Bard

Not your Average Musician

While any musician at the tavern could technically be called a bard, the term gets a new meaning when talking about an adventurer. There are bards who are able to hold their own against monsters. These mighty musicians can weave the magical forces of nature into their very words, positively affecting their allies, negatively affecting their enemies, and sometimes even recreating similar arcane effects to those that mages are able to produce. To avoid confusion during a conversation, people often call the musicians at the tavern 'entertainers', and reserve the term Bard solely for adventurers.  

Refuge in Audacity

A Bard is often found travelling in a group of other adventurers, eager to record their tales, gather inspiration from their heroics, and maybe learn more about monsters in order to fight them more effectively. In fact: some Bards are covert monster hunters, often called upon if an infestation requires a more clandestine approach. For example: expect a Bard to work alongside a Cleric if the latter is hunting a particularly elusive Vampire preying on the innocent. They'll claim to only want to record the Cleric's tale, but in fact, will fight alongside them to assure their safety. Bards choosing a more dodgy profession will often work as covert assassins, mostly choosing poisons and hidden weapons to take out their intended targets. Contrary to rogues, a Bard assassin is more likely to use a disguise to gain access to their target. For example: they might masquerade as a hired entertainer for a party organized by a bandit slave lord, wait until the lot is drunk and incapacitated while acting inebriated themselves, and eliminate him in his chair right before disappearing out the back gates. Though Bards falling in with pirates is also a common occurrence. While the Rogue hides themselves and their intentions in the shadows, a Bard will hide these in audacity and flamboyance.  

Creative Souls

The profession of the traveling Bard often attracts eccentric and the flamboyant people, though it is by no means the majority of the class. Some only put on a flamboyant front outside of their adventuring groups, in order to keep up appearances and only reveal their true selves in order to exploit the element of surprise. People often assume the class is easily found in taverns, but the truth is: if a Bard is playing in a tavern, they are probably trying to bridge the financial gap in between jobs. If one thing is to surely be said about the profession: it attracts creative souls, history enthusiasts, and those who find creative outlets to be useful in the management of either trauma or mental issues. However, the Bard is not a lute-wielding madman by a long shot: some simply find solace in pouring their heart out on a page, where speaking about it would lack the comfort they need. While there might be some lingering stigma on issues like these, and people assuming evil intent... It is more likely that these Bards with a sad history will err on the side of good. And while some assume that these Bards are have either become what they fought (or that it's a matter of time before they do so), these Bards are more likely to be targeted again during their lives then this being true.