To any loyal readers out there - while you are waiting for updates or posts to this blog check out these other campagin blogs featuring the same players:
www.imperativevoyage.blogspot.com
www.mouthus.blogspot.com
or check out the group's poorly contrived website at
www.adventurersguild.weebly.com
Showing posts with label Non-Game Related. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Non-Game Related. Show all posts
Friday, December 3, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
TOP 10 NPCs
I started playing the 2nd Edition of D&D in 7th grade, and continued through my sophomore year in high school, at which point too many people lost interest in the effort it took to get together for us to continue playing regularly. In the Spring of 2001, Jake introduced me to 3rd Edition, and graciously added me as a player in his veteran game, whereupon I had the time of my life, and a dormant passion was renewed.
Over the last nine years, I’ve played in nine games and run six of my own, and while I’m fond of many of the characters I’ve played, the most communal experience our group has as players is shared fondness / disdain for particular NPC’s that have crossed our path on one or more occasions. The following is a list of the top ten NPC’s we’ve encountered over the last decade, and why I feel they are / were so special (HINT: the secret to a great NPC is the way you react to them and how it inspires you to play as a character).
10. El-Hamanid, Created by: Dave, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: DuPontaine Swashbucklers
The bait and switch is a classic NPC tactic – create an NPC ally / acquaintance who the players come to trust, only to have them turn out to be the “big bad guy” they fight in the end. Of all the bait and switch NPCs I’ve encountered as a player, El-Hamanid was definitely the most unexpected. The reason for this was probably Dave’s ability to immerse us in a world of intrigue where we suspected everyone else. To us, El-Hamanid was simply Trader Joe, a completely different NPC staple – the universal shopkeep. For the first time in my playing history, though, the shopkeep did it.
9. Herb, Created by: Chris, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: The Fantabulous Mage-a-Tron
Herb was your classic wise man – lives in a small town, knows every secret in the game, is folksy and charming. But Chris’ specialty is folksy and charming, which gave Herb a twinkle Burl Ives couldn’t manage. In a world of high fantasy and magic, Chris’ hardy, New England farmer take on Herb was so convincing that I’ve often found myself wishing he were real so I could go to him for the answers.
8. Malkawa, Created by: Joey, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: Mouthus’ Journal
Every Star Wars game that takes place in the Old Republic era is bound to have a Jedi mentor in it. Malkawa could have been that mentor, were she not surrounded by a group hell-bent on re-routing the moral compass of the galaxy to their own whims. In the defense of the players, Malkawa was pretty insufferable; she was a Wookiiee, which made it difficult for her to communicate with most of the players, and she had a tendency towards righteous indignation that rubbed many of the players (particularly Chris and Daniel) the wrong way. I have no doubt that many will disagree about her inclusion; however, her influence alone kept the party from descending into a complete moral vacuum – once she was written out of the game, the criminal elements reigned supreme.
7. Jesus (Egg Pilot Edition), Created by: Dave, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: The Rapture
Jesus in an egg jumped every possible shark imaginable in Dave’s D20 future setting, propelling the story towards a speedy and premature conclusion. While this was regrettable, the character in itself was something of a masterstroke, and indelibly a creation of his DM. Dave’s Jesus was painted in the broad strokes of a Washington Post political cartoon – confused, out of sorts, and blindly poking at straws, the savior of mankind didn’t so much orchestrate his deification as he did stumble into it.
6. Soljus, Created by: Joey, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: The Dominici, The Fantabulous Mage-a-Tron, The DOPP
Soljus is a hybrid character, and this is important because his genius lies not in his creation so much as his development. When he first appeared in my Dominici game, Soljus was a common criminal polymorphed into a monkey by an Archmage; he later regained his human form only to become a monkey again later. In Chris’ hands, he took on a new life: Soljus’ curse was more than just a new form – he was granted an unnaturally long life, and lived so long that wisdom at long last found him after years of stubborn refusal. In my opinion, this makes him a truly amazing NPC – one who achieved real growth and change.
5. Doogal, Created by: Jacob, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: The Order of the Abbey
The top 5 is crowded with Jake’s creations, and few can compare to Doogal. Doogal has been the subject of more discussion than any other NPC I can remember. We respect him, but we fear his potential. Some want to kill him, while others see his value as an ally. Doogal has caused us more trouble than any other NPC on this list, and yet of anyone who has enjoyed “bad guy” status with PC’s, there are few characters we’ve wanted to kill less (with the notable exception of Dave, who kind of wants to kill everyone), and yet in spite of that, we’ve killed him twice. We’ve also spent hours of our lives discussing politics, playing concerts with, and just trying to outwit the guy. Plus, Doogal is the Doogie Howser of international commerce warfare. That concept alone has to be unique to the modern role-playing game.
