Why Does The Bards College In Skyrim Have To Be So Lame?

The Bards College in Skyrim is totally lame!

Skyrim is one of the best selling games of all time, and the RPG is an amazing single player experience. I’ve plowed over 200 hours into the game so far and have loved every minute of it. Well… almost every minute.

I’ve enjoyed leveling my character and doing all sorts of fun stuff: looting dungeons, crafting new weapons, building my own house, and joining different guilds. That being said, my time spent joining the Bards College was a disappointment and a complete waste of time. As awesome as the game is, why does the Bards College in Skyrim have to be so lame?

The Bards College In Skyrim

These are the reasons why I believe the Bards College in Skyrim is lame:

Reason #1 – Lack of Quests

Throughout Skyrim, different bards would tell me that I should join the Bards College in Solitude. When I finally got around to visiting the college, I assumed there would be a number of quests to complete in order to join (like when I became a member of the Companions in Whiterun). To my surprise, there was only one quest to complete (Tending the Flames) plus a handful of side quests that really just focused on finding and returning lost instruments. Not exactly the stuff of heroes or the Dragonborn.

Reason #2 – No Achievements

As if the lack of quests wasn’t bad enough, there are no achievements to be gained by becoming a bard. Seriously? To me, the lack of achievements is a signal that the game designers are aware of how lame the Bards College in Skyrim truly is. Nothing to see here. Move along. The Bards College is nothing special and you gain no props from joining.

Reason #3 – You Can’t Play An Instrument

Somehow I had the impression that you could learn to play an instrument if you joined the Bards College. After all, every bard from Whiterun to Windhelm rocks a lute, drum, and flute. By the Nine! The college is crawling with teachers. If you become a member, shouldn’t you be able to learn to play an instrument? Perhaps learn a few chords of Ragnar the Red? Becoming a bard and not being able to play an instrument just doesn’t make any sense.

Reason #4 – You Can’t Sleep At The College

When you become a member of any other guild, your character can sleep in a bed and rest up. Not so at the Bards College. While this doesn’t seem to be that big a deal (I can sleep in my own house after all), it just smacks at how lame the Bards College in Skyrim truly is. You join the college, but you don’t really belong there. And besides, who ever heard of not being able to sleep in college?

In The End

As much as I love Skyrim, I’m baffled at how lame the Bards College is. It’s almost as if the game developers got lazy. With a few more quests, an achievement, and a gameplay tweak or two, the Bards College could be something special. As it stands now though, the Bards College is Skyrim’s worst guild and is an experience that can be skipped altogether.