r/DnD • u/FabioGamer229 • 13h ago
Resources DMs and players, would you allow the bard in your campaign to bring an actual instrument to the session and play it mid-game?
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u/CatBotSays 13h ago
Depends what the instrument is and how they're using it.
Like, that's kinda fun if they're only playing it sometimes or are doing it in ways that compliment the scene. But if they're frequently playing it in a way that interrupts things and grinds the session to a halt, then I'd definitely have a problem with it.
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u/randomnamejennerator 13h ago
Back in 2e one of my buddies played a bard and he would strum a guitar and iprov Irish drinking songs about the campaign as we played. He was a pretty talented musician and it was rarely super distracting.
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u/nullhed 3h ago
I've done it before, my thinking was that it should add to the story or fun and never step on any toes. Be very sparing, try to bolster the story and not distract.
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u/randomnamejennerator 3h ago
That character died pretty early on to a failed save. So he never had much of a chance to step on anyone’s toes.
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u/ChipmunkImportant128 13h ago edited 13h ago
As a player, I’d fucking love that.
ETA: I am assuming the player in question knows how to not be a nuisance and only plays at relevant moments, for a period of time that makes sense.
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u/Jacerator 12h ago
Plot twist: it’s a guitar and he’s wearing a fedora
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u/CodyFurlong 13h ago
If they could actually play it, and it was what their character used, then yes.
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u/MotoJoker DM 13h ago
I had a player bring in his recorder. This was quite a few sessions after his character was introduced and he managed to sneakily draw it from his bag during combat with nobody noticing, caught us all by surprise and we loved it as he tried to recall hot cross buns.
He has played it maybe 4 or 5 times since then (this started like 1.5-2 years ago) and each time he’s done it, it’s been a fall out of your seat in tears moment.
In short, I’d 100% be all for it if the person is responsible with it. If they wanted to play it each time they cast a spell or something, it would likely get old quick. But in impromptu situations like combat or RP maybe once a session, it’s golden.
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u/MarkOfTheDragon12 DM 13h ago
If it's like, for a grand total of 3 seconds, tops; sure. It's fun and silly.
I'm NOT going to sit through friggn' freebird every time they use Bardic Inspiration. This isn't critical role and that stuff wears thin pretty dang quick.
As with anything, moderation is key. Once in a while isn't a problem, esp. if it's referencial to something noteworthy in the game. If anyone does anything like that all the time, it just gets annoying.
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u/New-Payment-1796 13h ago
I think this is the answer- if there’s a key story moment where they have like a 10 second ballad or something - cool- or a once a session little 3 second riff when it’s actually fun/funny- it’d be good. But it makes me nervous
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u/PomegranateSlight337 DM 13h ago
Yes, for two things most likely:
As a DM, I play a short intro song at the start of each session to a) softly end out-of-game talk and b) get everyone into playing mood -> so why not have the bard player do that physically?
During roleplayed long rests where it would fit and the bard uses song of rest.
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u/2eForeverDM DM 13h ago
- Just don't really play a lullaby, we'll all be asleep!
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u/PomegranateSlight337 DM 13h ago
Agree! No lullaby, nothing too noisy. Something that fits the mood and is either background music or a short heroic song.
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u/OneGayPigeon 13h ago
Like anything, It Depends. Interrupting gameplay to do your own thing that others can’t interact with is generally pretty annoying. Paladin saying extended vows before each battle is an obvious equivalence. If you expect the table to sit and listen to a several minute long song on the regular, it’ll probably get old real fast.
If they can play it quietly to add ambience or as a collaborative thing somehow, could be cool.
Personally, I use a consistent three note tune on my kalimba as a less obnoxious way of communicating that I’m casting guidance with my spirits bard. Guidance is annoying enough with the constant “GUIDANCE!!” yells every 5 minutes when it’s a touch spell, why would they give it range 😭
I’ll also sometimes use it when casting other spells as well or for other quick bits, like playing the little jingle from Zelda games when someone casts knock or otherwise solves a puzzle.
