Underated class

Dungeons & Dragons MPGN Mailinglist archive 1996-1999
1

> I have to talk about the most underated class of the entire BR setting: the
> bard. Have you noted how low is its magic might (compared to the ADD player
> handbook)? I think the lower powers are the result of the blood requierment for
> casting magic. However if the bard is an elf, half-elf or blooded, i allowed in
> my game full acces to spellcasting. Also, the reason behind the lack of bard
> regent is the control of the bard colleges. If i was a bard and that college
> had a special mean of giving me acces to another magical sphere, i would
> probably take it. Since i give a full blooded bard acces to all magical
> spheres, that requierement doesn’t apply anymore. What do you think of that?

I dunno about them being such a bad class as it is, although I agree
about the underrating. Bards in a Rjurik campaign are a very good
class to play because of the respect they engender wherever they go -
the guy playing the bard had a great time with that. Also, bards as
the ‘jack-of-all-trades’ or ‘none-of-the-above’ class can work
wonders. In my most recent BR campaign I had a halfling bard
chaos-bringing poisoner. A very cool character indeed, and without
the need for magic at all.

My 2GBs.

John R.

“Once I was a lamb, playing in a green field. Then
the wolves came. Now I am an eagle and I fly in a
different universe.”
“And now you kill the lambs,” whispered Dardalion.
“No, priest. No one pays for lambs.”
- David Gemmel, Waylander

2

I have to talk about the most underated class of the entire BR setting: the
bard. Have you noted how low is its magic might (compared to the ADD player
handbook)? I think the lower powers are the result of the blood requierment for
casting magic. However if the bard is an elf, half-elf or blooded, i allowed in
my game full acces to spellcasting. Also, the reason behind the lack of bard
regent is the control of the bard colleges. If i was a bard and that college
had a special mean of giving me acces to another magical sphere, i would
probably take it. Since i give a full blooded bard acces to all magical
spheres, that requierement doesn’t apply anymore. What do you think of that?

FRED

3

> I have to talk about the most underated class of the entire BR setting:
the
> bard.

I might tend to agree. I allowed a Bard regent in a particular campaign of
ours, despite the ruling in the rulebook, and it seemed to work fine. We
had a domain that was dedicated to the arts with towering arenas, a grand
bard college, and other dramtic arts type deal. The domain nearly
flourished with its entertainment value! People from all around Cerilia
would come to see the dramas and operas of this land. As far as the magic
is concerned, I allowed our bard to play the Gallant kit from the Bards
Handbook. This was the perfect class to play for the regent. She had that
+2 that could be applied nearly anywhere which made her a fairly tough
match in combat, plus with the spells she had studied (spells she had
gotten from wizards, found, or at the bard college) she was an awesome
character. Not to mention the fact that she flew up in levels compared to
the other characters. We pretty much allowed the old system for bards,
that any spell they found they could use (If they were appropriate level
for her to cast that is, of course). Anyway, we had a lot of original
things come out of a bard regent. Diplomacy was really good too. The Bard
is a good class.
Bondman

4

frederic lavallee wrote:
>
> I have to talk about the most underated class of the entire BR setting: the
> bard. Have you noted how low is its magic might (compared to the ADD player
> handbook)? I think the lower powers are the result of the blood requierment for
> casting magic. However if the bard is an elf, half-elf or blooded, i allowed in
> my game full acces to spellcasting. Also, the reason behind the lack of bard
> regent is the control of the bard colleges. If i was a bard and that college
> had a special mean of giving me acces to another magical sphere, i would
> probably take it. Since i give a full blooded bard acces to all magical
> spheres, that requierement doesn’t apply anymore. What do you think of that?
>
> FRED

As stated in some earlier message of mine, I’m playing a Bard in a
Birthright setting. She’s using the Blade kit, which isn’t one of the
ones listed in the Rulebook, but the DM said it was ok, so that’s what
she is. Ok, so she’s 4th level right now. That gives her access to
second level spells. So far that’s not a problem, because I am using
her spell abilities to “enhance” her “bladeness”. Typically she has the
following spells: Alter Instrument, Sound Bubble, and Deeppockets. Now,
she is unblodded, so when she has access to third level spells(hopefully
after tonight’s gaming session actually), I’ll have to be picking them
from the divination and illusion spheres. As I see it that’s still no
problem. I’m not looking at her spell ability as something to totally
off monsters, I’m using it as something to once again enhance her
“bladeness”.

It’s funny, because as a 4th level Bard, she has a THAC0 of 19.
Whenever we get into combat she will go into her defensive spin. Well,
once she was able to do the weapons display and run some monsters
off(that was fun too). Anyways, one of our players is a relative
newbie, and he wanted to know just what level she was to be able to be
such an awesome swordswoman, and I had to laugh, because that’s just the
effect she’s supposed to have.

I am notoriously poor at rolling attack rolls, so her THAC0 doesn’t hurt
me so much because she couldn’t hit a tree with the rolls I make
anyways. Ok, I’ll sum this up with the statement that she sure is fun
to play, I’ve got other stories about Eve, oh yes, now she calls herself
Eve Dragonsbane, but that’s one of the stories, and nope, it doesn’t
actually involve a Dragon, haha.

Take care,

Tripp