4. Charles Fox, Created by: Jacob, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: Most of them.
Charles Fox is the epitome of the recurring character. He’s appeared in most of Jake’s games, and most of Chris’s games as well. He’s the frustrating, cryptic, elusive mysterious man in the forest, yet he’s witty, urbane, and quite possibly smarter than everyone else in this joint. In his purest form, Fox is the least fractured element of Jake’s personality when he’s running a game – a moment for him to step in and say, “guys, I know the players determine the direction of the game, but you really need a tour guide right now.” The funny thing is, a character like that (who inevitably leads you around by the nose to where the DM wants you to be) is typically boring, predictable, and makes the game less fun. Charles Fox not only contradicts those traits, he defies your expectations at every turn. That’s special.
3. Father Pious, Created by: Chris, Games in which NPC appeared: The DOPP
The DOPP were men of science. Father Pious was a man of faith. These two forces will butt heads, and the results will not be pretty – it’s that simple. That story has been told over and over, and the dichotomy works when you’re deeply involved in the story, but to an outside observer, it’s rote. Not Father Pious. Perhaps it was his real world inspiration (a priest we knew from our Catholic college days) that brought Father Pious so vividly to life, but I don’t think that really gets to the heart of the matter, because the player who got the most of out of Pious was the one of us who had never met the real guy. Once again, it was a vivid, imaginative, and detailed performance on the part of the DM that gave Father Pious that spark, and made him the enemy you most love to hate.
2. Nordogast, Created by: Joey, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: Con-Agra, Superheroes, Mouthus’ Journal, Serenity (infant cameo)
Nordogast was a true asshole, and you loved him for it. The key to Nordogast is that he was basically a PC – albeit a powerful PC with seemingly unlimited resources. It’s just that Nordogast was playing a different game than the one the players were involved in, and when he crossed paths with you, you were typically after the same MacGuffin. If you weren’t on opposing sides, however, Nordogast was the kind of guy you might like to sit down and have a drink with. In every game in which he has appeared, Nordogast has survived his first encounter with the PC’s (and always from the approach that he is a bad guy) by talking his way into their good graces. You know things will end badly. You know he is planning to screw you. You know you should just kill him now. But you can’t help yourself. It’s Nordogast.
1. Malus (Captain Evil), Created by: Jacob, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: Ravensfeast Trio, The Valley of the Fallen Stars, The Order of the Abbey
The first time PCs met Captain Evil, he was popping the head off of a 5th level cleric and marching towards a fight with a Vecna high-priest that promised to be so bad, the players opted to destroy the entire city in lieu of witnessing it. It would be easy to dismiss Captain Evil as a pile of cool stuff on a high-level warrior, but that would serve to underestimate the guy’s effect – the dude made our knees tremble no matter what level we were, and it was every inch attitude. A man who ate war, death, and destruction for breakfast, Captain Evil has seen and endured more mind-bending grief and torture than you or I could ever imagine. Even the admittedly ridiculous nickname we gave him way back at the beginning cannot mitigate the terror that comes with facing off with this guy. In his time, he has been associated with or appeared alongside some major baddies – Linus, the Horned King, Voltare, Visgoth, Asgaroth (Jake’s no slouch when it comes to scary-ass villains) – but if you were to ask us who’s the one guy we’re scared to fight? Look no further.
Honorable Mention: Celeron, Wyfierd (Galathian), Jeanette Tiso, Garam, Brown Tornado, Goldschmiddt, Won-Huong Lo, The Horned King
Over the last nine years, I’ve played in nine games and run six of my own, and while I’m fond of many of the characters I’ve played, the most communal experience our group has as players is shared fondness / disdain for particular NPC’s that have crossed our path on one or more occasions. The following is a list of the top ten NPC’s we’ve encountered over the last decade, and why I feel they are / were so special (HINT: the secret to a great NPC is the way you react to them and how it inspires you to play as a character).
