Wednesday, April 2, 2014

B is for Bard

Bards get made fun of a lot in D&D. I can understand why at times, but I've always had a soft spot for them. The bard below is one I rolled up, wanted to play, and never got the chance. However, I did right a novella about him with a friend (though it's not lost in the past).  

In case you didn't know, B is for Bards...

Zalfir the Crimson Shroud

Zalfir is the child of a human noble woman and a half-orc mercenary captain. Adored by his mother, but barely tolerated by his human step-father and younger half-brother, Zalfir grew up a conflicted soul. A musical prodigy, his mother encouraged his talents.

Knowing that many wouldn't accept his mixed heritage he constructed an alter ego, the Crimson Shroud. Wearing cloaks of the deepest crimson and an ornate mask, he played local taverns. Zalfir achieved quite a bit of fame as the Shroud, before deciding to retire to relatively quiet life at a crossroads inn. It was there, he fell for a local barmaid, Olessa, not knowing she had ties to his cruel half-brother. After discovering his half-brother's hand in murdering both Olessa's family and their own mother, Zalfir and Olessa plotted revenge. Zalfir used his bardic cunning to ruin his brother's reputation and his orcish strength to defeat his brothers private guard.

Finally accepting all parts of his heritage, Zalfir travels openly and no longer disguises himself for performances. He has embraced the positive aspects of his peoples and incorporates elements of both of them into his music. He is currently working on his masterpiece, This Shieldmaiden's Oath.

Alter Ego
You are not who they think you are. This person before them is simply an identity you have adopted to achieve your goals.

Prerequisite: Bluff 6 ranks, Disguise 6 ranks
Benefit: While you are in the guise of your alter ego, you gain a +4 to bluff checks and register as having your alter ego's alignment.
Special: When you take this feat, choose an alignment. While disguised as your alter ego, you are assumed to have that alignment for the purposes of spell detection. This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time it is done, you must create a new alter ego and choose a new alignment.

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I don't normally design feats. I don't know if it's balanced. I do know I like it though.

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