History Main / QuirkyBard

** They tend to be...different when it comes to PvP though. People often ignore paragons and save them for last in Random Arenas, but in different PvP modes (such as alliance battles) Paragons are much better.

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', Bards have a unique place in raiding teams. Their damage output has gone up and down in comparison to the other jobs as various buffs and nerfs came out, but damage isn't really the point of the job. Their songs make them into MP and TP batteries for the rest of the team, allowing the others to fight at full effectiveness for longer.

* Many bards can be built to specialize in status effect abilities. This ''can'' often be a wonderful way to add a new role to the game. However, this often falls flat because the status effects in many games are actually {{useless useful spell}}s that take too long to cast for short {{mook}} fights, have the wrong elements for {{boss battle}}s, and/or simply are not be useful enough to justify using a bard instead of another character. This is especially true if the enemies can remove your newly added status effect abilities.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]

* Elan from ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' is as CloudCuckooLander as they come. His bard songs are pretty much useless, his motivational speeches have a tendency to horribly backfire, and the only weapons he can use can be [[BreakableWeapons Sundered by someone cursing too loud.]] However, his real talent is a result of his bardic training: he's as GenreSavvy as they come, and sees damn near everything coming. Whenever he works close enough with the smart leader Roy, he exploits it too. And that training perfectly synergizes with the Dashing Swordsman PrestigeClass he literally [[TookALevelInBadass took a level in]] -- which turns entertaining quips and drama into badassery. His [[TookALevelInBadass leveling up]] hasn't drowned out the endearing aspects of his character: optimism, ''extraordinary'' loyalty to his friends, and a certain bumbling charm that makes him what he is. [[CharacterDevelopment Elan's progression]] from a simple Bard to Dashing Swordsman isn't just about getting more/useful class powers, but him developing the chops to be a genuine hero. As part of this growth he also is slowly shown to be [[HowDoIShootWeb learning how to properly use his regular bardic spells]]. It's also worth nothing that Elan is the only member of the party who has a [[MinMaxing smart class build]]. Everyone else in the party made some of the worst possible character class choices.

* Gamzee of ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' subverts this. Despite being a [[TheStoner Stoner]] LoveFreak and having the title of Bard of... Something (exactly what it is, he forgot), he takes down the [[FinalBoss Black King]] of the Trolls' session with ''[[BewareTheSillyOnes frightening]]'' efficiency and brutality. Subverted even more when we find out that he's actually the Bard of [[spoiler: ''[[AxCrazy Rage.]]'']]

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!!Examples

[[caption-width-right:241:"The bard really was spoony! We checked!"]]

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[[caption-width-right:267:"The bard really was spoony! We checked!"]]

* Many bards can be built to specialize in status effect abilities. This ''can'' often be a wonderful way to add a new role to the game. However, this often falls flat because the status effects in many games are actually {{useless useful spell}}s that take too long to cast for short mook fights, have the wrong elements for boss battles, and/or simply are not be useful enough to justify using a bard instead of another character. This is especially true if the enemies can remove your newly added status effect abilities.

** In 5th Edition, Bards received a frankly ''terrifying'' increase in power compared to previous editions, most notably the ability to cast spells up to 9th level, and ''learn spells from other classes''. This is in addition to their wide variety of Bardic Inspiration powers which can affect themselves, their allies and enemies: if there's a number attached to it, chances are that the 5e Bard can expend a use of Bardic Inspiration to increase or decrease it. The Lore Bard in particular is considered the best build in the entire game.

"Spoony Bard" redirects here. If you're looking for the Internet personality going by that name, see Creator/NoahAntwiler. If you're looking for actual bards, see WanderingMinstrel and TheBard. If you're looking for '''the''' Bard, see Creator/RobertBurns or Creator/WilliamShakespeare.

** In 5e, Bards are a lot better, balance-wise. They can get up to 9th level spells, and can hand a bonus Inspiration dice to any player, to use as bonus to any roll the Inspired chooses during combat, and are actually capable of dealing some damage via spells and weapons proficiencies. The Lore Bard in particular is considered the best build in the entire game.

** In ''Gold and Silver'', Unown is particularly noted for its gimmickry. They mimic letters, and there's one for each from A to Z (plus ? and ! in later games) for you to collect - but in battle they only have one move, Hidden Power, and its stats are different for each individual user but none of them are good.

*** Plusle and Minun were used to highlight the new Double Battles. They have an ability that increases their special attack when they battle together... but their movepool sucks, their stats suck, no sane man would ever use them both in one team. In short, they are a bit less useless in double battles. A bit.
*** Feebas is like Magikarp in that it's a useless little fish that evolves into something much more formidable. The thing is that Feebas is ''insanely'' hard to find, and that evolving it involved raising a stat for Contests that was ''completely'' unrelated to battling. Later games starting with ''Black and White'' stripped the quirks from it, making it more common (still rare but not ridiculously so) and providing much easier ways to evolve it.
*** Castform would change it's typing and the typing of its Weather Ball attack depending on the newly introduced weather conditions. The problem is that, no matter what type Castform currently is, it's type and move arsenal are pretty much useless.

