Art Thou Prepar'd To Rock?

Art Thou Prepar'd To Rock?

This document details and describes the various band roles for use in a D&D 5e adventuring rock band game. Each member of the party takes on the role of either a band member or a member of the band’s retinue, providing bonuses to the band during musical performances or during downtime activity.

This content is best suited for a more light-hearted game, where the DM is comfortable allowing the party to get into trouble and act out rock-star fantasies and shenanigans. It was originally created to give an assist to my longtime friend, frequent D&D brother, and fellow DM Kevin Craig for a game where the party comprised a traveling bard rock band competing against other musical groups.

Introduced below are new mechanics for D&D 5e, including Band Roles: Performers, Stereotypes, and Support, and Renown Points, which can be redeemed by band members to pull off truly epic feats of RAWK!

Roles

Roles come in one of three varieties - Performer, Stereotype, or Support. Performer roles are only available to the band member who plays that particular instrument or sings. Stereotype roles are available to any band member, regardless of instrument. Support roles are played by those people who are traditionally employed by a touring professional band of musicians. Each band can only have one member of each Stereotype or Support role so as to prevent duplication of abilities, and head off too much intra-band squabbling and jealousy. There is no limit to the number of duplicate Instrument roles in the band, but seriously, who’s ever heard of band with two Bass Lutists?

Renown Points

Each role has the ability to earn the band Renown Points (RP). These are a shared bank of points that can be redeemed at any time, by any band member for a RAWK! die which bestows the roller with a bonus on one roll of their choice, based on the following table.

Renown Points to RAWK! Die Chart

Renown Points Used	RAWK! Die Size
4	1d4
6	1d6
8	1d8
10	1d10
12	1d12

A RAWK! die may be redeemed any time a band member must make a d20 roll - other than to attempt a check to gain Renown Points - either before or after the d20 is rolled.

Performer Roles

The band can have multiple members playing the same instrument. Maybe you have two vocalists, playing off each other. Maybe your group has three guitar players, each trading off licks and taking turns on solos. Maybe you have 6 drummers because you're awesome and you're all slaves to the beat. Anything is possible, but it probably shouldn't be.

Bass Lutist

The Bass Lutist is the glue that holds the whole band together. Rarely getting a chance to shine, often overlooked, and frequently getting mistaken as “just another lute player”, no one truly appreciates just how important the Bass Lutist really is, sometimes not even his or her bandmates.

Once during a performance or during downtime, the Bass Lutist may attempt a DC 10 Performance check to just lay down a smooth, soothing bassline, tying the band’s entire performance together in a way that only a true music aficionado, or the Bassist themselves can really, truly appreciate. Succeeding on this check gains the party 1d3 Renown Points.

DUDE! Sick lute solo, bro!

Drummer

No one expects much from the drummer. They’re the butt of every musician joke, everyone knows they can’t read music, and have absolutely zero sense of musicality or nuance. If they did, they’d play guitar, right?

Drummers know how everyone else thinks about them. They don’t care. Drummer’s feel the groove, they get in the pocket, and then they explode, showing all the rest of the band - those snobs and pretty boys - exactly how talented they really are.

Once during a performance or during downtime, the Drummer may attempt an ass-destroying drum solo so epic that everyone else’s jaws drop to the floor. The rest of the band might roll their eyes, but for one blistering, blinding moment, the audience is eating out of the Drummer’s hands. To do this, the Drummer attempts a DC 15 Performance check. Success gains the band 1d6 Renown Points.

Lutist

Whether running their fingers up and down the fretboard, tapping out some sweet, sweet harmonics, or strumming a slow, soulful ballad, the Lutist is the primary musician in any great band.

Once during a performance or during downtime, the Lutist may attempt a face-melting guitar solo, straight out of legend. The spotlights focus on the Lutist, they step up to the pedalboard, and the sound guy cranks things up to 11 just before the Lutist hits that first note. By succeeding on a DC 15 Performance check, the Lutist gains the band 1d6 Renown Points.

