Bard

Work in progress: Bard is being built toward this design, and current game behavior differs in places.

Bards turn attention into power. Songs, stories, rumors, morale, reputation, old lore, loyal fans, and enchanted instruments all become tools in the hands of a practiced performer.

In Play

Bards walk into a room and change what the room believes.

• Learn songs, chants, tricks, and stories
• Perform in rooms where the audience matters
• Keep a lute, drum, fiddle, flute, blade, or fan in the act
• Build Renown through useful performances, public deeds, and lore work
• Open stronger performances and deeper legends

Renown

Renown is the Bard's public memory. It rises through active performances, combat rallying, panic or fear soothing, useful lore, composed material, and witnessed public deeds.

Renown opens new songs and tricks and stays with the character.

Acts

Every Bard learns the same guild, but the act gives the Bard a favorite way to hold the room.

An act is a polished habit. A Bard can retrain the act when the old material goes stale.

Repertoire

Repertoire grows through study, travel, discovered stories, composing, and guild training.

Chorus Companions

Bards can keep parts of the song moving while their hands are busy. A chorus companion is an animated instrument, loyal fan, or enchanted weapon that follows the Bard and carries a melody, rhythm, or refrain.

The old fan fits here: a devotee drawn in by performance who cheers, distracts, carries gossip, and helps the Bard stay public. Singing weapons fit here too: the blade remembers the song and cuts in time with it.

A Bard can keep one lead companion active. Higher Renown opens backup parts that sustain a weaker refrain while the Bard performs something else.

Chorus companions take cues from the Bard:

• carry keeps a chosen melody going at reduced strength
• answer repeats the last performance as an echo
• guard turns the companion toward defense, distraction, or body-blocking
• solo lets the companion take a brief featured action
• dismiss ends the act cleanly

Virtuosos get the most from animated instruments. Motleys use companions for misdirection and embarrassment. Lorekeepers use them to hold protective or memory-heavy refrains.

Audience

Audience changes performance strength, Renown gain, morale recovery, enemy hesitation, and tricks such as distraction or misdirection.

Performances

Tricks

Advancement

Bards advance through Renown, repertoire, composed material, public deeds, audience work, lore discoveries, and companions that survive enough songs to earn a name.

Stage Commands