According to Todd's interviews with UK and French OXM magazine, it seems that the Bard's College of Solitude has been confirmed to make an appearance in Skyrim.

"In the northern parts of Solitude is the Bard's College. The city is a busy port and there's an event similar to bonfire night where they burn of an effigy of King Olaf."

Source: http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1165346-oxm-uk-new-info-screens/

Of course, we don't yet know whether they will be a joinable faction or not, but it is interesting to consider what this means.

What does everyone know so far about the Bard's College?

This is what the Pocket Guide has to say:

"Founded during Skyrim's long Alessian flirtation, the Bards' College continues to flaunt a heretical streak, and its students are famous carousers, fittingly enough for their chosen trade. Students yearly invade the marketplace for week of revelry, the climix of which is the burning of "King Olaf" in effigy, possibly a now-forgotten contender in the War of Succession. Graduates have no trouble finding employment in noble households across Tamriel, including the restored Imperial Court in Cyrodiil, but many still choose to follow in the wandering footsteps of illustrious alumni such as Callisos and Morachellis."

"Carousers" suggests perhaps some interesting involvement with the new romance features...

Some more descriptions of Bards, thanks to Rhanyan: :foodndrink:

Morrowind in-game description description: Bards are loremasters and storytellers. They crave adventure for the wisdom and insight to be gained, and must depend on sword, shield, spell and enchantment to preserve them from the perils of their educational experiences.

Oblivion in-game description: Intelligent and personable, they prefer to accomplish tasks with their words first, and sword second.




Lore Books describing Bards:

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/daggerfall-dubious-tale-crystal-tower

http://uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Biography_of_Barenziah,_v_3

http://uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Jagar_Tharn

http://uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Divad_the_Singer

http://uesp.net/wiki/Lore:King_Edward,_Part_IV

http://uesp.net/wiki/Lore:King_Edward,_Part_X

http://uesp.net/wiki/Lore:King_Edward,_Part_XII

http://uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Surfeit_of_Thieves

http://uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Fools%27_Ebony,_Part_the_Sixth

http://uesp.net/wiki/Lore:2920,_Sun%27s_Dawn_(v2)

http://uesp.net/wiki/Lore:The_Black_Arrow,_v_2

I dont see how being a bard would be that fun..or intresting. But thats no reason to to impliment them in quests

Whether I believe it or not, I had to vote yes, voting no would be too upsetting.

doubt they will be a faction you can join. don't think there are any game mechanics that could do it justice, and make it fun.

quests involving them seem likely though, seeing as we've been involved with obscure factions in TES before. "go to this cave and find my family hurdy-gurdy" rofl

Was it confirmed somewhere else that the PC will be able to play musical instruments, such as the one in the tavern scene in the gameplay trailer?

I still dont exactly know what it is, no I'm a bit neutral to it being joinable, although the name and the idea conjures up some fun stories. So, I'll just say yes.

On a side not, I'm just happy that we'll finally be able to hear live music (tavern pic)! :celebration:

speculation based on the "anything NPCs can do, you can do" thing, but i doubt it. Bethesda wouldn't do a rhythm minigame, and i can't think of any other way for playing instruments to function apart from maybe Ocarina of Time style (which would be weird as hell).

I hope it's in.

Another bunch of awesome quests, and im sure the narrative, and the story behind said quests will be pretty good

Copy/paste from another thread, 'cos it's late and I am feeling idle :

My kind of thread. Yes you can't complete the main plot with bardic skills, but thieves have the same problem, and that is basically a third of builds. I don't think there are going to be too many opportunities to get backstabs on Alduin the World eater. You are always going to have to cast spells or get in a straight up fight.
The rest of the game however, and going by what we have been told, that's 270 hours, should really have chances to bluff, brown nose and outright lie to achieve your ends. Seems to make sense to me that the College of Bards, being a respected institution, could be used as a power broker between the holds, and there is plenty of role play value with that alone. Any rpg worth it's salt should have different means to complete at least some quests, and speechcraft, though not tending to be that much use in games, is obviously very important IRL. Imho we need a third stock quest type, fetch, kill, convince.

