• The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!

Bards and thier wacky fascinate ability.

Albert_Fish

First Post
WEll my campaign has hit a wonderful snag. i say wonderful because it actually propelled the game forward, led to 2 hours of total enjoyment and generally rocked.

What amazing facet of the game did this? Why, the Bard's FASCINATE class ability did. According to the rules any creature failing a will save vs the bard's perform skill can be fascinated. what the hell does this mean? Is the target charmed? Or does his reaction just change? is there a limit to audience size or distance ( within audible range, i suppose) Are elves immune or do they gain a bonus to saves (+2 vs Enchantment)?

If this class ability works as we played it, then the bard rocks. Most high level clerics would fail a save vs the fascinate ability.

Under what circumstances does it not work? What constitutes a threat? in our case the PCs were under lock and key and being heavily guarded in an elven work camp. In another instance the elves had chased them to the edge of the lizard man swamps. In either case it seems as if they can be FASCINATED.

What do creatures do once fascinated? If Charmed do the do as the PC or Pcs ask? Removing armour, giving up weapons etc.? My party of 4 third level PCs and their fourkobold henchmen beat a party of 20 wood elves for goodness sakes! Heck, i bet witha good roll a Dragon might be fascinated.

This is all fine and good, but it seems that with skill ranks easily outstripping will saves that the poor recipients of the Bard's FASCINATE class ability are but would-be puppets.

ami totally interpretting this wrong (i have hated bards for being wusses up until this point, maybe i should rethink my opinion).
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Steverooo

First Post
Fascinating

PHB:28... You REALLY need to go read it.

Fascinate affects ONE creature, within 90', for one round/Bard level, once per level per day, IF they fail their Will save with a DC = the Bard's Perform check! No Fascinating 20 Wood Elves at once. No Elven immunity. No removing armor, dropping weapons, etc., etc., ad nauseum. The Fascinated one just stands still, watches, and listens.
 

shilsen

Adventurer
What Steveroo said. With the restriction that the "distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working", and that any obvious threat automaticaly ends the effect, it's hardly an overpowered ability. Just has some nice creative options.
 

Remove ads

Top