Singer

With their flowing hair tied back in a sweat-drenched bandana, their hands caressing the mic stand like a familiar lover, and their voice rising out into the night, the Singer commands the stage, and the attention of the audience as they sing out the words to all the greatest hits.

Once during a performance or during downtime, the Singer may cede the singing duties to the audience, calling out, “LET ME HEAR YOU!” and then rhythmically clapping above their heads, imploring the audience to sing along. By succeeding on a DC 10 Persuasion check, the Singer gains the band 1d3 Renown Points.

Stereotype Roles

Every great band has a cast of colorful personalities that comprise it's core members. From the reclusive virtuoso musician just trying to hone his craft to the outsized personality of the front person, who has never seen a spotlight they didn't want trained on them, every role has a part to play.

Front Person

The Front Person is responsible for being the face of the group. They’re the one most of the fans adore, the one nobles want to meet and greet. Their antics are what end up being shouted out by the town crier. That’s why you need a dynamic, outsized personality to lead your band.

While all of that sounds like an immense responsibility, it’s really just an excuse to cut loose and be the wild, crazy person you are in your heart. Let rip - drink too much wine, eat too much food at that noble’s ball, and snort that powdered healing potion off the back of a tavern wench!

Once during any game session or during downtime, the Front Person may declare that they are attempting something particularly outrageous and jaw-dropping within the line-of-sight of an impressionable youth, a prudish mother, a buttoned-down working man, the member of any religious order, or even anyone capable of spreading the word of their antics far and wide by describing the truly debaucherous thing they want to do and attempting a DC 10 Charisma check. If they succeed on this check, they earn the band 1d3 Renown points.

Lothario

The Lothario is the band’s amorous, unstoppable love machine. They’re the one telling the roadies which groupie gets an invite backstage after the show. The one with their arms around three young men or women, leading them into the dimly lit back room of the smoke-filled tour wagon.

After any band performance and during downtime, the Lothario may attempt three Persuasion checks in increasing difficulty. One at DC 10, one at DC 15, and one at DC 20 to convince three, likely inebriated and very impressionable groupies to join them for a good time.

For each Persuasion check the Lothario succeeds at, they gain the band Renown Points as detailed in the table below.

Lothario Persuasion Check Result Chart

Persuasion Check	Renown Points Gained
DC 10	1 point
DC 15	1 point
DC 20	2 points
Succeed on all three	+1d4 points

Rival

Every great band has a Rival - the one who doesn’t get enough songwriting credit, the one who watches the Front Person steal the spotlight again and again, the one who is an absolute virtuoso at their instrument of choice but who never gets the recognition they deserve.

The Rival sits and stews, glaring from the shadows while someone else gets the spotlight, and silently promises to get what should be theirs.

Once per game session or during downtime, when someone else in the band succeeds at a skill check or role check, the Rival can declare that they’re feeling jealous, and attempt a DC 15 Deception check to convince some poor sap standing nearby that the Rival actually did it first, and better, and with one hand tied behind their back, too. Succeeding on the check earns the band 1d6 Renown points. The original check the Rival is taking credit for earns Renown Points as normal.

Virtuoso

Virtuosos are true masters of their chosen instrument. Unconcerned with the trappings of fame, the Virtuoso has honed their craft and skill through rigorous practice and hard work.

All of that is not to say that the Virtuoso does not appreciate the things their skill can bring them - every great Virtuoso has a vice. This vice takes the form of a destructive person, a physical dependency, or some risky behavior they must fight to avoid.

Once, during each performance, the Virtuoso may attempt to make a flawless exhibition of talent to leave an audience awestruck. To do so, the Virtuoso makes a DC 20 Performance check, modified by their instrument proficiency score. If they succeed, they earn the band Renown Points with no downside. If they fail the check, they begin the next day with a given level of Exhaustion due to having to grapple with the effects of self-medicating by indulging in their vice after their recent less-than-perfect performance.

