the percentage chance a Bard has of telling what certain objects are, what they do, their properties, purposes, etc. This percentage also reflects his knowledge of locales and legends outside of the dungeon; the referee must decide which places and legends a Bard would have a chance of knowing on the outdoor maps. A Bard's Lore percentage is especially accurate inside the dungeon for reflecting a Bard's chances of successfully delineating the properties of any weapon (its intelligence and ego if any and its 'pluses' etc.) and for correctly doing this a Bard receives additional experience points (generally 100 pts. for every point of intelligence and ego as well as pluses to hit). Note that a Bard does not have to draw or use the weapon to tell its intelligence, alignment, etc., since his knowledge of the weapon comes from legends and his experience in recognizing various types of weapons and armor, both magical and non-magical, as well as his excellent knowledge of magical runes. When a Bard attempts to describe the purposes of an artifact or misc. magic item his chances of success are at least halved, especially when it comes to items that the Bard himself cannot use. Not even the highest Bard can tell any of the books apart, and only a Master Bard will have any chance of telling the different kinds of necklaces and scarabs apart, although almost any Bard has a good chance of identifying a cursed spear of back biting or a shield of missile attraction when he sees one.
In regard to magical items, a Bard may not use any wand, staff, or rod other than those usable by Thieves and Fighters or every class. In regard to miscellaneous magic a Bard may use anything a Fighter or Thief may use or those items employable by all classes. Certain miscellaneous magical items work better in the hands of a Bard, for example a Lyre of Building negates the effects of a horn of blasting for 12 turns and acts as if200 men had laboured for one week when a Bard plays it. Pipes of the Sewers will call 1-100 giant rats in 1-3 turns when a Bard plays them. Since Bard's are a mixture of several classes (though they belong mainly to the class of fighters) they may benefit from many books, thus a manual of stealthy pilfering would give a Bard 1/4 of the experience points needed to reach the next level, the proper Librum would award 1/2 of the experience points needed for the next level, and a manual of Puissant Skill at Arms would award 3/4 of the points needed to gain the next level of experience. As far as damage from books goes Bards are treated as fighters. Bards may not use fighter's potions; however, they may read scrolls due to their vast knowledge of magical runes. All defensive pluses (i.e. rings of protection, etc.) subtract 5% from the Bard's chances of charming creatures.
Bards are basically neutral in nature though they may be lawful or chaotic. If a Bard decides to become lawful he will lose his thieving abilities. Bards and Druids are closely connected and since they both belong to the same sect each must aid the other if they are in need. Bards are usually wanderers and do not like to settle down, for this reason only a Master Bard may build a castle, other Bards are expected to find short time employment or lodgings in return for their songs and legends. Bards are extremely quick at picking up languages, customs, etc., and have a vast knowledge of cults, religions, and legends. Thus Bards are allowed to speak as many different languages as their intelligence score. Bards are limited to chainmail or leather armor. If a Bard chooses to wear chainmail his chances of climbing walls and moving silently are reduced to zero. Note also that a Bard does not receive +4 to hit from behind or x2 on damage.
A Bard is a jack-of-all-trades in Dungeons and Dragons, he is both an amateur thief and magic user as well as a good fighter. He is supposedly able to extract himself from delicate situations through the use of diplomacy, but since this does not always work he is given the innate ability to charm creatures. A Bard has the thieving abilities of a thief one half his level rounded off to the lower level, thus a Bard 11th level would have the abilities of a 5th level thief. Elves, Dwarves, and Hobbits may be Bards but cannot progress beyond the 8th level (Minstrel). Elves receive an extra 5% on their charm and lore scores and receive all the extra benefits of an elven thief. Dwarves and Hobbits receive only their additional thieving benefits. A Bard may use any weapon and for purposes of hit probability he advances in steps based on four levels like clerics. For purposes of saving throws they are treated like clerics as well.
The percentage listed under charm on the Bard's statistics table reflects the percentage chance a Bard has, at each level, of mesmerizing any creature that can hear his song. However, creatures of more than three hit dice, and men types (Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, etc.) of 5th level or greater, have a higher resistance to the Bard's charm. For every hit die above three a creature, monster, etc., has, subtract 5% from a Bard's chances of mesmerizing it. Likewise, for every level above 4th, men subtract 5% from a Bard's chances of mesmerizing them, and a Monk subtracts 10% for every level he has attained from the Bard's chances. Certain monsters have an especially high resistance to the Bard's charm, like undead, who subtract 10% off the Bard's chances of charming them for every hit die they possess, and Balrogs, who have a 200% resistance to the Bard's charm. However, in some cases a Bard's song may be very helpful, as in the case of the harpies' song, which the Bard can negate by playing. Some monsters even consider a Bard to be a great treasure and many legends are told of Dragons who refused to let Bards stop playing their restful melodies . . . A Bard may attempt to use his charm once per day per level. When a Bard attempts to use his charm he rolls percentile dice once and all those creatures within hearing distance (app. 60 ft.), except the Bard's own party, whose adjusted charm scores are equal to or greater than the number rolled are mesmerized. While a creature is mesmerized by a Bard it does nothing but listen to the Bard play, however, if it is distracted (by a loud noise, etc.) or if it is attacked the charm is broken. Other things affect the Bard's ability to charm; for example, if the creatures were previously enraged or if they are particularly hungry, etc., the chances of charming them may be slightly reduced. While a Bard has the creature mesmerized he may attempt to implant a suggestion in the creature's subconscious, these should be relatively simple suggestions in the case of low intelligence creatures, the complexity of the suggestion being allowed to increase with increasing intelligence of the charmed creature, in all cases it is wise to follow the guidelines of the third level magic user's spell 'suggestion' and saving throws are always applicable versus the Bard's suggestion. If a creature makes its saving throw from a Bard's suggestion (save as VS. magic) then it will immediately realize what has happened and more than likely attack the party. A Bard receives experience points for charming and suggesting according to the hit dice of the opponent (treat as an assist in most cases).