Just a short feedback post (by my standards at least), to say that I'm disappointed by the fact that Larian chose to interpret the Bards as musicians only.
Bards are not just musiciansIf I was to try to describe the DnD Bards in as few words and as much generality as possible, I would say they are
story-tellers, artists and performers (also spell-casters and jack-of-all-trades, of course).
Music is always mentioned in the suggestions for how to play a Bard, but I'd say
the connection to The Word is more important than a possible connection to The Notes. They are voice-users, and they can also be musicians (including singers).
Bards can be historians, chroniclers, gossipers, spies, political advisors, etc. The College Lore is there to emphasise this.
I don't think most people would immediately associate Volo, the famous author of many traveller's guides, with being a musician.Bards can be ambassadors, diplomats, tribunes, popular agitator, etc. Public speaker of any kind. The College of Eloquence (from TCoE) emphasises this.
Bards can be skalds who tell the deeds of past heroes, around a fire camp or in the middle of the battlefield. The College of Valor (Skalds in the older editions) is there for those. They may bang their axe against their shields while galvanising their troops, but they don't have to play drums.
Bards can be "blade dancers". The College of Swords (from XGtE) is there for those bards. In older editions, this was the Blade kit. BG2's Haer'Dalis was an actor (and perhaps amateur playwright, can't remember). I'm not fully up-to-date on Critical Role, but I don't think Robbie's Dorian Storm is much of a musician. Like Cyrano de Bergerac, these two are smooth talking swashbucklers.
Bards can also be Jesters (again, a kit from the older games).
Sure, a lot of people play their Bards as musicians. But there is a massive roleplay space for non-musician Bards.
Suggestions Well, first off, I intended this post to be feedback, more than suggestions.
I'm disappointed that the new Class, one that is overall very open in terms of roleplay, came with a new mechanics that really only works if you intend to play this Class in the narrower way Larian envisions that Class.
As a side note, I'm not completely fond of the idea that this new Class comes with a new, and quasi-exclusive mechanics (as I don't think too many people will waste a feat to acquire the Perform Ability). Because now, Barbarians came with a revamped Throw action. Bards came with the Perform action. What will come next for Paladins and Monks, and more importantly, what of the original classes ?
I fear Cleric will be the class that makes you feel as if you're missing out. The game will try to force a Cleric upon your party already (Shadowheart). And class-specific dialogue options are lacklustre ... Anyway, I digress.
I don't think that adding a new mechanics or feature for non-musician Bards is a good idea. (See above side note.)
But I can think of two things, that should be easy and cheap to implement.
- In the Character Creation, add a 6th starting instrument option called "None : I use my voice". This way we won't feel as if being an instrument-wielder is forced upon us (I know, you could always discard the instrument as soon as the game start, but that's not a great, user-friendly way to create a character).
- In the Perform action, add a "Song" (mechanically considered as such) called Story Telling. It would require no instrument and would do about the same thing (draw attention from non-companion NPCs, receive donations, etc).
