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Etoile · **10-15-2016, 12:28 AM**

Trying my hand at a new bard character. I'd love any feedback or ideas on creative uses of Aether for storytelling elements (Such as using it to create illusions? Patterns or colors?) and uses in actual musical performances to tug at emotions and influence the listeners. I'm familiar with playing bards in DnD but I'm not as sure when it comes to FFXIV, and how to go about transitioning from magic used settings in such as Forgotten Realms into rping with Aether instead.

Thanks! Moogle

luxemas · **10-15-2016, 04:37 PM**

(10-15-2016, 12:28 AM)Stardust Wrote: Trying my hand at a new bard character. I'd love any feedback or ideas on creative uses of Aether for storytelling elements (Such as using it to create illusions? Patterns or colors?) and uses in actual musical performances to tug at emotions and influence the listeners. I'm familiar with playing bards in DnD but I'm not as sure when it comes to FFXIV, and how to go about transitioning from magic used settings in such as Forgotten Realms into rping with Aether instead.

Thanks!

So the first character I ever played on FFXIV was an Archer that I got to a Bard. Sadly, the FFXIV Bard isn't much like the D&D Bard. In D&D and especially in 3.5, a Bard is very modular in what its capable of, however Bards in FFXIV are primarily stuck to being ranged DPS and support with buffs and de-buffs. This isn't exactly a bad thing, but for myself, it definitely felt limiting. Rather than it feeling like I was using music to channel the power of magic, it felt more like I was using songs that just happened to feel magical.

At least that was my feeling and take. Possibly others might have different feelings toward that.

Savo · **10-15-2016, 04:50 PM**

Bards, : )

Gerel Kha · **10-15-2016, 05:15 PM**

As a word of warning: I haven't leveled Bard yet, and so most of my knowledge is coming from what I could quickly look up. But! Let's see.

From what I could gather, a Bard's songs--a true Bard's songs, at any rate--were heavily influenced and given power via the raw emotion and empathy they poured into their works. This emotion? Generally came from the horrors they were forced to watch as archers for the Gridanian military. Over time? This gave birth to magical songs that helped to boost the morale of those they watched over.

Now, how could that translate into somebody who wants to put on shows? To go with the month's current theme, maybe they use their own fears to sing a song that conjures up the dread and apprehension in whoever is listening--gets them invested in the universal feeling of being afraid.

In the end? I think the most important part is to look at your character's history for the greatest inspiration. What drives them? What have they seen and done? How can this resonate with the people they're attempting to reach?

Now, when it comes to Aether? Maybe a little bit of applied glamour magic? Could use fireworks/sparklers to simulate some illusionary colors and such that match the tone and theme of what your character is going for. There's also the more extravagant ones like the Rising-centric items.

Karu · **10-15-2016, 06:06 PM**

Random lurker here! This is actually my first post on Hydaelyn but I felt compelled to reply to this topic. I will have to make a more formal introductory post once I get around to an actual conputer. Right now, I'm on vacation, half across America from my own!

Anyhow, that's enough rambling about me. I have a Lalafell that is more closely resembling a DnD style bard rather then a FFXIV archer that can sing. The way I play it out is that Ulemo Tesheremo took some time learning both arcanima and conjury. He uses both those fields to create minor cantrips in order to enhance his performance. Arcanima could produce lights, smoke, and other oddities while conjury was used to help carry sound! I've been a bit shy explaining all of this due to the chance of possible lore breaking but hopefully the wood of a bard's instrument can prove to be a mediun, albeit poor for conjury.

OOCly, I use class spells, fireworks and prisms to create more aesthetic for people who suffer my lalafell's presence. Overall, be prepared to keep your fingers busy as such characters can be extremely energetic and demand a bit of flair so quickly clicking on items and doing emotes nearly at the same time to create some flourish. At least, that is how I play Ulemo!

É´á´˜á´„ · **10-15-2016, 09:20 PM**

One thing I like to keep in mind as a Bard: if aether is shed by the living as part of the cycle of life and death, then each person may carry with them a personal treasure trove of memory and emotion, some fragments of which may join the lifestream. I like to think that it is these memories and emotions that Clo draws upon when singing.

Hope that helps.

Valence · **10-16-2016, 04:00 AM**

Rather than painfully pasting here the whole script for the bard quests, go watch them on youtube or level them up, would be my best advice. You will see how the actual bard job in lore has absolutely nothing to do with gameplay and how it explains the songs.

How true bards that can actually not just sing songs, but songs that ring true and hold many different magical powers.Â

It is also true that the bard job has been more or less lost (like most jobs except ninja or the 3.0 ones), but was once created by legions of archers that transcended their simple nock and loose arrows tasks.Â

It doesn't say however that you somehow have to be an archer to do that, just that it was created and used by archers in the past.

Etoile · **10-24-2016, 12:00 PM**

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I did read this over earlier but got very busy. Ulemo's post was super relative to what I'm interested in, too.

I really like the idea of using Aether to enhance songs and tales with visual elements. So I'm going to borrow from the DnD spells and abilities a little. I'm also interested in going 'true bard' in a sense where the songs have power. Still working on her!

Sounsyy · **10-24-2016, 07:11 PM**

It looks like you've got your own interesting ideas for playing a bard, but if you were curious as to the Bard's lore here's a couple links:

-Bard Lore Compilation
-Bard in Lore Book

On a small side note, if you were playing a character who was first an archer before becoming a bard or simply a bard of the Shroud, this tidbit might be interesting for you.

Dusting the Knuckles Wrote:While optimal for neutralizing targets from afar, the longbows of Gods' Quiver scouts lose their effectiveness when the enemy draws near. To prepare themselves for the occasional close-range battle, many scouts will equip themselves with hand-to-hand weapons that will not hamper them when notching their bows.

Hope this helps give more ideas! ^^

Playing a Bard

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes