Musicology questions

[Lord Pendragon]

Aryah dances instead of singing, but the rule seems applicable in any other way.

From the SRD:

Bardic Music: Once per day per bard level, a bard can use his song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around him (usually including himself, if desired). While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music and the descriptions discuss singing or playing instruments, they can all be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance.

Using the Bardic Music ability requires a vocal component. You can't use Bardic Music with dancing alone.

 

[Ferret]

I would use some common sense here, if the bard is singing about how her party will crush her enemies and how they are indistuctable thats not going to help the evil cleric or the dominated person. Although if it names them it may be a different case, perhaps a will save to keep the benefits?

 

[DarkMaster]

It never struck me before neither....




Aryah dances instead of singing, but the rule seems applicable in any other way.

Kind regards

Knowing the Barbarian/Ranger IMC if a NPC bard was dancing, signing or playing all day on his side and even if it provides him with a bonus he would get nervous and make sure to calm the bard with the tip of his axe.

 

[The Souljourner]

From the SRD: Using the Bardic Music ability requires a vocal component. You can't use Bardic Music with dancing alone.

You just have to say "Tada!" a lot

We handle bardic music such that the bard gets to choose exactly to whom he gives the bonus. As a free action on his turn, he can change it however he wants. If someone walks into the area of effect and the bard decides to include him (on the bard's turn), he just can.

Since there's really no rules about it, you just have to go with what makes sense. As for how long.... it's never really come up. Our bards always stop singing after a battle... it rarely matters, since one per day is not really a restriction past level 4. I think if someone got cheesy and tried to sing all day, there would be Con checks.

This reminds me of the time our bard decided to inspire courage in a bar fight... he decided *everyone* was his ally, so everyone was getting +2 to hit and damage! It was pretty funny

-The Souljourner

 

[Scharlata]

This reminds me of the time our bard decided to inspire courage in a bar fight... he decided *everyone* was his ally, so everyone was getting +2 to hit and damage! It was pretty funny

Hi, to all!

I'll pass the wealth of your information to Aryah the bard.

1.) I'll use common sense.

2.) Arayh can select her allies every round on HER turn as a FREE action.

3.) Everybody that is in hearing range as long as she performs gets the morale bonus as long as Aryah wishes (and for 5 rounds after leaving the hearing range). Everybody can reenter the hearing range as often as he wishes. He must wait untill Arayh notices the newcomer and it's her turn to designate the bonus to him. If the "newcomer" reenterers the hearing range and Arayh didn't change her feelings about him in the meantime he benefits from the morale bonus as soon as he comes into hearing range anew.

4.) Aryah can perform all day long with as little as a single application of her BMA. After a certain time (probably depending on the strenuousness of her performance) a Constitution check is applicable which is penalized by the duration of the performance (like a forced march?). She must quit her current performance as soon as she fails the first Constitution check.

5.) Thanx very much and kind regards

 

[Laman Stahros]

Aryah dances instead of singing, but the rule seems applicable in any other way.

Dancing instead of singing? Does your DM allow her to cast spells while dancing?

IF so, BAD DM!!!!!

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Here's how we've handled it:

1) Allies are anyone trying to accomplish the same immediate goal as the bard. If the party is fighting a bunch of orcs, the party are the allies. If, part way through the fight, a hill giant attacks the party and the orcs, the orcs become allies if they team up with the party to defeat the giant. This is assuming a single continuous use of bardic song. If one of the party is a chaotic evil bastard scheming to murder them all in their sleep, he's still an ally during the fight. OTOH, if he switches sides and helps the orc, at that point he's no longer your ally. People/creatures under a compulsion effect (any effect where the players decide what actions the compellee takes) aren't allies.

2) Bardic music requires a concentration check every X rounds, where X = player's constition score. No one has ever tried to keep it going long enough for me to get annoyed.

 

[Scharlata]

Dancing instead of singing? Does your DM allow her to cast spells while dancing?

Yepp, dancing or any other performance allowed Nope, no casting spells no activating items; just change of performing method but no change of process.

IF so, BAD DM!!!!!

Me = DM

Kind regards

 

[Scharlata]

Here's how we've handled it:

1) Allies are anyone trying to accomplish the same immediate goal as the bard. If the party is fighting a bunch of orcs, the party are the allies. If, part way through the fight, a hill giant attacks the party and the orcs, the orcs become allies if they team up with the party to defeat the giant. This is assuming a single continuous use of bardic song. If one of the party is a chaotic evil bastard scheming to murder them all in their sleep, he's still an ally during the fight. OTOH, if he switches sides and helps the orc, at that point he's no longer your ally. People/creatures under a compulsion effect (any effect where the players decide what actions the compellee takes) aren't allies.

2) Bardic music requires a concentration check every X rounds, where X = player's constition score. No one has ever tried to keep it going long enough for me to get annoyed.

Can be combined with the beforementioned statements, thanx

Kind regards

P.S.: Tomorrow will be the first application of the "new rules". Let's hear it for the boy....

 

[Big Jake]

Dancing instead of singing? Does your DM allow her to cast spells while dancing?

IF so, BAD DM!!!!!

Why not? The PHB says that the somatic components required for bard spells are relatively simple... specifically in reguards to no arcane spell failure in light armor, but why not expound on it?

A dervish enters a "Dervish Dance" and gets bonuses to attacks... why can't a bard mesh in the "relatively simple" somatic components into an eloborate dance movement? Any verbal components are secondary to the bard's prefered way of releasing the magic from within.

Never punish creativity! It's not just a clever .sig!

Adjust the rules to your game, instead of your game to the rules... you and your players could have a much more rewarding experience.

Have you never been moved by the graceful moves of the ballet dancer, or greatly impressed with water ballet? Have you ever laughed out loud when moved to happiness, or cried when moved to tears by the graceful performance of the dancers in Swan Lake? Can you deny the electricity you feel from watching Stomp? Have you ever felt your heart leap when watching the prima ballerina in River Dance jump and flit her way around those that would suppress her?

Allow bardic dancing for Fascinate, Inspire Courage, Inspire Competence, Inspire Greatness, and Inspire Heroics with no verbal components needed. Instead you can say that the allies must have line of sight to the bard, and maybe even a maximum distance from the bard.

You can even allow Suggestion and Mass Suggestion with dance, but with some verbal components. Heck, one girl danced once, and soon after John the Baptist's head was on a silver platter. If that's not the power of dance, I don't know what is.