How Long Can A Bard Sing For?

[blargney the second]

Option 1: As the DM, you're the final rules arbiter, not your player. There doesn't seem to be a hard rule about how long a bard can sing, so you'll have to use your best judgement (just like with sleep). There've been some decent suggestions already in this thread that should suffice. Personally, I'd max it out at 5 minutes tops.

Option 2: What's good for the goose... All your NPCs will henceforth be accompanied (ha!) by a bard who's permanently buffing them with inspire kick-PCs-asses.
-blarg

 

[moritheil]

Personally, I'd max it out at 5 minutes tops.

Limits are a good idea, but that's not even long enough for a single battle or concert. I realize that most encounters are over with in a matter of rounds, but to say that someone with dozens of ranks in Perform can't keep playing an instrument for longer than 5 minutes strikes me as a little absurd.

 

[blargney the second]

It's not just singing - they're putting enough effort into it to achieve a supernatural effect while defending themselves and possibly filling their enemies full of arrows.

For a regular non-magical song, it's no big deal to go with half an hour or an hour. Finally, bear in mind that it would be 5 minutes (or whatever) per use of bardic music.

 

[Chimera]

Cue Monty Python;

Oh do shut up!

Amazingly, I was just thinking about this about an hour ago in regards to my Bard, and hadn't a clue that this thread was here. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that you have to limit it to a Per Encounter deal. Besides, beyond the first couple of levels, it's not like you're regularly running out of Bardic Music uses.

Another alternative is to realize that this means the Bard is making a great deal more noise and will attract a lot more attention. You could also just throw in some need for stealth or at least relative quiet once in a while. Or you could enlist the aid of the other players by pointing out that the guy has been singing/playing the same bloody song for an hour now, he's been playing it every day and it's probably starting to get on their nerves. Heck, if abused like that, I might even rule that the song loses it efficaciousness (in other words, it doesn't work anymore) if kept up for more than 5 minutes. After all, a trumpet charge might inspire you; but endlessly, over and over for long periods of time? That'd be the point where I'd be preparing Invisibility or some other form of escape so as to let the monster eat the annoying blankety-blank Bard!

 

[Nifft]

Limits are a good idea, but that's not even long enough for a single battle or concert. I realize that most encounters are over with in a matter of rounds, but to say that someone with dozens of ranks in Perform can't keep playing an instrument for longer than 5 minutes strikes me as a little absurd.

Not long enough for a concert, sure, but a battle? How many rounds do your battles go for?

Cheers, -- N

 

[Elethiomel]

Again, constructs (and undead) Win. They do not get tired, their throats do not go dry, and exhaustion rules are meaningless to creatures without a Con score.

 

[blargney the second]

... and that's why I suggest a hard time limit. (Like the length of one song.)

 

[Chimera]

"Da da da da da DA! Charge!"

Ok, I buy that. I'm inspired.


"Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge! Da da da da da DA! Charge!"

OK, Stop. It isn't working anymore. Do that one more time and I'll shove that horn down your throat.

 

[moritheil]

... and that's why I suggest a hard time limit. (Like the length of one song.)

Sure, but to me at least, 5 minutes is not plausible as a hard limit. Just going from popular music examples, 'American Pie' is over 10 minutes 30 seconds, isn't it? It has one singer singing throughout. The 5 minutes you suggested as the length of a song is an arbitrary (and loose) radio edit limit imposed by the modern music industry.

I suspect that this should be worked out group by group, as we appear to be in "what feels right" territory.

Not long enough for a concert, sure, but a battle? How many rounds do your battles go for?

Cheers, -- N

I was referring to the time frame of historic engagements, where it would take a while to get troops arrayed, move units around, etc. As I said, battles involving PCs tend to be over in less than a minute (barring extended running battles or something of the sort.)

 

[s-dub]

I'd eather go with per encounter or maybe 1 minute * perform check.