One cool thing you can introduce in your D&D games is a traveling bard that winds up at the same taverns as them throughout their adventure.
The bard hears about the characters’ deeds from other people, writing songs or poems which reflect society’s perception of them.The fun part about this is embracing the tall-tale nature of such songs and thinking about what the observers might have gotten wrong.
History has its share of heroes who earned a reputation from exaggerated deeds—the characters can, too!
— Justice Ramin Arman ➡️ PAX Unplugged (@justicearman) November 10, 2021
Early on, the bard might not believe the characters if they take credit for one of their quests, or they might misattribute one deed to another hero, prompting a neat RP moment for your table.
Maybe they declare a villain dead that got away, reminding the PCs of a bitter defeat. Bards could also be a source of news! Imagine a bard on a dusty stage strumming a ballad reminiscent of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War," except it's about a lich's undead army razing towns to the west, casting a shadow over the tavern.
— Justice Ramin Arman ➡️ PAX Unplugged (@justicearman) November 10, 2021