This is just a thought experiment. I do not currently have any plan to min/max the bardic ability Inspire Courage. I am just curious to see how far one can go with this ability.
Here are some things I have found to include:
First, the ability itself:
Inspire Courage (Su)
A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the bard sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and +4 at 20th). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.
Here are some things that optimize this ability well:
Song of the Heart (Eberron Campaign Setting, pg. 60). Prereq: Bardic music class feature, inspire competence ability, Perform 6 ranks; Benefit: When you use inspire courage, inspire competence, inspire greatness, or inspire heroics, any bonus granted by your music increases by +1.
and...
Words of Creation (Book of Exalted Deeds, pg. 48). Prereq: Good Alignment, Granted by powerful agent of good (such as deity, celestial, etc...), Special DM approval, Int 15, Chr 15, base Will save bonus +5; Benefit: You can use Words of Creation to enhance bardic music...A bard who has the Words of Creation feat can use these powerful words to enhance his bardic music ability as detailed below. When a bard uses the Words of Creation in this manner, it is extremely draining, and the bard takes 1d4 points of nonlethal damage for each rank in Perform required to produce the bardic music effect he is enhancing. For example, if Devis uses the Words of Creation to double an inspire courage effect (minimum 3 ranks in Perform), he takes 3d4 points of nonlethal damage....The Words of Creation doubles the effect of several bardic music abilities...Inspire Courage: Double the morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear and the morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls (+2 at 1st level, +4 at 8th level, +6 at 14th level, +8 at 20th level).
and...
Inspirational Boost Spell (Spell Compendium, pg. 124).
Level: Bard 1
Componants: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round or special; see text
Text: While this spell is in effect, the morale bonus granted by your inspire courage bardic music increases by 1. The effect lasts until your inspire courage effect ends. If you don't begin to use your inspire courage ability before the beginning of your next turn, the spell's effect ends.
and...
Melodic Casting feat (Complete Mage pg. 44), pre-req: Perform 4 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks, bardic music class feature. Benefit: Whenever a Concentration check would be required to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability (such as when you cast defensively or are distracted or injured while casting), you can make a Perform check instead. In addition, you can cast spells and activate magic items by command word or spell completion while using a bardic music ability. Bardic music abilities that require concentration still take a standard action to perform.
and...
Vest of Legends item (DMG II, pg. 272). +5 comp. bonus on Diplomacy and Perform checks, plus Bard level treated as five higher for purpose of determining the effects of inspire courage...Price: 16,000 gp
and...
Lingering Song feat (Complete Adventurer, pg. 111). Pre-req: Bardic Music. Benefit: If you use bardic music to inspire courage...the effetc lasts for 1 minute after an inspired ally stops hearing you play.
and...
Badge of Valor (Magic Item Compendium pg. 208). Price (Item Level): 1400 gp (5th), Body Slot: Throat. Caster Level: 5th, Aura: Moderate (DC 17) abjuration, Activation: Immediate (mental), Weight: --. When you activate the badge of valor, you and all allies within 60 feet gain a +2 bonus on the next save you or they make against a charm or fear effect before the start of your next turn. If you have the bardic music ability to inspire courage, you can activate the Badge of Valor to increase the bonus granted by that ability by 1 for the duration of its effect. A Badge of Valor functions three times per day. Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, remove fear, possession of a piece of the set. Cost to Create: 700 go, 56 XP, 2 days.
This last item is part of the Regalia of the Hero set of magic items. The other two items in the set would also be useful, for a Marshall/Bard build.
New useful item for this build, from the Magic Item Compendium:
Crystal Echoblade
Price (Item Level)" 4,310 gp (9th)
Body Slot: - (held)
Caster Level: 10th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 20) evocation
Activation: -
Weight: 4 lb.
A crystal echoblade normally functions as a +1 longsword, but is enhanced by your musical ability. If you use your bardic music ability while wielding the weapon, the blade resonates in harmony, dealing additional sonic damage on each attack equal to half your bard level.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Bardic Music
Cost to Create: 2,000 go (plus 310 gp for masterwork longsword), 160 XP, 4 days.
The MIC says "You can increase the enhancement bonus of these weapons or add more special properties just as you would for any other item." Great! So, let's enhance it with the Harmonizing ability, a +1 ability from MIC:
Price: +1 bonus
Property: Melee Weapon
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint (DC 17) Illusion
Activation: --; see text
A harmonizing weapon accompanies you in song if drawn, granting a +2 competence bonus on Perform (sing) checks.
In addition, if you hold a harmonizing weapon when you begin a bardic music effect, the weapon can continue the effect for you, allowing you to focus on other efforts. One round after you begin a bardic music effect that allows or requires continued use or concentration (including inspire courage, countersong, fascinate, inspire competence, inspire greatness, song of freedom, and inspire heroics), the weapon picks up and continues the performance flawlessly for 10 rounds, until you start another bardic music effect, or until you command it to end as a swift (mental) action.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, ghost sound, bardic music.
Cost to Create: Varies.
So, a Crystal Echoblade of Harmonizing would be 10,310 gp. And it eliminates the need for one of the other feats that this build was likely to take (Melodic Casting), while significantly bumping your own damage up.
The Bow of Songs was updated in the MIC to make it a bit weaker, but much more reasonably priced and worth considering now:
Bow of Songs (Magic Item Compendium pg. 48)
Price (Item Level): 12,330 gp (13th)
Body Slot: - (held)
Caster Level: 8th
Aura Moderate: (DC 19) evocation
Activation: Swift (command)
Weight: 2 lb.
This +1 shortbow blends music with every shot to deadly effect. On your turn, you can expend one daily use of your bardic music ability to gain a bonus equal to your Charisma bonus on the next attack roll and (if your attack hits) on the corresponding damage roll that you make with the bow.
Cost to Create: 6,000 gp (plus 33 gp for masterwork shortbow), 480 XP, 12 days.
Book of 9 Swords may help with this build. The Song of the White Raven feat lets you both activate inspire courage as a swift action while in a White Raven Stance, and lets your crusader and warblade levels stack with your bard levels to determine the bonus granted by your inspire courage ability.
I think a White Raven focused crusader or warblade, combined with bard, could be a pretty powerful combination.
There is some non-update 3.0 stuff that could be used, such as Crescendo. But, a lot of folks don't use 3.0 stuff, even if it remains not updated.
A masterwork instrument might help. I will have to look those up. I think it's the drum and the horn that help with damage, and lute gives +1 level to determining effectiveness of bardic music.
Anyone else have something to contribute to the list?
