For Your Consideration

In an attempt to get back on here and post more ideas, I’m making this blog into a more open format rpg ideas blog!

Where are the prestigious magical academies in your world? Is it the same for all classes? If not, where is the best bard college/other magical academy?

What about the less noteworthy schools? What magical academies in your world are considered just okay? How would a caster from those schools be treated differently?

Is there inter-school competition? If so, what are they competing in?

What is the application process like at each school? How do they differ? Why do they differ?

What is graduation like at each school?

How proud are alumni spellcasters to say they graduated from each school? Do they show this in any uniform way?

What college legends/ghost stories exist on campus? Are they true?

Do the schools have mascots? What are they? If not, do they have colors?

Are the colleges safe? If not, what is the danger?

Arcana

A trickster figure took a liking to a capable wizard, nudging them along from the shadows. When the wizard finds out, they find the arrangement very agreeable, and revere the figure as a partner in learning “new tricks.”

A cleric’s desperation to learn to resurrect led them to a life god at first, but it was the magic itself that fascinated them, so the god agreed to allow them to revere them for their magical capabilities alone.

A wizarding society has been working tirelessly to recreate the magic belonging to a “dead” god. The god, whose dormant nature is slowly beginning to change, rewards this pursuit, gives them genuine divine magic as a reward for their reverence of the figure’s magical history.

A god of the forge takes an interest in a creator of magical weapons, finding the practice novel and seeking a partnership. The creator is quick to agree.

Death/Grave

A soldier who lost far too many friends in a conflict seeks comfort in the softer side of the god of war, vowing to remind everyone that revering war means revering the dead that are left in its wake.

A caretaker for the dying reaches out to a god of stories, asking for ways to preserve and enshrine the stories of the dying into something other than simple memory. Moved by the request, the god obliges, and allows them abilities to help them in their practice along with their newfound friendship.

A holy person of the god of order or law simply sees death as the great equalizer. They seek to ensure fairness and equality, even in the very end.

A holy person working under the god of the hunt began showing disgust at the way some of their contemporaries finished a kill. Believing everything, animals included, deserve dignity in death, their path changed with the god’s full support behind them.

Forge

A community figurehead in a newly built town seeks out a god of family or home for guidance as to how to build a safe and steady home for them and their people. The god agrees, and equips them with the tools and knowledge to build whatever they may need.

In a moment years ago, a soldier was outnumbered and outgunned, barely escaping a grisly fate thanks, in part, to a cry to the war god. Now, they work as a holy person of that god as repayment for saving their life, and work to forge a weapon strong enough to prevent them from ever feeling that powerless again.

They never thought a god would take a liking to them as a weapons maker for a thieve’s guild, but when the patron of rogues and thieves, who seldom reaches out to anyone, asks them to be their dedicated keeper of a secret forge, only for those outside of the law and purview of other gods.

Fixed the settings and now this blog has an open askbox! For now there won’t be a schedule of opening and closing, so you’re always welcome to ask questions or make a request for a table (please no larger than a d20) if you want!

This may change, but for now, that’s all from me.

A number of pantheons include gods primarily associated with the glory of war and combat, the destruction it causes or the chaos it causes, but without a major conflict these figures pose specific question.

What do they do when there is no war to represent or rule over?

Do they seek out individual heroes? Single people or parties seeking out the glory once far more plentiful in times of war and personally sponsor their pursuit of it?

Are they now more a figure of what has been lost? Of grief, ruins and memories of the places and people the war took? If so, do they like this new distinction, or was it forced upon them by a world they don’t fit into anymore?

Do they stir the political pot and create a brand new war? Reshape the world in a place that reveres them again, no matter the cost?

A fighter who used to participate in gladiatorial combat with deeply rooted shame in their actions while in the ring. They’ve since taken up a spellcasting class and, though they still use their fighting skills, they’re desperately trying to feel useful outside of violent contexts.

An alchemist artificer with a large body of work they take great pride in. However, when a lab accident badly injures them and leaves them with unsettling new magical abilities (whether it be becoming an order of the mutant blood hunter, being marked by an otherworldly force they did not intend to call, or something else entirely) they actively detest, they grow fame for something they hate rather than something they love. Now they try to hold on to their alchemy as much as they can, hoping it can make as much of a name for itself as the accident that changed them.

A sorcerer forced into a magical academy against their will at a young age by a frightened town and/or family. They picked up a few levels in the school’s given class while there, but they see no reason to be ashamed of their own magic, so they prefer not to use what they were taught.

A rogue who, as a long time member of a thieves guild, once took the group’s oath to protect one another and remain a secret from the law. During a heist gone wrong, the rogue made good on that promise, protecting their group almost at the expense of their own life. While they were recovering, though, they began dreaming of a divine figure, who spoke to them approvingly and taught them new abilities in accordance to the guild’s oath. A problem arises when another member reveals no god has ever interpreted their oath as one fit for a paladin before, leading to questions and envy that drive the rogue into a life of adventure.

A bard who, after a show, was approached by a beautiful stranger at the tavern they played at. After a brief romantic tryst, the bard left, unknowingly having made a pact with the stranger (an entity of greater power in disguise) who gave them powers they do not yet understand. Touring grew harder and harder as their new warlock abilities came to be more fully, and now they have no choice but to deal with the problem directly.

A soldier who, to cope with the awful treatment at camp and the horrors in battle, learned to channel and fight alongside their rage as a barbarian. Now home, they want to leave their battlefield persona and the rage they knew behind, so they began meditating and studying at a local monastery. Though they are at peace with their new fighting style, their rage is far from gone. In the heat of battle, their old ways are likely to appear again, whether they like it or not.

