Olive and navy smoke swirls about you as you pull open the door. Your lungs explode into a fit of coughing . Sound from inside ceases, and five score pairs of eyes glare at your interruption. Eventually talk begins anew, but only at a low murmur until the card sharks size up this newcomer. "What'll it be?" The harried serving wench rests her tray on her hip. "Get a move on, ducks--or were you thinking of waiting 'til Midsummer?" The clunk of dice punctuate her words. Singing for Your Supper -- Gaming & the Bard To Touch the Divine -- or World Creation 101 The Song of the Road -- let your wanderlust guide you to these great online milieus Singing for your supper Bards in literature and gaming have been portrayed as everything from crafty though unschooled wizards to fly-by-night medieval traveling salesman to ne'er-do-well sneak thieves. But, if you want to role-play a bard, do you really want to play a mage, a lothario, a burglar (well, maybe the lothario!)? In that case, why not just play one of those characters? Why a bard? If you answer that you enjoy the artistic bent, the mystique, the aura, then maybe you need to think about how to make your bard stand out. Is your bard strictly an entertainer? Does he take center stage and never leave ... even when not performing? Maybe she's part of an order of priests, part priestess herself (very historic). Maybe your bard's a scholar, interested in ancient tomes and times. But one thing your bard does know is history. Not just what happened when to whom, but why and what might cause those same events to play out again. A bard likes people--meeting them, learning from them, talking to them. Everything is of interest. How does the miller grind his flour? The brewer blend his hops? Does the spider spin her web widdershins or deosil? And does moss always grow on the north side of a tree? The world bedazzles the bard. Like cloth in the water of life, your bard should soak up it all. A bard's first responsibility is to his or her station. Folk rely upon the bard; therefore, the bard must be reliable. When circumstances look bleak, it is the bard who finds a word, a phrase, even a smile that sparks hope anew. The bard brings merriment to the wedding and release at the wake, news to the out-of-touch and insight to royalty's diplomacy. A bard is all these things. Now that you know what your bard should be, what skills should she acquire? Other than the obvious musical and story-telling abilities, I'd suggest a smattering of heraldry (if your world uses such) knowledge of her chosen land's history, both current and ancient local lore and legends animal husbandry herblore healing (herbal) ... with the possibility of some healing spells assessment (i.e., intuiting a sentient being's reaction/thoughts) language (unlimited, given exposure and the time to pick it up) legends from other lands mysticism divination magic Magic? Of course. Celtic bards believed that certain notes held magical qualities. And through the bardic arts the bard touched that shadow world between mortal and divine. A bard's music could arouse sorrow or joy, love or hate, anger or peace. For role-playing purposes, try spells that mimic these skills. Also, magics like Comprehend Language, Stone Tell,and, of course, Charm will greatly aid any bard in the pursuit of her craft. To touch the Divine Creating your own world, whether with your own or an established gaming system's rules, transforms the run-of-the-mill gamer into God ... at least, for her little corner of the world. Where do you start? What do you include? Will anyone be interested? How do you make it interesting? These are just some of the questions you may ask yourself.. Build on a solid foundation Have you ever read a novel that despite being packed with interesting characters and breakneck action made you feel like xou were walking through one of those Old West ghost towns? You know, the ones with the two-story clapboard false fronts? You probably felt that way because the action and characters had been plopped down in the middle of a thinly drawn setting. Had the author taken time to add just a little background to the world, create a few differing cultures here and there, he could have alleviated that feeling. Your gaming world will feel just as insubstantial if you don't do a little work behind the scenes first. By thinking a bit about the type of game you want to run (political, high fantasy, historic, romantic, traditional, etc.), you will narrow the decisions you need to make as far as mechanics, creatures, NPCs, equipment, spells, etc. For instance, say you're running a world based on Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. You won't have armor requirements because armor was not worn during this time. You may have magic, but you'll probably base it on science. Or maybe your "magic" will be psionic in nature. Firearms will be in use. If you have races other than human, they'll be "legendary" and people won't believe in them until they meet them. On the other hand, a campaign based on high fantasy will be awash with elves and dwarves and other fantastic creatures. Your fighters will use swords, not rifles, and magic, be it rare or commonplace, will be very real indeed. The song of the road The RPG Times An 'e-zine for role-players with many good articles Avalon: Introduction. A well-thought out MUD Patricia C. Wrede'sWorldbuilder Questions An entertaining, informative and thorough site by a well known fantasy author. A must-see for the serious world builder. World Building