Bard Concept

[Kyphael]

I've seen a lot of Necromancer, Dragonsworn, Tinker and Dark Ranger concept threads, but not many in the way of Bard, so I decided to create my own!

BARD CONCEPT FOR WORLD OF WARCRAFT





Armor Type: Mail
Roles: Axe Jammer (Tank), Flutist (Healer) & Cellist (Damage)
Races: (A) Humans, Dwarves, Void Elves, Worgen & Gnomes. (H) Orcs, Blood Elves, Undead, Tauren & Goblins.
Lore: Bards are Azeroth's best kept secret. Previously simple music makers dwelling in Silverpine and Elwynn Forests, they've entertained Eastern Kingdom's highest social circles for centuries with beautiful melodies, and especially rocked out every hour on the hour in the Darkmoon Faire. With the looming threat of Helya and Yrel's Holy Crusade sweeping across the kingdoms, and falls of Stormwind and Thunder Bluff, the music makers of Azeroth have decided to take up arms with their untapped, deadly music to battle the forces that look to eradicate all music, art and culture from Azeroth. They are the music makers, and they are the dreamers of dreams. They are The Bards.

SPECIALIZATIONS

AXE JAMMER (TANK)



A savage guitarist, Bards who choose to walk the line of Axe-Jammer will pick up their axe, equipped like guitars from hell to unleash deafening riffs that will shatter enemy's hearing eardrums to mitigate incoming damage to themselves as well as their party. The Axe-Jammer axes will be an axe/guitar hybrid that serves as both a weapon for parrying as well as one for unleashing sound waves that target the enemies in a frontal cone. The Axe Jammer will also rely on a Musical Note System where abilities grant "Notes" for full battle optimization, represented as a musical note bar under HP bar.

ABILITIES:

Axe & Smash: Swing your axe, dealing melee damage. Grants 1 Note, up to 5 Notes.
Dance Challenge: Bust a move, /dancing for 5 seconds while swinging axe erratically, reducing damage by 30% and dealing damage to confused targets within radius. Grants 2 Notes. 20 second cooldown.
Axe Block: Raise your axe, using the handle to block incoming melee damage, up to 20%. Requires 1 Note.
I AM MURLOC Unleash a guitar riff, summoning a swarm of Murlocs that will taunt all targets and deal damage for 6 seconds. 3 minute cooldown. Requires 4 Notes.
Guitar Solo: Blast your enemy's ear drums, up to 5 targets, stunning them for 3 seconds and decreasing damage they deal. 40 second cooldown. Requires 3 Notes.
Mosh Pit: Removes all movement-impairing effects and increases movement speed by 50% for the bard's entire party. Lasts 10 seconds. Does not stack with other movement-speed-increasing effects.
Acid Trip: Drink from a secret vial, becoming berserk and immune to all damage for 6 seconds. 3 minute cooldown. Requires 5 Notes.
Crowd Surf: Play a rocking song to enthrall the minds of your enemy targets, forcing a mob of 3 or more enemies to pick you up and surf you to safety. Effect only lasts 6 seconds.
Nonconformity: Dispels fear, mind control, and similar effects.
KISS: Interrupts spell casting. 1 minute cooldown.
Rock'N Roll: The Bard sticks his tongue out, plays his axe and rolls forward 10 yards, increasing his run speed by 50% for 3 seconds. 2 minute cooldown.

FLUTIST (HEALER)



A serene but often aggressive flute player, Flutist Healers do not physically rejuvenate others and themselves, but instead rely on soothing melodies to heal the soul and spirit, helping party members and friendly targets ignore the pain and damage with lifting music that transcends corporal existence. They carry with them wand flute/wand hybrids, allowing them to channel arcane magic to intercept enemy attacks to spare party members damage.

