I was rather dissapointed in the Bards College. When I first got Skyrim last December, I was excited when I was told to go to the Bards College during the begining of the game. After venturing to Solitude for the sole purpose of joining this amazing college, I was given a single quest to complete, along with four or so radiant quests. Not only that, but your chracter being a bard has no meaning. There are no perks or recognition. No faction suited weapons or armor. You basiclly are told your a bard and that's it.

As I was playing earlyer, trying to roleplay a reason why my character once-again joined the College, I thought of a wonderful idea. My character could be a spy. That would have been an epic questline for the Bards College. Bards make the perfect spies as they can be anywhere without arousing suppision. There are plenty of other fantasy games/books/movies that envolve bards as spies or informers.

I thought, that after joining the College, Viarmo tells you to deliver a poem or tome (anything bard related really) to a man in some other city. As you make your way to the city you are stopped by some bandits/Stormcloaks/Thalmor, whatever, and are asked to hand over the item, if you refuse they attack you. After running away or defeating them you deliver the letter and return to Viarmo to ask why you were attacked. This starts the Bards questline, where he informs you it was inforamtion concering some sensitve millitary documents. After this you are asked to continue spying, using your position as a bard to earn axcess to certain places, like the Thalmor Embassy quest, where you enter the party or meeting as a bard, then sneak into someplace to retrive the information needed.

Special clothing and weapons could be given as rewards, along with perks to increase your speech skills for completing certain quests.

It's not a guild like the Companions or the College? Wow. I never did do anything beyond the Burning of King Olaf(a stupid event made by stupid people based on lies and slander) but always wanted to get around doing their questline. So much for that.

I was saving the bards collage for a true nord which wouldn't just take the p out of the bards. When I did it though I was disappointed by the lack of everything. It should have been a questline not a quest.

I think the college is just for some skill boosts, i mean they have the master speech man there... plus them 4 quests all level some of your skills if i remember correctly.
Its sort of like they knew it had to be there, because people were expecting it, but couldn't really care less about the content of it..
Although if you compare it to the quest-lines of the other guilds it suddenly doesn't seem too bad

I was also hoping for something a little more than just a few fetch quests.

Its a Bard's College just what do you expect for a questline? a daedra making the people of solitude burst into spontaneous dance numbers over the most mundane things?

You have watched Buffy too much? ... but it would a damned fun idea... as long as the do more than just wave there hands in the air like there wofting away a bad smell

It was that or a plot to ban dancing but really that was already covering with the festival in-game. I just don't see a questlne thats distinctly badic. Its very much a non-adventuring profession outside of dungeons and dragons.

I expected different. Bards do not delve into dangerous dungeons and fight undead Kings. Have you seen Sven or any bard? They'd be dead before a draugr even raised his sword.

You should of at least been able to learn to play the instruments, instead of just being the skivy and doing the dangerous jobs. I wanted to perform to the whole of Skyrim but instead I found a book with a song in it and had to make up some bull [censored] lines.

Once more with feeling! Guess what happens when your wife is really into Buffy AND musical theater? WATCHING THAT EPISODE OVER AND OVER.

It would be nice to discover the history of Skyrim, make a song/poem/ballad about it, and sing in front of a bunch of people. Or something involving playing an instrument and singing tales of glorious warriors, scandalizing lovers, and the like.

that's a really good idea!

yeah i don't even feel like a normal bard i feel like the bards college handyman/errand boy lol

Well, Sheogorath *is* hanging around nearby... guess he got distracted with the tea party and all.

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Some of the things that would have been necessary to undertake bardic activities weren't finished by or weren't included in the release, so it could've just been the victim of a time/disk space crunch. Regardless, it's a great target for mod expansion!

It was rushed so they didn't implement all the stuff they wanted...

Another thing destroyed just for Bethesda's precious 11/11/11.

i wanted to play an instrument. boy was i disappointed.

Here is what being a Bard should have been.

Your a Bard you've been initated and you've chosen your main instrument, there are some poem and instrument quests, but honestly Bards arn't about adventuring.So after you graduate from the bards college what do you do?

Play at an Inn or Tavern of course! play your instrument and songs for a small amount of gold across Skyrim, enjoy yourself with food, song and laughter!, sound boring you say? being paid very little to sing songs all night not worth your time? Worry not friend! for these taverns are sure to be full of adventure and danger of which you are fully capable of joining.

Ok let me try to put what i just said into English ^. My idea is that after you graduate you can start performing at taverns and inns and such, and after performing there the game automaticly has somthing happen. Such as having some adventurers enter the Inn and you overhear there conversation as you play, or some damsale is in distress because of some tragedy, no one expects a lowly bard to help...until you lend your services. Basicly what i'm sugjesting is Tavern quests which only activate for bards, the quests will of course usally have Bard related things in them, such as very witty conversation choices. Using trickery and of course, large tavern brawls.

What i suggjest for a better Bard faction isn't a large faction quest line. But instead a relativly light hearted series of quests, which revolve around a Bards life and adventures across Skyrim.

Of course you'd team up with other Bards too you'd be going on adventures with them!. In some cases searching for treasure, and in others fighting in Taverns because you played an ode to the Imperials in Stormcloack territory. but never would these quests entail anything as serious as the end of the world!

So I've ranted long enough, i hope what i typed was understandable.

I love the idea the OP has it would be great to expand on the Bard College and making it a spy organization for hire. Definately well thought out OP, but the one thing they cannot change from how the current quest line works is that in the end you are not in charge of the college, that is what I hate about the other Guild Lines. What is worse is that in the end you are the top guy but you are still running errands for your underlyings, at least with the companions... how much sense does that make? At least in Oblivion, when they made you the head of a guild you just performed adminstrative duties. If I am the Harbinger of the companions, shouldnt I be telling Farkas to send on the of the new guys out to intimidate someone, not the other way around right?

I don't like the idea of making it a spy ring.

It's Bards college not spy college.

Wow, those are all fantastic ideas, Bethesda gas to do this .

Play dueling banjos lutes with Tsalagar the wanderer .

We should be tasked with playing music and then when we get to the inn we need to play it we're given a couple gold peices and a veiw pops up similar to gutair hero but on a lute. But if we miss a tasty rift they throw raw potatoe at us then run us out of town. Genious.

yea...that svck, we could have had mounted combat, unarmed finishers, crossbows and real vampires all along

Gods, I hate that guy. Always the same bloody line and I run into him anywhere. Nowadays I just kill him at first sight.

Even though the bard's college was cut short. Pantea's quest is well worth the effort.