The Bard

By Awful Good Games with minor adaptations by Sage1029

Stories and songs can do more than entertain. A properly told story can unite a community, allow you to share experiences, and convey lessons and wisdom. Likewise, songs can uplift one’s soul and inspire others to perform great deeds, or they can fill one’s heart with despair or dread.

Whether by book or word you’ve learned your share of both over the years, like the difference between a puca and a kelpie, The Three Songs of Erui, how sunlight affects the trolls of the Hagswood, The Barghest of Ulfstir, dwarven smith-chants, and the bleak poetry of the Silverbough elves.

But you know there’s more out there, much forgotten or yet to be told, and you yearn to find or write them yourself. Just think what you could learn, what they could teach, and who they could inspire?

Building a Bard

Pick your Race

Dwarf

You have a deep and booming voice and when you deliver a Stirring Speech, choose an additional option, even on a 6-

Elf

Ethereal grace blesses not just your form, but your voice - when you weave Magical Music, choose one, even ✴on a 6-

Halfling

Skilled with the knicks and knacks of pastoral life, you're never more than a hand's reach away from something you can competently use as an instrument

Human

You know what the crowd wants, and they love you for it - gain double the amount of COIN you normally would when you use Entertainer

Choose the Origins of your Bardic Craft

Bardic College

Where is your school located? Who was your favorite instructor? Who was your least favorite? When you use Stories & Legends or Spout Lore, ✴on a 6- in addition to whatever else the GM says, you know where to go to find the information you seek.

Fey Tutelage

You learned from one or more denizens of the faerie realm. Were you abducted as a child? Was it part of an exchange? Lost in the woods? Maybe you overheard a dryad or nymph singing? You start with Soothe the Savage Beast.

On the Road

Out on your own with just the clothes on your back, you quickly learned that many were willing to trade a warm meal and roof for an entertaining evening. You can use your stories and songs to get a roof over your head for the night, and gain Advantage when you Parley with someone to prevent conflict.

Starting Moves

Your Bard starts with 25-COIN and an instrument (describe it). Your Damage Die is d8. You start with all these moves:

Entertainer

When you Carouse, if you describe to the GM a story you tell, a song you sing, or your performance, you don't have to pay 100-COIN for the move. In addition, add the following to a list of options that you can choose from:

• You make some money - gain 2d10 COIN

Stories & Legends

When you declare that you've heard tell of something or someone important, name the book, song, or story that you learned it from. Then ask the GM any one question about it and roll +INT. ✴On a 7+, the GM will provide you with an answer. ✴On a 10+, the answer will also be more elaborate, providing information immediately useful or relevant to you.

Song of Rest

When you Make Camp, if you sing a soothing song everyone recovers +1d6 HP the next day.

Magical Music

When you sing or play a song, describe it and roll+CHA. ✴On a 7+, you hold the attention of every intelligent creature that can see or hear you until the performance is completed, or until something happens to break their attention, and choose one. ✴On a 10+, choose two:

• A member of the audience becomes enraptured with you—the GM will tell you who
• One or more members of the audience give you gifts—the GM will tell you what
• A member of the audience requests your services

Stirring Speech

When you deliver a stirring speech before a conflict, roll+CHA. ✴On a 10+, choose two. ✴On a 7-9, choose one:

• Your allies take +2 armor forward
• Your allies take +1d4 damage forward
• Your allies take ongoing Advantage against fear until the conflict ends

Advanced Moves

Levels 2+

When you gain a level and choose to take an Advanced Move, you may choose from these moves:

Befuddling Banter

When you spend a while conversing with someone, gain Advantage to Parley with them or convince them to go along with a plan or suggestion of yours.

Cutting Jibe

When you insult someone, roll+CHA. ✴On a 10+ choose two. ✴On a 7-9 choose one:

• The target makes a rash decision
• The target falters or leaves an opening—you or an ally gains Advantage against them
• They do not make an attack against you

Graceful Swordsman

When you face a foe one-on-one and are wielding a weapon with the Precise tag, gain +1-Armor. In addition, when you Hack and Slash with a Precise weapon, on a 12+ you ignore their armor.

