Stupid Question about Bardic Music

[DreadPirateMurphy]

This may be a dumb question, but if a bard only has Perform ranks in an instrument, does he actually have to play that instrument to start or continue bardic music effects? It wasn't 100% clear to me based on what was in the PHB.

 

[smootrk]

My gut says that the Performance in question creates the effect, so I would say yes... the ranks must coincide with the instrument used to produce the Bard Song Ability.

A very good reason for a Bard to have a variety of skills, like oratory, comedy, or other performance skills to aid in a variety of situations.

 

[werk]

A very good reason for a Bard to have a variety of skills, like oratory, comedy, or other performance skills to aid in a variety of situations.

Are you saying that my bard should not take 'glockenspiel' as his instrument?

j/k...

That's the way I read it too, smootrk. Bardic music requires a perform skill check that corresponds to the performance.

Perform is at least grouped, so you don't take perform instrument, you take perform instrument group. For instance, if you like the glockenspiel, you can use a triangle or bell out in the field because your perform skill includes all percussion instruments.

I always go with singing or acting with my bards, something that doesn't require hands or equipment.

 

[Evilhalfling]

I keep wanting to make a mime bard, I can just see his inspire competance performance-
I bet you could even inspire someone to move silently by exageratingly tiptoeing nearby.

this would require a certain rule flexability from the DM, and forbarence on the part of my friends, as all performances would be acted out.

 

[Infiniti2000]

I always go with singing or acting with my bards, something that doesn't require hands or equipment.

And that's a problem caused by the 3.5 revision. The bard's choice of instrument should be entirely flavor IMO, but every bard should now never play an instrument because it's to his detriment -- in a big way. I houserule that a bard can always use 'sing' at his highest perform because otherwise bards will always choose a non-instrument Perform or have to burn two skills on Perform (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it shouldn't be a powergaming requirement).

On the other hand, no player has ever made a bard and I've never had a bard NPC. So, there.

 

[werk]

And that's a problem caused by the 3.5 revision. The bard's choice of instrument should be entirely flavor IMO, but every bard should now never play an instrument because it's to his detriment -- in a big way. I houserule that a bard can always use 'sing' at his highest perform because otherwise bards will always choose a non-instrument Perform or have to burn two skills on Perform (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it shouldn't be a powergaming requirement).

On the other hand, no player has ever made a bard and I've never had a bard NPC. So, there.

I agree, I'd be in favor of just perform, without the groupings, as a house rule. It's less realistic, but more playable, especially since this skill really only applies to a bard and only functions to limit his meager abilites. ...But I'm always the one saying that the game shouldn't be governed by how realistic it is. Less skills=more skill.

so there

And if you have no bard characters, I assume you have no female players? Everytime I get a female player, she always goes for bard unless her boy feeds her a character. (females on this board are exempt from the previous generalization, nothing but respect )

 

[Infiniti2000]

And if you have no bard characters, I assume you have no female players? Everytime I get a female player, she always goes for bard unless her boy feeds her a character. (females on this board are exempt from the previous generalization, nothing but respect )

Female gamers in my experience are bloodthirsty savages, always powergaming and going for the fighter/barbarian classes.

Oh wait, that's just my wife.

No, seriously (please take the above as a joke, Ladies), my wife plays a druid IMC and a wizard/cleric/geomancer in the other campaign. Other classes she played include paladin, fighter, and barbarian, but never a druid. She always considered them pathetic and weak.

 

[smootrk]

I keep wanting to make a mime bard, I can just see his inspire competance performance-
I bet you could even inspire someone to move silently by exageratingly tiptoeing nearby.

this would require a certain rule flexability from the DM, and forbarence on the part of my friends, as all performances would be acted out.

Funny you say that. When I am DM for our group, one of our players is a Drow Mute Mime Bard. His performance is comedy or he also plays a flute. I have to admit, the group breaks into charades all the time to figure out what he is trying to communicate, and it has been one of the best social events for us.

Go for the mime. If your DM is flexible, look at a few of the Jester classes/PRC's for some inspiration on making the Mime portion a PRC.

 

[xen_xheng]

If I remember correctly, perform is subdivided in kinds of instruments

Perform:
-wind instruments (flute, oboe, trumpet, horn, etc)
-string instruments (guitars, lute, mandolin, etc)
-percussion instruments (drums, gong?, etc)
-sing (many styles)
-dance (many styles)
-oratory (poems, storytelling, etc)
-etc

All bardic abilities must have some sound, so dance or mimic do not qualify;

There is a wonderful feat (Complete Adventurer, I think) that adds a number of perform skills for free equal to the character INT bonus, with ranks equal to his highest Perform ranks. I.E. I had INT 16 (+3) and Perform (strings) maxed out. With the feat I added Perform (sing), Perform (dance) and Perform (wind instruments), which was more than I needed for a wide variety of performances.

Many instruments also add bonuses to the bardic music abilities, so if you go for things like singing or oratory, you sure have your 2 hands free for fighting, but you havn't any of these bonuses.

I used a lute, and usually didn't enter combat. If someone approached, the DM ruled that I could keep performing with 1 hand (chek Perform DC 25) while defending with a rapier It was fun and it worked quite well...

 

[Some_call_me_Tim]

The bard's choice of instrument should be entirely flavor IMO, but every bard should now never play an instrument because it's to his detriment -- in a big way.

Never say never. The most common reason to pick an instrument is you can use a masterwork instrument for a +2 circumstance bonus. Also don't forget the plethora of musical magical items that require Perform checks.

That being said it is almost always better to go for something that doesn't require your hands to use when the bard is in the 'field.'