Can a Barbarian/Bard inspire courage while raging?

[ForceUser]

I believe he can.

Under Barbarian Rage in the PHB, the text states:

"While raging, a barbarian cannot use skills or abilities that require patience and concentration, such as moving silently or casting spells."

Under Bardic Music, the text states:

"Once per day per level, a bard can use his song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around him...while these abilities fall under the category of bardic music, they can include reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, etc..."

Under the Inspire Courage section of Bardic Music, the text goes on to say:

"While singing, the bard can fight but cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), or activate magic items by magic word (such as wands)."

Since there is nothing explict in the text that states that inspire courage requires concentration, it is my belief that a multiclass barbarian/bard could rage, fight, and sing a glorious song of battle all at the same time. Does anyone disagree? If so, please explain your rationale.

 

[Leopold]

i disbelieve that this is the case. Look your in a frenzy your yelling screaming killing everything in sight, you think your going to be of any mindset to sing a song or shout a chant? I doubt it.

Now taking a feat for this i'd allow or a PrC, but straight up MC'n no way.

 

[ForceUser]

Is that an arbitrary decision, or do you have facts to back up your position? If there are passages of text I have overlooked that would disallow the two abilities from working together, I need to know what they are. Thanks

 

[Datt]

I would say no because I don't think you can actually do any form of the Perform skill without concetrating. Think about it. Can you walk along and sing a song without concentrating on singing the song. You would lose your train of thought and it would go awry. So to me is says it right here:

While raging, a barbarian cannot use skills or abilities that require patience and concentration

Simply put you can't inspire courage if you can't concentrate on doing it.

 

[ForceUser]

Inspire courage requires no perform check. You just do it. No check, no skill roll, nothing. Therefore, according to the text that I have read, it is not a concentration skill. If you get attacked in combat and take damage, you don't make a concentration check to see if your inspire courage is interrupted. Ergo, yes, you can do it while raging strictly by the letter of the rules. Can anyone find fault with this?

 

[smetzger]

i disbelieve that this is the case. Look your in a frenzy your yelling screaming killing everything in sight, you think your going to be of any mindset to sing a song or shout a chant? I doubt it.

If you have ever been to a Heavy Metal concert or Hard Core Punk show you would know that its quite possible.

ForceUser already posted the 'rules' answer.

 

[krunchyfrogg]

Sure you can do it. Seeing a barbarian cleave his way through his enemies is pretty darn inspirational!

 

[Datt]

Ok how about this:

PHB pg 28:
"As with casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf bard suffers a 20% chance to fail with bardic music."

So to me that says they are comparing bardic music to casting a spell. It says you can't cast a spell therefore you couldn't use bardic music. But then again I might just be trying to connect two unconnected things.

 

[The Souljourner]

Yes, you can sing while raging. There is no rule to the contrary (and I think it's perfectly acceptable... you're singing a song about chopping off heads and grinding bones, while you're doing just that)

Datt - your logic is faulty. This is what you're effectively saying:

You can't walk while chewing gum.
Chewing gum for too long makes your jaw sore.
Singing for too long makes your jaw sore.

Therefor, you can't walk while singing.

That makes no sense.

What does being deaf have to do with raging? They're completely and totally unrelated. Just because being deaf has similar effects on two things does not mean those two things are completely the same in all ways.

-The Souljourner

 

[melkoriii]

Singing take concentration. It’s a continuous affect that you must consciously continue or it stops.

I look at Raging as a power that takes concentration.

From the SRD
Concentration: The spell lasts as long as the character concentrates on it. Concentrating to maintain a spell is a standard action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity.

Anything that could break the character's concentration when casting a spell can also break the character's concentration while the character is maintaining one, causing the spell to end (see Concentration, below). The character can't cast a spell while concentrating on another one. Sometimes a spell lasts for a short time after the character ceases concentrating. In these cases, the spell keeps going for the stated length of time after the character stops concentrating. Otherwise, the character must concentrate to maintain the spell, but the character can't maintain it for more than a stated duration in any event.

Now Bardic Song is just like this but with out the standard action thing.

I would use these rules as they did not clarify any for this kind of situation.