Soothing Melody Play a soothing melody with your flute (wand), healing the target. 3 second cast. Grants 1 Note.
Soloist: Play a beautiful melody, healing yourself for 40% health. Requires 4 notes. 3 minute cooldown. Instant cast.
Sure Shot: Fire a sound wave at the target. If friendly, heal the target and if an enemy, deal damage.
Got A Copper?: Distract the target with a beautiful melody, allowing you to pick pocket while they are entranced.
Circular Barrier: The Bard uses his flute to draw an imaginary circle, which becomes a physical shield able to protect him from attacks for up to 5 seconds. 1 minute cooldown. Requires 1 Note.
Sound Waves: The Bard moves his arm in a sword-like fashion and releases powerful sound waves that are able to knock down his opponents and stun them for 3 seconds. Requires 2 Notes.
Dead End Symphony: The Bard plays a song on his flute, which stuns the target for 4 seconds. The music directly resonates within the opponent's brain, applying damage over time for up to 5 seconds. Talent point ability. Requires 5 Notes.
Dead End Climax: Once The Bard reaches the climax of his song, the music he plays will damage the target for 5% of their health, unleashing a melody that heals the party. Requires Dead End Sympthony. Requires 4 Notes.

CELLIST (DAMAGE)



A slash and play melee/ranged damage combo spec; Cellists keep to themselves and deal damage from afar with soothing melodies that disable the opponent's combat expectations, and then kick it up a notch with some deeper Earth-shaking rhythms. They also dual wield a sword and Cello.

Shred: Stab the enemy target. Grants 1 Note.
Soloist: The Bard plays a tune, dealing ranged damage. Grants 2 Notes. 30 second cooldown.
Stick And Move: The Bard hurls his Cello stick at the enemy target, dealing ranged damage. Grants 1 note. 10 second cooldown.
Blue Blade: /Cry, causing the Bard to weep before smashing his Cello over the enemy target's head and stabbing them. Must be within melee range. Grants 3 Notes. 1 minute cooldown.
Death Trip Serenade: Without his Cello, the Bard pulls out a Harp and plays a beautiful theme that does damage over time on the enemy, until the song intensifies, dealing 5% damage to the target.
Stringer Fine: The Bard unleashes magical strings from his harp, ensnaring the enemy target and squeezing with razor sharp strings, dealing 5% damage. Requires 4 Notes. Requires Death Trip Serenade.
String Quartet: Increases damage done of up to 3 party members by 20% for 20 seconds. 6 minute cooldown. Requires 5 Notes.
Apocalyptico: The Bard plays the deepest notes on his Cello, dealing % ranged damage. Requires 5 Notes.

(Notes: I would have used icons, but I typed this at work in between work, and it was hard linking images. Plus, the only icon I regret not linking is the Murloc icon for I Am Murloc. Most WoW icons wouldn't do the abilities justice anyway as WoW doesn't have many musical instrument icons other than the flute off the top of my head. I got some inspiration from https://wowwiki.fandom.com/wiki/Bard and other fictional mediums that have portrayed music as a weapon like the Saint Seiya anime, particularly the Flutist spec.)

[DatToffer]

I see many fun ideas ! I especially like the Stringer Fine, Got a Copper and the references of the Axe Slammer abilities xD

The Note resource is also pretty cool, even if quite standard. But I would have handled some skills differently, making the Mosh pit an area of effect confusion spell, where mobs beat each other up and making Crowd Surfing a grip for enemies and allies !

I remember thinking about a Bard class a long time ago. I also thought about a Tank/DPS/Heal design :
A support / healer role using a mandolin, this one looked a lot like your healer but with special abilities inspired from legends like the Pied Piper.
A rocker Bard using a guitar for ranged DPS. Mostly shreds, riffs and the likes to confuse, stun and deal splash damages to the enemy !
And a metal Bard tanking on melee. This one would be more of the punk fantasy, diving into the mosh pit to brawl and having abilities like Circle Pit or Wall of Death.

[Aldo Hawk]

But seriously tho, how is this being able to be applied to the lore of Warcraft? Serious question.

I understand you may have seen bards on other RPGs but in the case of Warcraft I would pretty much see them becoming some sort of a secondary profession.

[VoodooMon]

Bards would be ridiculous in WoW. They don’t fit anywhere and have never been a thing.

Sorry.

[literallysame]

Cellist makes no sense. You do realize a cello is a large stringed instrument that you have to sit down to play? How would you dual wield a sword and a cello? Face it. Bard does not fit in WoW at all. It has no basis in lore and it just won't happen no matter how much people want it. It also does not fit with any theme so far in the game. At least tinker fits with the azerite theme and necromancer/dark ranger fits with the Death theme.