Virtuoso Perfomance Check Results

Check Roll	Result
Fail by 6+	2 levels of Exhaustion, gain 2 RP
Fail by 5 or Fewer	1 level of Exhaustion, gain 3 RP
Succeed	Gain 5 RP
Succeed by 5+	Gain 6 RP
Succeed by 10+	Gain 8 RP

Support Roles

Let's face facts. Some folks are just not cut out for the stage. Sometimes their talents are more suited to working behind the scenes, setting up the band's gear, selling their merch, or securing them gigs. Like the party fighter. I mean, no ones' expecting the fighter to do anything but carry the drum cases and the amps on stage. Trust me, no one wants to hear Hedgar the Mighty sing.

Have you heard Zolbarn's 9-minute flute solo? Oh man, it'll blow your mind.

Manager

No band of any significant level gets by without a Manager to handle the day-to-day affairs of the group. The Manager is responsible for finding the band lodging, making sure that the Prancing Pony Inn fulfilled the terms of the band’s rider, and for planning out travel routes from Greenbriar Village to Stonebridge Crossing and beyond.

The Manager also gets to handle the band’s purse strings and negotiating finances and endorsement deals for the band. Once per session or during downtime, the Manager can attempt a DC 15 Persuasion check to obtain an endorsement deal for the band. Success gains the band 1d6 Renown Points.

Merch Guy/Gal

Every touring band has a merch table. There’s always a fan willing to give up their day job, follow the band around, and sell their tour tabards and the magical recording stones that play the band’s hits.

Once per performance or during downtime the Merch Guy/Gal can attempt to spread the word about the band and convert some new fans, putting them in those kickass tour tunics. To do, they attempt a DC 10 Insight check to appeal to the prospective fans latent desires to feel connected to the band. If the Merch Guy/Gal succeeds, they gain the band 1d3 Renown Points.

Publicist

It’s the Publicist’s thankless job to smooth over the band’s latest scandal, and convince everyone to come to the band’s next show, even if it is in the basement of a dingy taproom in East Muddybank. Ugh.

During downtime, the Publicist can attempt to increase the band’s cache and visibility in the region. But succeeding on a DC 15 Deception check the Publicist increases the amount of possible Renown Points earned by all other band members by 2 the next time they make an attempt to earn Renown.

Roadie

You hide in the wings nodding your head to the music. You mouth all the words. You’ve toured with this band for years, and whether they admit it or not, they couldn’t have gotten where they are today without your hard work. You lug the magical amps. You carry the lute cases. You set up the drums, the Dancing Lights stands, and the smoke machines. And it’s you standing there to congratulate the band when they come offstage after a great show.

Because of all that hard labor, the Roadie makes the band’s job that much easier. Once per session or during downtime, the Roadie can attempt a DC 15 Athletics check. On a success, they grant all other instrument-playing band members a bonus to their own attempts to earn Renown Points as detailed in the following chart.

Roadie Renown Point Bonus Chart

Athletics Check Roll	Result
Succeed	All instrumentalists or vocalists gain +1 bonus RP on successes
Succeed by 5+	All instrumentalists or vocalists gain +2 bonus RP on succes

Sound Engineer

The Sound Engineer is the technical wizard behind the band. The cerebral compliment to the Roadie’s manual labor, the Sound Engineer is the one making the band sound as good as it can. Whether that’s increasing the gain on the vocal track, or fading everyone else down during that upcoming blistering lute solo, it’s your work that makes the band truly shine.

Once per session or during downtime, the Sound Engineer can attempt a DC 15 Arcana check. On a success, they grant all other instrument-playing band members a bonus to their own attempts to earn Renown Points as detailed in the following chart.

Sound Engineer Renown Point Bonus Chart

Arcana Check Roll	Result
Succeed	All instrumentalists or vocalists gain +1 bonus RP on successes
Succeed by 5+	All instrumentalists or vocalists gain +2 bonus RP on succes

About the Author

Hi! I'm Josh. I'm the idiot responsible for this thing. I'm a frequent DM, and sometimes even a player. I specialize in coming up with really stupid ideas, and then forcing my players to suffer through them. Sometimes, in cases like this one, I come up with stupid ideas for other DMs to make their players suffer through. I've been running D&D in one form or another since AD&D 2e.

If you enjoyed this, or have some feedback, drop me a line - @stumblewyk on Twitter - and let me know!