Lullaby

When you sing or play a gentle song, roll+CHA. ✴On a 7+, every creature you choose that can hear you becomes lethargic and inattentive until the song ends. ✴On a 10+, they fall asleep after a few minutes.

Pep Talk

You can use Aid or Interfere by simply giving someone a few words of encouragement. When you do, roll +CHA.

Putting the Pieces Together

When you use Stories & Legends or Spout Lore, ✴on a 6- if you spend a while pondering or carefully examining the subject or object you can try again.

Refreshing Song

When you use song of rest, everyone either regains an additional +1d6 HP or gain Advantage the next day.

Soothe the Savage Beasts

When you play a song in the presence of wild beasts, roll +CHA. ✴On a 7-9, they will not attack you or your allies until the song ends or they are attacked first. ✴On a 10+, when the song ends the GM chooses if they leave peacefully or regard you affectionately.

Storyteller

When you tell a story, you can use Entertainer without having to return triumphantly from an adventure. If you choose to gain coins, you instead gain 3d10 COIN.

War Skald

You ignore the Clumsy tag when wearing armor, and when you Hack and Slash while chanting a war hymn deal +1-Damage.

Levels 6+

When you gain a level from 6 onwards and you choose to take an Advanced Move, you may choose from any Advanced Moves.

Captivating Storyteller

Requires: Storyteller
When you use Storyteller, choose one additional option, and ✴on a 6-, you can still choose one.

Furry Friend

Requires: Soothe the Savage Beast
You’ve attracted the attention of a loyal animal. Regardless of its size or appearance, treat it is a hireling with 8 skill points and a starting Loyalty of +1. If it dies, the next time you use Soothe the Savage Beast, one of the animals will stick around.

Inspiring Shout

Requires: Pep Talk
When you use Aid or Interfere by shouting at someone, ✴on a 10+ they instead take +2 or -3, your choice.

Invigorating Song

Replaces: Refreshing Song
When you use Song of Rest, everyone regains an extra 2d6 hit points and gains Advantage the next day.

Moving Music

When you pour your heart and soul into a performance, roll +CHA. ✴On a 7+, every creature you choose that can hear you is instilled with joy, hope, despair or dread until the song ends. ✴On a 10+, the effects linger long after the song has ended.

Patronage

When your patron asks a task of you, note down information reflecting this task. When you complete it, Mark-XP and when you return to your patron he or she will reward you for your services. In addition when you use Magical Music you can choose to have a NPC admire your patron.

Rallying Cry

Requires: War Skald
You can use Stirring Speech simply by shouting as you charge headlong into the fray, and you choose from these instead:

• Your allies take +3 armor to the next attack against them
• Your allies take +1d6 damage to their next attack
• Your allies are immune to fear until the conflict ends

Reading Between the Lines

When you spend some time engaged with someone, whether talking or performing, you may ask the GM any one question about them.

Riposte

Requires: Graceful Swordsman
When you Defy Danger against a nearby opponent while wielding a weapon with the Precise tag, ✴on a 10+ you can deal your damage to your attacker.

Sudden Insight

Requires: Putting the Pieces Together
You can Discern Realities by quickly glancing about. When you use Stories & Legends or Spout Lore, ✴on a 12+ the GM will also reveal to you a glaring weakness, strength, or a long forgotten secret.

Death Move: Encore

It can’t end here, not like this! It was just getting to the good part! When you die, you make sure you get in the last word: you’ve got just enough left in you for one final performance. When the time is right, you get back up and steal the spotlight. Deliver a monologue, play a song, anything that draws a lot of attention. You automatically take a result of 12+ on all Spout Lore, Stories & Legends, musical abilities, and Aid rolls during this performance. While you have the spotlight, no one under the GM’s control will take action - they are spellbound by your performance and will only act in response to another player attacking them directly. When your performance is finished, take a bow, for your time is up.

Credits

Bard playbook by Awful Good Games. The text of The Bard is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. The Death Move is from Boldly Games' Grim World.