[Kyphael]

Cellist makes no sense. You do realize a cello is a large stringed instrument that you have to sit down to play? How would you dual wield a sword and a cello? Face it. Bard does not fit in WoW at all. It has no basis in lore and it just won't happen no matter how much people want it. It also does not fit with any theme so far in the game. At least tinker fits with the azerite theme and necromancer/dark ranger fits with the Death theme.

The Cellist spec was inspired by this image. Looks like the Orc is dual wielding it with a sword. lol Originally I had the damage spec be a Harpist, but I didn't find any good WoW concept art involving a harp, so I went with the Orc Cellist and just integrated the Harpist spells into the Cellist.



Originally I tagged some images in the original post at work, not sure what happened to them.

- - - Updated - - -

But seriously tho, how is this being able to be applied to the lore of Warcraft? Serious question.

I understand you may have seen bards on other RPGs but in the case of Warcraft I would pretty much see them becoming some sort of a secondary profession.

I did address that briefly in the lore part where they've been around but no focus at all and never combatants until their introduction. They're practically entertainers, musicians, music makers and lovers that live under the grid, unrecognized, civilians who learn to use their music for the benefit of Azeroth and their factions. It would be fairly easy to integrate them so.

- - - Updated - - -

But seriously tho, how is this being able to be applied to the lore of Warcraft? Serious question.

I understand you may have seen bards on other RPGs but in the case of Warcraft I would pretty much see them becoming some sort of a secondary profession.

I wouldn't be opposed to them becoming a rogue spec, particularly replacing Outlaw which used to be called "Combat." It's just a regular swordsman rogue spec, if they integrated a Bard spec into it, I wouldn't mind.

Yeah, Bards have never been a thing in WoW, there are no known bards, NPCs, etc., but what are they but musicians? The Darkmoon Faire has a rock band. If those characters were to learn to weaponize their music, bam, you have a bard. King Varian and Terenas were royalty. All kingdoms have culture and music, who makes such music? Musicians, bards. It's not something whose origin has to be blatantly ingrained in major events of the past. Maybe the first Bard will come to be next expansion, teaching other music makers of Azeroth how to make war through the craft of their musical instruments?

- - - Updated - - -

I see many fun ideas ! I especially like the Stringer Fine, Got a Copper and the references of the Axe Slammer abilities xD

The Note resource is also pretty cool, even if quite standard. But I would have handled some skills differently, making the Mosh pit an area of effect confusion spell, where mobs beat each other up and making Crowd Surfing a grip for enemies and allies !

I remember thinking about a Bard class a long time ago. I also thought about a Tank/DPS/Heal design :
A support / healer role using a mandolin, this one looked a lot like your healer but with special abilities inspired from legends like the Pied Piper.
A rocker Bard using a guitar for ranged DPS. Mostly shreds, riffs and the likes to confuse, stun and deal splash damages to the enemy !
And a metal Bard tanking on melee. This one would be more of the punk fantasy, diving into the mosh pit to brawl and having abilities like Circle Pit or Wall of Death.

Thanks! It definitely needs refining, and I like your ideas, especially pertaining to the Mosh Pit ability. I tried to make it as much support/evasion more so than the usual "spam heals." They have really good buffs but they're not necessarily buff bitches like shamans used to be, the buffs are integrated into their abilities.

[Hallowseve17]

I like the idea. Bards would be cool. WoW is a fantasy game inspired by other fantasy universes. Bards would fit in perfectly. We already have a few humans and dwarves performing in inns. We also have that undead metal band at the Darkmoon Faire and the Tauren Chieftain.

[Aldo Hawk]

Yeah, Bards have never been a thing in WoW, there are no known bards, NPCs, etc., but what are they but musicians? The Darkmoon Faire has a rock band. If those characters were to learn to weaponize their music, bam, you have a bard. King Varian and Terenas were royalty. All kingdoms have culture and music, who makes such music? Musicians, bards. It's not something whose origin has to be blatantly ingrained in major events of the past. Maybe the first Bard will come to be next expansion, teaching other music makers of Azeroth how to make war through the craft of their musical instruments?

