Here is a little cheat sheet I made, to fit on a cropped one-page word doc on this topic:
Inspire Courage Optimization
Inspire Courage ability (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.
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Song of the Heart feat (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.
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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.
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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.
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Words of Creation feat (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).
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Subsonics feat: Prereq Perform 10 ranks, bardic music; Benefit: You can produce music or poetics so subtly that opponents do not notice it, yet your allies still fain all the usual benefits from your bardic music. Similarly, you can affect opponents within range with your music, but unless they can see you performing or have some other means of discovering it, they cannot determine the source of the effect.
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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; 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.
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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.
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Songblade item: (Comp Adv pg. 130) +1 rapier, +2 Perform checks, +1 use/day bard music; 6,400gp.
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Bow of Songs item: (Comp Adv pg. 129) +2 shortbow, bard music use for + Cha to atk & dam; 32,330gp.
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Joyous Star Song item (MoF pg. 161): +1 bard music/day, +5 sacred perform chk for that use. 5800gp.
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Instruments: Drums: +1 to the bonus to damage w/ Inspire Courage, but -1 to the bonus vs charm and fear. Horn: +1 to the bonus to damage and save vs fear w/ Inspire Courage, but the effect ends 1 round after the recipient can no longer hear the bard toot. Lute: +1 level to determining effectiveness of bardic music. Mandolin: +1 to the atk roll bonus w/ Inspire Courage, but -1 to everything else (dam, save vs charm/fear).
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Class Combinations: Bard X, Shadowdancer 1 (Hide in Plain Sight), Subsonics feat; Level of Marshall, and a level of Dragon Shaman.
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Marshall Class: d8 HD, 4 skill pts/lev, Fort & Will good saves; BAB as cleric; Weapon/Armor: As fighter; Skill Focus: Diplomacy; Auras (Ex) 60’ range, verbal component; Minor (choose 1): Charisma bonus to: flanking damage, charisma checks/skills, charging damage, dex checks/saves and init, or AC vs. AOOs; Major (choose 1, 2nd level ability): Dam rolls, Ranged atks, Melee atks.
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Dragon Shaman Class: d10 HD, 2 skill pts/lev, Fort & Will good saves; BAB as cleric; Weapon/Armor: As bard; Draconic Aura (Su): 30’ range, LoE, Choose 3: +1 to dam, fast heal 1 up to ½ normal HP, bluff diplo and intimidate, listen spot and init, or 2 dam to anyone striking us with melee or nat weap attack.
