TWINTONE FLUTE
Aura moderate transmutation; CL 7th
Slot —; Price 22,000 gp; Weight 3 lb.
DESCRIPTION
This ornately carved, Y-shaped wind instrument gives the person playing it a +2 competence bonus on Perform (wind instruments) checks. Its real power, however, comes when it is used for bardic performances: using the twintone flute, a bard can start or maintain two different bardic performance abilities as one standard action. Both abilities must be usable utilizing Perform (wind instruments), and they still count as two performances against the bard's daily limit. The bard could, for example, perform a countersong at the same time that he is inspiring courage in his party, or use a deadly performance against one enemy while using a frightening tune on the others.
Playing the twintone flute this way is very difficult, and the bard takes a -5 circumstance penalty to his Perform checks while doing so. (This stacks with the +2 competence bonus granted by the flute, for a net penalty of -3.) Furthermore, all targets get a +2 circumstance bonus to their Will saves against either or both of the simultaneous bardic performances, if applicable.
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, sculpt sound; Cost 11,000 gp
I think this is really neat.
I want to think it through more, but I am inclined to keep it.
I would be less wary if it had a limited number of uses per day, perhaps drawing upon haste or Quicken Spell as a prereq, but other than that I do like messing with the bardic music mechanics.
Keep.
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4
|
This is a fun and interesting item, and one that actually does something that I've never seen another item or feat do.
And, well ... THAT'S pretty impressive, given the sheer amount of material printed for the ongoing 3.X universe. Like the Judges above, I might have worked the mechanics in a different way - perhaps forcing the bard in question to spend a third Bardic Music use per day to access the powers of the Flute or giving it a 3/day limit.
In addition, I can't find the cited deadly performance or frightening tune Bardic Music abilities - they're not SRD, but they might very well be Pathfinder RPG Bard abilities ... in which case, well done!
All in all, this is a cool item, and one that opens up an otherwise overlooked (and thus limited) class/class-feature. Well done, congratulations, and I look forward to seeing more as Superstar! rolls on!
aka Robert G. McCreary
|
Oooh, I like it! Double bardic music effects! I think it has enough restrictions to keep it from being broken, and like Wolfgang said (I'm reading between the lines here), bardic music isn't that powerful that doubling up is going to be a huge issue. I don't think it needs limits on uses per day - bardic performance already has limited uses per day. This is a surprisingly neat item - I was wary when I saw the name, but it really brings something that hasn't been seen before. Two-weapon fighting for the bard, indeed! Maybe something could be added to the prerequisites - creator must be a bard, or at least minimum ranks in Perform, something like that.
And yes, Boomer, deadly performance and frightening tune are Pathfinder bard abilities. :)
Really original idea. Something unique I've never seen before. Great item, and congratulations on joining the ranks of RPG Superstar!
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
|
Congratulations on making it into RPG Superstar 2009!
I'm almost done, and a couple of these last item have been among my favorites. I wasn't enamored of the name, so I kind of put this one off but have finally gotten here and am glad I did. The Y-shaped flute makes me think of Mr. Tumnus' Y-flute in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and the scene where he plays Lucy to sleep. So you started off on a good foot.
And the item brings in a new, fun, unique, and useful mechanic - double bardic music! At first I thought you would need to stipulate that you couldn't use the same power twice, but powers aren't going to stack anyway since they're the same type of bonus, and why not play two frightening tunes (or whatever). I wouldn't mind a 3/day limit or something like that, but I don't think it's necessary when maintaining powers.
I'm less sure, though, about the idea of STARTING two powers simultaneously with this item. It effectively becomes a greater metamagic quicken rod for bardic music. Bardic music is not just about inspiring allies and doing suggestions and such. The obvious case is deadly performance - essentially allowing two auto-take-out effects per round (Fort save DC 18 + Cha modifier, counting the save modifier, dead on a fail, stunned 1d4 rounds even if you save). Actually, it's better than the rod, because the rod is only usable 3/day. You can use the twintone flute as often as you like.
I think the double-maintain ability is fine as an at will. Being able to START 2 powers in the same round I'm less sure about.
Summary: I really like this item. Don't get me wrong. I think the double-casting power is a little overkill, but other than that I think this thing is rock solid, as well as being fun and creative. It's not "oh, just another one of THOSE." Two thumbs up. Get it, Booms? Two thumbs up... for the TWIN-tone flute? Nyuk nyuk nyuk.
|
Contributor, RPG Superstar
aka Leandra Christine Schneider
|
This is something that could make Bards stop singing. Many of the magical instruments out there function only a limited time, so wielding a weapon (and singing) prior or after their use is usual. It is different with this item. With its powerful effect it broadens the ability of any bard lucky enough to acquire one.