I still think that bards should become a profession. Simply because musicians in warcraft are just musicians.

Hell, I play a rogue and I have explored every inch of Suramar, I have seen these mysterious musicians you talk about. I have been in the Darkmoon Faire and in Shattrath, I have seen them. And the only place where a warcraft musician has always fought with their instruments is in Heroes of the Storm.

A profession where if someone wants to learn how to use it, can play songs as they please would be pretty cool, playing some sheets correctly would level up the profession and doing so would unlock more instruments, very cool indeed, and not something that would require a major retcon of the universe.

Also, Outlaw rogues are not a bad concept. Making the rogue not being all about daggers, stealth and/or poisons and more about combat is pretty much interesting. Making it play instruments would be very memey in my honest opinion.

[DatToffer]

Honestly it also fits as a profession, yeah. I mean anything fits as anything if Blizzard make the lore evolve in that direction.

I remember a discussion with friends we had, thinking of a Bard profession. It was something going like :

A friend was thinking about a new gathering profession based on trees and woods to then craft instrument such as lute, flute, and so on. But in my idea, you could craft a variety of instruments depending on the existing gathering profession you chose !

Thus, skinning would give you percussion instruments to buff your allies.

Mining would help you craft guitars to shred your enemies hear and debuff/stun/fear them.

While enchanting would focus on magical instruments, with various support (heal, dispell and so on) and out of combat effects (charming critters and the like)

[Kyphael]

Honestly it also fits as a profession, yeah. I mean anything fits as anything if Blizzard make the lore evolve in that direction.

I remember a discussion with friends we had, thinking of a Bard profession. It was something going like :

A friend was thinking about a new gathering profession based on trees and woods to then craft instrument such as lute, flute, and so on. But in my idea, you could craft a variety of instruments depending on the existing gathering profession you chose !

Thus, skinning would give you percussion instruments to buff your allies.

Mining would help you craft guitars to shred your enemies hear and debuff/stun/fear them.

While enchanting would focus on magical instruments, with various support (heal, dispell and so on) and out of combat effects (charming critters and the like)

Fair enough, the Bard does sound like it could work as a profession. I suppose since it's unlikely we'll get a class, a profession is the second best thing as @Aldo Hawk mentioned as well. I'd settle for that next expansion. New class, Necromancer and new Profession Bard!

[DatToffer]

new class, necromancer and new profession bard!

oh no you're one of dem guys who want a necromancer !!!

[Kyphael]

oh no you're one of dem guys who want a necromancer !!!

You want tinker?

[DatToffer]

You want tinker?

Yeah, I'm more of a tinker guy

[Kyphael]

Yeah, I'm more of a tinker guy

Well if we end up with Dark Ranger then you'll have to settle for engineering profession for your tinker. lol

[cocomen2]

GoD Save us all from this final nail.

[Ielenia]

Yeah, Bards have never been a thing in WoW, there are no known bards, NPCs, etc., but what are they but musicians?

Lorewalker Cho is the most obvious example. He fits the description to a 'T'. Russell Brower can cast frost spells by playing his lute. Bards aren't only about music. They are also about stories and history. So an argument could be made that some members of the Explorer's League, for example, could be bards. Brann Bronzebeard could technically be called a "kind of bard" considering he loves stories and is always in the search for more.

[Kyphael]

Lorewalker Cho is the most obvious example. He fits the description to a 'T'. Russell Brower can cast frost spells by playing his lute. Bards aren't only about music. They are also about stories and history. So an argument could be made that some members of the Explorer's League, for example, could be bards. Brann Bronzebeard could technically be called a "kind of bard" considering he loves stories and is always in the search for more.

Well there we go, it wouldn't be that much a stretch if Blizzard wanted to implement them. It's a matter of 'want' rather than 'can.'

[neik]

I'm starting it with open mind, but I don't see how it can fit in just yet.

I'd love to see something more positive (non-necromancer) for new class in upcoming expansions, perhaps tinker now is in the lead.

[cocomen2]

Only time time that i liked Bard concept was in Dragon Age Origins, since then all other rpg+mmos failed bard class for me.

[Big Thanks]

This thread is amazing
I would love a Bard spec for PvP.