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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Greenfield" data-source="post: 6315963" data-attributes="member: 6669384">Select your instrument carefully.  Things like pipes and horns might seem great, but if you choose something like that as your primary, you lose the ability to speak or sing as you play.Masterwork Drums have a special bonus to things like Inspire Courage.  Bigger bonuses and larger affected area: Normally the area is defined as "Within hearing".  Drums can be heard for miles.This makes little difference for most PC encounters, but for RP purposes, when the group is helping defend a town from an Orc raid for example, the ability to add bonuses to the entire defensive force is invaluable.And don't underplay that particular ability, particularly at lower levels.  In a world where the average person is 1st or 2nd level, adding a +2 bonus to hit and damage is almost like turning farmers and shopkeepers into veteran soldiers.  Not a bad boost for your own team as well.Also explore the Fascinate ability:  The target's Will save needs to meet or exceed your Perform check.  In playing my Bard, between a high Diplomacy and a high Perform/Fascinate, I was able to help the group flat out avoid encounters we weren't really ready for.Which brings us to Diplomacy:  The rules are odd on this one.  You get to talk, they get to listen.  You make your Skill check, and they don't get to oppose it.  You're looking for hard numbers, spelled out on a table, and it doesn't matter how dedicated they are to their cause.  It's not an opposed check.As a Noob, be aware of "Synergy bonuses".  You have a maximum number of ranks you can have in any skill.  Ability will boost the final bonus.  But if you have sufficient points in related skills, such as having a good Bluff to aid your Diplomacy, you get an effective bonus to the skill.</blockquote>

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