Positive:
The items effect is powerful enough to warrant the loss of weapons.
Good use of Pathfinder material.
Lovely formatting.
Good offset cost in saves and perform checks.
Negative:
It might be a little too good, but I am not deducting many points because of that. Although I'd get it even if its price would be double the listed amount, so this isn't perfect for me.
After reviewing all other items:
Welcome to RPG Superstar!
I am sure that I want to see more from this designer right now, and I embrace the concept behind the flute.
A solid hit here. The limitation of the bard's use of bardic performance and the penalties from stacking make this a balanced toy. And that it has a use even for those that aren't bards, but play a flute, is a nice touch. So many items are only usable as written, no layering ... I like this one.
|
Marathon Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7
|
A solid hit here. The limitation of the bard's use of bardic performance and the penalties from stacking make this a balanced toy. And that it has a use even for those that aren't bards, but play a flute, is a nice touch. So many items are only usable as written, no layering ... I like this one.
agreed, great item, especially since my wife is a flautist.
Ok, really cool item.
As a former musician and a huge fan of bards, this item really makes me happy. I think the judges are right, it needs to have a little more limitation for its use, but this item.
EMO SEWA!!!
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 6
,
Dedicated Voter Season 6
|
Hmm. Oddly, I just recently statted an NPC with a double clarinet :) Makes me want to add this magic item to him, not that he has enough bardic-per-day to make it worth his while.
I'd tweak this item slightly, by making it cost an extra bardic music use to generate the doubled music effect. Fairly modest change.
I like that this reproduces an ability mainly only found in bard prestige classes (and not that many of them), while providing a lot more flavor than I've seen in said abilities.
Nice job!
The Twintone Flute is a bard item so I'm going to give you a thumbs up for that!
I think you should have made it a bag pipe though, or an accordion. The pan flutes are so overdone!
The writing is above average, but I don't like the mechanics for some reason that I'm unable to pin down. They just don't feel right to me.
Essentially a double neck guitar for fantasy roleplaying games. I love that concept, and I can't help but feel bards need a boost of that sort to really impress people around the game table. All my bards were just roleplaying checks conveyors to other players; this neat Flute adds a tactical dimension to an otherwise greatly flavored class.
Bottom line, I want to see this in my game. And that's what Superstar items should do to a reader.
More awesomeness for the most awesome class in the game? Yes please! I have to say it stands out as one of my faverate so far. It has limiting factors, nice flavour and is generally awesome.
I dunno, I'm just not feeling it... I think it's well balanced (making you choose between two performances or performing and fighting) and very creative, I like that it's an unusual item type, and I like that it does something bards really should be able to do, but I don't like the sort of bard it facilitates. Personally I've always thought the bard should move away from sitting back making music while the rest of the party fights, and more toward performing outside combat and singing while fighting like a swashbuckler. (Six=String Samurai being the exception, but that's comedy, and trippy.) For people who actually like bards, though... everyone will want one, not because it's munchkin but because it's well made and incredibly useful, which can only be a good thing.
I really like this one. This one marks it as number 2 of my top five. But still more to read. :)
I've never been a fan of bards. Someone breaking into song in the middle of combat just seemed a little too "West Side Story", and I hate musicals.
Despite that, I find myself liking this item. It might even be in my top 5, which only shows how great an item this is. It made me want to play a bard. Well, consider it anyway. And I love the fact that it is not a bardic item you can use while singing. Too many bards choose singing over an instrument, and this gives a player a reason to pick up an instrument.
Nice job.
I have to admit that I really love the concept behind this one. Two-weapon fighting for a bard's perform skills is an apt way to describe it. Very nicely designed. And a cool idea...this is one of my favorites so far.
My two-cents,
--Neil
Wow, people actually make Bard items.
After recovering from that initial shock, and realizing that people must also still play Bards (I know, crazy right?!) I began to like this item. I like that it still uses 2/bardic music uses, and I don't understand why it would need a uses per day since that in and of itself is inherently limiting. It's not like Bards are just such powerhouses that we have to stem the tide of their unbelievable god-powers! :D
Grats on top 32!
I like seeing a bard item in here. Bards don't get no love from game designers. Just look at them, a class who has to sing out their abilities. Anyway, not only is this a bard item, but it's a really cool bard item, one that every bard would love to have. Seriously, I like it - the only thing that could make it cooler would have been if it was some kind of double-lute, or double-mandolin.
Oh, wow... my item actually got picked for the top 32! Hey!
Sorry I haven't been around to comment lately; the last week has been horribly busy for me. I work as a teacher, and this is finals week at the school where I teach, so I've been busy preparing the final exams. Plus, I'm also an actor (not making enough that way yet to quit the day job, though, obviously), and I was at movie shoots several nights this last week. So... it's just all around been one of those weeks for me; I think I've been averaging maybe two or three hours of sleep, and haven't had time left for much else. But I did manage to get my Round 2 entry in just before the deadline, and I should be around more from here on out, so I guess it's all good.
