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(→‎Original trilogy: added information)
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{{series stub}}
{{Series
|name=The Bard's Tale
|developer=[[Interplay]]
|publisher=[[Electronic Arts]]
|year=1985
|genre=[[Role-Playing]]
}}
'''''The Bard's Tale''''' is a series of turn-based role-playing games heavily based on '''''{{c|Wizardry}}'''''. More than that: the original version of the first three ''Bard's Tale'' games allow to import characters from ''Wizardry I''.


'''''The Bard's Tale''''' is a series of dungeon crawls heavily based on '''''{{c|Wizardry}}'''''.
=== Original series ===
The games share an almost identical character creation, interface, and combat mode with {{c|Wizardry}}. Notable differences are: (1) the introduction of the bard class, with a "bard song" ability; (2) the surface is an actual city to be explored, instead of a simple menu screen (it becomes an extensive world in later titles); (3) there is more than one dungeon.


=== Original trilogy ===
=== Other titles ===
The games share an almost identical character creation and interface, and an absolutely identical combat mode with {{c|Wizardry}}. Notable differences are: (1) the introduction of the bard class, with a "bard song" ability; (2) the surface is an actual city to be explored, instead of a simple menu screen; (3) there is more than one dungeon.
* [[Maze Master]] is the precursor of the series, developed by the same author in 1983; it clearly shows the influence of ''{{c|Wizardry}}''. For more information, see [http://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2014/06/game-150-maze-master-1983.html here].
* [[The Bard's Tale Construction Set]] is a program to create dungeons; it also includes a playable scenario titled '''Star Light Festival'''.
* [[The Bard's Tale (2004)]] features a completely different gameplay from the rest of the series.
* [[The Mage's Tale]] is a game developed for [[Oculus Rift|virtual reality headset]].
* [[The Bard's Tale IV]] started development after a 25-years-long pause in the series.
 
Related games:
* [[Deathlord]] is an {{c|Ultima clone}} that can import characters from the first ''Bard's Tale'', ''Wizardry'' and ''Ultima 3''.
* [[Legend of Faerghail]] is a German tribute to ''Bard's Tale'' that can also import characters (Amiga version only).
* [[Dragon Wars]] was developed by part of the team of ''Bard's Tale 3'' and it can import characters, too.
* [[Centauri Alliance]] is also known as "Bard's Tale in Space". It is a science-fiction role-playing game, but characters can be imported from the fantasy titles.
 
=== Character transfer utilitues ===
A peculiarity of the original ''Bard's Tale'' series was the ability to import characters from unrelated series. On different operating systems (C64, Apple II, MS-DOS, Amiga) the same title could have a different character transfer utility (CTU) or none at all. Anyway, disk-reading errors are extremely frequent, except for the DOS ports.


In the first three games, characters could be transfered from one title to the next, but only using the same platform.
The full original trilogy of ''Bard's Tale'' was released for four different home computers, listed in the following table. Other systems received just one or two titles in the trilogy (Apple IIgs, Apple Macintosh, {{icon|jp}} NES, {{icon|fr}} Amstrad CPC, {{icon|uk}} ZX Spectrum).
{|{{prettytable|notwide=1|text center=1}}
 
! <br>Platform || Bard's Tale <br>1 || Bard's Tale <br>2 || Bard's Tale <br>3 || <br>Notes
{| {{prettytable}}
! System !! Games and character transfer utilities
|-
|-
| [[C64]] || {{icon|globe}} 1985 || {{icon|globe}} 1986 || {{icon|globe}} 1987 || Bugs
| [[C64]] ||  
* (1983) '''[[Maze Master]]:''''' (no CTU)''
* (1985) '''The Bard's Tale 1:''''' (no CTU)''
* (1986) '''The Bard's Tale 2:''' transfer from Bard's Tale 1, Ultima 3
* (1988) '''The Bard's Tale 3:''' transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2
* (1988) '''Deathlord:''' transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2, 3, Ultima 3
* (1989) '''Dragon Wars:''' transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2, 3
* (1990) '''Centauri Alliance:''' transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2, 3, Ultima 3
|-
|-
| [[Apple II]] || {{icon|us}} 1985 || {{icon|us}} 1987 || {{icon|us}} 1988 || Bugs
| [[Apple II]] ||  
* (1985) '''[[The Bard's Tale]] 1:''' transfer from Wizardry 1, 2, 3, Ultima 3
* (1987) '''[[The Bard's Tale 2]]:''' transfer from Wizardry 1, 2, 3, Ultima 3, Bard's Tale 1
* (1988) '''[[The Bard's Tale 3]]:''' transfer from Wizardry 1, 2, 3, Ultima 3, 4, Bard's Tale 1, 2
* (1989) '''[[Dragon Wars]]:''' transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2, 3
* (1990) '''[[Centauri Alliance]]:''' transfer from Wizardry 1, 2, 3, Ultima 3, Bard's Tale 1, 2, 3, Might & Magic 1
* (1987) '''[[Deathlord]]:''' transfer from Wizardry 1, Ultima 3, Bard's Tale 1
|-
|-
| [[MS-DOS]] || {{icon|us}} 1985 || {{icon|us}} 1988 || {{icon|globe}} 1990 || Encounter rate is too high.
| [[MS-DOS]] ||  
* (1987) '''The Bard's Tale 1:''''' (no CTU)''
* (1988) '''The Bard's Tale 2:''' transfer from Bard's Tale 1
* (1990) '''The Bard's Tale 3:''' transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2
* (1990) '''Dragon Wars:''' transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2
* (1990) '''Legend of Faerghail:''''' (no CTU)''
|-
|-
| [[Amiga]] || {{icon|us}} 1987 || {{icon|us}} 1988 || {{icon|globe}} 1991 ||
| [[Amiga]] ||  
|-
* (1986) '''The Bard's Tale 1:''''' (no CTU)''
| [[Apple IIgs]] || {{icon|us}} ? || {{icon|us}} ? || {{n/a}} ||
* (1988) '''The Bard's Tale 2:''' transfer from Bard's Tale 1
|-
* (1991) '''The Bard's Tale 3:''' transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2
| [[Atari ST]] || {{icon|globe}} 1987 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} ||  
* (1989) '''[[Legend of Faerghail]]:''' transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2, Phantasie 1, 3
|-
* (1990) '''Dragon Wars:''' transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2
| [[CPC]] || {{icon|eu}} 1988 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} ||
|-
| [[Sinclair ZX Spectrum|ZX]] || {{icon|eu}} 1988 || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} ||
|-
| [[NES]] || {{icon|globe}} 1990 || {{icon|jp}} 1992 || {{n/a}} || Characters cannot be trasferred. <br>Game was reduced to fit in cartridge.
|-
| [[NEC PC-9801|PC-9801]] || {{icon|jp}} ? || {{icon|jp}} ? || {{icon|jp}} ? ||
|}
|}


