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, and old lore all become tools in the hands of a practiced performer.
At A Glance
- Main traits: Presence, Memory, Empathy
- Progression: repertoire, renown, performance mastery
- Core tools: instruments, verses, stories, chants, rumors, audience pressure
- Combat identity: party morale, disruption, tempo, setup
- Support identity: lore, travel memory, social leverage, steadying allies
What Makes Bard Different
Bard is the public-facing power guild. Other guilds hide, pray, study, or train. Bards walk into a room and change what the room believes.
| System | Descriptor |
|---|---|
| Repertoire | Songs, chants, stories, and tricks known by the Bard |
| Renown | Social memory earned through performances and public deeds |
| Audience | Room attention that strengthens performances and social pressure |
| Lore | Practical knowledge drawn from songs, legends, places, and names |
Advancement
Bard advancement uses renown and repertoire. Renown grows from performances that matter, useful lore work, memorable public deeds, and support in real fights.
Renown opens:
| Threshold | Opens |
|---|---|
| Local Name | Basic songs, lore, soothe, simple tricks |
| Known Voice | Chants, rally, perform, audience hooks |
| Troubadour | Legends, muse, stronger morale effects |
| Court Favorite | Social pressure, reputation play, public counters |
| Master Bard | Great performances, group-defining songs, rare lore |
Repertoire grows through study, travel, discovered stories, and composing. A Bard's known material matters as much as raw power.
Performance
Performances create short-lived room states. A room state affects allies, enemies, and social commands while the Bard holds attention.
| Performance | Descriptor |
|---|---|
| Rally | Restores morale and helps allies resist fear or disruption |
| Soothe | Calms aggression and reduces panic |
| Hymn | Slow supportive song with stronger group payoff |
| Chant | Faster rhythmic support for combat pressure |
| Dirge | Fear, hesitation, and anti-undead flavor |
| Satire | Social pressure against one target |
| Legend | Lore performance that reveals history or weakness |
Tricks And Lore
Bards also keep practical tricks that feel like stagecraft rather than spellwork.
| Trick | Use |
|---|---|
| Ventriloquism | Misdirection and room pressure |
| Play Dead | Emergency deception |
| Distract | Breaks focus or creates an opening |
| Juggle | Performance setup and crowd attention |
| Compose | Adds personal material to the repertoire |
| Lore | Identifies history, creators, rumors, and useful context |
| Legend | Stronger lore tied to named places, people, and artifacts |
Useful Commands For Bards
These are useful commands for Bards:
bard,bards,bhist: guild communicationperform: begin a performancesongs: list known songs and chantscompose: create or refine personal materiallore: inspect history or practical storylegend: call deeper named lorerally: steady alliessoothe: calm a room or targetvent: misdirect speech or soundrenown: review reputation and audience memory
Beta Test Focus
Helpful feedback from beta testers:
- Performances change fights without feeling like passive buffs
- Bards feel useful before combat starts
- Lore produces practical answers
- Renown feels earned through public play
- Social tricks feel playful without becoming spam