Bard (Dungeons & Dragons)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| D&D character class | |
|---|---|
| Bard | |
| Alignment | Any non-lawful |
| Based on | Bard |
| Image | Wizards.com image |
| Stats | OGL stats |
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, bard is one of the base character classes. A bard is a versatile class, capable of combat and of magic (Divine magic in earlier editions, arcane magic in later editions). Bards use their artistic talents to induce magical effects. The class is loosely based on the special magic that music holds in stories such as The Pied Piper of Hamelin, and in earlier versions was much more akin to being a Celtic priest or a Norse Skald, although these elements have largely been removed in later editions. Listed inspirations for bards include Taliesin, Homer, Will Scarlet and Alan-a-Dale.
Bards were popularized in the computer role-playing game The Bard's Tale.
Due to the way many of their skills and class traits are based on NPC interaction, a bard can be a very entertaining class for someone who enjoys roleplaying a lot as well as the gaming aspects of Dungeons and Dragons.
In 3.5 Edition, Gnomes have Bard as their favored class, as do Dvati (an obscure race, comprised entirely of sets of twins, that first appeared in Dragon magazine #271).
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[edit] First Edition
Bards in First Edition AD&D were a special class that a character could not be at character creation. They could only become a bard after meeting a specific set of very difficult requirements, achieving levels in several different character classes, and then becoming bards much later. The process of becoming a Bard in the First Edition was very similar to what would later be standardized in D&D as the prestige class (in fact, the First Edition Bard was later converted into the "Fochlucan Lyrist" Prestige class in the Third Edition supplement Complete Adventurer).
To become a bard, a human or half-elf had to begin with very high ability scores: Strength 15+, Wisdom 15+, Dexterity 15+ and Charisma 15+, Intelligence 12+ and Constitution 10+. These very difficult requirements made bards one of the rarest character classes. Bards began the game as Fighters, and after achieving 5th level (but before reaching 8th level), they had to dual class into the Thief class, and after reaching 5th level as a Thief (but before reaching 9th level), they then had to dual class again to Druid. Once becoming a druid, they instead progressed as a Bard.
Bards gained a limited number of Druid spells, and could be any alignment which had at least one neutral axis, meaning Lawful Neutral, True Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, Neutral Good or Neutral Evil. Because of the nature of dual-classing in AD&D, Bards had the combined abilities of both fighters and thieves, in addition to their newly acquired lore, druidic spells, additional languages known, and a special ability to know legendary information about magic items they may encounter and a percentage chance to automatically charm any creature that hears its magical music. Because bards must have first acquired levels as fighter and thief, they are much more powerful at first level than any other class, save perhaps for unusual classes, such as lich.
[edit] Second Edition
In Second Edition AD&D, Bards were of the Rogue group, which meant that a character could not multiclass between the Bard and Thief classes. They also became a more integral part of the game, being moved from an appendix in the back of the Players Handbook to the normal listing of classes. This iteration of the Bard class was based on the version that appeared in the Dragon magazine article "A Different Bard, Not Quite So Hard".
A Bard required ability scores of Dexterity 12+, Intelligence 13+ and Charisma 15+, and only humans and half-elves could be bards. Bard was the only character class in which any non-human could advance to unlimited level, as both Humans and Half Elves did not suffer a level limit, unlike every other character class in which a demihuman could become. Later sourcebooks weakened the racial restrictions of bards, allowing virtually all demihuman and some humanoid races certain variants of the bard (such as the halfling whistler), reasoning that most races would have an analogous role for keeping oral and/or artistic traditions.
The Bard in 2nd Edition was essentially a weakened version of the Thief class which traded Backstab damage and certain thief skills (retaining only pick pockets, detect noise, climb walls, and read languages) for a limited Wizard spell progression and a limited ability to use special bardic music abilities and bardic lore, as well as the ability wear slightly better armor and use any weapon. Beginning at 2nd level, a Bard began to gain spells as if a Wizard, although at a slower pace (and without access to the highest level spells). Like wizards, they had to keep a spellbook and could not cast spells while in armor; however, they could learn any spell they had access to (as a mage would).
In this edition, Bards had the same alignment restrictions of First Edition, meaning they could not be Lawful Good, Lawful Evil, Chaotic Good or Chaotic Evil.
[edit] Third Edition
In Third Edition Dungeons and Dragons, the Bard class continued its change from a Druidic loremaster in first edition into a jack of all trades (retaining mainly the original Bardic Knowledge ability, an almost universal chance to know anything based on character level and Intelligence).
In Third Edition D&D, Bards now could be any non-lawful alignment, meaning Bards could no longer be Lawful Neutral, but now could be Chaotic Good and Chaotic Evil. This was explained in the grounds that a bard wanders freely and is guided by intuition and whim. The rules also state that a bard's powers are incompatible with law and tradition, although authentic historical bards were in fact keepers of traditions and knowledge; this portrayal of the bard might be due to misprision, creative or unintended, of the laws which put a bard above a common free man due to their erudition and place as sacred speakers of rote and history.
The current D&D bard, despite the roots of the word itself, is inspired more by wandering mistrels who were indeed considered "rogues" of a sort (for instance, attempting to earn free food and rooms at inns through doing odd jobs like killing rats, singing, or just wooing the bartender). D&D bards are described as not necessarily opposed to tradition, but to the staleness and risk of corruption that comes with a settled life.
Bardic magic also changed once again. Now, like the Sorcerer, the Bard casts arcane magic but without a need for spellbooks or preparing specific spells; unlike Second Edition AD&D, Bards are now limited to a list of specific bardic spells. Unlike Wizards and other arcane spellcasters, they can cast a small number of healing spells like Cure Light Wounds (a relic of the Druidic origins of the class).
Other abilities, like bardic music and the aforementioned bardic lore, were retained but overhauled to be more compatible with the streamlined d20 System rules of the Third Edition. Old abilities like Read Language became new d20 skills like Decipher Script, and the mix of fighter and thief abilities was retained in the mix of weapon and armor abilities.
[edit] 3.5 Edition Revisions
In 2003, the Revised "3.5" edition of Dungeons and Dragons was released, including several minor changes to Bard, which was previously considered a weak class. Bards gained a limited ability to cast spells while in light armor, and increased access to skills. Bards are the only base class with speak language as a class skill. Also, in this edition, Bard became the favored class for the Gnome race, replacing the traditional Illusionist.
[edit] External link
| Dungeons & Dragons character classes | ||
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Base classes from the Player's Handbook: Barbarian • Bard • Cleric • Druid • Fighter • Monk • Paladin • Ranger • Rogue • Sorcerer • Wizard |
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Additional/Alternative base classes: Archivist • Ardent • Artificer • Beguiler • Binder • Crusader • Divine Mind • Dragon Shaman • Dragonfire Adept • Dread Necromancer • Duskblade • Erudite • Factotum • Favored Soul • Healer • Hexblade • Knight • Lurk • Incarnate • Marshal • Mystic • Ninja • Noble • Psion • Psychic Warrior • Samurai • Scout • Shadowcaster • Shaman • Sha' ir • Shugenja • Sohei • Soulborn • Soulknife • Spellthief • Spirit Shaman • Swashbuckler • Swordsage • Totemist • Truenamer • Warblade • Warlock • Warmage • Wilder • Wu Jen |
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NPC Classes: Adept • Aristocrat • Commoner • Expert • Warrior |
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Unearthed Arcana generic classes: Expert • Spellcaster • Warrior |
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