10. El-Hamanid, Created by: Dave, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: DuPontaine Swashbucklers
The bait and switch is a classic NPC tactic – create an NPC ally / acquaintance who the players come to trust, only to have them turn out to be the “big bad guy” they fight in the end. Of all the bait and switch NPCs I’ve encountered as a player, El-Hamanid was definitely the most unexpected. The reason for this was probably Dave’s ability to immerse us in a world of intrigue where we suspected everyone else. To us, El-Hamanid was simply Trader Joe, a completely different NPC staple – the universal shopkeep. For the first time in my playing history, though, the shopkeep did it.
9. Herb, Created by: Chris, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: The Fantabulous Mage-a-Tron
Herb was your classic wise man – lives in a small town, knows every secret in the game, is folksy and charming. But Chris’ specialty is folksy and charming, which gave Herb a twinkle Burl Ives couldn’t manage. In a world of high fantasy and magic, Chris’ hardy, New England farmer take on Herb was so convincing that I’ve often found myself wishing he were real so I could go to him for the answers.
8. Malkawa, Created by: Joey, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: Mouthus’ Journal
Every Star Wars game that takes place in the Old Republic era is bound to have a Jedi mentor in it. Malkawa could have been that mentor, were she not surrounded by a group hell-bent on re-routing the moral compass of the galaxy to their own whims. In the defense of the players, Malkawa was pretty insufferable; she was a Wookiiee, which made it difficult for her to communicate with most of the players, and she had a tendency towards righteous indignation that rubbed many of the players (particularly Chris and Daniel) the wrong way. I have no doubt that many will disagree about her inclusion; however, her influence alone kept the party from descending into a complete moral vacuum – once she was written out of the game, the criminal elements reigned supreme.
7. Jesus (Egg Pilot Edition), Created by: Dave, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: The Rapture
Jesus in an egg jumped every possible shark imaginable in Dave’s D20 future setting, propelling the story towards a speedy and premature conclusion. While this was regrettable, the character in itself was something of a masterstroke, and indelibly a creation of his DM. Dave’s Jesus was painted in the broad strokes of a Washington Post political cartoon – confused, out of sorts, and blindly poking at straws, the savior of mankind didn’t so much orchestrate his deification as he did stumble into it.
6. Soljus, Created by: Joey, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: The Dominici, The Fantabulous Mage-a-Tron, The DOPP
Soljus is a hybrid character, and this is important because his genius lies not in his creation so much as his development. When he first appeared in my Dominici game, Soljus was a common criminal polymorphed into a monkey by an Archmage; he later regained his human form only to become a monkey again later. In Chris’ hands, he took on a new life: Soljus’ curse was more than just a new form – he was granted an unnaturally long life, and lived so long that wisdom at long last found him after years of stubborn refusal. In my opinion, this makes him a truly amazing NPC – one who achieved real growth and change.
5. Doogal, Created by: Jacob, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: The Order of the Abbey
The top 5 is crowded with Jake’s creations, and few can compare to Doogal. Doogal has been the subject of more discussion than any other NPC I can remember. We respect him, but we fear his potential. Some want to kill him, while others see his value as an ally. Doogal has caused us more trouble than any other NPC on this list, and yet of anyone who has enjoyed “bad guy” status with PC’s, there are few characters we’ve wanted to kill less (with the notable exception of Dave, who kind of wants to kill everyone), and yet in spite of that, we’ve killed him twice. We’ve also spent hours of our lives discussing politics, playing concerts with, and just trying to outwit the guy. Plus, Doogal is the Doogie Howser of international commerce warfare. That concept alone has to be unique to the modern role-playing game.
4. Charles Fox, Created by: Jacob, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: Most of them.
Charles Fox is the epitome of the recurring character. He’s appeared in most of Jake’s games, and most of Chris’s games as well. He’s the frustrating, cryptic, elusive mysterious man in the forest, yet he’s witty, urbane, and quite possibly smarter than everyone else in this joint. In his purest form, Fox is the least fractured element of Jake’s personality when he’s running a game – a moment for him to step in and say, “guys, I know the players determine the direction of the game, but you really need a tour guide right now.” The funny thing is, a character like that (who inevitably leads you around by the nose to where the DM wants you to be) is typically boring, predictable, and makes the game less fun. Charles Fox not only contradicts those traits, he defies your expectations at every turn. That’s special.
