Relations with Other Classes

died after eating a bard, just as most ogres know a tale about a captive bard who was ransomed for a princely sum . Some of the dimmer humanoids might fail to connect the harp-holding man whose head they're bashing in with the "bards" mentioned in such stories, but every little bit helps . Thus, bards everywhere continue to make a concerted effort to keep alive the myth that bards bring good luck .

In most campaigns, the bard is either a lighthearted entertainer or a trusted go-between . It's not unusual to find bards serving as nobles' heralds or even ambassadors, since they make such good spokesmen . It's rare, but not unheard of, for a bard to wind up as the ruler of a city, often simply because he's the best-known and best-liked of its citizens . Bards generally prefer to avoid such ties, for responsibilities restrict their wanderings and keep them from meeting new people . And when it comes to visiting new (often very out-of-the-way) places and meeting different kinds of people, nothing beats adventuring .

Role in the Game

By his very nature, the bard is a jack-of-all-trades . He truly shines in noncombat situations, but he can also acquit himself well in a fight, especially if he takes the Weapon Finesse feat and concentrates on light, quick weapons .

If you're a bard, your best combat strategy is to keep a low profile and never look like an immediate threat . Intelligent foes usually target whoever they think poses the greatest danger, so make sure they pick someone else-the wizard or sorcerer to shut down spellcasting, the cleric to stop replenishment of hit points, the fighter, barbarian, paladin, or monk to reduce the damage dealt, or even the rogue to prevent those nasty sneak attacks . While the opponents have their attention focused on your comrades, you're more than pulling your own weight . Your bardic music boosts your teammates' morale, wreaks havoc with the enemies' party coherence, and prevents any sonic effects from harming your friends . In addition, your counterspells could well save your party's bacon . Should you need to join the fight, of course, you have quite respectable combat and spellcasting abilities to contribute .

Make no mistake about it-a party is always better off with a bard than without one . His bardic music improves everyone's talents by providing morale bonuses in combat, competence bonuses for exploring, forewarnings and clues from bardic knowledge-the list goes on and on . In addition, the bard can serve as swingman in the group . His arcane spells beef up the arsenals of the wizard and sorcerer. His combat skills help during nasty melees . His bardic knowledge and information-gathering skills supplement clerical divinations . Though he's not skilled with locks and traps, he makes a credible scout, should someone need to sneak up and find out what's become of the rogue .

To put it another way, conventional wisdom holds that a standard adventuring party should consist of a cleric, a fighter, a rogue, and a wizard . This composition ensures the group access to healing, combat ability, scouting skills, and arcane artillery. Should such a group wish to add a fifth member, a bard would be the wisest choice . True, a barbarian or a monk would make' the party stronger, and a sorcerer would enhance the group's arcane spellcasting ability . A paladin could join the fighter on the front line and provide some healing, a ranger would add both combat ability and wilderness skills, and a druid could offer wilderness skills and healing . Only a bard, however, shares the skills of all four basic adventurer types (or "the four basic monster food groups," as bards sometimes put it) . He has arcane spells like a wizard, stealth skills like a rogue, combat ability like a fighter, and healing skills like a cleric . Each of those characters is better than the bard in his or her own field of expertise, but the bard can provide backup for everyone . To be the second-best wizard, the second-best scout, the second-best healer, and a reasonable fighter all at the same time is no mean feat-and it's one that no other class can match .

For this same reason, bards also excel at solo adventures . Each of the four basic characters specializes in one area at the expense of the others, but the bard shares in all their strengths . This is another reason he makes a good messenger-a bard traveling alone has a much better chance of completing his mission than any other character of the same level does .

On top of his bardic music and his wide range of class abilities, the bard has one other trick all his own . Bardic knowledge can provide key information for solving whatever mystery or dilemma the group faces . Of course, the characters need to follow up on information gained in this manner-the DM can't be expected to give away the whole plot of the adventure in response to a couple of successful bardic knowledge checks . Instead, the bard should become adept at picking up on clues, examining them from different angles, and figuring out how they fit together with other events in the game .

Bardic knowledge checks are also a convenient way for the DM to toss out adventure hooks . However, the bard himself can also spark new storylines by asking the right kinds of questions . An observant DM can use such clues to determine what kind of adventures the players would most enjoy.

Motivation

Adaptability is the bard's greatest strength . He is welcome anywhere, from the poshest castle to the lowest dive, and he fits right in wherever he happens to be . Everywhere he goes, he listens to new songs, tries out the local instruments, interviews those who witnessed notable events (whether last week or two generations ago), and, in a word, mingles . Afterward, he folds all this knowledge into his repertoire, which continues to grow throughout his life . Critics might dismiss a bard as "a