D&D 5E Is Bardic Inspiration Magic?

[LordEntrails]

RAW is bardic inspiration magic? RAI? What about any rulings from JC or anyone else?

What about your own views and/or rulings?

So, the case is that half of the party has been has been arrested in Waterdeep. According to the Code Legal (WDDH) using magic to influence a citizen is illegal. The Party bard wants to know if bardic inspiration used in a court room is considered magic or otherwise illegal. The bard's thought is the BI is a non-magical effect that simple has to due with persuasion and charisma.

 

[Undrave]

Book only mentions 'words or music' so I don't think it.

 

[Umbran]

I don't think it is magical. Moreover, how is it "influencing" someone? It gives them a die to roll on a check - it doesn't impact their decision making or change their opinions in any particular way.

 

[Len]

I don't think it matters if it's magic or not. It would certainly not be allowed in court.

1. "You can inspire others through stirring words or music." In the middle of a court hearing? You'd be thrown out.

2. If bardic inspiration is used to, say, help a witness lie (e.g. with a deception check, or a saving throw vs. zone of truth), the judge would certainly consider that to be improper interference with the proceedings.

 

[Umbran]

1. "You can inspire others through stirring words or music." In the middle of a court hearing? You'd be thrown out.

It isn't like the character it is granted to is walking around with a glowing d6 over their head, so that anyone would know the power was used.

2. If bardic inspiration is used to, say, help a witness lie (e.g. with a deception check, or a saving throw vs. zone of truth), the judge would certainly consider that to be improper interference with the proceedings.

But if it is used so that someone makes their Insight check to detect a lie, that'd be fine, right?

Note, the bard doesn't get to decide what the die gets used on. That's on the recipient.

How is "give you an extra d6 to do something with" any worse than "have a high charisma?" Both will give bonuses on rolls to deceive. Should we make people drink Potions of No Stat/skill Bonuses before they are allowed in the court?

 

[Charlaquin]

I don’t think it’s magic, as D&D defines it. In a setting or system that had a more classical definition of magic, I would say a bard inspiring someone to greatness with their performance would absolutely be magic, but for better or worse, that’s not the game D&D is.

 

[Harzel]

Book only mentions 'words or music' so I don't think it.

I assume you are referring to this first sentence in the description of Bardic Inspiration:

You can inspire others through stirring words or music.

Note, however, the frequent association of words and music with magic in the beginning of the class description (emphasis added):

Bard
Humming as she traces her fingers over an ancient monument in a long-forgotten ruin, a half-elf in rugged leathers finds knowledge springing into her mind, conjured forth by the magic of her song — knowledge of the people who constructed the monument and the mythic saga it depicts.

A stern human warrior bangs his sword rhythmically against his scale mail, setting the tempo for his war chant and exhorting his companions to bravery and heroism. The magic of his song fortifies and emboldens them.

Laughing as she tunes her cittern, a gnome weaves her subtle magic over the assembled nobles, ensuring that her companions’ words will be well received.

Whether scholar, skald, or scoundrel, a bard weaves magic through words and music to inspire allies, demoralize foes, manipulate minds, create illusions, and even heal wounds.

Music and Magic
In the worlds of D&D, words and music are not just vibrations of air, but vocalizations with power all their own. The bard is a master of song, speech, and the magic they contain.

It seems well within DM discretion to declare otherwise, but to me it looks like RAW and likely RAI it is magic.

 

[ehenning]

RAW is bardic inspiration magic? RAI? What about any rulings from JC or anyone else?

What about your own views and/or rulings?

So, the case is that half of the party has been has been arrested in Waterdeep. According to the Code Legal (WDDH) using magic to influence a citizen is illegal. The Party bard wants to know if bardic inspiration used in a court room is considered magic or otherwise illegal. The bard's thought is the BI is a non-magical effect that simple has to due with persuasion and charisma.

Put simply, my bard whispers to the character, “hey, man! You’ve got this!”

That is enough to give the BI d6. No one else needs to hear it.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

RAW is bardic inspiration magic? RAI? What about any rulings from JC or anyone else?

What about your own views and/or rulings?

So, the case is that half of the party has been has been arrested in Waterdeep. According to the Code Legal (WDDH) using magic to influence a citizen is illegal. The Party bard wants to know if bardic inspiration used in a court room is considered magic or otherwise illegal. The bard's thought is the BI is a non-magical effect that simple has to due with persuasion and charisma.

I'd generally say that it is not magic, and is just the bard playing on the emotions of the target. Some bard archetypes can use Bardic Inspiration dice to do things that are magical however.

However it does require the bard to talk, sing, or play to the target, in a way that they can hear, which means actually using it in the courtroom could be tricky. - Its one thing to give them an encouraging speech just before they enter the courtroom. Its another to smuggle in your warhorn and give them a rousing fanfare during the proceedings.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I'd say that it is non-magical, but that it would have to be given prior to entering the courtroom-- unless the bard wishes to possibly get arrested for contempt of court if they shout their inspiration to their party-mates during the proceedings.

I'm thinking of something like in Ghostbusters 2 when Ray leaps up during their hearing shouting "No, we didn't!" when the witness says the GBs put the slime under the street. Mirroring that sort of scene, the bard (if they were in the court) could leap up with a shout of some exclamation of innocence or something which "inspires" one of their party-mates, while possibly getting themselves in trouble from the judge. It really depends on how the DM ends up running the trial scene.