A student at a prestigious, city based wizarding academy well on their way to joining the top magical minds of their age. However, on their way to a scholarly event in a different city, a storm causes their carriage to spin out, killing the other passengers and leaving them to face a weeks long expedition on foot through the forest to the next city. On their way, they learn new types of magic to help them survive, gaining them unforeseen talent as a druid or ranger that leaves them on the outside of the circles that used to think so highly of them.

Table 1 - Hook

When the party enters a new town, it’s clear there’s an urban legend no one wants to mention about something just beyond the town’s gates. No one’s willing to talk about details except for one village outcast, who claims part of the secrecy is the large reward for anyone able to confront the creature.

A horribly wounded stranger approaches the party frantically begging for help and sanctuary from the nearby “monster.” They are disoriented and cannot conjure many details, but claim there are others who did not escape still inside with the beast.

A party member connected with higher powers of some kind begins dreaming about a human stuck in the lair of a dragon, one legends say cannot be defeated. The human tells the party member they are, in fact, a metallic dragon in disguise, and should the party free them from their magical binding, they will slay the dragon and let the party keep its trove of valuables. The problem? There’s no way to prove whether or not the human has ulterior motives, and may be luring the group into a trap.

While dealing with a powerful thieve’s guild, the party or one of its members is rewarded with the prize of a dragon’s egg. Though the seller assures them there’s no danger, only potential financial gain, the party’s next trip close to the mountains proves this to be untrue in swift, violent fashion.

The royal family contacts the party with a plea to find their child, who they believe has been taken by a longtime draconic adversary of the kingdom. When the party arrives, they fight a different type of dragon than the one the royals prepared them for, one that has never been seen before. It is up to the party to determine where this new dragon came from, what it wants, and what, if anything, that has to do with the missing heir.

The party takes what they think is a normal transport contract, but when they arrive they see it is the sleeping form of a young dragon destined for some sort of carnival attraction. Those who give them the cargo instruct the party not to ask any questions, and leave the party alone with the sleeping creature, still expecting the delivery to be made on time.

A well liked NPC makes a new friend who, though awkward, is very nice to the party. A few days later, the party receives word that the NPC has been attacked by something the party knows they have little chance against. However, when the party arrives, the NPC’s new friend has killed the adversary as they transform back into their humanoid form, having revealed themselves as a metallic dragon. Turns out the NPC has gotten involved in a much larger draconic conflict, the metallic dragon serving as their assigned protector, and perhaps the party may have a role of their own to play.

One of the martial classes in your party has been struck with what they think is a degenerative poison making their job a challenge. Though spellcasters and potions can negate effects, the martial can’t shake the feeling that the toxin isn’t gone. The only thing that eases the feeling is researching a mythical dragon, one who is rumored to take a liking to certain warriors. Perhaps this isn’t a poison at all, but an effort to draw a new champion closer.

Table 2 - Allies (Roll 2)

An eccentric draconic studies professor at a local magic institute.

A charming retired knight who has taught this dragon before.

A wise cartographer irritated with their inability to chart the area near the lair.

The concerned parent of a local squire who wants the beast gone before their child has to fight it.

The ghost of someone killed by the dragon decades ago, excited for the party to avenge them.

A master monk of the ascendant dragon who has studied the dragon’s movements for a long time, but worries about the disruption to the order of the draconic world the killing of the beast would cause.

A frazzled inkeeper who is willing to give the party whatever the need to help, as the dragon’s been killing their business.

A kind local dragonborn who hates that the dragon serves as a reason to bully and exclude them.

A druidic leader who mourns what the dragon has done to local nature, and is thankful the party is trying to fix it.

A somewhat sleazy local mayor or other democratic figurehead who worries the continued threat of the dragon may cost them the upcoming election.

A curious bard who can tell this will one day make a great story, and who wants to be the first to write songs about it.

A traveling cleric providing aid to any area they pass. They fear further destruction and are eager to help stop it.

Table 3 - Additional Enemies

A colony of mimics who have hidden away among the dragon’s treasures.

A for hire militia the dragon has convinced to work for them.

Local fauna who, after living in constant fear of the dragon, attack the party out of confusion and panic.

A trap set by previous adventurers for the dragon that may accidentally activate against the party instead.

A captive of the dragon who has unrelated personal conflict with one or more party members.

Spontaneously activating magical items and weapons that have been weakened and malfunctioning thanks to their time in the dragon’s lair.

A wizard whose longtime alliance with the dragon means they’re willing to protect it from all intruders.

Various creatures the dragon has rescued and cared for, making a horde of misfits who genuinely care for the dragon. Naturally, they rush to protect the creature who has taken such good care of them.

Consequences

A new home/keep in the village is awarded to the party.

Other dragons are suddenly aware of a party that can kill one of their own, and it makes them fearful and rash to a dangerous degree.

Something or someone kept hostage by the dragon is actually a long missing, beloved fixture of the community. The party’s financial reward doubles.

A hostage succumbs to their wounds as the party helps them out of the lair. Their very influential family is heartbroken and furious.

Word of their deeds causes a missing or estranged family member of a party member to reach out for a good faith congratulations.

The lair collapses as the party leaves, making the treasures inside much harder to recover and resell at high prices.

The town shows their gratitude by instituting town wide discounts for their heroes, allowing the party food, replenishment and even things like armor for a remarkably good price.

The dragon had a cult like group of followers, who now wish death upon the party for the destruction of their leader.

Weeks after the fight, the scars attained in the fight begin to glow and shift, turning into unique forms of Abberant Dragomarks for each applicable party member.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the lair was covering the entrance to the laboratory of a dark magic user, who is now rushing to remain a secret.

The party gains the permanent friendship of a metallic dragon, respecting them for their actions and wanting to help when they can.

Your party walks into a new town and something exciting is happening. Something they may have never heard of and certainly didn’t know what was going on. Use this list as a random table or an idea list!

