Kobold Avenger
Legend
Special Performances are a new option I'm giving bards, that are special uses of bardic music (and sometime spells). They can be used if the bard meets certain requirements and learns it.
• A bard can learn as many as special performances as they have bardic levels.
• Special performances count as at least one use of bardic performance, unless it’s something that must be used on a fascinated subject.
• Special performances have requirements such as skill ranks, particular instruments, number of bardic performance uses, and certain spells before they can be used.
• If a spell is required (unless it’s Suggestion or Mass Suggestion), then that spell is cast as part of the special performance.
• The effects of these performances can be avoided with a will save with a DC of (10 + ½ bard levels + cha mod).
• Unless otherwise noted, it takes 1 standard round to start these effects.
• If the special performance enhances on a spell, the bard level requirement should be at least 3 levels higher than the minimum level to cast it.
• Learning a special performance is equal to the sum of the minimum levels for all requirements x 50.
Here's some of my sample ideas, so far...
Some of them are meant to be ridiculous, but I'm trying to get a variety of different special performances that use different particular performance types. This is the companion to my other thread on variants, and therefore the reason why certain bardic music abilities are required, are because certain variants don't get certain basic bardic music abilities.
Alluring Song/ Seductive Dance (Su) (Mind-affecting)
Those who hear or see this are mesmerized by this making them easier to influence.
Requirements: Perform (sing) or (dance) 4, Bard level 1, Inspire courage.
Effect: Those who hear this suffer a -1 morale penalty to saves against charm effects for as long the bard performs and 5 rounds after. This penalty increases at higher levels is equal to the inspire courage bonus.
Bitter Last Song (Su)
After playing a song with a stringed instrument, the bard furiously bashes something with their instrument. Things break and people can die.
Requirements: Perform (stringed) 8, Bard level 5, during another bard performance, Rage.
Effect: A bard uses this during another performance with a stringed instrument. Right after the other performance they attack with their instrument (1d6 for lighter stringed instruments, 1d8 for heavy stringed instruments). All attacks for that round have the bard’s charisma bonus added to the attack rolls, and the first attack inflicts additional damage equal to the bard’s level. After that the bard can’t perform or cast spells for another 5 rounds and the instrument is destroyed.
Confusing Influence (Sp) (Mind-affecting)(Compulsion)
Those who hear the bard’s speech about contradictory points and gibberish become confused.
Requirements: Perform (oration) 21, Bard level 18, Mass suggestion.
Effect: Subjects who were previously fascinated are under the effects of confusion for 10 minutes; except that they won’t attack the bard (treat as act normally), they suffer a 30% miss chance to attack and -2 to will saves due to hallucinations.
Dance of Deception(Su) (Mind-affecting)
The bard does a dance of flashy deceptive moves while in combat making it easier to feint an opponent.
Requirements: Perform (dance) 6, Bluff 6, Bard level 3, Inspire competence.
Effect: For 5 + charisma modifier rounds, the bard gets a +2 competence bonus on bluff checks to feint.
Dance of Distraction (Sp) (Mind-affecting)
This dance is accompanied by flashy lights and sounds, drawing attention to the bard.
Requirements: Perform (dance) 9, Bard level 6, Suggestion, Minor Image
Effect: All enemies within 30 feet of the bard suffer a -2 penalty to attacks rolls, a -1 penalty to AC, and a -4 penalty to spot and listen checks, for as long as the bard performs plus 5 rounds.
Mocking Commentary (Su) (Mind-affecting)(Language Dependant)
By making a joke at someone’s expense they lose competence in one of their skills.
Requirements: Perform (comedy) 6, Bard level 3, Inspire competence.
Effect: The subject of this ability suffers a -2 competence penalty to one particular skill for as long the bard concentrates and 1 minute after.
Music/ Dance of Longing (Su) (Mind-affecting)(Compulsion)
After a song or dance with the topic of desire and longing, the subject who is attracted to the bard’s gender, now has the desire to shag the bard.
Requirements: Perform (sing), (stringed) or (dance) 9, Bard level 6, Suggestion.
Effect: The subject who has been fascinated wants to shag the bard, they’ll become infatuated (+2 to all checks and saves against anything or anyone who prevents them from that) with the bard and the bard gets a +5 competence bonus (+10 if the subject actually does shag the bard) to all social rolls against the subject. The subject also gets a -2 penalty to their will save against this effect.
