Bard class lore

[Lodravel]

Is there any basis for a bard class in WoW lore?

The easy answer would be no. Nowhere does it say in WoW that music has any inherent magical power.

But here's the thing. We know that in order to use Arcane magic, it has to be channeled. This can happen either through the spellcaster themselves or through runes, per proxy. Why runes? Runes work, because their shape and patterns mimic the ley lines throughout Azeroth. They channel the energies correspondent to them. (The arcane spellcaster also draws their power from the leylines, to be sure.)

Well, that's nice. So what does this interesting, albeit probably irrelevant WoW lore factoid have to do with the bard class?

Sound creates shapes and patterns, too.
These are called chladni figures and they are sort of the conjunction between geometry and sounds waves.

Bards are - well - could be spellcasters that, instead of using themselves or writings, use the patterns made by sound in order to retrace the leylines and channel their arcane energies.

Anyway, I am not advocating for bards to be implemented into the game. To be honest, their premise still strikes me as quite silly and I'm not sure they'd really fit WoW. That being said, this was just an idea that came to my mind this early morning. Bards may be silly but they could totally work. Lorewise.

[Zentail]

If Bard was introduced, I'd be incredibly happy, would main it immediately, and never stop. I highly doubt it would ever happen, but I would love it. I'd probably roleplay a lot more than I do now.

[Mirishka]

Bards have always been about lifting people's spirits and inspiring those around them with songs and tales, why does that require a weird 'well technically its like arcane magic because leylines' explanation?

I mean, warriors yell and suddenly every physical dps within 100 yards or whatever does more damage. That's all the sense a bard needs to make.

[Triceron]

Bard Class lore?

Not specifically, but...

But we do have the lore of the Warsong Clan. You know, the Hellscreams. Then there's the Kodoriders of WC3 who were wardrummers that buffed allies through their music, and threw axes as a ranged attack. Wardrums are actually a Leatherworking item that worked like Bloodlust in some expansions.

Then there is ETC Hero in Heroes of the Storm, who is the closest thing to a playable Bard. Gameplay revolves around using music in most of his attacks, and his trait buffs allies (healing, attack speed) everytime he uses an ability (which plays music). We know ETC is an official band in WoW as well, and all the members are canon.

Finally there is the actual Bard Class April Fools that they made back in the TBC days. It was a riff on Guitar Hero, but it has all the 'lore' that you would really need for this class. Now, one could say April Fools don't count, but.... consider that the Pandarens and the Goblin Tinkers and 2-player playable Ogres were all things that ended up being officially made in their games; the Pandarens and Tinkers getting actual facetime in WoW. While I wouldn't consider the Bard canon, I wouldn't exclude it on the basis of just being an April Fools joke either.

Bards have always been about lifting people's spirits and inspiring those around them with songs and tales, why does that require a weird 'well technically its like arcane magic because leylines' explanation?

While it doesn't have to necessarily relate to ley-lines or arcane magic, I think the OP is on to something because we do see a connection between songs and arcane magic when it comes to the Naga Sirens. I've always imagined that any kind of Sea Witch type class would be close to what we'd consider to be a Bard; basically as an Arcane Ranger with Song-themed crowd control effects and magical buffs/debuffs.

[Kayb]

I don't think there is anything specifically for it, but music and magic working together is not hard to imagine. Everyone always said there was no basis for Monks in WoW and that there would never be Demon Hunters as a class. So while a Bard class at least for now is unlikely, it's no impossible.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Which part of the Warcraft cosmology chart would they draw their power from?


Or is this Lore sub-forum still on the Chronicles hate train still?

[Cazze]

People: Blizzaaaard! your lore is nonsensical!
also people: add bards. leylines or stuff..

edit: what the f is going to be the expansion that thematically makes sense to add bards? battle for the billboard charts or somethign?

[letssee]

have u forgotten

[RobertMugabe]

Is there any basis for a bard class in WoW lore?

The easy answer would be no. Nowhere does it say in WoW that music has any inherent magical power.

But here's the thing. We know that in order to use Arcane magic, it has to be channeled. This can happen either through the spellcaster themselves or through runes, per proxy. Why runes? Runes work, because their shape and patterns mimic the ley lines throughout Azeroth. They channel the energies correspondent to them. (The arcane spellcaster also draws their power from the leylines, to be sure.)

Well, that's nice. So what does this interesting, albeit probably irrelevant WoW lore factoid have to do with the bard class?

Sound creates shapes and patterns, too.
These are called chladni figures and they are sort of the conjunction between geometry and sounds waves.

Bards are - well - could be spellcasters that, instead of using themselves or writings, use the patterns made by sound in order to retrace the leylines and channel their arcane energies.

Anyway, I am not advocating for bards to be implemented into the game. To be honest, their premise still strikes me as quite silly and I'm not sure they'd really fit WoW. That being said, this was just an idea that came to my mind this early morning. Bards may be silly but they could totally work. Lorewise.

I think there are bards in the rogue class order hall if I am not mistaken.

tbh a bard class would be kinda cool as a support-type class similar to shamans with healer and dps specs. I used to play something like that in Lord of the Rings Online and they were a lot of fun.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't think there is anything specifically for it, but music and magic working together is not hard to imagine. Everyone always said there was no basis for Monks in WoW and that there would never be Demon Hunters as a class. So while a Bard class at least for now is unlikely, it's no impossible.

Yeah that and at least the basis for a bard class and theme could be unique enough to justify adding them, unlike the other typical class ideas (necromancer and dark ranger)

[Lodravel]

Which part of the Warcraft cosmology chart would they draw their power from?