A new sorcerer has been born to a family in town, and local customs call it a cause for celebration of the child and all things magic, perhaps including a party member.

A military unit is due to come home this day, and the town is over the moon to welcome them back. Will it stay a time of celebration or will the party walk into a moment of extreme grief?

An auction is being held, selling the estate of a strange rich man on the edge of town. The rumors the party hears are tantalizing, and perhaps even relevant to their current quest.

A new detachment of clerics or paladins leaves the local temple for the first time, and is greeted with fanfare. Perhaps one has graduate with similar (or directly opposite) goals to your party’s.

A local monster has just been correctly appeased, and the village celebrates their temporary safety. It begs the question: What or who did they sacrifice to keep themselves safe, and more importantly, what are they trying to keep happy?

A local woman of status celebrates a public baby shower, with many excited for the new addition. As the party looks around though they cannot help but realize that some worry for the baby, whether it be that her partner is not the father, or the baby may be born having some form of unwanted magical influence.

A festival celebrating a seemingly inconsequential item such as the local water buckets or gardening hoes. As comical as it seems, the people take it very seriously, and delight in showing the party members their “odd” traditions.

A day of somber remembrance for the local soldiers who died in a larger conflict. Dissatisfied with the widespread remembrance day, locals will tell you they’ve moved it to the birthday of one of the fallen.

A day dedicated to the large, play-style re-enactment of a group of adventurers’ deeds, perhaps even the current party’s. A feast will follow, and all are more than welcome.

A town wide resurrection ritual that seems to take the full day. Immediately, the locals enlist the party to help.

A harvest festival of proportions the party have never seen before. There’s massive street parties, revelry of all kinds and even some brawls simply because the crops did well this year. Locals claim it’s their favorite day of the year near universally.

A fair with vendors from a different plane, one with an entrance very close to this town. It’s a chance for the party to get incredibly rare goods at a great price, and get a peek into planes they may soon venture into.

A local brewery has finally finished their new batch for this season, and though it’s not a formal celebration, the locals seem to be having a great time regardless.

An organized, several hours long anything goes bar brawl. It’s in a remarkably non-violent village historically speaking, but everyone seems immensely excited to begin the fight.

An elaborate, rather joyful funeral procession for a young woman who appears to have died from a magical illness. Though it becomes clear to the party that this is odd, even mysterious, the locals seem to only want to celebrate her life, not investigate her death.

An adoption ceremony for a very emotional teenager, seeming in disbelief that the community cares this much. It is a largely emotional display, and some may express that they see the party as intrusive.

A bardic competition sponsored by the local college. There’s betting, magical showcases, even rabid fans, and if your party has a bard, the townsfolk become thrilled at the concept of a new competitor.

The transportation of massive amounts of expensive goods to a local beloved dragon to add to its hoard. When the festivities are over, the party may be contracted to guard the caravan from bandits, and perhaps even meet the dragon they’ve heard so much about.

A monastic temple is having an open house for new students that has captured a lot of attention. They welcome the party to learn their ways, if they wish.

Meant for your next city, group or counter culture, as a random table or list of ideas

Practicality. Clean and simple clothes, work minded builds and minimal cosmetics. To be honest, most don’t have the time to beautify.

A specific color. Perhaps it’s a dye hard to come across normally, perhaps it’s associated with a figure of power, but if you’re not wearing it, you’re on the outs.

A lack of color. Perhaps it’s because of a reverence for rouges, perhaps a local designer has deemed it flattering, but gaudy or colorfully dressed members of adventuring parties are sure to stand out.

Thick/covering clothing. Perhaps fabric is a sign of status, perhaps weavers are considered culturally important, but at the end of the day showing skin is for those who don’t care about fashion.

Revealing clothing. Though some may think they know the motivations, in reality this is a largely practical matter. Perhaps the local aasimar population needs a bare back for the health of their wings, or the local drow can only absorb the moon through bare skin, so their nightclothes cannot cover much.

Excess. Crazy patterns, jewelry, even face paint is an easy way to show off your creativity, which they treasure here. So go big or go home.

Jewels and metals. Perhaps thanks to proximity to a mine, perhaps reverence for a gem dragon, the marker of a good member of that society is indeed the gems on their body.

Capes. The material, color and length can tell you everything you need to know about someone from this place. Perhaps any party members wearing one will want their own checked out to prevent… false information.

Combat readiness. Armor is high fashion, sharp teeth or claws can draw in any partner you want, and those looking unequipped? Well the locals feel sorry for them indeed.

Religious inspired. Perhaps it’s wearing the holy symbol of a certain figure on any garment you can, perhaps it’s copying a famous depiction of the figure, but everyone knows the ultimate example of beauty has to be divine.

Tattoos. Complex pictures of life events and achievements tell the story of a person and determine if a person is worth talking to. An individual without them will certainly be a fascinating sight to behold.

Bone. In jewelry or on armor, wearing bone here is a way to mark yourself in charge of the monsters around the area, a trophy to wear with you. Maybe this place adores the exposed bone of tiefling horns as well.

Dual-function clothes and accessories: Hidden swords and knives, lock picks and sheaths are the heights of fashion and yet somehow this community trusts each other completely.

Flowers. From patterns to wearing them in one’s hair, connection to flowers is vital here. What they mean is too, so choose accessories cautiously.

Moving clothing and accessories: In a place that reveres artificers, a mechanical movement to your glasses or a skirt whose hoop can part to allow access up stairs is considered a massive status symbol. Especially if somehow, you helped make it personally.

Masks. In a place where identity is precious as secrecy, it is wise to cover your face. Not because you are more beautiful, but because He may know you if you don’t.

Heirlooms. Everything may look old, but any local knows the value of the story it holds. Locals will ask, so what will your party say?