3. Father Pious, Created by: Chris, Games in which NPC appeared: The DOPP
The DOPP were men of science. Father Pious was a man of faith. These two forces will butt heads, and the results will not be pretty – it’s that simple. That story has been told over and over, and the dichotomy works when you’re deeply involved in the story, but to an outside observer, it’s rote. Not Father Pious. Perhaps it was his real world inspiration (a priest we knew from our Catholic college days) that brought Father Pious so vividly to life, but I don’t think that really gets to the heart of the matter, because the player who got the most of out of Pious was the one of us who had never met the real guy. Once again, it was a vivid, imaginative, and detailed performance on the part of the DM that gave Father Pious that spark, and made him the enemy you most love to hate.
2. Nordogast, Created by: Joey, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: Con-Agra, Superheroes, Mouthus’ Journal, Serenity (infant cameo)
Nordogast was a true asshole, and you loved him for it. The key to Nordogast is that he was basically a PC – albeit a powerful PC with seemingly unlimited resources. It’s just that Nordogast was playing a different game than the one the players were involved in, and when he crossed paths with you, you were typically after the same MacGuffin. If you weren’t on opposing sides, however, Nordogast was the kind of guy you might like to sit down and have a drink with. In every game in which he has appeared, Nordogast has survived his first encounter with the PC’s (and always from the approach that he is a bad guy) by talking his way into their good graces. You know things will end badly. You know he is planning to screw you. You know you should just kill him now. But you can’t help yourself. It’s Nordogast.
1. Malus (Captain Evil), Created by: Jacob, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: Ravensfeast Trio, The Valley of the Fallen Stars, The Order of the Abbey
The first time PCs met Captain Evil, he was popping the head off of a 5th level cleric and marching towards a fight with a Vecna high-priest that promised to be so bad, the players opted to destroy the entire city in lieu of witnessing it. It would be easy to dismiss Captain Evil as a pile of cool stuff on a high-level warrior, but that would serve to underestimate the guy’s effect – the dude made our knees tremble no matter what level we were, and it was every inch attitude. A man who ate war, death, and destruction for breakfast, Captain Evil has seen and endured more mind-bending grief and torture than you or I could ever imagine. Even the admittedly ridiculous nickname we gave him way back at the beginning cannot mitigate the terror that comes with facing off with this guy. In his time, he has been associated with or appeared alongside some major baddies – Linus, the Horned King, Voltare, Visgoth, Asgaroth (Jake’s no slouch when it comes to scary-ass villains) – but if you were to ask us who’s the one guy we’re scared to fight? Look no further.
Honorable Mention: Celeron, Wyfierd (Galathian), Jeanette Tiso, Garam, Brown Tornado, Goldschmiddt, Won-Huong Lo, The Horned King
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Decisions, Decisions
I've started putting some of our game material up at a website called http://www.obsidianportal.com/.
Obsidian Portal is a site that's designed to host D&D games - in addition to a blog (or adventure log), it gives you a wiki, an NPC tracker, space to put maps, a campaign overview, and all that jazz I've been doing amateurishly over here. It would really be the ideal space to follow the game.
However, I like the ease of the blog. Sure, I can't get that fancy with it, but I don't know that I'll get rid of The Adventures of Floyd Fiftynames simply because most (of the what, eight?) readers of this blog will not want to go to the trouble of creating a profile for Obsidian Portal, and then wade through all the other stuff to get to our game. This blog, on the other hand, you can check, see if there's an update, read, or move on. It's very low-maintainence.
In other news, we're reaching the point where my game-by-game logs started to taper off, so I won't be posting game notes as companions to Floyd's installments for a while. I do have notes for the gaps, but they are large and encompass ten to fifteen sessions at a time, so I won't post them until I've covered everything in puppet show so as not to spoil the plot for anyone who doesn't know what's going on. Granted, some of the NPC profile stuff has already done that, but... shut up.
New notes and Puppet Musical installments soon.
Obsidian Portal is a site that's designed to host D&D games - in addition to a blog (or adventure log), it gives you a wiki, an NPC tracker, space to put maps, a campaign overview, and all that jazz I've been doing amateurishly over here. It would really be the ideal space to follow the game.
However, I like the ease of the blog. Sure, I can't get that fancy with it, but I don't know that I'll get rid of The Adventures of Floyd Fiftynames simply because most (of the what, eight?) readers of this blog will not want to go to the trouble of creating a profile for Obsidian Portal, and then wade through all the other stuff to get to our game. This blog, on the other hand, you can check, see if there's an update, read, or move on. It's very low-maintainence.
