House Rule #5 – Bards

We use the game mostly RAW. Here are some of the changes we use at my table.

Troubadour

Added a second ability to specialization in addition to Maestro, and a second ability to mastery in addition to Virtuoso.

SPECIALIZATION FEATURE

Signature Song: You have one song that is uniquely yours. Once per session, perform it. All creatures who hear it will remember you and the song for a long time, and will be able to sing it perfectly even if they can’t sing — the GM tracks this and it may open doors, create enemies, or precede your reputation.

MASTERY FEATURE

The Song Will Remember: Once per session, play a melody connected to a shared memory with an ally. You both clear a Stress. Additionally, when you initiate a Tag Team Roll with that ally, reduce the Hope cost by 1.

Design notes: The Troubadour could use more powers around songs. Even though the Codex domain is very versatile, and makes classes that have it quite powerful, the troubadour features need more flavor around music. A signature song only you performs, your Hit Song that has become wildly popular, was missing (Toss a coin to your Witcher?). I also wanted a subclass to reduce the cost of Tag Teaming from 3 Hope to 2 Hope. How about the Troubadour and a tag team theme song?

Wordsmith

Buffed Rousing Speech, Heart of a Poet, and Eloquent.

FOUNDATION FEATURE

Rousing speech: Once per long rest, you can give a heartfelt inspiring speech. All allies within Far range clear 2 Stress and do their next roll with advantage.

Heart of a Poet: After you make an action roll to impress, persuade, seduce or offend someone, you can spend a Hope to add a d4 to the roll. At level 5, you can spend a Hope to add a d6 to the roll.

SPECIALIZATION FEATURE

Eloquent: Your moving words boost morale. Once per session, when you encourage an ally, you can do one of thefollowing:

• Allow them to find a mundane object or tool they need.
• Help an Ally without spending Hope.
• Give them an additional downtime move during their next rest.

Additionally, once per session, choose a NPC that heard you speak once. They remember something meaningful you said and will offer assistance.

Design notes: The Wordsmith rouses but should galvanize, has the heart of a poet but should seduce and become better at his craft, is eloquent but should inspire more than allies.