Dead things. Skulls, decayed tree bark and rotted materiel show a maturity here, an acceptance and love of what comes after. Perhaps it’s thanks to a death god’s influence, perhaps something less direct, but the locals will show off clothing many may call creepy with great pride.

Text. Usually written in the lining of a suit coat or in a jewelry piece, it is expected the words a person wears are the ones they live by. But beware of reading any local’s words, especially aloud. You do not know the magic they might hold.

You woke up one morning with memories in your head that were not yours. Suddenly, you remember adventuring with a party that was not yours and getting stuck in a cursed cave you have never seen, where a spell hit and you ended up in the humble home. After some investigation, you realize that the memories were given to you after a great adventurer was hit by a mysterious spell, and is now trapped with their party in the lair of the evil they fought. And they're quickly running out of time. Using the memories and your own combat skills, you're off to help them and gather a party to help you do free the former heroes, before its too late.

Your parent died a hero of your people when you were very young, protecting an important place with honor and building a large legacy. When you came of age, you went to the guard academy in your town, carrying the memory of your parent close, and quickly realizing it allowed you access to more magic than the average fighter. So you rose through the ranks quickly, and while celebrating your graduation, you run across a group of adventurers, and think they may be able to use your newfound skill. Perhaps they'll help you make your parent proud.

You are hopelessly in love with an archdruid, who lives in relative quiet but has a lot of stories to tell. Considering you are someone who will live for such a short time in comparison to them, they're reluctant to enter a relationship with you, but you still set out to learn to show your affection for them. You set out to hold and tell the stories they have gained in their life, and attempt to do good with them. Maybe you'll never live as long as they will, but at the end of the day, you want to make sure they feel cared for.

After minimal bardic training, you honed your abilities traveling to the aftermath of various devastating attacks, be it from armies, dragons or other forces, and performing for scared wounded individuals, often children. Though it was a rewarding job, it took its mental toll, and after a recent attack, you’re done standing by and letting whatever caused it go uncontested. Armed with the stories not of heroes, but of survivors, you joined a party to stand a fighting chance against whatever beast or army whose destructive path you’ve learned so well.

Your spouse, a historian, recently came across archeological evidence of a hero once lost to time, their tragic life that ended heroically consuming your spouse even outside working hours. The story’s starting to get to you too, using it as a source of artistic inspiration passively until you meet an adventuring party with something familiar about one of the members - a visible connection to the forgotten hero. You resolve to join and learn more about them, hopefully inspiring you and helping your spouse’s research.

In the city you live and work in, a retired adventurer you used to write odes to lives in relative peace, with their children fixtures of life around the city. One day, one of their kids whom you’ve befriended informs you that their parent is actually very uncomfortable with the odes, wanting instead to be remembered for the love they show their family. Guilty and wanting to help, you set off to spread the stories not of fighting, but of love, and help change the perception of your friend’s parent, rather than a strong hero.

Though many sing tales of a fallen hero known all through your realm, you have been drawn instead to the story of their widow since you were very young. Their perseverance and fight for forward motion despite grief moved you deeply, and began to serve as inspiration of its own. You met their widow a few years prior, and they became a mentor figure, sending you to help on their many initiatives. Their most recent assignment has you joining up with a small group who has never heard of your mentor, and allows you to tell the story of the person behind the hero all over again.

The only student of a world renowned fighter, you are the only one who is trained in their rather unique but very effective brand of fighting. After their recent death, many have sought the knowledge from you, but you still carry grief and aren’t sure if you can teach others while honoring your memory. So, you’ve been on the move, dodging crowds and questions and looking for an excuse to travel, keeping the style to yourself and finding that the stories of your education have left you with magic you don’t fully know what to do with.

You were the only survivor of the fire that decimated your small bard college, killing your friends and mentors in a single horrible night. Stricken with grief, your only comfort lies in telling your loved ones stories of the heroes your classmates dreamed of being, which slowly but surely begins to empower you to enjoy old hobbies and find joy in life again. At the encouragement of your loved ones, you set off to tell those stories (though you could never shake the sadness you felt when you remembered they were fiction) and live the lives they never could, all the while searching for any clue of what caused the fire that changed your life.

Years ago, your loved one was killed in a conflict nearly forgotten by the masses, whether it was pushed under the rug by the responsible powers at be, or simply a minor casualty lost in the story of a major event. Ever since, you’ve stayed in the place they died, serenading passing travelers to remind them of your loved one’s story in desperate hope to keep memory of their tragedy alive. Usually, all they do is apologize, but this most recent group of adventurers asked you to come with them, to see how they can help. And that’s an offer you could never refuse.

The younger sibling to a world famous adventurer who died in an act of heroism, you’ve lived your life in the shadow of their deeds, always compared to the good that they did in life. But it always bothered you. They were dead, lost to you forever, and in an act of refusal to let you or your family’s grief be erased just because your sibling was a hero, you dedicate your craft to hymns of grief and loss instead of praises of their deeds, hoping to memorialize the person you lost rather than the hero the world gained.

Recently, you received news that your child flunked out of the prestigious bardic academy you once attended yourself, and subsequently went on the run for fear of your reaction. After some reflection, you learned there was a beauty in failure, and have set out to find your child. Perhaps you can show them not only that you forgive them, but there is a path they can take even with their new situation.

You work among a stalwart group of grave clerics as the dedicated eulogizer for those buried in their grounds unidentified, or without loved ones who come to speak for them. You’re largely desensitized to such grim work, but one day, an unidentified body comes to the grounds that just… Bothers you. Perhaps you think you recognize the face, or the wounds they suffered, perhaps the killing was more brutal than you could ever imagine, or perhaps there’s a magical force calling you, demanding you learn more about this unknown body. So you set off, with the support of the clerics, to get the answers the deceased demands, and follow them wherever they may lead.