Ominous Wail (Su) (Mind-affecting)
A haunting noise unsettles opponents.
Requirements: Perform (wind) large horns, or (sing) 4, Bard level 1, Inspire courage.
Effect: Enemies who hear this suffer a -1 morale penalty to saves against fear effects for as long the bard performs and 5 rounds after. This penalty increases at higher levels is equal to the inspire courage bonus.
Song of Sorrow (Sp) (Mind-affecting)
A song so sad and sorrowful causes strong doubts in the minds of others.
Requirements: Perform (sing) or (string) bow instrument 12, Bard level 10, Inspire greatness, Crushing Despair.
Effect: All enemies within 40 feet of the bard suffer a -2 morale penalty to attacks rolls, saving throws, skill checks and damage rolls, for as long as the bard performs plus an additional minute.
Soprano Screech (Sp)
Singing a single high-pitched soprano note, the bard can deafen and stun her audience.
Requirements: Perform (sing) 12 soprano, Bard level 9, Suggestion, Blindness/ Deafness
Effect: Those within a 30 foot cone are deafened permanently and stunned for as long performs (up to 4 rounds) plus 1d6 rounds after.
Thunderous Horn (Sp) (Sonic)
A loud deafening blow from a horn can shatter and deafen.
Requirements: Perform (wind) 16 horn, Bard level 13, Song of Freedom, Shout
Effect: Those within a 30 foot cone initially take 5d6 damage (1d6 per caster level up to 15d6 for crystalline creatures and objects) and are deafened for 2d6 rounds and stunned for 1d4 rounds and for as long as the bard blows the horn after (up to 4 rounds) they take 1d6 damage per round (or 1d8 for those who are vulnerable).
War Drums (Su) (Mind-affecting)
By beating drums the bard’s allies fight harder and move faster.
Requirements: Perform (percussion) 11, Bard level 8, Inspire courage +2
Effect: The bard and his allies get the Inspire courage bonus to saves against fear, attack and damage rolls +1, and can move 10 feet faster in round. This last for as long as the bard plays plus 5 additional rounds.
• A bard can learn as many as special performances as they have bardic levels.
• Special performances count as at least one use of bardic performance, unless it’s something that must be used on a fascinated subject.
• Special performances have requirements such as skill ranks, particular instruments, number of bardic performance uses, and certain spells before they can be used.
• If a spell is required (unless it’s Suggestion or Mass Suggestion), then that spell is cast as part of the special performance.
• The effects of these performances can be avoided with a will save with a DC of (10 + ½ bard levels + cha mod).
• Unless otherwise noted, it takes 1 standard round to start these effects.
• If the special performance enhances on a spell, the bard level requirement should be at least 3 levels higher than the minimum level to cast it.
• Learning a special performance is equal to the sum of the minimum levels for all requirements x 50.
Here's some of my sample ideas, so far...
Some of them are meant to be ridiculous, but I'm trying to get a variety of different special performances that use different particular performance types. This is the companion to my other thread on variants, and therefore the reason why certain bardic music abilities are required, are because certain variants don't get certain basic bardic music abilities.
Alluring Song/ Seductive Dance (Su) (Mind-affecting)
Those who hear or see this are mesmerized by this making them easier to influence.
Requirements: Perform (sing) or (dance) 4, Bard level 1, Inspire courage.
Effect: Those who hear this suffer a -1 morale penalty to saves against charm effects for as long the bard performs and 5 rounds after. This penalty increases at higher levels is equal to the inspire courage bonus.
Bitter Last Song (Su)
After playing a song with a stringed instrument, the bard furiously bashes something with their instrument. Things break and people can die.
Requirements: Perform (stringed) 8, Bard level 5, during another bard performance, Rage.
Effect: A bard uses this during another performance with a stringed instrument. Right after the other performance they attack with their instrument (1d6 for lighter stringed instruments, 1d8 for heavy stringed instruments). All attacks for that round have the bard’s charisma bonus added to the attack rolls, and the first attack inflicts additional damage equal to the bard’s level. After that the bard can’t perform or cast spells for another 5 rounds and the instrument is destroyed.
