Our group has on a few occasions run an all bard campaign. The PCs are basically a traveling band who find themselves stumbling into all manner of situations by accident. This has gone really well in the past, and they have managed as a group to work through a few modules without getting killed. I do some rewriting along the way to make the module fit the group, but the CR stays as is, and they can handle it.
But...
We've been talking about turning the bards campaign into a longer term game by using one of the adventure paths. I think Carrion Crown would work really well, but I have never run it. Is there anything I should look out for in the path that will wipe out or stymie a group of bards? And is there anything I should push the group to include that will make this workable for an all bard party?
What a great idea! Josey and the Pussycats meets Lord of the Rings!
Wow. The more I think about this the happier it makes me. This turns the whole AP into a giant Scooby-Doo-like scrape.
This is only doable if one of your band will use catch off guard and fight with his instrument!
love bards
Addendum to DM Advice:
Dirge Bard is a very effective archetype in this campaign.
I'd recommend some of the "kit" bards ( Archaeologist and Duellist from UC etc.; Street Performer APG might very nice in part 2 and 5 ) to provide some extra atypical boni. Or maybe, at least one bard classing off into cleric (for access to some stuff, even low-level channel energy would help), say of Shelyn, Desna or Cayden.
The "Tocata of Fugue Macabre" (UM, Song performance) sound reasonably helpful as well. Several other UM Songs as well, especially with a dirge bard.
Personally, I'd actually skip the first part of the AP ( It is very deadly even for a normal group ), do some preparatory adventure work ("Hangman's Noose" might be a properly horrific 1st level adventure^^) and have them head straight for AP-2, for basically there is little they actually need from AP-1. I am not sure whether AP-6 will be possible, but, well, if they got there on their own....
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I'd recommend some of the "kit" bards ( Archaeologist and Duellist from UC etc.; Street Performer APG might very nice in part 2 and 5 ) to provide some extra atypical boni. Or maybe, at least one bard classing off into cleric (for access to some stuff, even low-level channel energy would help), say of Shelyn, Desna or Cayden.
The "Tocata of Fugue Macabre" (UM, Song performance) sound reasonably helpful as well. Several other UM Songs as well, especially with a dirge bard.
Personally, I'd actually skip the first part of the AP ( It is very deadly even for a normal group ), do some preparatory adventure work ("Hangman's Noose" might be a properly horrific 1st level adventure^^) and have them head straight for AP-2, for basically there is little they actually need from AP-1. I am not sure whether AP-6 will be possible, but, well, if they got there on their own....
I'm actually doing prep work for this adventure path, except I am eliminating books 1 and 2 and substituting the Kobold King series of modules.
Basically, I am having the funeral occur in part one, but the heroes are requested (per the will) to take some of the books to Falcon's Hollow and then run that series and have them return for book 3 of the Path.
I'm actually doing prep work for this adventure path, except I am eliminating books 1 and 2 and substituting the Kobold King series of modules.
That seems like a shame, since "The Haunting of Harrowstone" is a fabulous kick-start to the AP, and maybe the best haunted-house module ever written. "Kobold King" is a serviceable dungeon-crawl, but it isn't on the same level as "Harrowstone."
"Trial of the Beast" is loads of fun too.
I agree that it would be a shame to skip HOH. I also like vikingson's idea of one of the bards dipping into cleric, and other bards could perhaps dip into other classes for other useful abilities. I don't think that would detract from the "band of bards" feeling if done with finesse (and what bard doesn't have finesse?).
I'm actually doing prep work for this adventure path, except I am eliminating books 1 and 2 and substituting the Kobold King series of modules.That seems like a shame, since "The Haunting of Harrowstone" is a fabulous kick-start to the AP, and maybe the best haunted-house module ever written. "Kobold King" is a serviceable dungeon-crawl, but it isn't on the same level as "Harrowstone."
"Trial of the Beast" is loads of fun too.
Haunted Houses are only really fun in a "horror-by-slaying" context, the "haunts will get you" aspect. IMHO. Which is not the best idea for a low-level group, starting an AP ? Especially one with a fixed concept ?
And "Haunted Houses" do rely heavily on clues being dropped, repeatedly, to the players to actually work. *shrug*
Missing AP-2, "Beast", is basically sacrificing the best-by-far adventure in the overall AP. That one is utterly glorious. Including the over-the-top finale. And nevermind, it is probably the part of the AP where a bardic group could really shine
YMMV
As for "useful" - some strong archery support (boosted by morale and luck boni to attack and damage, adapted composite bows etc.) will be handy.
And the bard-magician kit would supply some needed "wizard only" spells.
Very nasty concept : bard + oracle of flame who get perform (dance), reasonable skill points and some pretty nice support mysteries. would make for a terrific lead singer or support dancer...
I haven't thought this through at all - so, you know, it may be a terrible idea - but I'm considering allowing my bard to expend a performance to Turn Undead, if they RP it well enough. It flavors up the Dirge Bard, which really only has the one ability-swap anyhow. I might even root through some Juju mysteries for other things to swap, flesh out that archetype, as it were.