In other news, we're reaching the point where my game-by-game logs started to taper off, so I won't be posting game notes as companions to Floyd's installments for a while. I do have notes for the gaps, but they are large and encompass ten to fifteen sessions at a time, so I won't post them until I've covered everything in puppet show so as not to spoil the plot for anyone who doesn't know what's going on. Granted, some of the NPC profile stuff has already done that, but... shut up.
New notes and Puppet Musical installments soon.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Post by Jake: Fake Wiki Page
As a joke I tried to create a wikipedia page for my friend Joey in 2007. Wikipedia denied the page, which gives me comfort as to the validity of the pages they actually allow. Most of the info is outdated but it may still get a laugh. Names have been reduced to initials to protect the not-so-innocent, and the role of one "J M" has been vastly exaggerated.
Here it is:
Joseph M (commonly called Joey) is a Houstonian role-player and director. He is known primarily for his direction of the one act version of Speed the Plow, and his Dungeons and Dragons character Holeroy the Bard. He currently resides in Houston with his fiancée A G and his dog R; Joseph is currently in the employ of the Houston Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Joseph M was born in Dickinson Texas, the oldest of three brothers. His life took a rapid turn when in college he met J M. Since this meeting, Joseph has become a well-known force in the Houston Role-Playing Society (HRPS). While in college he directed Speed the Plow, a one act cutting of David Mamet’s play. Reviewers stated that they had never seen a better interpretation of the piece, particularly of the character Charlie Fox. Joseph followed up this success with Night and Her Stars to similar reviews. Joseph continues to direct plays throughout Houston; so far he has refused to be associated with one theater, instead giving his talents to many.
While he had played role-playing games through out his high school career, it wasn’t he began playing under J M that his talents were displayed. Three events stand out among his role-playing career thus far: his character Holeroy, his epic Star Wars campaign, and his creation of the world Nuestrasia.
Joseph M was part of an adventuring party that made HRPS history. Dungeon Mastered by J M, Joseph M teamed up with C T and J “Boom!” S to fight their way through one of the most famous campaigns in HRPS. It was in this game that Joseph created and ran Holeroy, arguably the most powerful bard ever in HRPS. This game also saw the introduction of Captain Evil, the NPC villain who plagues HRPS heroes.
Joseph’s first run as a Dungeon Master with HRPS was also the group’s first Star Wars campaign. It is considered to be a success. A long running story set just before Episode VI, this game saw the creation and growth of some of the most famous characters in HRPS: J “Boom!” S’s drug addicted sullust, C T’s brutal wookie, and the infamous Uno Zeb. Notable others were G A’s trandosian pilot, and M McC’s human jedi.
Joseph created the Nuestrasia campaign setting for Dungeons and Dragons which has been the background for more campaigns than any other in HRPS. The most famous campaign in Nuestasia, the Montana Stevens game, firmly established Joseph as a high level Dungeon Master. Most of Nuestrasia’s history has been completed, leaving doubt as to how many future games the setting can support, but it will always be remembered as the original HRPS setting, as almost every DM has utilized it.
In addition to these events Joseph M is know for his love of baseball and baseball trivia, his participation in Ubertoast a Houston based sketch comedy group, and his great knowledge of general trivia. He is widely respected as an individual “in the know” despite his current public humiliation after claiming that Billy Dee Williams, beloved Star Wars character Lando Calrissian, was dead.
Here it is:
Joseph M (commonly called Joey) is a Houstonian role-player and director. He is known primarily for his direction of the one act version of Speed the Plow, and his Dungeons and Dragons character Holeroy the Bard. He currently resides in Houston with his fiancée A G and his dog R; Joseph is currently in the employ of the Houston Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Joseph M was born in Dickinson Texas, the oldest of three brothers. His life took a rapid turn when in college he met J M. Since this meeting, Joseph has become a well-known force in the Houston Role-Playing Society (HRPS). While in college he directed Speed the Plow, a one act cutting of David Mamet’s play. Reviewers stated that they had never seen a better interpretation of the piece, particularly of the character Charlie Fox. Joseph followed up this success with Night and Her Stars to similar reviews. Joseph continues to direct plays throughout Houston; so far he has refused to be associated with one theater, instead giving his talents to many.