** Unlike the last few generations, ''Black and White'' only introduces a couple quirky Pokémon. The first is Darmanitan, as certain ones (not all of them) have an ability called Zen Mode where they turn from a GlassCannon into a MightyGlacier at half health. AwesomeButImpractical, as preparing it for one form leaves it underequipped for the other, and Zen Mode's defenses don't help so much when Darmanitan has to be badly hurt to begin with.
** ''Black and White'''s other major one is Zorua and Zoroark, who are [[MasterOfIllusion Masters of Illusion]] and enter battle disguised as another Pokémon in your party. A lot of factors go into determining how long other players will be fooled, as Zoroark's type and attacks don't change and an opponent behaving oddly could tip players off to the ruse.
** ''X and Y'' don't have as many as the others, probably due to not having as many Pokemon to begin with, but it does have:

*** Hawlucha is a MaskedLuchador bird whose signature attack, Flying Press, is the only attack in the game with two types: it counts as both Flying and Fighting, enabling it to do double damage to pokemon weak to either type. However, Flying Press is usually seen as AwesomeButImpractical and other attacks are used instead.
*** Pumpkaboo and its evolution Gourgeist come in four different sizes, with the larger ones having larger Health and Attack stats but lower Speed.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'' plays this straight with the two bards [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Elphin and Nils]], neither of whom can attack. However, they can give other units another turn. Completely averted with [[VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral Lewyn and Homer]]; their Bard class is essentially a mage class. They also happen to be GameBreakers once they promote.
* In the TurboGrafx-16 game ''Dungeon Explorer'', the Bard has weak stats and even worse spells. His white magic teleported you back to the castle, and his black magic just changed the background music.

* The ''[[VideoGame/Elona]]'' Pianist is a fairly straightforward example in complete uselessness in combat, except for the fact that Charisma (the Pianist's main stat) allows you to recruit a lot of followers.

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* Initially played straight with the Jester in ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'', whose stress-healing and bleed inflicting attacks were outclassed by the Houndmaster, and the Man-at-Arms having better buffs to give to the party, making the Jester a MasterOfNone that still remains useful enough to fill in a niche now and again. In time, the Jester was reworked into giving more consistent stress heals, more reliable bleeding, and mobility. This, along with the [[BaseBreaker debatably]] GameBreaker Finale attack, he ends up subverting this trope.

"Spoony Bard" redirects here. If you're looking for the Internet personality going by that name, see Creator/NoahAntwiler. If you're looking for actual bards, see WanderingMinstrel and TheBard. If you're looking for '''the''' Bard, see Creator/RobertBurns.

* TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons has the Bard base class, of which mainly is a versatile jack of all trades, often played as a support class. In most editions, the bard was not often seen as good as other options because of [[MasterOfNone their tendency to be decent at multiple roles at once instead of good at one]]. However, 3.5 edition's Bard splatbook support really helped it grow in power into a [[JackOfAllStats jack of all trades]], master of a few, being able to take up a few roles to extremely high power (adding huge bonuses like 10d6 damage per hit to become a very strong support, or dual wielding rapiers and then going Snowflake Wardance to be a melee monster, or a good caster with powerful battlefield control and debuff spells). Plus, at the end of the day, Bards were still spellcasters in the edition that codified LinearWarriorsQuadraticWizards, so while they'd never rival an equally well played wizard, even with only the core rulebook, they can still prove far more potent than more mundane classes.

** In 5e, Bards are a lot better, balance-wise. They can get up to 9th level spells, and can hand a bonus Inspiration dice to any player, to use as bonus to any roll the Inspired chooses during combat, and are actually capable of dealing some damage via spells and weapons proficiencies. The Lord Bard in particular is considered the best build in the entire game.

*** Shedinja is a OneHitPointWonder, able to go down with a single hit ''but'' its Wonder Guard ability blocks all direct damage from non-super-effective attacks. Too bad it has so many weaknesses. And there are ways abilities can be nullified. [[RuleOfThree And indirect damage (like from poison or confusion) also works.]] The way to get one is pretty quirky, too, as you need an open slot when Nincada evolves because it becomes ''two'' Pokémon; Shedinja being the cast-off shell of its other evolution, Ninjask.

Ah, the much-maligned bard class... For some reason, when game makers want more {{splat}}s, bards are the way that ''everyone'' tries to make their game "different." Bards provide an entirely new role that falls outside of those standard four roles of Fighter, Wizard, Rogue and Priest, which lets players who want to try something different have a way to support the party in a way that is (questionably) new and (possibly) unique.

*** Bards at the same time, also have varying issues. The HP and MP regenerating abilities are guaranteed, but can also raise the speed of your units (One Bard Raising and one Dancer Lowering could tip the scales very quickly), increase their attack and magic attack, as well as dish out random beneficial status effects. The real magikarp effect is because each class relies on the stat that gender is weaker in. Dancer uses Physical Attack to determine damage effects, and Bards used Magic Attack. Since the abilities can be passed off to other classes though, a singing Black Mage can restore many HP, and a Dancing Knight could whittle down enemies in no time flat.

* ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful'': Averted ''hard'' with the [[MagicIdolSinger Troubadours.]]

* ''InazumaEleven'' gives us Handa Shinichi, a JackOfAllStats. In a [[LazyBum really negative]] way.

** In 5e, Bards are a lot better, balance-wise. They can get up to 9th level spells, and can hand a bonus Inspiration dice to any player, to use as bonus to any roll the Inspired chooses during combat, and are actually capable of dealing some damage via spells and weapons proficiencies.