Adventure World: the Bard

Introducing THE BARD

NAME
Cormac, Gilles, Gorse, Iolo, Jacques, Johan, Mikhail, Odo, William
Brenna, Dori, Helena, Hildy, Isadore, Onioth, Tara, Venus, Zara

STATS
Choose one set:
• Valor=0 Power=0 Moxie+2 Alert+1 Magic=0
• Valor+1 Power-1 Moxie+2 Alert=0 Magic+1
• Valor=0 Power+1 Moxie+2 Alert+1 Magic-1
• Valor-1 Power+1 Moxie+2 Alert+1 Magic=0

BARD MOVES
You get this 1:

Music Moves the World: when you perform your instrument before an audience, roll+moxie. On a 10+, spend 3. On a 7–9, spend 1. Spend 1 to name an NPC member of your audience and choose one:
• this person must meet me
• this person must hire me
• this person must do something for me
• this person must fight for me
• this person loves me
• this person must give me a gift
• this person admires my patron
On a miss, you gain no benefit, but suffer no harm or lost opportunity. You simply perform very well.

Then, choose 2:

Around the World: choose a move from another playbook. (During initial character creation, choose it from a playbook that isn’t otherwise in play.)

Let the Music Do the Talking: you get +1moxie (Moxie+3).

Jack/Jill of All Trades: at the beginning of the session, roll+moxie. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 2. You can spend a hold at any time to use +1forward for yourself. You may spend more than 1 on the same roll. On a miss, you’re feeling out of it and suffer -1ongoing for the session.

Jamming Good: while you perform your instrument during combat, but don’t fight, roll+moxie. On a 10+, everybody you choose gets +1ongoing. On a 7–9, one person you choose gets +1ongoing. On a miss, you become the primary target of your enemies.

Legend Lore: when first confronted with local notable peoples, interesting animals, unusual items, or noteworthy places, you may ask the MC to answer one question about the thing. The MC will then ask you what tale, song, or legend you heard that information from.

Motley Crew: you have two fellow musicians that follow you around and play support instruments. At the beginning of the session, roll+alert. On a 10+, your band have surplus. On a 7–9, they have surplus, but choose 1 want. On a miss, they are in want. If their surplus lists gold, like 1-gold or 2-gold, that’s your personal share. These two are loyal to you but not fanatical, and they have their own lives apart from you (surplus: 1-gold want: desertion). Name them. Characterize them.
Choose 2:
• Your bandmates are dedicated to you. Surplus: +1gold, and replace want: desertion with want: idle.
• Your bandmates are educated and worldly. Surplus: +insight.
• Your bandmates are joyous and celebratory. Surplus: +party.
• Your bandmates are shrewd and frugal. Surplus: +1gold.
• Your bandmates are hard-working, no-nonsense. Surplus: +1gold.
• You travel with a full compliment. Add four more musicians. Surplus: +1gold, and replace want: desertion with want: hunger.
Choose 2:
• Your bandmates aren’t really yours, more like you’re theirs. Want: +judgment.
• Your bandmates rely entirely on you for their lives and needs. Want: +desperation.
• Your bandmates disdain fashion, luxury and convention. Want: +disease.
• Your bandmates disdain law, peace, reason and society. Surplus: +violence.
• Your bandmates are decadent and perverse. Want: +savagery.

Under Pressure: when you read a person, roll+moxie instead of roll+alert.

Universal Language: you can mark 1 segment in a language wheel for free when you first interact with somebody who speaks a language you don’t know.

GEAR
You get:
• 1 hidden weapon
• 1 fancy instrument
• 1 unusual item (you detail with MC)
• oddments worth 2-gold
• fashion suitable to your look (you detail)

Hidden weapon:
• dagger (1-damage ap melee/thrown)
• dart (1-damage thrown infinite)
• net (s-damage thrown grapple)
• sap (2-damage ko melee)
• short Sword (2-damage melee)
• throwing knives (2-damage thrown infinite)

Fancy instrument:
• mandolin
• lute
• pipes
• horn
• fiddle

HX
Everyone introduces their characters by name, look and outlook.
Take your turn.
List the other characters’ names.
Go around again for Hx. On your turn, choose 1, 2, 3 or none:
• One of them is your friend. Tell that player Hx+2.
• One of them is your lover. Tell that player Hx+1.
• One of them is in love with you. Tell that player Hx-1.
• Tell everyone else Hx=0.
On the others’ turns:
• For everyone, whatever number they tell you, give it +1 and write it next to the character’s name. You read people pretty easily.
At the end, find the character with the highest Hx on your sheet. Ask that player which of your stats is most interesting, and highlight it. The MC will have you highlight a second stat too.

BARD SPECIAL
If your advice is asked for, it acts as insight for the other player’s character (p.212).
When you take something from another character, under any circumstances, you get +1Hx with them.