While he had played role-playing games through out his high school career, it wasn’t he began playing under J M that his talents were displayed. Three events stand out among his role-playing career thus far: his character Holeroy, his epic Star Wars campaign, and his creation of the world Nuestrasia.
Joseph M was part of an adventuring party that made HRPS history. Dungeon Mastered by J M, Joseph M teamed up with C T and J “Boom!” S to fight their way through one of the most famous campaigns in HRPS. It was in this game that Joseph created and ran Holeroy, arguably the most powerful bard ever in HRPS. This game also saw the introduction of Captain Evil, the NPC villain who plagues HRPS heroes.
Joseph’s first run as a Dungeon Master with HRPS was also the group’s first Star Wars campaign. It is considered to be a success. A long running story set just before Episode VI, this game saw the creation and growth of some of the most famous characters in HRPS: J “Boom!” S’s drug addicted sullust, C T’s brutal wookie, and the infamous Uno Zeb. Notable others were G A’s trandosian pilot, and M McC’s human jedi.
Joseph created the Nuestrasia campaign setting for Dungeons and Dragons which has been the background for more campaigns than any other in HRPS. The most famous campaign in Nuestasia, the Montana Stevens game, firmly established Joseph as a high level Dungeon Master. Most of Nuestrasia’s history has been completed, leaving doubt as to how many future games the setting can support, but it will always be remembered as the original HRPS setting, as almost every DM has utilized it.
In addition to these events Joseph M is know for his love of baseball and baseball trivia, his participation in Ubertoast a Houston based sketch comedy group, and his great knowledge of general trivia. He is widely respected as an individual “in the know” despite his current public humiliation after claiming that Billy Dee Williams, beloved Star Wars character Lando Calrissian, was dead.
DM Post: History of the Bard Class
Historically the Bard class was based on a social caste in Ancient Celtic society. The Celts didn’t develop a written language and most of the history and stories of the people were passed down orally by the bards, or warrior poets. They were unique in that they were supposed to be trained warriors, and knowledgeable of the Druidic tradition. The stories and songs were passed down over centuries by the bards and remained unaltered damn near word for word because they used a precise lyrical structure and rhyme sequence which also aided in memorization.
The other historical foundation for the D&D class was the Norse Skalds. The Skalds were warriors who rode at the forefront of battle and sang their heads off. Supposedly their songs caused fellow warriors to go berserk, ignore pain, and fight fanatically. The songs were also supposed to cause enemies to cower in fear, but this may have more to do with the effect on the Skalds’ allies than a direct effect on the opponents. It’d be like if someone invaded the continental U.S. and the National Guard started all singing America the Beautiful at once as they went into battle.
The most famous historical bard was named Taliesin. Folklore has him being the chief bard for King Arthur, but Taliesin lived around the end of the 6th century whereas Arthur (or at least the actual counterpart to the mythological one) died/disappeared at the Battle of Camlann in 532 A.D. (current best historical guess). He’s also famous for the Book of Taliesin, a book of songs and poetry he supposedly created.
As Europe became more civilized, the role of Skalds and Bards became that of court poet, and their main function was to write poems and songs about how great the king is.
D&D: The original Dungeons and Dragons game (1974) had only 7 classes: Fighter, Cleric, Wizard, Thief, Hobbit (which was changed to Halfling after a dispute with the Tolkien estate), Elf, and Dwarf (there was no difference between race and class- an Elf was like a fighter-mage, a hobbit was like a fighter-thief focused on sneaking, and a Dwarf was like a fighter-thief focused on traps).
The Bard class made its first appearance in 1st Ed AD&D (1977). It was a special appendix in the back of the player’s handbook. Becoming a bard was insanely hard. First you had to be either human or half-elven. Second you had to have the following stats: STR 15, DEX 15, CON 10, INT 12, WIS 15, CHA 15. Now remember, stats didn’t go up in previous editions, so you had to roll those at creation. Then you had to start as a Fighter and make it to 5th lvl, then dual class into Thief for five levels, then dual class into Druid. And then you could become a bard. The bard was like an underpowered Druid with the Bardic Knowledge ability and the ability to charm with its music. Needless to say, claims that your character was a Bard were always met with skepticism. “Sure you’re a Bard. I bet he’s got a +10 vorpal sword too.” Nobody in any of my groups ever played a bard waaay back when I was playing 1st Ed.