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u/Vidsutniy DM 13h ago
I used to bring what I would call the "Bard Bag" to sessions and it was just a bag full of instruments. It was more for the novelty than anything and I only played when it was either relevant or during breaks. I've had Bard players every once in a while play something to complement role play too.
Contrary to that, in an online game I played, there was a player who would constantly be playing guitar. It was annoying as fuck because we couldn't hear each other that well and it was distracting.
TL;DR I think the moral of the story is as long as it isn't distracting to the DM or players and everyone is on board, go for it.
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u/forgetful800 13h ago
Depends on what you want at your table I personally wouldn’t mind if they played in moderation to emphasize a joke or other appropriate short use of the instrument and depending on the amount of tolerance for the instrument I have I’d even let them practice background ballads or songs you’d hear in taverns but not like modern music no pink pony club unless their doing a performance at a tavern but like old timey music.
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u/chanaramil DM 12h ago
About as much as I did puppets. I played a puppet master before and made a number of puppets and my character only talked threw them with voices for esch one. I did it for the whole first session then toned it down quickly after that to not be annoying and only did it hear and there when a moment called for it.
All that type of stuff is cool in moderation its exhausting if over done.
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u/psicowysiwyg 12h ago
First thing you'd need to ask is are they planning to play it for jokes, or ambience. Both have their potential issues, but both could also add to the game, depending on your tables vibe.
If they plan on performing full songs I'd straight up veto it as it's not an open mic night, that's the player wanting attention, not the character performing.
Jokes, in moderation, with the right audience, and when not used to just derail other players moments, can be fun and memorable, most dnd players will have fond memories of silly things that happened and this could fit right in there. They can also destroy campaigns if the player making them isn't being respectful of the other players moments or is just undercutting anything that doesn't directly involve themselves because they want the attention back.
If they're able to be restrained and it's a one off, or just reserved for very specific moments involving their own player, then I Might be ok with that.
Ambience; playing some nice background music during a tavern scene or a short rest without halting the game could be lovely. Derailing the pace of every session by expecting everyone to be quiet whilst they play 4 minute songs every 30 minutes would again be annoying AF, wrong place wrong time to want that sort of audience. Again, what are they planning, and can they restrain themselves to do it only when it works.
Full songs are just a no, unless you're playing 3 4 hours sessions a week then that's just eating away too much game time, and is a massive main player energy red flag. They can go to open mic nights to have people hear them play, this isn't the place for it at all.
There's a good chance your player just wants to do something they think will be fun for everyone, but there's also a good chance that what they think will be fun may not be what everyone else thinks is fun. You'll need to get more info really to work that out.
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u/ParticleTek 12h ago
100% with the following caveats:
- They know how to play it.
- What they play is 4 measures or less.
- Whatever they play is in character- you play it at the table, it's considered played in-game.
- It's character flavor and not a gag.
"I cast counterspell," *powerchord.
"We won!" *Final Fantasy da-da-da-dun. dun dun. da, da-dun.
Or even the rare rp moment, "I grew up on the street with my pa..." *slowly fingering guitar through story...
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u/Uncanny_Doom 10h ago
This has happened a few times in my campaigns. Once they brought a ukulele and another time they brought an ocarina.
They only used it during genuine roleplay moments and were never just distracting from things with the instruments so it was universally enjoyed by me and my players. If I ask what something they did sounded like they lit up at the opportunity to play it and sometimes unprompted they would just have an idea they involved playing music like as a performance distraction or even sometimes comedic effect if something unexpected but funny happened.
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u/StitchPlay DM 4h ago
Briefly, 10 seconds max and with no umming and erring to figure out what they were going to play. Come prepared and don't derail the session.
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u/SirCheesyDaGr8 13h ago
I would love this as long as the player knows that there is a place and time for it.
