Couple of Violinist Bard Questions

[Fallenibilis]

I have always wanted to make a bard that plays the violin or cello but in battle i want to cast spells, participate in melee, and use my music which is kind of hard to pull off. But i had a few ideas that may let pull off this.

First would be possible to make an Animated (kinda like an animated shield) Violin that can pull off you bardic music abilities using your perform check? If so how much would you price it at?

Secondly could you make the bow for the violin/cello a special slashing weapon if you used razor wire or something similer in the construction?

Thanks for any help,
Fallenibilis

 

[Wyvernhand]

You just be a total badass. Like this girl. See that in the background? That's Death. She's like "Death, you ain't got nothin on me!"

 

[Fallenibilis]

That was exactly the type of thing i had in mind.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Are you familiar with the spell Bonefiddle? Spell Compendium p.37, or see it here.

Dragon Magazine Compendium has the info for a Garrote Ring. I think if that could be secured to a stick to keep it extended, you'd have what you're looking for.
Alternately, Arms and Equipment Guide has info for regular and superior Hacksaws. Mount a Garrote wire to a hacksaw. You've got a deadly bow!

Keep in mind the Summon Instrument level 0 spell can grant you a simple version of any instrument.

An animated Violin makes me think of the Arbalester homunculus from Magic of Eberron p.152. The Arbalester is a construct bow, which is supposed to sit on a surface and fire arrows. I'd start with that and modify for an instrument.

Alternately, adding intelligence + Dancing weapon property to a bow might be nifty. Incorporate something like a Psion's Psicrystal's ability to maintain concentration for you.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Secondly could you make the bow for the violin/cello a special slashing weapon if you used razor wire or something similer in the construction?

A magic one? Sure, why not?

A "realistic" mundane one? No. Bows are light and flexible...and the fibers that make up the surface that makes the strings vibrate are extremely delicate. You fence with a bow, you WILL break some of them- I speak from the experience of someone who was in the Denver Youth Orchestra for 3 years (6th chair cellist).

Heck, watch Charlie Daniels play "Devil Went Down to Georgia"...or his Geico commercial- even vigorous play will break some of the hairs.

(You can detach the hair's anchor point on one end and make a non-lethal flail or garotte type weapon...but then the bow is useless as a bow.)

OTOH, if you made the violin out of steel...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eHffhP4xzE&feature=youtube_gdata_player]Cool & Unusual METAL Stradivarius Violin, Amazing Handmade Instrument - YouTube[/ame]

(This one is stainless steel; the sound holes are on the sides like a Gottschall Funnelbody guitar.)

To "fantasy-tech" it up into a weapon, describe it as slightly oversized...perhaps slightly larger than a viola. And part of that extra size is because it includes a spring-loaded slashing or stabbing blade. Perhaps it also functions as a buckler.

It would have to be an Exotic, masterwork weapon, though. Probably best if made with an exotic material, such as mithral...or that superhard wood (Ironwood? Darkwood?)

Now...go on with your bad-ass gypsy self!

 

[Sekhmet]

If I'm not mistaken, 4th Edition has the Songbow, a longbow that can be played like a harp. A quick variant could be the Violin/Cello version, where the arrows are used to play music along the staff or string of the bow as you draw and fire, or just while you sit there playing music.

Make it an exotic weapon, all your bards who are interested in ranged combat will undoubtedly pick it up anyway.

 

[Empirate]

For casting spells while using bardic music, check out the Melodic Casting feat (Complete Adventurer...?), which lets you do that, AND lets you substitute a Perform check for Concentration.
Also, check out the different effects masterwork instruments of different types will have on your bardic music - you can customize bm quite a bit with those.

Finally, no point in limiting yourself to one instrument only, even if it is your main instrument!

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

For casting spells while using bardic music, check out the Melodic Casting feat

Complete Mage p.44-45. Good Feat suggestion.

 

[the Jester]

You are definitely in "check with your dm" territory here, but I hope he is willing to cut you some slack on this!

 

[Fallenibilis]

You are definitely in "check with your dm" territory here, but I hope he is willing to cut you some slack on this!

I felt that i probably was but i wanted to see what the wonderful minds on the forums had to offer first.

@Dannyalcatraz I would have given you XP but i have to spread it around first, anyway your post was quite informative and useful thank you

[MENTION=78958]Empirate[/MENTION] Thanks i had forgotten about melodic casting.