tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162501819587879710.post3894366514834105122..comments2023-04-26T00:21:48.954+01:00Comments on Of Dice and Men: Bards: What Are They Good For?Ian Coakleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913819809213069717noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162501819587879710.post-25622490697320656712011-11-28T08:24:17.987+00:002011-11-28T08:24:17.987+00:00Bards can be taken at multiple angles, really. Fr...Bards can be taken at multiple angles, really. From a plain old Games perspective, I can see why folk call them Jack of all Trades because they can do a little bit of everything. So yeah, gameplay-wise, I can see why folks call them that. <br /><br />From a theme-perspective, well, yeah, they are alllll about the music and the storytelling and the gossip. Oh the gossip! And in certain D&D games, the Game of Thrones-style political fantasy, they absolutely rock. Or in investigative fantasy. So they certainly have their place.<br /><br />Harder to pull it off in your usual fantasy games, though.Shannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00456068019298922261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162501819587879710.post-18002339974758646622011-10-07T20:30:28.443+01:002011-10-07T20:30:28.443+01:00See, personally I don't buy that "Bards a...See, personally I don't buy that "Bards are Jack of All Trades" nonsense. To me the jack of all trades is the Factotum class. The bards fill a very specific and very well defined role - they are BARDS. Or if you want to use gamer roles they are second/support casters and party buffers. <br /><br />In general though, I feel as though Bards in D&D...are kind of stupid, mostly since it's just stupid that you're that guy with 300 skill ranks in Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate and what have you and you can just talk your way out of anything. That's stupid. But that's more of a problem with D&D and less with Bards. To me a bard should be someone who's talent in storytelling and performance should be what defines them. You should be able to ruin a man just by reciting a clever poem about how stupid or greedy he is - that kind of thing.Jenxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00804285765685473862noreply@blogger.com