Decades ago, you were married off to a war like and volatile leader, and though you feared for your life, you made it your mission to survive this new life, and see if the kingdom could survive it with you. Though your partner was never aggressive toward you, power made them eager to attack other lands, but you somehow managed one day to get through to them. It was as if your way with words could point out the exact magnitude of the destruction a war would bring in a way no others could. Now, years after the death of your spouse with your child a steady presence on the throne, you set off to use your gift in a new way, and maybe find out who you are outside of "spouse of a great and terrible leader."

You used to work in the tower of a prominent wizard, whose magical creations filled so many with wonder. You were there too when the unveiling of a new spell went horribly wrong, killing many in the area, and mortally wounding you. Many say it was a fluke, a tragic downfall of a promising mind, but you were behind closed doors. You heard the warnings they ignored, experts they pushed off and signs they didn't want to see. You know this is not a tale of tragedy, it is a tale of hubris. So you set off to show as many as you can the truth, and perhaps find a way to prove what the wizard wanted was impossible, your magic not coming from the sharpness of mind, but from the widespread nature of the tragedy arrogance can cause.

As a child, you lived in an incredibly haunted house, but that never bothered you. You made friends with the ghosts, and loved to listen to their tales, no matter how macabre. As you grew, though, you realized the tales held a level of magical power, one you sought to use as your magical ability grew. Eventually, as you left home for a bardic college, your friends wished you luck, and mentioned they hoped you'd gain more stories from the deceased to spread and use. That's exactly what you hope to do.

When a close friend of yours came down with a curse that sets to change their life forever (and not for the better), their family abandoned them in shame, and they were left with no one to turn to but you. Empathetic to their plight, you became their primary caretaker, and bore witness to the horrors they experienced at the hands of the curse and of the town that refused to see its bearer as a victim. One day, your friend wakes from a nightmare to say another has come down with their curse, another who needs your guidance and help, so you set off to find them, armed with the magic you learned from many years of witnessing pain to help you find another victim of the plight you know better than most.

You dropped out of a wizarding academy not too long ago, after a divination lesson ended in horror thanks to a story you told of a classmate's very grim future. You weren't lying, you insist, but the other student's dramatic reaction meant you had to leave the hall in shame. As you spitefully learned how to make the "unreasonably sad" into viable magic, a former classmate contacts you in a panic, saying they saw the death of a classmate in a similar manner in their divination lessons, leading to speculation of an event coming soon that may kill many at that school. So you set off to learn more, and perhaps become the hero of the school that once told you your grim nature had no place in it.

You’re a dancer by trade, and a very well regarded one at that. Your career comes to an end quickly when you are drafted into your local military, where you traded a stage for a battlefield and a banner for a blade. You make the most of it, making your fighting style into a sort of dance and impressing your superiors effortlessly. Now, the war is over and you’re ready to leave the soldier persona behind, reconnecting with the music you love.

You make your living as a historical re-enactor, fighting off historical bad guys while portraying the part of a long disbanded adventuring group. But when the threat the group once faced rises again, they call you, hoping to help expand their arsenal by doubling up on the skill set of a friend.

As a gift from your thieve’s guild, you were given a magical sword that frankly, seems broken. You’re informed by a mentor that unfortunately, it works on honor, and you’re… hardly the type to be considered worthy. So, you learn both some magic and your way around a sword, in case something changes.

When a warlike clan attacks your home, you manage to charm your way out from under the blade, going to live with and learning the ways of the clan. Now you’re striking off on your own, finding yourself too brutish for bards and too fine tuned for barbarians, to make a name for yourself and the offbeat way you learned to fight.

As the beloved jester of a less than beloved royal family, you learned swordsmanship to help thwart many attempts on the lives of your bosses. The more you talk to locals, though, the more your loyalties waver, and now you seek a new place to use your talents, hopefully becoming someone the people you were supposed to serve can finally begin to trust.

Born the child of the only magic user in a down on their luck guild of thieves, your lack of innate magic came to the steep disappointment of your guild. Desperate to have them look at you as anything but a failure, you learn some bardic tricks to accompany your blade work, but it never seems to be enough. Maybe, you think, a big score or noteworthy heroic act will finally earn their pride. And maybe this group of rowdy strangers is the right group to do it with.

You’ve always thought bard school was dumb and full of nerds, so you slacked off all the way through. You were only really there for the swordsmanship team, which you were the star of, but your disciplinary record and lackluster grades made that short lived. So now, you’re drifting, not wanting to start up your education again (or go anywhere near most other bards) but still wanting to hone some of your skills, and maybe create a new reputation.

You recently took the position of replacement for a beloved bard found dead under mysterious circumstances in a local bardic troupe, and though the locals find your hiring off putting, you’re actually there to solve your predecessors’ murder using the magic you learn with the troupe and the weapons you learned with the local law. Quickly though, you realize you’re in way deeper than you thought, and join up with a group of adventurers to help you find connections in the game you found yourself in the middle of.

The elders at a local temple are convinced a near-forgotten minor celestial is trapped in an unassuming sword, and have tasked you , a low level bard, to guard it seemingly at random. As you hone your bardic skills, some become convinced you’ve bonded with the celestial (that is very much not within your new weapon) and you gain a reputation as the celebrated warlock you unequivocally are not. Scared to tell them the truth, you set off to connect with the celestial legitimately, hoping against hope that it still somehow exists, and won’t hate you for your perceived lies.

You work as a consulting detective for a homicide investigation unit, magically reviving victims to get their testimony. You quickly gain a reputation as a crime fighter, putting many killers to justice, but your most recent assignment has you rattled. Instead of an account of events, this victim gave you an assignment: Find their loved one and help them on the quest that cost the victim their life. Overcome by curiosity and a desire for justice, you’re out to find the victim’s loved one, a member of your new party, and follow your latest mystery through to its conclusion. 