Is there more lore about the Bard's College beside the quote above?

Were they mentioned in Daggerfall?

Well, the only thing I know about bards if from FFXI and its something I dont play with at all.

Exactly.
Aren't bards basically travelling musicians?
What sort of quests would you even do if it were joinable? Does anyone have any ideas?

it'd be like Bully but with magic and booze. you'd get drunk with your bros and go on panty raids and pub crawls and then save the college from a dragon or some [censored].

No mention of a college, but passing mention of King Harald's Bards in 'Before the Ages of man'. Harald was the 13th king of the Nords, so they go back quite some way.

Yes. And if it isn't, it will be.

This adds fires to the fears that Skyrim is becoming too much like fable. TES has never had that sort of humour.

Don't worry, several important people in Bethesda don't like Fable. The fact that M'Aiq mocked the series in Oblivion should tell you something.

If they were anything like Dungeons and Dragons Bards... then hell yes I would play as one, and the collage would be one of the most useful factions ever. Jack of all trades that can also cast spells without components? Sign me up! Well for D&D anyway, you don't need components in Elder Scrolls so that part doesn't really matter but I love Bards forever, and aside from the Druid, my favorite class in nearly every fantasy game. Since they seem to have added the ability to actually play instruments, it would be really cool to use the instrument like a staff; you equip it, you cast whatever spells you want, and the instrument boosts different stats making certain spells more effective. And joining the college, as you move up you would be hired by different types of people, travel to different areas and earn new "songs" and epic level instruments.
Say you are midway up the chain for the Bard College, and you are hired by the lord of a Hold. You must join this hold and follow a "hero" on his adventure in which you will do all the work and he will still get all the credit cause that is just how those quests work in every game ever, and when you return you are awarded the Hunting Horn of that Hold which boosts your magicka, destruction and alteration or whatever. That would be sweet.

well it's about time it starts. GO ANYWHERE AND DO ANYTHING doesn't mean much if i can't go on a pub crawl with bros and then go mudwrestling with a dragon.

"People always enjoy a good fable. M'aiq has yet to find one, though. Perhaps one day." There we go, and i also hope its not like DnD, maby they can be musical men who with the aid off some coin will make for some nice, classy, music to listen to.

Lol, a little research will show that bards are more than just musicians, plucking a few notes to fell a foe.

I do however, envision my bardess doing a little entertaining, via music, poetry, stories, and dance, etc.

She will also do some very serious adventuring, using combinations of light armor, magic, alchemy, and certain weapons.

As far as the poll, I voted yes on both questions, more with hope than knowledge.

I have a bard character planned, and hope that the Bard College has significant influence as a point of reference for my bardess character. After all, the devs are putting it into the game.

Another interesting topic, BootySweat.

Were are you basing all this info from bards off of? A nice link to some TES lore pages would do well.

C'mon guys, don't you all know that Bard's are a lot of times spies and political assassins? Being so close to nobles makes it easy to spy on them and kill them.

@ Warrior431,

You as a fair question. Here are a couple links:

"In-game Description: Bards are loremasters and storytellers. They crave adventure for the wisdom and insight to be gained, and must depend on sword, shield, spell and enchantment to preserve them from the perils of their educational "

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Classes#Bard

"Bard
Intelligent and personable, they prefer to accomplish tasks with their words first, and sword second."

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Classes#Bard

http://www.imperial-library.info/ Just put bard in the search engine for different stories about bards in TES

Also, I thought of William Shakespear, who was sometimes called "The Bard of Avon." Not necessarily a singer.

When I made my comments in the previous post, I was thinking of some non-TES references to bards from various works of fiction I have read in which bards, participated in various adventures not only with song, but with sword.

I hope these references help. And best of luck adventuring in Skyrim.

This is great info, Rhanyan - gives us a better picture of what the Bard's College is going to be like - added to OP