Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="TwinPeaksGuy" data-source="post: 6857248" data-attributes="member: 6803320">Not speaking for anyone else here, but: As I look the the sample list of musical instruments, I don't think I see any that can be both played and held in a single hand. For the sake of keeping that motion economy, I'd rather my reflavored focus be a marionette, which like the more common lute of flute instruments could be held in a single hand but not operated in any meaningful way with less than two. A ventriloquist's dummy or sock puppet using a single hand to hold and operate puts that idea out (except maybe with the pouch mentioned earlier). A kazoo focus with a sock puppet required for Somatic (Mr Punch, right?) might have been another route to take that would leave a hand free for other things, but I have sympathy for the opinion that a kazoo is really a distortion of the voice and not entirely an instrument in and of itself.So V spells don't require the puppet at all, V,S  and V,S,M, spells require two hands operating the puppet, and any V,M spells might possibly allow for an off hand weapon like a dagger. I think I've got that right. The RP and descriptions (fluff) might get respun (Dominate person might have the target's actions slaved to the puppet maybe) but the crunch is untouched.I may RP at the table with a sock puppet, but the PC is puppeteering with both hands and rarely touches a weapon, that was always part of the concept.  All this talk of weaponizing the focus is off-topic IMO. As a musician myself, the weaponizing of an instrument I find most plausible is a sharpened end on a flute, making it in essence a huge syringe (1d4 piercing sounds ok). I have some sympathy that bagpipes might do psychic damage, but Again, getting off-topic. I've narrowed on the back story: The marionette is a depiction of Baba Yaga, who imprisoned this bard's wife some time ago. Her abusive dialog is the Bard's way of expressing his rage and frustration, as he's otherwise a fairly nice person, if unfortunately driven to seek power and revenge to eventually rescue his wife. I'll probably do a Tevye (fiddler on the roof) impression for the bard and the witch from snow white (disney) with a dash of Gilbert Gottfried for the puppet. He's  just too sad and angry to really be funny now that the character's starting to come into focus. His puppet depicts a creepy person he hates, and allows him to vent and mock her and anyone in his way.</blockquote>

Verification