Bard NPCs & How to Use Them for EVERY Tier of Play
If this is your first time reading this series, we’re going through each of the official classes in D&D Fifth Edition and making NPC statblocks inspired by them. They are not intended to be carbon copies of these classes, but rather to simplify your NPCs while maintaining the flavor and familiarity of a full character. If you are curious about this reasoning, you can read the first article in the series on paladins.
For each of the tiers of play, we’ll make an NPC stat block based on the relevant class. These tiers are a loose way of comparing your NPC’s power level to that of your party. Of course this is far from perfect, but you’ll be able to give the general feel of whether an NPC is over, under, or near the power level of a comparable player character. For reference, those tiers of play are:
Local Heroes (Levels 1-4)
Heroes of the Realm (Levels 5-10)
Masters of the Realm (Level 11-16)
Masters of the World (Levels 17-20)
With the table set, let’s move into our third round of NPCs: bards!
How to Use NPC Bards
A D&D world is a place of rich history, full of fallen kingdoms, lost magical secrets, and strange connections to otherworldly places. The bards of these worlds are tied to these histories perhaps more than any other class. Bards are often the ones who preserve the history of the world, whether through story, song, or written accounts. Whether they seek epic tales, forgotten lore, or simply to improve their own social standing, it is unsurprising that many are drawn to an adventuring life.
Even those who are not traveling with an adventuring party will often run in the same social circles as adventurers. You may create an NPC bard that is reciting a poem about a historical battle in the local tavern or one that is a key advisor to the king/local leader. Bards may even take positions of power themselves, or be the foremost authority on an obscure arcane subject at the university or library.
Tier 1 Bards
Tier 1 bards are mostly likely to be encountered by player characters between levels 1 and 4, although they may be used as allies or henchpeople of more powerful beings at later levels. Tier 1 bards are typically found out in the world, whether they are performing for a living in local inns or out searching for new stories and information. The promise of an interesting tale or secrets is often too intriguing for a bard to ignore.
Customizing an NPC. For most situations, the following statblocks will be more than sufficient. However, for important NPCs you may want to customize them a bit to make them stand out. Just remember that with each ability you add, you sacrifice some of the simplicity and approachability of the statblock. Some abilities may also significantly increase the Challenge Rating of the NPC, so keep that in mind if you add more combat-centric abilities. To customize a bard of this tier, you can do one or more of the following:
Swap out one or more of their spells with a different bard spell of the same level.
Add one (or multiple) of the 3rd level features from one of the bard subclasses (colleges).
Plot Hooks/Use in Your Game. While it is not necessary to assign a NPC bard to one of the colleges, they can help you think about how different bards fit into the institutions of your setting. Different bards will be found in different locations, have different motivations, and may perceive your party and their actions differently depending on their affiliation. If you do assign a NPC to a bard college, of course you can give them the specific abilities of that college (as detailed in the “Customizing an NPC” sections) but that is far from necessary. The way you describe the character, how they are found in your game, and the motivations they have will do far more to establish the tone than a class ability or two. With that in mind, here are some examples of how you might use Tier 1 bards in your game:
A string of notable businessmen have been found dead in different alleyways throughout the city. While not confined to one area of the city, each victim was found with the same two, precise stab wounds. After a bit of investigating, the party discovers that a street performer was seen in the vicinity of each of the crime scenes. Even more suspicious, the performer is a knife juggler. Is this a case of random muggings gone wrong, or is there some form of espionage at play? (College of Swords).
The party is introduced by a mutual acquaintance to a rather eccentric scholar searching for mercenaries. The brightly dressed and excitable contact is a bard who studies the creation of the universe. She believes she has found reference to a long lost “verse” of the Song of Creation, sealed deep within the vault of a forgotten ruin in the region. (College of Creation).
Tier 2 Bards
Tier 2 bards are most likely to be encountered by PCs from levels 5 to 10, although you may insert them earlier as a potential patron or mentor figure. They may be used at later levels as allies or lieutenants of even more powerful creatures. At tier 2, a bard in your game could be the advisor to an important political figure, a ranking member of an institution of learning, or a highly trained battle scribe that documents conflicts throughout the region.
Customizing an NPC. To customize a bard of this tier, you can do one or more of the following:
Swap out one or more of their spells with a different bard spell of the same level.
Add one (or multiple) of the 3rd level features from one of the bard subclasses (colleges).
Add the 6th level feature from one of the bard colleges.
Plot Hooks/Use in Your Game.
As the party is traveling they pass by a roadside inn. Outside, they see a man wearing a breastplate and a long flowing colored cloak in a heated argument with the owner of the establishment. The man seems to be demanding a fresh horse, he says there is a battle set to break out the following morning between two hostile regional powers and that he needs to be there to document it. (College of Valor).
An election for the new leader of a major city is underway, and things are heating up. A honey-tongued orator has quickly gone from a relative unknown to the clear favorite. The incumbent seems certain the newcomer is up to no good and hires the party to investigate his past and see what they can turn up - or fabricate, if necessary. (College of Eloquence).
Tier 3 Bards
Tier 3 bards are most likely to be encountered by PCs from levels 11 to 16, although you may insert them earlier as a potential patron or mentor figure. They may be used at later levels as allies or lieutenants of even more powerful creatures. Unless your setting has uniquely powerful NPCs, tier 3 bards should be very rare. These bards are amongst the most powerful and well-known of their peers, leading institutions of learning, large organizations or governments, or serving as the respected keeper of a nation’s history.
Customizing an NPC. To customize a bard of this tier, you can do one or more of the following:
Swap out one or more of their spells with a different bard spell of the same level.
Add one (or multiple) of the 3rd level features from one of the bard subclasses (colleges).
Add the 6th level feature from one of the bard colleges.
Add the 14th level feature from one of the bard colleges.
Plot Hooks/Use in Your Game.
Chaos has befallen a large merchant’s guild. Trades, agreements, and promises have been made and broken repeatedly over the last several weeks. These deals are struck only for one of the parties to disappear without a trace. Worse, there have been claims of extortion by those same disappearing partners. No one knows who to trust and all business is at a standstill. Who could be behind this sudden breakdown in commerce, and who stands to benefit? (College of Whispers).
Thousands of years ago, a powerful, advanced ancient civilization was wiped out with little to no record of what caused its collapse. A scholar believes he has discovered a way to communicate with those lost and find the source of their destruction. (College of Spirits).
Tier 4 Bards
Tier 4 bards are most likely to be encountered by PCs from levels 17 to 20, although you may use them earlier as a potential patron or mentor figure. A tier 4 bard is comparable in many respects to a level 20 adventurer, there may only be one or two such figures in your entire setting. These bards are at the top of their respective fields, providing wisdom and sage counsel or sowing the seeds of destruction for their own benefit.
Customizing an NPC. To customize a bard of this tier, you can do one or more of the following:
Swap out one or more of their spells with a different bard spell of the same level.
Add one (or multiple) of the 3rd level features from one of the bard subclasses (colleges).
Add the 6th level feature from one of the bard colleges.
Add the 14th level feature from one of the bard colleges.
Plot Hooks/Use in Your Game.
The head of the university has become convinced they have found the location of a book that outlines the very nature and structure of the universe. Now, they just need a group of adventurers to travel to the Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus (the plane of absolute law and order) to recover it. (College of Lore).
Up next week: NPC wizards to serve as the iconic magic users of your setting!
