When did bard become a popular concept?

[stille_nacht]

It just occured to me... when not looking at it from a purely DnD perspective, bards seem kinda... niche. I mean, singing magically imbued songs is cool, dont get me wrong, but as i think about it, the "standard" for the fantasy team of people was: The tough one with the big sword, The fast one with the two swords, The one with the bow, the one with healing, and the one with magic.

At what point did The Guy who plays music which empowers his allies and/or charms monsters become a mainstay? Was it just the founder of DnD's unique idea? When did the concept of bard first arise?

[Drakos]

It just occured to me... when not looking at it from a purely DnD perspective, bards seem kinda... niche. I mean, singing magically imbued songs is cool, dont get me wrong, but as i think about it, the "standard" for the fantasy team of people was: The tough one with the big sword, The fast one with the two swords, The one with the bow, the one with healing, and the one with magic.

At what point did The Guy who plays music which empowers his allies and/or charms monsters become a mainstay? Was it just the founder of DnD's unique idea? When did the concept of bard first arise?

I don'y know, the wandering minstral has been a fairly persistent concept. They are usually the character than always seems to have the ability needed at the right time in the right place. The utility character. I would go so far as to paint Bilbo Baggind as more a bard that a true rogue, basically chronicaling the adventure as he did is a very bard like thing to do. Maybe he started as a rogue, and multiclassed into bard later on, though he didn't demonstrate any magic. Bards are the Jack of all Trades types, the ones that are always pulling out the needed skill at the right moment supprising their companions.

You should have seen the Bard back in 1st edition. Could only be done as a human. You had to level up in both Fighter and Thief first and then start in on Bard, which got Druid spells BTW not arcane. The 1st edition Ranger go arcane magic not divine.

[stille_nacht]

ah, so a sort of "jack of all trades" special class unlocked by getting multiple other classes together... not the buff bot i know in DDO :P (in my PnP group we did not have a bard, so i didnt get to experience that unfortunately :[)

[Tobril]

The earliest reference I can think of is the classic pied piper tale.

[Thrudh]

Traveling minstrels in Norse and Greek times are the ones who told the stories and kept the myths alive.

[erikbozelie]

the concept existed from the day an level 1 goblin took 1/8th level of everything.
then they just renamed that build to the bard.

[muffinlad]

From a D+D perspective, it came from the old Strategic Review, the Magazine that predated "Dragon" magazine. The form of the bard has changed quite drastically though out the different versions of D+D. At one point, it was a class that you had to play other classes to "unlock", at other times, it had Druid spells and still other times it got Magic User (Arcane) spells on even levels and Cleric Spells on Odd levels, starting at level 2.

The song has been a constant, but usually from a fascinate/charm person perspective.

In some campaign settings, Dragons were especially vulnerable to Bard Songs...but it was more like a "catnip" perspective, where the Dragon would capture and keep the bard as a treasure.

muffinminstral

[Antheal]

It probably came from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novels, like pretty much everything else in Dungeons & Dragons.

[Erl]

At what point did The Guy who plays music which empowers his allies and/or charms monsters become a mainstay? Was it just the founder of DnD's unique idea? When did the concept of bard first arise?

If I had to make a guess, I'd say that people who write/design fantasy games might be acquainted with folklore and folkmyths. Taliesin is one legendary bard I can name off of the top of my head, and I'm sure there are others.

[learst]

As usual, Wikipedia is your friend.

History and origins of the bard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bard

History of D&D bard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bard_%2...%26_Dragons%29

I personally find the D&D bard article fascinating, and how WoTC/whoever tries to tie it back to their real-world history.