Okay, now to reply to some of the comments:
I would be less wary if it had a limited number of uses per day, perhaps drawing upon haste or Quicken Spell as a prereq, but other than that I do like messing with the bardic music mechanics.
I did actually consider listing haste as a prereq, but ultimately decided I didn't think it really fit, flavor-wise. The idea of the item isn't that it's letting the bard play another tune quickly in between turns; it's that it's playing two sounds at the same time, so haste didn't strike me as quite right.
As for limiting the number of uses per day, again, I did consider that, but my reasoning was like Rob McCreary said--bards are already limited in their number of uses of bardic music per day, so there's already a limit built in; a bard who uses this constantly is going to burn through his bardic music uses in half the time. Then again, thinking more about the matter now, that may not be as significant at higher levels when bards have many more uses of bardic music to spare, so, yeah, maybe including a 3/day limit might have been a good idea after all...
Maybe something could be added to the prerequisites - creator must be a bard, or at least minimum ranks in Perform, something like that.
Well, sculpt sound is a bard spell that's not on the spell list for any other class, so the creator already kind of has to be a bard anyway. ;)
I wasn't enamored of the name, so I kind of put this one off but have finally gotten here and am glad I did.
Honestly, I wasn't enamored of the name either. ;)
(Okay, two winking smilies in two consecutive sentences... I think that means I've already used up my quota for this message.)
Like I mentioned in another thread, I was reading over the Bad Item Stereotypes thread from last year the morning of the deadline, and was relieved to see that my item didn't meet any of the stereotypes there... except that there was a lot of emphasis put on having a catchy name, and my item's name, well, wasn't.
Originally, I had just called it the "Twin Flute", but on realizing the importance of having a good name for the item I figured that name was way too boring and just wasn't going to cut it; I had to come up with something better. So I changed it to "Twintone Flute", which was, well, slightly less boring. Still not a great name, I knew, but, like I said, it was the morning of the deadline, so I didn't have a lot of time to come up with the perfect name for it. (Yeah, in retrospect, I really should have read the threads from last year's contest sooner, instead of waiting till the morning submissions were due...)
I think the double-maintain ability is fine as an at will. Being able to START 2 powers in the same round I'm less sure about.
Hmm... you raise a good point, and I think your solution may be a good idea. I admit I hadn't really considered that.
The writing is above average, but I don't like the mechanics for some reason that I'm unable to pin down. They just don't feel right to me.
Yeah... that's another thing I mentioned in another post in a different thread... I realized after I'd submitted that part of the way I'd implemented the mechanics was kind of clunky. Specifically, what bothered me was the very last sentence, about targets being granted a +2 bonus to their Will saves. Instead of doing that, I should have just said the DC of the saves was lowered by 2. Amounts to pretty much the same thing, but it's more elegant and avoids issues of stacking bonuses and such.
I don't know if that's the same thing that was bothering you about the mechanics, but that's one thing I think I should have done differently.
Anyway, thanks, everyone, for all the comments! I'm really surprised by how much positive feedback this item has gotten (pleasantly surprised, of course)... I was hoping I might be able to somehow squeak by into the Top 32, but my item seems to have gone over a lot better than I expected! I just hope my apparent underestimation of my submissions carries through into the next round... ;)
(Oh, dang, I'd already used up my winking smiley quota, hadn't I? Um... okay, ignore that one, then.)
I have to say a Bard item that enhances Bardic performance in a new way is pretty impressive. I like this item a lot.
|
RPG Superstar 2013
,
Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka Steven T. Helt
|
This is a good example of filling a niche in the transition to Pathfinder from the SRD. Fun, useful, powerful, and not redundant. When's the last time a party had two bards?
Not perfect, but a good impression. Congratulations.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
,
Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka JoelF847
|
I really like this item. I don't tend to play bards, but immediately see this as an item I'd buy for a bard if I did play one. I'll be sending a link to a bard player in my group though. As many have said, great job filling a niche that doesn't have a lot in it, and finding an ability that isn't otherwise available. I agree that the bardic music limit combined with the penalties of double playing are enough of limiting factors.
Normally when commenting on items I find something I'd suggest as a change or tweak, but I don't have anything for this item, it's great the way it is. This is definately one of my favorites. Looking forward to seeing your villain in round 2.
Not taht I am the be-all-end-all of RPG design, but I like this item a lot. I think it's at the top of my list so far.
Chad
Actually, the need this for the Dancing Gi ... er, Villains Thread.
By the way, Jeffrey, Thank You. I found this item to be very cool and innovative.