=== Later titles ===
{{The Bard's Tale}}
* [[Dragon Wars]] was supposed to be "The Bard's Tale IV", but the title was changed very late during the production.
* [[Swords and Serpents]] was developed by the same team from ''Dragon Wars''; it is a clone of {{c|Wizardry}}, even more than ''The Bard's Tale 1''; it has the peculiarity of being a computer-style role-playing game that was released for consolle only.
* [[The Bard's Tale Construction Set]] is a software that allows to create dungeons.
* [[The Bard's Tale (2004)]] features a completely different gameplay from the rest of the series.
* [[The Bard's Tale IV]] and [[The Mage's Tale]] started development after a 25-years-long pause in the series.


{{The Bard's Tale}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bard's Tale, The}}
[[Category:Series]]

Latest revision as of 12:23, 9 January 2024

The Bard's Tale
Developer(s)Interplay
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
Year introduced1985
Genre(s)Role-Playing

The Bard's Tale is a series of turn-based role-playing games heavily based on Wizardry. More than that: the original version of the first three Bard's Tale games allow to import characters from Wizardry I.

Original series[edit]

The games share an almost identical character creation, interface, and combat mode with Wizardry. Notable differences are: (1) the introduction of the bard class, with a "bard song" ability; (2) the surface is an actual city to be explored, instead of a simple menu screen (it becomes an extensive world in later titles); (3) there is more than one dungeon.

Other titles[edit]

Related games:

  • Deathlord is an Ultima clone that can import characters from the first Bard's Tale, Wizardry and Ultima 3.
  • Legend of Faerghail is a German tribute to Bard's Tale that can also import characters (Amiga version only).
  • Dragon Wars was developed by part of the team of Bard's Tale 3 and it can import characters, too.
  • Centauri Alliance is also known as "Bard's Tale in Space". It is a science-fiction role-playing game, but characters can be imported from the fantasy titles.

Character transfer utilitues[edit]

A peculiarity of the original Bard's Tale series was the ability to import characters from unrelated series. On different operating systems (C64, Apple II, MS-DOS, Amiga) the same title could have a different character transfer utility (CTU) or none at all. Anyway, disk-reading errors are extremely frequent, except for the DOS ports.

The full original trilogy of Bard's Tale was released for four different home computers, listed in the following table. Other systems received just one or two titles in the trilogy (Apple IIgs, Apple Macintosh, Flag of Japan.svg NES, Flag of France.svg Amstrad CPC, Flag of the United Kingdom.svg ZX Spectrum).

System Games and character transfer utilities
C64
  • (1983) Maze Master: (no CTU)
  • (1985) The Bard's Tale 1: (no CTU)
  • (1986) The Bard's Tale 2: transfer from Bard's Tale 1, Ultima 3
  • (1988) The Bard's Tale 3: transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2
  • (1988) Deathlord: transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2, 3, Ultima 3
  • (1989) Dragon Wars: transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2, 3
  • (1990) Centauri Alliance: transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2, 3, Ultima 3
Apple II
  • (1985) The Bard's Tale 1: transfer from Wizardry 1, 2, 3, Ultima 3
  • (1987) The Bard's Tale 2: transfer from Wizardry 1, 2, 3, Ultima 3, Bard's Tale 1
  • (1988) The Bard's Tale 3: transfer from Wizardry 1, 2, 3, Ultima 3, 4, Bard's Tale 1, 2
  • (1989) Dragon Wars: transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2, 3
  • (1990) Centauri Alliance: transfer from Wizardry 1, 2, 3, Ultima 3, Bard's Tale 1, 2, 3, Might & Magic 1
  • (1987) Deathlord: transfer from Wizardry 1, Ultima 3, Bard's Tale 1
MS-DOS
  • (1987) The Bard's Tale 1: (no CTU)
  • (1988) The Bard's Tale 2: transfer from Bard's Tale 1
  • (1990) The Bard's Tale 3: transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2
  • (1990) Dragon Wars: transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2
  • (1990) Legend of Faerghail: (no CTU)
Amiga
  • (1986) The Bard's Tale 1: (no CTU)
  • (1988) The Bard's Tale 2: transfer from Bard's Tale 1
  • (1991) The Bard's Tale 3: transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2
  • (1989) Legend of Faerghail: transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2, Phantasie 1, 3
  • (1990) Dragon Wars: transfer from Bard's Tale 1, 2
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The Bard's Tale series
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Pages in category "The Bard's Tale"

The following 2 pages are in this category, out of 2 total.

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