Early in your bardic education, you became fascinated by the tale of a long dead lore bard, and the way their promising career went downhill quickly thanks to legendarily cocky and selfish attitude. But you quickly realized the history books and folktales didn’t quite line up, so you set off to ask their spirit for clarification. Turns out almost everything you knew about them from popular culture was wrong, an elaborate smear campaign by a vengeful former friend. Incensed, you’ve set off to tell the true stories to whoever will listen, calling on spirits to salvage a reputation scorned. 

All your life, you’ve been dismissed as a carnival barker, a tarokka reader who’s just as much of a quack as any other. Though that’s technically true, guilt over false promises and messages is really starting to get to you, and you’ve set out to go legit, no matter what it brings your way.

When your rich yet esoteric grandparent passed away, you were expecting some substantial material gains, but all you got was a crystal ball. A single, stupid, crystal ball. The night after you get it, you almost shattered it out of frustration before you heard a voice from it. Your grandparent, promising it would bring you riches and fame if you kept the ball safe. Begrudgingly, you obey, learning the magic they suggest and calling them as a spirit every once in a while. You’re still awaiting major results, and maybe this new party will finally bring you the promise you desire. 

You are an instructor at a very old, and very haunted bardic school. You always joke about an old, cranky ghost in your office that always seems to have a comment about how you’re teaching, or how you need to perform differently. Eventually, and very begrudgingly, you learn the spells you need to listen to their advice, and make yourself better for it.

After returning from an adventure early in your days as a bard, you are devastated to find your loved ones murdered, seemingly as a message to you to stop your heroic quests. In your grief, you find an heirloom and use it to summon their spirits, using them to guide yourself and your party on a quest for justice, or vengeance.

Working under the thumb of a ruthless gladiatorial trainer, you have a simple job: Summon the spirits of the deceased competitor so they can be chastised, and asked what they did wrong. Your job makes you sick, but the only way out is to win a bout, and you truly believed it was impossible, until you were forced into that situation. To your shock, you won, and now free to do what you please, a world of opportunities you’re not sure if you deserve.

You work for a historical society on the project of studying a decimated Druidic commune, one full of spirits that you’re using to inform the details of a culture lost to time. Recently though, there’s been news of an awakening magical force that frightens the spirits. The one that wiped them off of the map. In part out of duty to your friends, and in part to help save innocent lives, you’ve set out to stop it.

You live in a city full of gossip presses, often bad mouthing and lying about the dead to a degree that makes you squirm. So, you do what no one else did: You call the dead themselves. Now, you’re a prolific fact checker and voice for the dead, and you’ve taken interest in a case revolving around the dead loved one of a member of an adventuring party passing through town. Why not pay them a visit?

You are the biographer, manager and assistant to a retired adventurer tasked with learning and cataloguing all of the things their fans love, yet they cannot be bothered to do. Over the years working for them, you’ve learned how to perform well in many ways, and have developed a following of your own. When the adventurer fully retires from public life, they fire you, and though you were initially were upset, excitement took over, as you now have the chance to make an identity of your own. 

Throughout your time touring as a musician, you have continuously heard rumors of an underground bardic society that had gone underground centuries ago, taking a multitude of spells with them. You were curious, yet busy, so you let it go until a fan gives you a book with the seal of the old society, telling you it suits you, and to learn what you can from the book. Quickly, you become enthralled, wanting desperately to learn more about the group. So, halfway through your tour, you cut and run, off to satiate your curiosity rather than continue your career.  

You run a shop on the way to the summit of a dangerous peak that always seems to call to adventurers, though none seem to come back down. Every time you furnish and meet a new adventuring group, you tell them with tales of warning about the creatures of the mountain, and the adventurers that came before. This latest group is different though, asking you to come along since you know so much about the mountain. You never considered it, but you don’t see why not. What’s another good story to tell? 

As the only non-wizard speaker at an arcane knowledge conference you were practically mocked off stage, laughed at thanks to the sharp magical differences from your peers. Determined to prove your worth, you set out to learn the most prestigious spell there, and faster than the wizards around you. Maybe then they’ll finally take you seriously. 

You are the head camp counselor at an arcane summer camp, knowing many skills (arcane and otherwise) to help your campers through the summer. Halfway through, however, you learn that some of your students have accidentally contacted a dangerous entity, leading to hauntings and horror you cannot imagine. Now, you’ve called in other adventurers to help, so at the very least you can earn your paycheck at the end of the season. 

You were the long time nanny for a royal family, raising their children when work made them too busy. You taught them folktales as a part of their upbringing, stories of right and wrong, magic and monsters in every possible way. Eventually, you were let go as their children grew, and you chose to vacation for the first time in years. When you return, though, the entire kingdom is looking for one of the family’s children, having gone missing under mysterious circumstances. Now, armed with the stories and magic of your past, you set out to find them, your duty to this child never quite done. 

You are a traveling poet, writing popular poems about all sorts of natural and arcane features of the world and teaching many people about the emotions they inspire and the magic inherent within it. Throughout your travels, you’ve learned a lot of magic, but also gained a lot of fans, including one who writes you asking for your help with creatures attacking their home in waves. You were never the type to fight before, but you can’t let them down, so you’ve come to help them out, significantly in over your head within an instant. 

You have been happily married to a wizard for decades, spending the better part of a mundane life together. Now both of you are older, and your spouse is slowly starting to forget high level spells, something that is greatly distressing to them. You’ve set out to learn them, and attempt to give it back to your spouse as a way to remind them that even after all of these years, you still love them deeply. 

You are a merchant who tours throughout an area selling your art, depicting stories and people you’ve heard about in stories and books throughout your life. You cater specifically to other college of lore bards, who buy the stories they love the most from you as you travel from convention to convention. Recently though, a single mysterious customer has started coming in and correcting the details of art depicting ancient stories as if they were there, and experienced it first hand. Rumors soon began to swirl that a member of an old adventuring party is actually alive, and has a heavy bounty on their head. And so, a debate begins in your mind: Do you turn in your mysterious customer, or begin to learn what they can teach you? 