An informative site for the game master interested in building her own world. Networlds A listing of the myriad original worlds on the net--be they gaming, fantasy, SF, mud/moo/mush, you name it. Ring of Worlds Webring Index The index of 194 sites featuring original worlds. You can also find information for joining this webring here. The Dragon Inn Enter the on-line world of Ifraen in the City of Montfort. An interactive role-playing world with excellent writing. One of the best on the Web. Stormfront - Prodigy No link here, but if you have access to Prodigy, check this place out in the role-playing bulletin boards. My alter-ego, Siobhann, built the Bardic Guild there, owned the tavern (I wonder if my NPC, Mike, is still the barkeep?) and served on the Stormfront Council. Before $$$$$ drove me away from Prodigy, this milieu had become so popular that it was given its own bulletin board. I prithee, an thou hast enjoyed rest and merriment whilst pausing at the Gallery, scribe thy thoughts in the Registry below. Sign Guestbook | View Guestbook Many have taken their ease at the Gallery and raised a glass with the Songsmith. Read their thoughts in our original Registry. Or send a missive directly to Siobhann, the Songsmith songsmith@oocities.com weary travelers have found rest and enjoyment at the Gallery since the 10th day of October, in the Year of our Lord, 1997. Scribed this 14th Day of November, 1998 Except for where otherwise noted, all works and character concepts are Copyrighted 1997 The Fantasy Ring Join the ring! If your site has anything to do with fantasy, and contains NO pornography, racism, or any other inappropriate material, please submit your page! This site is part of the Fantasy Ring This site is owned by Songsmith. Click for the [ Next Page | Skip It | Random | Previous | Next Five] Want to join the ring? Click here for info. Gallery Bardic Guild Conservatory Scriveners' Hall FiresideTales Gamblers Den About the Songsmith Webrings & Awards
Olive and navy smoke swirls about you as you pull open the door. Your lungs explode into a fit of coughing . Sound from inside ceases, and five score pairs of eyes glare at your interruption. Eventually talk begins anew, but only at a low murmur until the card sharks size up this newcomer. "What'll it be?" The harried serving wench rests her tray on her hip. "Get a move on, ducks--or were you thinking of waiting 'til Midsummer?" The clunk of dice punctuate her words.
Is your bard strictly an entertainer? Does he take center stage and never leave ... even when not performing? Maybe she's part of an order of priests, part priestess herself (very historic). Maybe your bard's a scholar, interested in ancient tomes and times. But one thing your bard does know is history. Not just what happened when to whom, but why and what might cause those same events to play out again.
A bard likes people--meeting them, learning from them, talking to them. Everything is of interest. How does the miller grind his flour? The brewer blend his hops? Does the spider spin her web widdershins or deosil? And does moss always grow on the north side of a tree? The world bedazzles the bard. Like cloth in the water of life, your bard should soak up it all.
A bard's first responsibility is to his or her station. Folk rely upon the bard; therefore, the bard must be reliable. When circumstances look bleak, it is the bard who finds a word, a phrase, even a smile that sparks hope anew. The bard brings merriment to the wedding and release at the wake, news to the out-of-touch and insight to royalty's diplomacy.
A bard is all these things.
Now that you know what your bard should be, what skills should she acquire? Other than the obvious musical and story-telling abilities, I'd suggest
Your gaming world will feel just as insubstantial if you don't do a little work behind the scenes first. By thinking a bit about the type of game you want to run (political, high fantasy, historic, romantic, traditional, etc.), you will narrow the decisions you need to make as far as mechanics, creatures, NPCs, equipment, spells, etc. For instance, say you're running a world based on Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. You won't have armor requirements because armor was not worn during this time. You may have magic, but you'll probably base it on science. Or maybe your "magic" will be psionic in nature. Firearms will be in use. If you have races other than human, they'll be "legendary" and people won't believe in them until they meet them. On the other hand, a campaign based on high fantasy will be awash with elves and dwarves and other fantastic creatures. Your fighters will use swords, not rifles, and magic, be it rare or commonplace, will be very real indeed.
I prithee, an thou hast enjoyed rest and merriment whilst pausing at the Gallery, scribe thy thoughts in the Registry below.
Sign Guestbook | View Guestbook Many have taken their ease at the Gallery and raised a glass with the Songsmith. Read their thoughts in our original Registry.
Or send a missive directly to Siobhann, the Songsmith songsmith@oocities.com
weary travelers have found rest and enjoyment at the Gallery since the 10th day of October, in the Year of our Lord, 1997.
Scribed this 14th Day of November, 1998
Except for where otherwise noted, all works and character concepts are Copyrighted 1997
The Fantasy Ring Join the ring! If your site has anything to do with fantasy, and contains NO pornography, racism, or any other inappropriate material, please submit your page!