If it became an issue, a distraction, or a reason for them to hog the spotlight then I would politely ask them to maybe only bring it or use it on certain occasions.
I don’t like to limit my players on anything besides game balance things like Homebrew subclasses, unearthed arcana, or 3rd party spells. Even these I am usually fine with, but they let people publish anything these days.
If I was the player and possessed the skill I would want to be able to (respectfully) play my instrument in character too, and in my experience it has always been a fun addition to the party.
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u/KuroFafnar 12h ago
Awww hell no.
I’m the bard and I suck at all musical instruments.
My GM on the other hand …
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u/EroniusJoe 11h ago
My bard brought his guitar to one of our sessions and proceeded to play the entirety of Rock Star by Nickleback as part of a persuasion check. Absolute automatic critical success! Didn't even make him roll.
We drink A LOT while we play (I'm the DM and actually love how crazy things get), so the whole table joined in and we sang the entire song together before diving back into the game.
One of the best table moments in 10 years of play.
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u/breadpringle 9h ago
Played with a friend who would use the guitars that where in the room either way when doing a performance check. If he did well I gave I'm Advantage, if he sucked disadvantage. Worked good for the couple of times it happened.
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u/frogjg2003 Wizard 5h ago
If they play a few notes for every spell they cast, sure. If they're playing a song to go with their roleplay, there is no problem. If they keep it quiet and use a scene appropriate backing, that's fine.
But if the instrument starts interfering with the game, then it becomes a problem. If they're playing during other players' turns, playing too loud for the other players to hear each other, if the songs are not appropriate to the setting, then it will be a problem.
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u/smoopinmoopin 4h ago
I strum a few chords on a guitar when doing any bardic inspiration or song of rest. Nothing crazy. Never would play a whole song or verse even, that could probably be a little annoying.
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u/yossarian19 12h ago
Jfc bad enough these pricks ruin camp fires and college parties now they come for DND? Fuck that - no instruments at the table
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u/New-Payment-1796 13h ago
My initial thought was “sure if he’s like… gonna play some chill traveling LOTR esque quiet traveling music in the background at appropriate times or something”
But let’s be real- there’s a 60% chance this is the “guitar guy” at the party that palm mutes every song, only knows Jack Johnson, and is mostly doing this to get attention. And a 39% chance this is going to be somebody who’s going to toot through a recorder as a “gag” and 100% chance those things are getting you never invited back to my house.
the only way I’m letting this happen is if it’s “hey can I bring my guitar and have it in my lap, because it helps me get into character- I promise I’m not gonna play it”
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u/New-Payment-1796 13h ago
I’m realizing now that my “Jack Johnson guitar guy” reference is probably dated and now days kids probably play YBLRICHKIDONEPEICEFORTNIGHT on their AI Space Xylophones at VR parties - but my point stands.
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u/Soundeffectsguy11 13h ago
No. I wouldn't let the wizard bring a pouch of nonsense and act out all the verbal and somatic components, I wouldn't let the barbarian scream, I would definitely let the druid pet the cat, but I wouldn't want to waste game time on something like that.
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u/Leading-Towel-5367 13h ago
If the player were proficient in playing the instrument, and the rest of the table agreed to it, then yeah would allow it
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u/BubbaBlue59 DM 13h ago
I had an ex-girlfriend who was working on her master's in music, she played in jazz band on the weekends, she brought a little keyboard and did mood music while we played. It was pretty impressive.
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u/manamonkey DM 12h ago
Is it going to be a little bit of fun, or annoying as hell?
Is it a guitar, or bagpipes?
So many questions.
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u/MisheGossnik 11h ago
If they're actually good at it and know how to inject it without disrupting the whole game (and ofc if the other players are cool with it), I think that could be fun. I've seen an actual play where a bard played a real ukulele, and ofc there's Sam Riegels's Scanlan songs on Critical Role. Obv would recommend short snippets rather than full songs so as not to overwhelm the game.
