How to Build Edward from Final Fantasy IV in DnD
Edward Chris von Muir is a Bard through and through. In Final Fantasy IV, I don't think any argument can be made for Edward being one of the stronger characters, but his focus on control abilities can make for a pretty fantastic DnD character. Bards came in third in my Control Caster Build guide, but a dedicated Bard Controller can be a force to reckon with on the battlefield while still having some support and utility abilities available to fill the Bard's role as a jack-of-all-trades.
Picking a Class and Subclass
Edward is a Bard, and I don't think there's any argument that he's not—that's kind of the whole point of his character. In the short time Edward is with your party, he shows himself to have knowledge on a lot of topics (like when he leads you to the Antlion den), and his main combat skill is in controlling or debuffing enemies. For those reasons, College of Lore is probably the best fit for Edward. Gaining proficiency in 3 additional skills goes a long way in making this character a source of knowledge for the party, but the real strength is in the Lore Bard's other abilities.
At level 3, Cutting Words allows you to use your Bardic Inspiration dice to hinder your foes' efforts to harm your party or others. That alone is pretty great for a Controller Bard, but Additional Magical Secrets at level 6 gets you earlier and expanded access to other classes' spell lists, including the Wizard's great selection of control spells. Even some of the spells already on the Bard's spell list are great control spells, such as Hypnotic Pattern and Enemies Abound. For some general advice on building a dedicated Controller, make sure to read my Control Caster Build guide.
Much like the real Edward, the Lore Bard is not a frontline fighter and will often need to hide behind stronger teammates. While some Bard colleges can do pretty well on the frontlines, College of Lore is not one of them.
Picking a Race
With Edward's noble background, Human is a great fit. Bards will need Charisma, Constitution, and Dexterity (and, if you want to be a good source of knowledge, arguably Intelligence too), so Standard Human could work with a +1 to every stat. Picking a Variant Human will allow you to pick up a feat at level 1. I'd recommend Alert. It doesn't really tie into Edward's character, but it's probably the best feat for a Controller build.
If you don't want to be a noble, Lightfoot Halfling would be a great choice to play into Edward's lack of strength, even though he chooses to go on in spite of it. Much like the real Edward, a Lightfoot Halfling can hide behind stronger party members when feeling threatened. Hey, not everyone wants to die on the front lines.
Background, Alignment, and Personality
There are two backgrounds that can work well for an Edward-like character.
The Noble background is an obvious fit if you're leaning into Edward's noble background, and I think it makes for a fantastic story. Rather than setting out into the world for adventure, a Noble Bard could be setting out to avenge a family member's death, become his own person in spite of his family's wishes, or even take certain family members down for their injustice or a personal grudge. Deciding why a Noble Bard would stop being noble and become an adventurer can build a lot of the backstory for you.
If you don't want to be a noble (because, let's face it, just about everyone in Final Fantasy IV is a noble), Performer is the obvious choice. This is the generic Bard background, but it explains why you became a Bard while leaving everything before that wide open from a narrative perspective, so this is a good catch-all if your backstory idea doesn't naturally fit anywhere else.
For alignment, Edward in Final Fantasy IV is probably a Neutral Good, but a character like this could easily be played as Chaotic Good, seeking freedom rather than tradition, and seeking to free everyone from the binds of tradition and lawfulness as well. Edward is a rare character type in that his background predisposes him to hate lawfulness due to his personal losses in a political war. He has a real reason to be not just apolitical but antipolitical, despite his noble upbringing.
Edward's tragic past and uncertainty in the face of a strong opponent can give a unique counter to a lot of the common Bard tropes. Instead of a horny bard to flirst with everyone, you have one recovering from a major loss who actively avoids romantic entanglements. You also have a noble with a reason to hate politics, even though they'd probably be great at it. This dissonance can make for an interesting Bard that goes against type in a lot of settings.
About the Author
Brandon Gregory
Brandon Gregory is a web developer and writer in the Kansas City area. He's been playing TTRPGs since 2020 and is involved in the disability-related TTRPG podcast Tales from the Crips. He's into classic movies, mental health, and, of course, DnD. Also, he's in a band. One time, they rocked so hard it killed a man.