Six strings that drew blood...

BARD (#18/29, #49/365) [POT]

SKILL: 8

STAMINA: 9

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: See below

ARMOUR: 1 in 6 chance of a Leather Jack

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Towns, Dungeons, Ruins, Hills, Forests, Plains, Wilderness

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1 or 1-6

TYPE: Humanoid

REACTION: Friendly-Neutral

INTELLIGENCE: High

Entertainers across Titan span multiple types from troubadours to riddlers to jesters and beyond, but the BARD is a cut above, a musician whose very music can cause magical effects to happen. While some are destined to wander across Titan, utilizing their magical musical talents in service of the highest coin on offer, other find gainful employment at the court of a local lord who provides them with food, drink, warmth and shelter, and maybe time and space to create and refine their own compositions to add to the repertoire of spellsinging lore. For the art of Bardsong is much more malleable than many other kinds of magic, using the currency of language, the influence of culture, and the recording of historical events to craft new tunes that speak to a common zeitgeist of the times.

The appearance of a Bard varies - some may be dressed in gaudy finery while others may favour a more minimalist wardrobe of a single colour such as black, white, red or green. There is a 1 in 6 chance that a Bard may be wearing a Leather Jack, but this is the only armour they will have. All Bards will have an instrument of course, which in desperation may be used as an Improvised weapon (but this is a measure of last resort as it will damage the instrument). To determine what type of instrument a Bard has, roll on the following table (or the table in the Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 49):

1 Bamboo Flute: This is a wind instrument made from bamboo and typically played sideways.

2 Lyre: A stringed instrument with strings attached to a U-shaped wooden frame.

3 Lute: A common stringed instrument similar to a guitar.

4 Harp: A stringed instrument with many strings attached to a triangular wooden frame.

5 Fiddle: A stringed instrument played with a bow.

6 Pipe: A wooden or metal tube that air is blown into, with finger holes along the top.

Although Bards prefer to avoid conflict through use of their music, or the witty repartee of conversation, they are often armed as a fallback measure. Chosen weapons of Bards tend to be small and easy to use. Roll once on each of the following tables to generate a Bard's chosen melee and missile weapons:

Melee Weapon:

1 Handaxe

2 Shortsword

3 Needleknife

4 Elven Longknife

5 Club

6 Blackjack

Missile Weapon: 

1 Hand Crossbow

2 Sling

3 Throwing Knife, 2-4

4 Throwing Star, 2-4

5 Blowpipe

6 Throwing Dart, 2-4

Bards are usually encountered individually (in which case assume a Music score of 2, Magic-Music 2, and 2-12 known Bard Songs), but may occasionally be found in a small group. Roll on the table to determine the composition of the group:

1-3 Master and Apprentices: One Bard is the master, with a Music score of 3, Magic-Music 3, and 3-18 known Bard Songs, while the remainder of the troupe will count as Troubadours (see the entry for Entertainers).

4-6 Super-Troupe: All Bards are equally skillful with abilities as per individual Bards above; roll separately for instruments and weapons. At least 1 will have a percussion instrument such as a drum, gong, or rattle, to provide a rhythmic accompaniment.

Notable Bards from Titan include the legendary harpist Cerod whose instrument made from enchanted Gubis-wood absorbed some of his forceful personality, Blondel the Bard of Valsinore Castle, and the Elven lute-player, Garond of Shamdabag Wood. Bards typically pay respect to Atlan, Messenger of the Gods, in his role as Sounder of the Final Horn and God of Music.