While studying at a prestigious, yet fairly typical bardic school, you accidentally fell in with a strange “club” that is starting to read more like a cult. After going to their first meeting, you realize you’re in way over your head, and they’re actually communing with an extremely powerful archfey. Realizing you have to run (like… right now) but when you get away, the archfey started to visit you in your dreams, insisted they wanted the challenge to mentor you, whether or not you were interested. You have new skills now, for some stupid reason, so you suppose you might as well start using them.

You are the stylist for a noble house who has just managed to do the impossible. The teenage heir has fallen in love with a member of the fey court, and was invited to a masquerade ball. You made them an outfit, fully expecting to give them a good thing outfit die in, but they came back happily engaged, the court stunned and impressed with your work to impress them. They wish to help you with your designing, and you reluctantly agree. Now you’re on your first assignment for your new benefactor, extremely anxious about what you must do.

As part of a musician’s duel, you win the ancient instrument of a fae royal, one that works well, but… not typically. It’s a terrifying process, learning to play such a strange instrument, but when you do learn it, you become widely famous very quickly. However, you’re pretty sure you’re using much more magic than you think, and now, you want to learn what exactly you might have done to those who adored you.

You’ve been caught in a cold war between the feywild and the nine hells for years, and you’d been contracted by the fae court to be a liaison. On a recent trip, you met and fell in love with a fiendish guard, who fell for your swift words quickly. After establishing a quiet romance, you travel (on and off duty) to see them as often as you can. On your latest trip, they simply took your hand and ran, fearful of the plans the hells had and wanting to spend time with you while they still can. You however think you can stop it, securing a future for you and your new love.

As a talented dancer, you were contracted to perform for a fae court and, to put it bluntly, it went completely terribly. By some miracle, one of the court members took pity on you giving you magic and sending you on your way, making you promise to “try and impress them next time.” So now you train daily to do just that, terrified to let the one who showed you mercy down.

You are the fae agent in charge of finding suckers on the material plane to make foolish deals with your bosses. You use your performance as an asset to draw them in, honing your skills in… less than traditional means. Now, you’ve found a perfectly eligible target: A member of your new party. It seems as if it’s time to go to work.

Your single parent has taught you bardic magic from an incredibly young age, something you took to with ease. However you quickly saw differences in the way you performed when comparing yourself to other bards, and you couldn’t help but ask about it. With a sigh, your parent explains. The parent that left years ago was from the feywild, and the magic inherited by you was something they could only teach you how to hone. With tensions high, you leave in the middle of the night, needing to find your other parent, or at least time to think the revelations through. You only hope the one that raised you can take you back after all of it.

One of the children of a strong royal family, you loved nothing more than going to the garden to escape the noise and bureaucracy that permeated the lives of you and your parents. You made many friends out there, spirits and creatures that you spent days talking to. Eventually, you confided in one of them how difficult you found it to talk to diplomats, and they offered to teach you a way to enjoy being in the spotlight. Now, years later, one of your parents is ailing, so your time to take the throne may be drawing near. One of your adversaries, however, is threatening to out your history, and before you become the leader, you have to set out to stop them.

Shortly after you were born, you were left for dead in the freezing woods by parents who did not want you. Thankfully, just in time, a winter Eladrin couple found you, keeping you warm and taking you in as their own. As you grew, you learned magic as they did it, engineering true performance spectacles out of ice and snow. Now, approaching adulthood, your parents have taught you enough for you to go alone, seeking your past, or perhaps, a new future.

You are the on staff translator for a viscous, tyrannical leader of a kingdom who took over for your former, much nicer boss. The ruler doesn’t know the language you speak, so you decide to begin inviting a revolution, sending messages to the people to fight and rally up, causing bloody but successful revolutions at several important sites. Just a day or two ago, you were caught, and now people are out to kill the most successful traitor the kingdom has ever seen. Though you’re a little worried, you’ve already built up a legion, and they will never allow anything bad to happen to their mobilizer.

A widely maligned, though not inherently evil god has selected you as their chosen one, making you a pariah in a single moment. Desperate to stay a part of society and in the good graces of your friends and family, you manage to convince some of a divine mistake, that you are just a normal individual without any particular predestination. It’s working out well enough, until you remember: The god you supposedly have been chosen by is also a god of lies. Naturally, they’ve been quite enjoying your desperate efforts to flee.

You are the often controversial color commentator for a local gladiatorial ring, a favorite of guests but a source of endless anger for competitors. When one of your punchlines sends a gladiator over the edge, they follow you home from work and beat you nearly to death, leaving you to bleed and reconsider what exactly you’re meant to be doing. Now, you’ve been soul searching, not out for revenge like most believe, wanting nothing more than to find a way to do your work without being a complete jerk.

When you were conscripted into a local military force, you were almost certain you way with words would land you a job in propaganda. To your delight, this wasn’t the case, but when you found out what your actual assignment was, you were shocked. You had been tasked with notifying the families of those who had died, a task that felt insurmountable, but one you actually found yourself very good at. After your contract was up, one of the clerics you befriended suggested you continue, telling you about someone they know who’s been adventuring for a while. This individual, another party member, is who you’re out to meet, and with trust in your friend, you’re willing to go along with them, excited to report to your former colleague how your new life is treating you.

You are the personal songwriter for one of the most famous bards in all the land. Your name is largely out of the public eye, and for the most part you’re fine with that, preferring just to write and stay under the radar. But when the bard you work for misses their first meeting in years, and doesn’t respond to any messages, you’re put into a tailspin of worry and the prospect of a lost job. Now, it’s your turn in the spotlight, looking for the person who kidnapped your employer and friend, seeking help from any who will offer it and hoping desperately to bring them back alive.

