CLOK BBS

I heard some talk that musical instruments were on the drawing board somewhere and I thought I would share some of my ideas on what they could be used for besides some good ol fashioned role play that is.

Performing
If thieves can steal from the crowd for money why can't bards perform for the crowd for money? It could be a whole new profession. When you first start out you may have a lot of trouble with getting boo'd and having rotten fruit thrown in your face. You may even be SO bad that you are temporarily thrown out of town. You will also need to judge the mood of the crowd and adjust your music to make the most riln.

Battle
I don't think music would have too much use in battle other than maybe adding a little inspiration but it would be nice to do something in a group other than heal, take damage or deal damage. Granted any effect at all would have to be according to your performing skill.

Instrument types
Since this game is a medieval fantasy based game I think we could have a lute, recorder, harp and drum. If you would like to get fancy you could give each one something different but I think for now just having the different options would be nice.

Thanks for making this game awesome!

You spoony bard!

I like the performing ideas. Performing will be a particular focus for the Mummers guild, though that doesn't mean everyone else will be unable. As far as using music for inspirational effects and so forth, I could see some very minor natural effects from anyone with decent performing skills, but the Mummers will be the ones who are able to take the emotions and passions instilled into music and amplify them into more powerful, supernatural effects.

Off the top of my head, I think we could break musical skills up into something like this:

General Music
Singing

General Stringed
Necked Stringed (lutes, banjos, dulcimers)
Neckless Stringed (harps, lyres)
Bow Stringed (fiddles/violins)

General Brass
Valveless Brass (bugle)
Valved Brass (trumpet, horn, etc.)

General Percussion
Drums
Other Percussion (tambourines, other stuff?)

General Woodwind
Reed Woodwind (whatever would be genre-appropriate here, equivalents of clarinet, bassoon, etc.)
Reedless Woodwind (flute, fife, recorder)

Stuff that probably won't have a "general" skill, just its own skill:
Bagpipes
Piano/Harpsichord

Spiffy more advanced instruments from Grum:
Hurdy-gurdy
Barrel Organ (think those guys with dancing monkeys), wouldn't actually require much musical skill other than steady rhythm since all you do is turn the crank to play pre-set tunes, so not as beneficial as playing another instrument and using actual music skills.

I would pay Garrett to blast a horn and announce my presence as I entered a room.