Bard, Ambassador

When nations tremble at the brink of war, or famine strikes a kingdom down the leaders of the world turn to their ambassadors to try to sort things out before things unravel. These remarkably talented men and women use charm, persuasion, threats and shear will to keep the gears of the world moving smoothly. They stride the halls of power brokering the deals that make or break borders.

The Quintessential Bard
Author Shannon Kalvar
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2003

Bardic Ambassadors excel at their calling. Their naturally high Charisma combined with their broad selection of skills enables them to mingle with the elite. Their magical talents give them an edge in bargaining. Ambassadors are also targets; nothing ends a negotiation more quickly that the death of one of the participants. Yet bards are not easy targets. They are skilled fighters as well as magicians, more than a match for most assassins.

Bardic Lore also servers an ambassador well. He has a chance to know just about any given piece of information. Things that seem trivial to others are of vital importance in negotiations. For example, if a Bard knows that a particular kingdom had poor rainfall this year, he then knows that the nation will most likely need grain. That is information he can use to leverage either the ambassador of the kingdom in question or one of that kingdom’s rivals.

Adventuring: Although it might not seem like it ambassadors are one of the most adventurous of the bard concepts. No other archetype is thrown into the same level of intrigue, danger and drama as these brave souls. Whether they are ‘troubleshooters’
who are sent to difficult spots or long-term liaisons with established allies ambassadors find themselves in the thick of things. Sometimes their ‘diplomatic’ efforts include activities like spying, corrupting officials, infiltrating secured areas and even slipping into the occasional dungeon to see what kind of opposition the local government faces.

Role-Playing: All ambassadors know the value of connections. They make contacts as quickly as most people have meals. Ambassadors also routinely expect to enter situations that are charged with tension and turn them to their favour. Living up to those expectation leads most ambassadors to serene confidence bordering on arrogance. They have succeeded at some of the most difficult tasks imaginable already;
what could possibly be worse?

Benefits: Ambassadors gain a +4 skill bonus to all Diplomacy, Innuendo and Sense Motive checks. When on missions for their patron they receive a salary sufficient to support a minor noble (typically 200 gold per month, but it could be more in some areas).

Penalties: Ambassadors must choose one patron. This patron can be any established and large organisation or nation. The patron may command the Bard to service at any time, and reasonably expect the Bard to obey. If he fails to do so, he loses the respect of his peers and his skill bonuses. The bonuses may be regained by spending six months in service to the patron. Respect can only be earned though role-playing.