Sunday, February 21, 2010

We got a bard, meet Abélard!

Well, this past week, we got good news and bad. The bad news, Biff, our sorcerer, could not come because he was jet-lagged from his trip to Paris. Yeah. So obviously I wasn't going to start the campaign with someone missing. The good news = We got a new player. Todd's neighbor, Fred, used to play D&D back in the day! So we got him all set up.

As Fred flipped through the PHB, he decided that he wanted to play a class that he had never played before. He initially wanted to be a druid. Now, I think that druids have potential to be really cool characters. They get a bit of pizazz and can be pretty versatile. However, for a first time player (or a returning player from long ago), set in a campaign of complete newbs, it's not ideal. Druids can get complicated: with spell-lists, an animal companion, and wildshape abilities, the character sheet more resembles a character pamphlet.

As a DM, my worst fear is letting my own prejudices influence the decisions of my players, and in turn, their player characters. I don't want my own bias to get in the way of someone playing the kind of character that they want, EVEN if they want to play an extremely annoying, self-righteous paladin. (Yuck.) I explained this to Fred, and added that if he really wanted to play a druid, I would help him get it all figured out. Luckily, for both of us, Fred also has some interest in music, lore, and tale-telling, so he decided to go with bard instead. Hooray! I love bards. I also think that for a first time player, bards make a nice class. They have a broad skillset, and make for fun role-playing opportunities. They also add a little bit of flair and can often set the tone for public relations.

Player: Fred
Character name: Abélard de la Sonnerie
Race: Half-elf
Class: Bard
I think Abélard is going to be a bit of a schmoozer amongst the wealthy, and while he might be good at making gold, his history also includes shopping sprees in seedy bars. Like many bards before him, Abélard is on a search for a great subject that will help him compose his masterpiece. Unlike many bards before him, Abélard plays the hurdy-gurdy.

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