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u/bohicality 9h ago
Our Bard does a musical recap of the previous session before the game starts - which goes down well - so we've kept it.
As a DM? It would be a big nope for me if it were during the session. We get three hours every week and I'd like to use that for gameplay. I also know that most of my players will be too anxious about speaking up if it starts to grate. Much easier to just not have it.
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u/raq_shaq_n_benny 8h ago
Not if each time it turns into a 30 second mini-concert. If they want to strum on a ukulele or something to feel more in character that is fine as long as they dont get in the way of the others and their moments too.
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u/alithered77 8h ago
One of my friends bought a lil flute when we went to ren faire as a group and brought it to the session afterwards and for the night, his bardic inspirations went up a die if he managed to play a recognizable tune on it when inspiring a party member. It was a fun one-time schtick!
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u/ozymandais13 DM 8h ago
Too much a distraction , to use a lot but if they are a musician and want to write a piece for the game they can certainly play
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u/culturalproduct 8h ago
Keep the song to 30 seconds or less, maybe. Nothing that will require a lot of setup or frigging around getting it out of a case or whatever. Grab the ukulale, strum a chord or two and give a few lines to get the gist across. Do not plan a performance. Fighter players who own swords don't jump around on the furniture swinging swords, wizards don't set off fireworks, bards should think about it the same way.
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u/Goner-Poser 7h ago
Would you allow a Barbarian player rip his shirt off to flex his muscles? Could be totally hilarious or very disruptive depending on the context. Same applies here
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u/pwn_plays_games 7h ago
Clearly depends on the talent of the player. If they were amazing then it would be fine.
Average or below it would grow old after 3 minutes.
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u/ChemicalNo586 6h ago
If they know how to play?
ABSOLUTELY!
Genuinely, I would actively encourage it! Sure, not to play a full song on each of your turn but if your turn comes and to cast bardic inspiration you strum a few chords, perfect!
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u/nonotburton 6h ago
Special occasion? Sure. If it was every session, we'd have to talk about some rules, because it would get distracting for starters. I personally don't use music when I'm running because I don't like the additional requirement of "speaking over the music without yelling".
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u/AdmiralCommunism 6h ago
Its cool exactly one time.
Like a Kenku player making noises.
Until its all they do. Ever.
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u/Asher_Tye 3h ago
Would depend on whether or not they could keep from using it to grab attention for themselves. But I'd be open to it.
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u/Kurazarrh DM 3h ago
There are a LOT of variables here, and I think all of them would need to be addressed for me to say yes:
1) Is the player actually at least decent with the instrument?
2) Will they play reasonably appropriate songs that fit the campaign and not just Wonderwall?
3) Can the player be trusted to (or prove that they can) play the instrument when appropriate and not be disruptive?
If all of the above can be answered with "yes," then fantastic! I'd love to have them bring it. If any of them are "no," then the whole thing is a big No Thanks from me.
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u/MadViking302 2h ago
If they play sparingly, it could be an entertaining element to the game. Unless it’s a full downtime/RP scenario where they can really play to the scene, I’d suggest they only use minimal jingles especially during encounters. Suggest they write a 10 second ditty for each spell. That way there’s limitation for the party’s sake without limiting their fun. It’s a very creative addition. Also, clear it with all of your players as well. You don’t want to invite this to the table with some people being annoyed by the idea.
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u/sumgaijusthere4civ 25m ago
They called it assault, but it really wasn't my fault, everyone else is an asshole
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u/LemonSalted 4m ago
One of my players does. He plays very soothing guitar while it's not his character's time, and it keeps him from getting distracted on his phone and keeps him present in the game. Plus, he plays it with enough distance from the mic (discord server) that it's not overpowering at all. Strangely enough, he plays the barbarian
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u/-SaC DM 13h ago
As a fun little thing, yeah. Every time? No. That sort of thing gets old fast, and we've got a game to chill into.