so i guess i'm starting an OSR blog
anyway, this is a Bard Genre building off of the OG GLOG Bard from A Blasted and Cratered Land, built around the genre of Southern Rock.
the key guiding focus of this genre is being an outsider or marginal figure, whether in the sense of rural against urban, the southern usa against the rest of the world, poor against rich, or what-have-you. there are also a lot of songs about drinking, drugs, living a musician's life, and trying not to get shot while having fun.
there is wisdom and knowledge that comes from being on the margins of polite society and southern rock embraces that marginal status
i don't encourage or approve of the use of "confederate" imagery for this tho - and neither do the Allman Brothers, just FYI.
this hasn't been playtested - nothing i post has been playtested - these are all just thought exercises.
NEW BARD MECHANIC: "Anthems" - an anthem is a powerful piece of music from a specific bardic genre; indeed, it is the song that outsiders associate with the genre. It has tremendous power, and when performed by a large number of bards, led by a bard of the appropriate genre, it can bend the very fabric of reality by rocking so hard. Each bard performing on the anthem can affect an aspect of the anthem's effects by varying their own Intensity of play.
Southern Rock (GLOG Bard Genre)
| sure was a shame the entire band died in that plane crash and they never got old and reactionary |
Starting Gear: A set of workingman’s clothes, a wide-brimmed hat that shades your eyes from the sun and your identity from strangers, an easily concealed common weapon like a switchblade or blackjack, an instrument and its carrying case, and a small amount of drugs.
Skills: 1 - Scoundrel, 2 - Farmhand, 3 - Session Musician
Perk: Ramblin’ Man - even by bard standards, you’re unwelcome in polite society; royalty and aristocrats and dragons and other fancy-pants types shun you, but you are always welcome among lowlifes, rebels, peasants and others on the margins. They will not necessarily put themselves in harm’s way to protect you, but they won’t sell you out either. You will either die tragically young or live long enough to see yourself embraced by those rich assholes that used to hate you because they don't understand that your songs were attacking them.
 |
| not a bard, but cool photo and funny caption |
Can’t You See - This song affects all beings in earshot that can hear it. At Intensity 1 - They can see invisible things; 2 - ...and ignore illusions; 3 - ... and the true form of mimics, doppelgangers, etc.; 4 - ...into the astral plane or the timestream or something heavy like that. "Gonna climb me a mountain, the highest mountain.”
Champagne Jam - Everyone in earshot becomes intoxicated, but in a bubbly and fun way. Increase reaction rolls by one (positive) step for each level of intensity - at Intensity 4 it can even affect undead, constructs, and things that technically don’t even have a sense of hearing. The effect continues for xd10 minutes where x is the number of Bard Templates you have. “If they throw us in jail, we don’t give a damn.”
Flirtin’ With Disaster - Creates a localized chaos event in a spot the performer can see. It has the effect of a random spell from the (1d3: Orthodox Wizard, DM’s choice, Player’s choice) spell list, with Intensity standing in for the Magic Dice required. The effect is sustained as long as the song is being played (assuming it has a sustained effect). This will necessarily require some finagling and discussion on the part of all parties involved, but it should be reckless, dangerous, and cool as hell. “When we gamble with our time, we choose our destiny.”
Gimme Back My Bullets - Intensity number of allies in earshot can fire ranged weapons without reloading for the duration of the song. “I’ve got my act together, gonna walk all over you.”
Gimme Three Steps - Intensity 1 - Any ally attempting to flee goes first in the initiative order; 2 - Any ally attempting to parlay goes first in the initiative order, followed by allies attempting to flee; 3 - As 2, but enemies attempting to attack go after all allies; 4 - As 3, but enemy spellcasters go dead last. “I’m tellin’ ya son, well it ain’t no fun staring straight down a .44”
Keep Your Hands to Yourself - A target that can hear the song must make a save or… Intensity 1 - Only tell the truth for the duration of the song; 2 - Be silent for the duration of the song; 3 - Remain motionless for the duration of the song; 4 - All of the above for 1d6 minutes after the conclusion of the song. “Each time we talk, I get the same old thing.”
Midnight Rider - Everyone in earshot is released from... Intensity 1 - being held or grappled; 2 - Organic bonds like ropes and cords; 3 - Inorganic bonds like chains and shackles; 4 - Magical bonds including spells, devices, Hold Person and the like. “I got to run to keep from hiding, and I’m bound to keep on ridin’.”
Saturday Night Special - This magic weapon appears in the free hand of an ally. Its barrel is blue and cold. Range as crossbow, does [Intensity] d6 exploding damage. If the damage roll is triples, it explodes, dealing the sum of the dice in damage to the wielder. “Ain’t good for nothin’/’Cept put a man six feet in the hole.”
That Smell - At Intensity 1, a single subject is temporarily released from any compulsions due to addiction until sundown; 2 - any poisons or intoxicants affecting the target are paused until sundown; 3 - the target is cured of one addiction or compulsion; 4 - the target is purged of all poisons, toxins, etc. “The smell of death surrounds you!”
Whipping Post - Tendrils of spectral barbed wire extend out from your person, lashing Intensity target(s) for 1d4 damage. This damage is magical. If you focus two or more tendrils on the same target, they can ensnare it. “Sometimes I feel like I’m dyin’.”
Legendary Track: Things Goin’ On - Everyone in earshot besides the performer and their allies must save or be overcome with a deep discontent at the status quo and an intense desire to bring down “the system,” whatever that means to them... Intensity 1 - for the duration of the song; 2 - For 10 minutes following the end of the song; 3 - For one hour after the song; 4 - For an entire day. Simply performing this song is illegal in many places. “Until they make it right, I hope they never sleep at night.”
Anthem: Free Bird - This powerful jam can only be played by two or more bards, at least one must be trained in the Southern Rock genre.
At Intensity 1, it opens up a human-sized portal to a random safe location within the same general region (hex, etc.) as the performers. The range and size of the portal can be altered by increasing the intensity - at Intensity 4 it is large enough to ride an elephant through and is somewhere on the same continental mass. One performer controls the size of the portal, the other the distance.
Adding a third performer allows the band to pick a target destination - at Intensity 1, the portal is accurate within a mile or two. At Intensity 4, it can be centered on a specific location or item the band member has seen before.
Adding a fourth performer allows the band to travel in time and space - each level of Intensity alters the power level; 10 minutes, 10 days, 10 months, 10 years.
At five members, the band can travel between planes.
At seven members, the band can travel between realities.
“‘Cause I’m as free as a bird now, and this bird you cannot change.”
No comments:
Post a Comment