The Effect on Role-Playing

As a role-player, if you can capture this performing aspect of the bard class, you will have captured the essence of your character. Everything should center around this aspect. The spells you choose should not always be chosen to maximize your character's effectiveness in combat. Rather, they should make the most dramatic impact upon those around him (including the adventuring party). Your bard lives to perform.

Likewise, when you select your bard's weapons, clothing, items, proficiencies, friends, allies, enemies, etc., you should try to examine these choices from a performer's point of view.

What weapon will compliment your bard's role as a performer, both on the stage and off? What color should his cape be? Which proficiencies will make him a more effective performer or a more memorable personality? Which spells produce effects in line with your bard's persona? How can these spells be used to build up the reputation of your bard? These are the questions to ask yourself.

Playing a bard can be a lot of fun. Play up the details. Add flavor to the game. Immerse the other players in the fantasy of the game. You should always play heavy on description and mood. For example, it isn't the success or failure of an attack that matters, it's the way in which it is made.

As a player you are succeeding at your job if your fellow role-players know the color of your bard's boots, what kind of weapon he wields, the name of his favorite song (better yet, the words to it), the material components to his most-used spells, the lesser details of his personality, his vocal range, etc. If they know your bard as if he were a real person, then you are a true bard role-player.

To establish such a realistic character, you must have a very solid mental image of your bard's appearance, personality, and mannerisms. For believability, these aspects must be predetermined, consistent, and you must portray them reliably.

Some role-players are skilled at establishing such a solidly defined character. Often they base the bard upon a character in a movie or book that they know. Others spend hours mentally developing their bard and getting to know him as a friend. Some generate pages of notes to help them out. You can use any method you like and the following section should help you out with this process.

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