Confusing Influence (Sp) (Mind-affecting)(Compulsion)
Those who hear the bard’s speech about contradictory points and gibberish become confused.
Requirements: Perform (oration) 21, Bard level 18, Mass suggestion.
Effect: Subjects who were previously fascinated are under the effects of confusion for 10 minutes; except that they won’t attack the bard (treat as act normally), they suffer a 30% miss chance to attack and -2 to will saves due to hallucinations.
Dance of Deception(Su) (Mind-affecting)
The bard does a dance of flashy deceptive moves while in combat making it easier to feint an opponent.
Requirements: Perform (dance) 6, Bluff 6, Bard level 3, Inspire competence.
Effect: For 5 + charisma modifier rounds, the bard gets a +2 competence bonus on bluff checks to feint.
Dance of Distraction (Sp) (Mind-affecting)
This dance is accompanied by flashy lights and sounds, drawing attention to the bard.
Requirements: Perform (dance) 9, Bard level 6, Suggestion, Minor Image
Effect: All enemies within 30 feet of the bard suffer a -2 penalty to attacks rolls, a -1 penalty to AC, and a -4 penalty to spot and listen checks, for as long as the bard performs plus 5 rounds.
Mocking Commentary (Su) (Mind-affecting)(Language Dependant)
By making a joke at someone’s expense they lose competence in one of their skills.
Requirements: Perform (comedy) 6, Bard level 3, Inspire competence.
Effect: The subject of this ability suffers a -2 competence penalty to one particular skill for as long the bard concentrates and 1 minute after.
Music/ Dance of Longing (Su) (Mind-affecting)(Compulsion)
After a song or dance with the topic of desire and longing, the subject who is attracted to the bard’s gender, now has the desire to shag the bard.
Requirements: Perform (sing), (stringed) or (dance) 9, Bard level 6, Suggestion.
Effect: The subject who has been fascinated wants to shag the bard, they’ll become infatuated (+2 to all checks and saves against anything or anyone who prevents them from that) with the bard and the bard gets a +5 competence bonus (+10 if the subject actually does shag the bard) to all social rolls against the subject. The subject also gets a -2 penalty to their will save against this effect.
Ominous Wail (Su) (Mind-affecting)
A haunting noise unsettles opponents.
Requirements: Perform (wind) large horns, or (sing) 4, Bard level 1, Inspire courage.
Effect: Enemies who hear this suffer a -1 morale penalty to saves against fear effects for as long the bard performs and 5 rounds after. This penalty increases at higher levels is equal to the inspire courage bonus.
Song of Sorrow (Sp) (Mind-affecting)
A song so sad and sorrowful causes strong doubts in the minds of others.
Requirements: Perform (sing) or (string) bow instrument 12, Bard level 10, Inspire greatness, Crushing Despair.
Effect: All enemies within 40 feet of the bard suffer a -2 morale penalty to attacks rolls, saving throws, skill checks and damage rolls, for as long as the bard performs plus an additional minute.
Soprano Screech (Sp)
Singing a single high-pitched soprano note, the bard can deafen and stun her audience.
Requirements: Perform (sing) 12 soprano, Bard level 9, Suggestion, Blindness/ Deafness
Effect: Those within a 30 foot cone are deafened permanently and stunned for as long performs (up to 4 rounds) plus 1d6 rounds after.
Thunderous Horn (Sp) (Sonic)
A loud deafening blow from a horn can shatter and deafen.
Requirements: Perform (wind) 16 horn, Bard level 13, Song of Freedom, Shout
Effect: Those within a 30 foot cone initially take 5d6 damage (1d6 per caster level up to 15d6 for crystalline creatures and objects) and are deafened for 2d6 rounds and stunned for 1d4 rounds and for as long as the bard blows the horn after (up to 4 rounds) they take 1d6 damage per round (or 1d8 for those who are vulnerable).
War Drums (Su) (Mind-affecting)
By beating drums the bard’s allies fight harder and move faster.
Requirements: Perform (percussion) 11, Bard level 8, Inspire courage +2
Effect: The bard and his allies get the Inspire courage bonus to saves against fear, attack and damage rolls +1, and can move 10 feet faster in round. This last for as long as the bard plays plus 5 additional rounds.
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