Bard villain/mastermind: how?

[Ragitsu]

How would it be possible for the archetypal fantasy bard to be a villain/mastermind, and what could motivate them to be evil?

[The Main Man]

How would it be possible for the archetypal fantasy bard to be a villain/mastermind, and what could motivate them to be evil?

A bard knows many things of many lands he travels and sings about them.

In a world of magic, what if there are legends of songs so powerful, so evil, that the merest thought of knowing and performing them is enticing?

How hard is it to imagine the Anti-Life Equation as a song instead? Or what of that infamous play The King in Yellow? Could a bard sing a song so powerful that he awakens the Great Old Ones and ushers in the end of the world?

[Old Man]

Money. Power. Respect. A Jedi craves not these things, but it's easy to see how a bard might. I could see such a bard in a court environment, playing upon the fears and desires of his listeners as though they were strings on a lute. I could see such a bard ensorcelling a horde of weak-minded men and orcs with his silver tongue. I could see such a bard gallavanting across the milieu serving only his own selfish desires, caring nothing for the trail of empty purses and broken promises in his wake.

[Midas]

A bard deals in secrets, hypocrisy, lies, as his unit of currency. It wouldn't be hard to conclude that anyone claiming to have a moral compass was only lying to himself.

Also, just as a halfling could be head of the local thieves' guild, there is nothing preventing a bard from becoming a spy master, to the head of the secret police, to the power behind the throne, if not the occupant thereof.

[Ragitsu]

Money. Power. Respect. A Jedi craves not these things, but it's easy to see how a bard might. I could see such a bard in a court environment, playing upon the fears and desires of his listeners as though they were strings on a lute. I could see such a bard ensorcelling a horde of weak-minded men and orcs with his silver tongue. I could see such a bard gallavanting across the milieu serving only his own selfish desires, caring nothing for the trail of empty purses and broken promises in his wake.

Hm...how about a bard despot ruling a kingdom?

[Ragitsu]

A bard deals in secrets, hypocrisy, lies, as his unit of currency. It wouldn't be hard to conclude that anyone claiming to have a moral compass was only lying to himself.

Also, just as a halfling could be head of the local thieves' guild, there is nothing preventing a bard from becoming a spy master, to the head of the secret police, to the power behind the throne, if not the occupant thereof.

There seems to be some bleedover between a bard and a rogue/thief.

[Lord Liaden]

The Pied Piper of Hamlin, dialed up to 11. The bard was deceived, used, betrayed, his life destroyed. Now he uses the compelling power of his songs to orchestrate an exquisite revenge on all who wronged him, ruining everything and everyone they care about, in his hatred recking not if some of those are innocent.

[Shadowsoul]

I agree with the idea of music which can corrupt those who listen to it. Imagine of all the stories about Heavy Metal artists of Goth bands were actually true. Perhaps the Bard's music was taught to him by a Demon in a sort of 'crossroads deal'.

The bard as a diplomat, spy or assassin is also entirely possible. I think that a master villain would show a pleasant, even harmless, face to the world while concealing a ruthless streak or even sociopathic tendencies.

Don't know if you've ever read the Woman in White but there is a villain in that who would suit the model perfectly. Count Fosco He is charming, amusing and very good company. He is also greedy, calculating and completely unrestrained by morality, though he is capable of feeling affection for people, even if they get in his way. While seeming to be nothing more than an entertaining eccentric on the surface, Fosco manages to mastermind a complex and cruel plan to destroy a young woman and steal her fortune. He will also happily kill people who threaten his plans.

Your Bard will probably have more ambitious plans than Fosco but I think that this would be a good way to build the character.

[NuSoardGraphite]

A Bard who is good at his craft will gain the ear of kings and emperors. They will oftentimes be present at important functions and hear about everything happening in the land/kingdom. They may get to like the taste of the good life and a thirst for power. A crafty Bard (and aren't they all such Bards?) could learn to manipulate his host very subtly with his magic music, swaying his sovereign's decisions this way or that way with a song or two. I imagine such a character would be the power behind the throne. Everyone thinks the lack of protection in The Wilds, the lack of response to the drought and famine and heavy taxes are the fault of a despotic king, but in reality it is due to the machinations of his court Bard. Very few people, even at court, should suspect this character because he seems completely harmless and unassuming, but he is a master of manipulation and a powerful wielder of the Song Arts.

While such a character may not initially seem very threatening, think about his abilities and what he can bring to bear against the players. With his Song Magic, he can command a legion of loyal slaves with which he can assault the player characters. He can lull the characters to sleep, cause them to see things that aren't there (or not see present dangers). Utilize his music to summon and command beasts to unleash on the characters. And now that he has found Kal Maldor's Incomparable Lute, the most exquisite Magical Instrument ever crafted, all he must do is master the 8 Dragon Notes to play Vallisarious's Irresistible Requiem which when played to perfection will Sing all souls in the area into their proper afterlife....regardless of whether that soul is inhabiting a living body or not (note, the Bard who plays the song is immune)

[Manic Typist]

Motivation- disillusionment. His friends were all killed in some adventure, and he's seen the same happen to many other good people (he does collect stories, after all). Now he wants to punish all of those who stood by, or perhaps he even wants to undo all of creation because he has seen all the suffering that exists.

[Old Man]

Hm...how about a bard despot ruling a kingdom?

I could actually see this happen if the bard were some sort of musically-inclined prophet or priest. Performance art has always been a staple skill of real life despots, and I don't see an insurmountable gap between speech, poetry, and music in terms of swaying the masses. If Justin Bieber were to order his disciples to loot and riot at the height of a concert, is there any doubt that many of them would obey without question? And that's without bringing magic into the mix.

[Enforcer84]

I could actually see this happen if the bard were some sort of musically-inclined prophet or priest. Performance art has always been a staple skill of real life despots, and I don't see an insurmountable gap between speech, poetry, and music in terms of swaying the masses. If Justin Bieber were to order his disciples to loot and riot at the height of a concert, is there any doubt that many of them would obey without question? And that's without bringing magic into the mix.

or music!

[Hyper-Man]

Here's a champions version: The Music Meister

[Enforcer84]

I have the idea now stuck in my head to make a Fantasy Villain based on some annoying music star in our day. Perhaps Bono, political leaning minstrel who wants to save the world and when things don't go as planned he tries to take over. You could base his bardic songs on U2 tunes. Or have his quotes peppered with their lyrics.

*giggle*

[Badger]

The Pied Piper of Hamlin, dialed up to 11. The bard was deceived, used, betrayed, his life destroyed. Now he uses the compelling power of his songs to orchestrate an exquisite revenge on all who wronged him, ruining everything and everyone they care about, in his hatred recking not if some of those are innocent.

Yeah, even as a kid, I thought "that Piper guy doesnt seem too nice of a person"