Cleon
Legend
I'll agree to using bardic fascinate with those modifications. I'm not sure why I always forget to check those abilities.... But it ends up working pretty similarly. Want to stick something in the working draft for consideration?
Charm: A caprine with a resonance score of 11 or more can enrapture creatures by playing a musical instrument. The music affects all non-allies within 40 feet. Affected creatures must see and hear the caprine play and be able to pay attention to the performance. The caprine must also be able to see the creature. Distractions such as combat or other dangers prevent the ability working. Affected creatures must succeed at a Will save (DC 10 + ½ caprine's level + caprine's Cha modifier) or be fascinated for as long as the caprine continues to play and concentrate, up to a maximum of 1 round per level of the caprine. Any potential threat allows affected creatures a new saving throw. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. This is a mind-affecting sonic charm ability.
I'm thinking we should change the name of this ability. The Bard ability was called Charm in BECMI and AD&D but became Fascinate in 3E, and both Charm and Fascinated have specific rules in the SRD.
It would seem logical to call the ability "Fascinate" instead:
Fascinate: A caprine with a resonance score of 11 or more can enrapture creatures by playing a musical instrument. The music affects all non-allies within 40 feet. Affected creatures must see and hear the caprine play and be able to pay attention to the performance. The caprine must also be able to see the creature. Distractions such as combat or other dangers prevent the ability working. Affected creatures must succeed at a Will save (DC 10 + ½ caprine's level + caprine's Cha modifier) or be fascinated for as long as the caprine continues to play and concentrate, up to a maximum of 1 round per level of the caprine. Any potential threat allows affected creatures a new saving throw. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. This is a mind-affecting sonic enchantment (compulsion) ability.
Next up would be sleep, which is just as the sleep spell, not empowered. I guess they have to play a lullaby! Any thoughts on this one? Here's a draft, though 4HD feels light to me:
Sleep: A caprine with a resonance score of 11 or more can play a lullaby that puts up to 4HD into a magical slumber. Creatures with the fewest HD are affected first. Among creatures with equal HD, those who are closest to the spell’s point of origin are affected first. Hit Dice that are not sufficient to affect a creature are wasted. Sleeping creatures are helpless. Slapping or wounding awakens an affected creature, but normal noise does not. Awakening a creature is a standard action (an application of the aid another action).
Sleep does not target unconscious creatures, constructs, or undead creatures. Sleep is a mind-affecting sonic compulsion ability.
I would rephrase that slightly and put a distance in there, like so:
Sleep: A caprine with a resonance score of 11 or more can play a lullaby that puts up to 4 Hit Dice of creatures within 100[?] feet of the caprine into a magical slumber. Creatures with the fewest HD are affected first. Among creatures with equal HD, those closest to the caprine are affected first. Hit Dice that are not sufficient to affect a creature are wasted. Unconscious creatures and those who do not sleep (such as undead or constructs) are not targeted. Sleeping creatures are helpless. Slapping or wounding awakens an affected creature, but normal noise does not. Awakening a creature is a standard action (an application of the aid another action). This is a mind-affecting sonic compulsion ability.
Or we could simplify it by just referencing the spell:
Sleep: A caprine with a resonance score of 11 or more can play a lullaby that puts up to 4 Hit Dice of creatures into a magical slumber. The effect is identical to a sleep spell. This is a mind-affecting sonic compulsion ability.
I prefer the first full description version.