Effects that boost bardic music?

[blargney the second]

That's insane. Sounds like fun!

 

[Nifft]

Heh - yeah, that's the one. I really wish there were a better term for it.

Then make one. It's useless (at best) to complain about jargon.

Bob5th -- I'd be interested in seeing a breakdown of that bonus. It seems rather high for an 11th level PC.

Cheers, -- N

 

[blargney the second]

Good idea, Nifft! I started a thread about coming up with a new name for fighter-mages.

 

[SteelDraco]

I have a question about two bard effects I've been looking for. I'm going to be playing a warrior-bard fairly soon, in my GM's City of Brass game. I'm interested in finding a way to either maintain two bard song effects at once, or activate it faster (a move action or better).

I already know of two such effects, but neither of them do exactly what I want.

The warchanter prestige class from CW can maintain two bardic music effects, but the class itself is AWFUL. They lose all their spellcasting, and the class-specific songs they get aren't much good.

I know there's a feat in the Book of Nine Swords that lets a multiclassed bard/crusader activate Inspire Courage as a swift action, but Bo9S isn't allowed in our games.

Anyone know of any other ways to do either of these things? I haven't gone through all my back issues of Dragon. Any help there anybody remembers?

 

[Bob5th]

Bard 9 + 5 BL (Vest of Legends) = Equiv. Bard Level 14 = Inspire Courage +3a/+3d
Words of Creation double base bonus = +6a/+6d
Song of the Heart = +7a/+7d
Inspirational Boost = +8a/+8d
Badge of Valor = +9a/+9d
Masterwork Drums = +9a/10d
Marshall 2 +damage major aura = +9a/+11d

And the Bard has a big bonus on his Diplomacy so chances are if he has time to talk to it he can make it his new best friend.

Our DM is used to our group running powerful characters and with our current campaign he is more interested in telling the story. But yeah the challenge does seem a little less than I would like.

I think just the Vest of Legends and the Song of the Heart feat would have been enough to still make the Bard a good character without being overpowered like he is now.

 

[SteelDraco]

I don't think you can use the Inspirational Boost spell and the Badge of Valor at the same time. They're both swift or immediate actions, and they have to be activated in the same turn you begin your bardic music. Since you only get one swift/immediate action per turn, you can't use both of them.

 

[Darklone]

Yeah a Bard can get pretty nasty if he takes all the Inspire Courage boosting stuff. The lvl 9 Bard / lvl 2 Marshal in the campaign I'm playing in is at +9 to hit / +11 to damage.

Very few of the parties attacks miss now and with a wildshaping Druid and Monk each person get several attacks a round so they milk even more damage out of the bard.

Lets make this sticky for the next bards are weak discussion.

 

[Mistwell]

I don't think you can use the Inspirational Boost spell and the Badge of Valor at the same time. They're both swift or immediate actions, and they have to be activated in the same turn you begin your bardic music. Since you only get one swift/immediate action per turn, you can't use both of them.

You do not have to do both on the round before you begin your bardic music. Neither has that limitation.

The badge just says "If you have the bardic music ability to inspire courage, you can activate the Badge of Valor to increase the bonus granted by that ability by 1 for the duration of its effect. " No limitation on when you activate it.

The spell says "If you don't begin to use your inspire courage ability before the beginning of your next turn, the spell's effect ends." So if you begin to use the inspire courage ability on any turn before you cast the spell (and you can cast the spell and continue the bardic music with the harmonizing ability on your weapon, or with the melodic casting feat, for example) it will still function fine for the remainder of the inspire courage effect.

 

[paragondragon]

Would you be able to use the Harmonize property on a weapon with an inspire courage, coutnersong or whatever and start up a virtuoso song (CA) on your own and not have the Harmonize stop like it says in the item description...since technically its not bardic music its a virtuoso song.
Because right now any non-ally caster within 30 feet of my bard has to make a 31+d20 DC on a concentration check to cast a spell, and the party is bitching because I'm not giving them the +4 to att/dmg from inspire courage, though I think keeping any casters from casting is much better...especially with Requiem...I want to go Lich hunting with this bard.