You've not even read my post, have you? :'D It's the Arcane.

People: Blizzaaaard! your lore is nonsensical!
also people: add bards. leylines or stuff..

edit: what the f is going to be the expansion that thematically makes sense to add bards? battle for the billboard charts or somethign?

It makes quite some sense, as I've pointed out.

I don't know within what kind of expansion that would work, either, though.

[Mic_128]

Is there any basis for a bard class in WoW lore?

There was that flamboyant guy in Stratholm that dropped a magical piccolo.

[Dastreus]

4th rogue spec pls

Or hunter

[erifwodahs]

You would need another world or continent for that. Somewhere where that would any roots. If they could figure out mechanics for it which would not be stolen or some watered down version of what we have now on other classes that would be great. Otherwise I am all in for class skins!

[kiramon]

bard would probably be like ff14 bard or dancer... both of whom are ranged dps classes with buffs tied to attacks.

Blizzard has a hard time adding buff classes because -
1. Their idea that all classes should be soloable. They’d have to give bard heals because they’d probably end up in a similar dps space.
2. Their idea that no class can be required for groups to function, which means multiple classes need the buffs or they’re watered down.

Why it’s so hard for them to math out bard damage + group buff damage... idk. People math’d our dancer damage + buff damage like three months in to ff14s expansion...

Anyways, bard would make for a really easy healer/dps/tank class.

I’m pretty big on bards- played one in RO, eq,eq2,ff11, ff14 and love em in every thing else they’re in, so I’d welcome them.

[Frontenac]

Which part of the Warcraft cosmology chart would they draw their power from?


Or is this Lore sub-forum still on the Chronicles hate train still?

The OP says Arcane, but I would say a mix of Life and Holy. Music and sound have been associated to the Naaru and the Elementals through Murmur. It's the only occurance I can think of of music or sound being used and having an effect.

What I could imagine is the Bard being a melee and caster class, with a mix of Nature and Holy spells. There would be three specs. The common abilities would be about songs and shouts (hard to use an instrument while you are using a weapon), with maybe a few acrobatics for damage avoidance. Minstrels (or troubadours?) would be healers, using voice and instruments to sing hymns that would boost the moral of their companions (heals and buffs). They would be better at group healing. The Jester would be a dps caster, using voice and instruments to throw insults and spells at the enemy (ranged dps and debuffs). Finally, the Bladesinger would be a melee dps using songs, shouts and insults to boost his melee attacks and debuff the enemy. Of course, we would not hear insults and actual songs...

They should get inspiration from LotRO's Minstrel class. I liked the idea to have to "build up your music." Abilities are divided in three levels. You have to use a certain number of Lvl 1 spells to be able to use a lvl 2 spell and then lvl 2 to cast lvl 3 spells. Mechanics have to be different to justify a new class, or else we would end up with a rogue or a priest with different cosmetic effects.

Now, what armor class would they have? Cloth, or leather? It seems to me that both are overcrowded...

Race: All. I don't believe any race is tone deaf enough to prevent them from playing that class.

[Sagenod]

"Variously described as a "cosmic being", "extra-planar being", "warp-beast", or "the essence of sound", Murmur is an otherworldly elemental creature from a distant corner of the universe. According to the Codex of Blood, Murmur was born long ago in a dimension of the cosmos unfathomable to mortal minds. It was so powerful that its entrance into existence shattered all reality around it. Mindless and existing only for chaos, its barest whisper was enough to destroy entire worlds. Some mortals tried to worship Murmur as a god, with some even attempting to control it, but the elemental didn't care and likely didn't even notice their presence. When it yawned, they were destroyed. However, one sorcerous mortal somehow managed to survive and devised a ritual through which he and his conspirators could bring Murmur into their world using vast amounts of captured souls. Whole civilizations were brought to extinction through his soul devices, and eventually he and his allies managed to summon the creature. They used powerful containment and silencing magics—fueled by a constant supply of souls—to keep Murmur contained, but they were unable to bend it to their will and so began devising different strategies. One after another, they failed, and in the process, they weakened the rituals and accidentally gave Murmur the slightest modicum of freedom. The Codex of Blood is the only thing that survived the subsequent cataclysm that destroyed their world."

Source: https://wow.gamepedia.com/Murmur

At the very least, there is reasoning as far back as BC for "sound shamans." Wouldn't take much writing for Blizz to introduce their own take on the Bard class.

[Shadowferal]

pfft...they had a bard for a joke once...

I don't care for the class at all.
Seems to me nothing more than a few people missing EQ that want it.

[jellmoo]

Is there direct lore supporting a Bard class? Not that I'm aware of.

Is there points of influence that could be used? Sure. There are a number of song/music related abilities in game. Also, Lorewalker Cho, for example, shows that stories and words have power, at least in Pandaria. And Lorewalker Cho is awesome.

Adding a Bard class would be a bit of an asspull, but no more of an asspull than a lot of the things that Blizzard has already put into the game.

[haediff]

if bard were to ever become a class that would be the day I would unsub.

[Frontenac]

Is there direct lore supporting a Bard class? Not that I'm aware of.

Is there points of influence that could be used? Sure. There are a number of song/music related abilities in game. Also, Lorewalker Cho, for example, shows that stories and words have power, at least in Pandaria. And Lorewalker Cho is awesome.

Adding a Bard class would be a bit of an asspull, but no more of an asspull than a lot of the things that Blizzard has already put into the game.

Pandaren bards could be called Lorewalkers, thinking of it. Or even the class as a whole.