The Bard became one of the main classes in 2nd Ed. It was basically a really lame version of the Thief (no backstab but can cast a very small number of weak wizard spells). This class saw almost no play, at least in my groups, because you could do the same thing better by being a mage-thief.
When 3rd Ed rolled around, they scrapped the old Bard Class and started over from scratch, trying to make a jack-of-all trades character. Basically the theory is if you’ve got at least 1 warrior, 1 healer, 1 mage, and 1 rogue you’ve got all the bases covered and can handle anything the DM throws at you (level appropriate). In fact all of the challenge ratings assume that you have these four slots filled in your party. If you’ve ever wondered why the challenge ratings seem too low for those powerful undead or outsider types, it’s because it is assumed that your party can heal/turn/banish. Anyway, the Bard class was designed to fill any of those spots if needed.
By the time they cleaned up 3rd Ed and issued version 3.5 (or the thank-you-for-paying-to-play-test-this-is-the-REAL-game edition) they realized that the Bard still wasn’t being played because it was considered a weak class. So they revised the spell list, let the Bard cast in light armor with no Spell Failure (which he couldn’t do in 3.0) and beefed up the skills selection.
The other historical foundation for the D&D class was the Norse Skalds. The Skalds were warriors who rode at the forefront of battle and sang their heads off. Supposedly their songs caused fellow warriors to go berserk, ignore pain, and fight fanatically. The songs were also supposed to cause enemies to cower in fear, but this may have more to do with the effect on the Skalds’ allies than a direct effect on the opponents. It’d be like if someone invaded the continental U.S. and the National Guard started all singing America the Beautiful at once as they went into battle.
The most famous historical bard was named Taliesin. Folklore has him being the chief bard for King Arthur, but Taliesin lived around the end of the 6th century whereas Arthur (or at least the actual counterpart to the mythological one) died/disappeared at the Battle of Camlann in 532 A.D. (current best historical guess). He’s also famous for the Book of Taliesin, a book of songs and poetry he supposedly created.
As Europe became more civilized, the role of Skalds and Bards became that of court poet, and their main function was to write poems and songs about how great the king is.
D&D: The original Dungeons and Dragons game (1974) had only 7 classes: Fighter, Cleric, Wizard, Thief, Hobbit (which was changed to Halfling after a dispute with the Tolkien estate), Elf, and Dwarf (there was no difference between race and class- an Elf was like a fighter-mage, a hobbit was like a fighter-thief focused on sneaking, and a Dwarf was like a fighter-thief focused on traps).
The Bard class made its first appearance in 1st Ed AD&D (1977). It was a special appendix in the back of the player’s handbook. Becoming a bard was insanely hard. First you had to be either human or half-elven. Second you had to have the following stats: STR 15, DEX 15, CON 10, INT 12, WIS 15, CHA 15. Now remember, stats didn’t go up in previous editions, so you had to roll those at creation. Then you had to start as a Fighter and make it to 5th lvl, then dual class into Thief for five levels, then dual class into Druid. And then you could become a bard. The bard was like an underpowered Druid with the Bardic Knowledge ability and the ability to charm with its music. Needless to say, claims that your character was a Bard were always met with skepticism. “Sure you’re a Bard. I bet he’s got a +10 vorpal sword too.” Nobody in any of my groups ever played a bard waaay back when I was playing 1st Ed.
The Bard became one of the main classes in 2nd Ed. It was basically a really lame version of the Thief (no backstab but can cast a very small number of weak wizard spells). This class saw almost no play, at least in my groups, because you could do the same thing better by being a mage-thief.
When 3rd Ed rolled around, they scrapped the old Bard Class and started over from scratch, trying to make a jack-of-all trades character. Basically the theory is if you’ve got at least 1 warrior, 1 healer, 1 mage, and 1 rogue you’ve got all the bases covered and can handle anything the DM throws at you (level appropriate). In fact all of the challenge ratings assume that you have these four slots filled in your party. If you’ve ever wondered why the challenge ratings seem too low for those powerful undead or outsider types, it’s because it is assumed that your party can heal/turn/banish. Anyway, the Bard class was designed to fill any of those spots if needed.
By the time they cleaned up 3rd Ed and issued version 3.5 (or the thank-you-for-paying-to-play-test-this-is-the-REAL-game edition) they realized that the Bard still wasn’t being played because it was considered a weak class. So they revised the spell list, let the Bard cast in light armor with no Spell Failure (which he couldn’t do in 3.0) and beefed up the skills selection.
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