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<blockquote data-quote="Saeviomagy" data-source="post: 7199596" data-attributes="member: 5890">Ways to take a bard's inspire ability seriously:1. Adventuring is a grim and gritty life. A bit of levity reminds you that life is worth living, and taunts can genuinely distract, enrage and confuse a foe. Hit points, saves and attack rolls are such vague concepts that they can represent pretty much any benefit or drawback. So the comedy bard... is being played straight.2. The noble speech. Even mid-combat. Bards don't need to use instruments any more, and a stirring speech motivates you and demotivates your foes.3. Tactics. Anything requiring timing requires rhythm. If you know that the third note of the 5th bar is when you and the rogue coordinate an attack on the 3rd-last foe you attacked, that's an edge. And you know that if the wizard is singing the counter melody, you know he needs some space for that fireball that's coming. And unlike calling out &quot;hit the one with the crown!&quot; or &quot;make room for a fireball&quot;, anyone not in on the practice doesn't know what you are up to.4. Deception. If you spend the first round of combat attacking on the beat, letting your foes get used to the rhythm, and then break the beat in the next round, your foes will be at a disadvantage.5. Annoyance. Even humans often find the music of other humans irritating. Imagine how annoying elven music is to orcs, or gnomish music to kobolds.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Saeviomagy, post: 7199596, member: 5890"] Ways to take a bard's inspire ability seriously: 1. Adventuring is a grim and gritty life. A bit of levity reminds you that life is worth living, and taunts can genuinely distract, enrage and confuse a foe. Hit points, saves and attack rolls are such vague concepts that they can represent pretty much any benefit or drawback. So the comedy bard... is being played straight. 2. The noble speech. Even mid-combat. Bards don't need to use instruments any more, and a stirring speech motivates you and demotivates your foes. 3. Tactics. Anything requiring timing requires rhythm. If you know that the third note of the 5th bar is when you and the rogue coordinate an attack on the 3rd-last foe you attacked, that's an edge. And you know that if the wizard is singing the counter melody, you know he needs some space for that fireball that's coming. And unlike calling out "hit the one with the crown!" or "make room for a fireball", anyone not in on the practice doesn't know what you are up to. 4. Deception. If you spend the first round of combat attacking on the beat, letting your foes get used to the rhythm, and then break the beat in the next round, your foes will be at a disadvantage. 5. Annoyance. Even humans often find the music of other humans irritating. Imagine how annoying elven music is to orcs, or gnomish music to kobolds. [/QUOTE]

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