Interest Check
I doubt I could pull it off, but would anyone be interested in playing a freeform, Bardic RTD? It would use the same system I've been using in order of the Kai RTD, with some modifications.
If only to watch people come up with their own horrible poems and songs, it might be worth it. Is their enough creativity on this board to power something like this?
Winterdale lies at the hub of seven major trade routes that pass through the Northlands of Magnamund-as such, it receives alot of traffic, travelers, mercenaries, royalty and peasantry. The one thing Winterdale is most known for is the quality of it's taverns-rowdy, well furnished, with the best ales and food in the country.
The thing Winterdale is second most known for is the quality of it's women.
The thing Winterdale is third most known for is the quality of it's bards-wandering storytellers, gatherers of old spun tales and weavers of new ones-the bards pass on the latest news, local legends and tales of the wider world, for no more than coin dropped in a hat.
You are one of these bards, and you have traveled to Winterdale with your troupe for your own reasons-money is always nice, but perhaps your looking for inspiration for a new song or poem, or are you here for a darker reason?
Remember-Bards are always more than they seem. They can be warriors, adventurers and Heroes of their own legends, but can also be thieves, spies and murderers. For many it's a question of morals, for others a question of how much they have been paid.
You've yet to make your mark on the world, but as a Bard, your in a unique postion-your the one making the marks.
Silver Tongue: Ever heard the story about how the Bard escaped being eaten by a Dragon by tricking him into eating his own tail? No? Well, It's not true, but you'll pay a weeks wages in a night listening to him tell it to you. These bards are well versed in tale and song-it's mostly in how you tell it, after all.
Alluring: A handsome face (or arse) can always earn you a little more coin on the road-drunken men and women in taverns pay good money to escape drab and ugly wives and husbands, after all. Needless to say, it can get you out of scrapes too. Or get you into worse ones.
Battle Song: For those Bards who find the old magic and weave songs of power from them, their words can be just as lethal as an arrow to the brain, and twice as annoying. These Bards begin the journey with a few of these words already found.
Warrior-Bard: Many a bandit has seen a lone Bard travelling along the road armed with little more than a lute or guitar, and sought him or her as easy prey...little do they know, it is they who are the prey. These bards are seasoned warriors, and often carry concealed weaponry-in case they have to do a little waylaying themselves.
Thief-Bard: You ever notice how you always seem to have no money left after listening to particulalry good Bard? That's because while he was telling you the story about the Dragon and the nubile young milk maiden, he was also cutting your purse strings. A Thief bard is a jack of all trades rouge, skilled in sneaking, lock picking, pick pocketing and scamming.
Mage-Bard: Most of the arcane arts Bards know is called "Hedge Magic" by learned wizards-simple cantrips and illusions. But, a few are former Mages themselves. Their powers, and tempers, are nearly uncontrollabe-like any powerful drug, magic is both potent and addicting. Bard Mages have a bad tendency to burn down towns with their fancy pyrotechnics, and turn those that interrupt their preformances into toads. Or turn themselves into toads...and then light themselves on fire.
Dungeon Crawler: There's lot of treasure and glory to be found, delving deep underground...there Bards are often underground dwellers, but they can easily be spleunkers of other races. They have dungeoneeing skills every adventuring party needs, and having a song written about your exploits (properly embellished) is a definite incentive.
Wind Speaker: Most bards pick up more than a few of the common languages-Dwarven, Elven and Halfling, for specific audiences. A Wind Speaker Bard can speak every language, in every dialect-often, speaking several different languages simultaneosly to the same crowd. Because knowing proper languges comes in handy when your entertaining an Orc Chief, and you learn the Greenskin words for "wife" and "wheelbarrow" are very similar.
Strife-Healer: The Bards often sadly lament (between verses) at the state of our sad, sad world-evil and hate and killing, with no rhyme or reason. Very sad, everyone agrees, and then the next song begins.
But, a few Bards have actually turned their songs of power to the arts of healing and succor-they gather, unannounced and uninvited, often in the middle of battlefields and places of great suffering, and strike up a song...those that hear them are stronger for it, healed in mind if not in body. Naturally, the Alchemist guild has strictly spoken against the policy of "musical healing", arguing that healing potions are more reliable and more readily availabe then the fickle nature of a travelling bard.
Disciple of Maeve: The Goddess of the Fey is terrible and beautiful-and unpredictable as the weather in summer, her moods swinging from cold, calculating sanity and utter, incomprehensible madness. A few Bards pay homage to her-and those that are "lucky" enough to earn her favor experience the most vivid dreams and visions, often inspiration for the great artworks of the age. That they must be driven to the same depths of unthinking madness and depravity to create them is a side effect-but what price glory?
A band of not so Merry Men
Once sought to waylay the Dwarf Bard Lem
He asked for mercy, and fifed them a song most virtuous and true
They merely laughed and said "We'll take your money, then we'll take your life too!"
The Dwarf Bard Lem was an understanding soul, and tried to calm his fear
But those men, they laughed and said "He's a little too short for his years!"
Alas, those swain, old Bard Lem cut them in twain
With a single stroke of his double bit axe
And a band of not so Merry Men
Ended up resting forever in the Fen
If you should today encounter the good Bard Lem and his mighy fife, be wise,
don't dare insult his size
Lest ye be cut in twain
Like those not so Merry Men
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Topic: Roller's Block (RTD Brainstorming Thread) (HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY) (Derm is 5k) (Read 730527 times)