You are an art instructor, teaching those who wish to know your art how to do it with stunning accuracy. You have learned to provide the proper inspiration when in the studio, but oddly, it never seems to be a talent they can keep outside of your walls. So, they keep coming back, and you keep making money. It's a con, yes, but a relatively harmless one, and one you fully intended to keep going strong. But after you're robbed, you find yourself needing to take it on the road, searching for new ways (legal and... Otherwise) to make a steady living.

Your child was a career adventurer, and the sight of their party at your home when they needed to rest was not at all uncommon. After the loss of your partner it was a welcome way to have company, and in exchange you provided sage wisdom and inspiration whenever they needed a hand. The last time the party left, they were setting off to fight a beast of legend, and you did your best to be supportive. But when your child was the only one who came back, terrified, grieving and bloodied, a protective rage boils in your chest. After they recover, you set out to take the beast down, getting revenge for your children, biological and otherwise.

You are the widely feared interrogator for your local group of night's watchmen, carrying with you a fierce and strong reputation. You've put many criminals away, your tactics the product of legend throughout the area. One day, though, you came to a startling realization: Unbeknownst to you, nearly every confession you got was magically coerced, and though so many believe what you're doing is right, you're instantly thrown into a spiral of shame. Now, you've set off on an adventure to make amends, and to make yourself into something other than a figure of horror.

You are a poet and street artist, posting inspirational poems on very public, very illegal places to spread your message, whatever it may be. You've been in and out of prison for years, making friends with much of the criminal underground and establishing yourself under a new name and persona. Lately, a new artist has been on your turf, spreading news of a rumored apocalypse on a wide scale. You don't believe it for a minute, but at the end of the day, the asshole's on your turf. You're more than willing to help people try and stop this apocalypse, real or not, if it makes your rival leave your area.

You went to a wizard school for a short time, and viscerally hated it. It was so stiff and boring it made you nauseous, and you were better with other magic anyway. So, you used it. You made the books float, potions appear where they shouldn’t, and began to cause a bit of a stir. Eventually, the school came to believe they were haunted by a poltergeist, and offered a heavy reward for those who stopped the ghost. Hungry for notoriety, you simply stop your antics, and quickly gain a reputation as a ghost hunter. Now, you travel around a noteworthy fraud, creating problems for you to dramatically, and publicly solve.

As the caretaker of an legendary elderly druid, you have a taxing and difficult job. Your bardic skills are perfect to soothe them and entertain them, distracting them from their ever-present wanderlust. So, you learn to conjure flowers and vines, in part to cement your connection to them and in part to remind them of the life they knew. Recently, they gave you a new mission, head out and find someone to give their storied staff to, someone to keep up their legacy when they die, a day that seems far too close. So, you obey, petrified to lose them, but also unwilling to let them down.

Growing up as the child of a single bard who lived gig to gig making barely enough to keep a roof over your head, music was largely all you had. Your parent tried their best, and though you were never deprived of love, you still found yourself hungry or cold some nights. So, as you learned bardic magic, you were stunned to find that you could animate and create objects of your very own. So you became a provider, helping your parent by making whatever they needed, it and when they needed it. Now living securely, largely thanks to you, your parent has encouraged you to see the world, live the life you worked so hard to earn. You fully intend to do just that.

You’re perhaps the most well known bartender in the land. Hell, who else can make the drinks practically dance around on the table before your eyes? Your popularity has led to a busy bar every night, and your charm means your connections are numerous. A little while ago, missing persons posters began showing up around the town, one of your regulars who you seem to be the last person to see them alive. Now, armed with the secrets of all of your visitors, you set out to find them. You’d hate to lose such reliable business.

As one of two survivors of a caravan robbery, you found yourself pinned under a cart with seemingly no hope of escape until you heard a song. A voice, the other survivors, began to sing a hopeful song, one that made the rubble stand and move, lifting the cart off of you. Astounded and thankful, you go to ask how the individual did that, only to find they succumbed to their wounds. Overtaken by the need to find out what magic saved you, you set out to learn that song, and the strange power that came with it.

You are a dancer, one who has a command of ribbons that is storied throughout the land. Your magic is quiet and tasteful, without even a single sound, but very few know why. You were a rebel for a small group, and as punishment, your tongue was cut out, in the hopes of removing your magic. Of course, it failed, and now having recovered from the imprisonment, you’re out to seek revenge, and do it beautifully.

You teach the equivalent of wizard kindergarten, introducing children to the utility and concept of bards. Your mastery of visuals and entertaining trinkets are a hit with the kids, and make you very popular at the school. One day, though, a student sheepishly confesses that their parent was hurt by someone who did “magic like you”, and they wonder if you may be able to fix it. You’re more than willing to help, but you realize that you’re out of your depth quickly. So, you set off to learn. You simply cannot let your student down.

As a student of a cleric who works with the god that controls the stars, you know more about the true stories behind some of the strange star movement that has worried so much of your world. You learned the stories and songs of the stars, the true ones, the ones that inspire hope rather than fear, and showed them to others through your magic. Now, you are out to prove that the good things do exist in the stars, and of course, the god takes interest in you as well, calling you the herald of stories they really wish could be told.

You have a… bit of a problem. A young child has been following you around for days after you brought their stuffed bear to life, asking kindly for you to give them magic. They insist you’re a minor celestial, and try to say that they’d be very good about their pact. The problem? You’re just a humble bard who noticed the little one was having a bad day. You’re not sure how to break it to them, and you’re really not sure why the kid seems to know too much about the Arcane. As the kid reveals more about what they know, you become more and more concerned and angry, hoping to track down those that raised them and strike revenge for the little one who barely knew they were people to fear.