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Im a noob. Im sure this question is easy, but I need to ask.
While using a bardic performance such as Inspire Courage, is the bard useless to do anything else? Or can he fight and do other actions while keeping the performance going?
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Im a noob. Im sure this question is easy, but I need to ask.
While using a bardic performance such as Inspire Courage, is the bard useless to do anything else? Or can he fight and do other actions while keeping the performance going?
Maintaining a bardic performance is a free action, which means the bard has a full round worth of actions he can perform in addition to maintaining inspire courage. (Keep in mind though, a bard can only have one active performance at any given time.)
This does mean that with most instruments one or more hands are occupied during the performance, I think. It makes sense that hands would be occupied, but it doesn't seem to say.
No, it specifically says that starting any kind of bardic performance is a standard action (until 7th or 13th level) and maintaining it is a free action.
So this means I can maintain it with as a free action and use a main action to attack?
This does mean that with most instruments one or more hands are occupied during the performance, I think. It makes sense that hands would be occupied, but it doesn't seem to say.
Visual and Audible are also singing and dancing :)
No instrument there .. so two free hands to to anything you're able to do with two hands.
-TDL
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So this means I can maintain it with as a free action and use a main action to attack?
No, it specifically says that starting any kind of bardic performance is a standard action (until 7th or 13th level) and maintaining it is a free action.
The only requirements are that you can be seen or heard (depending on the skill used to start the performance) and the ability to take free actions (not stunned, unconscious, etc).
I guess you hum a few bars. Or shout "YEAH!!" a lot.
Creative Director
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One of the bard's cool stunts is the ability to play the flute or drums or lute AND still cast spells or attack. For REALLY bulky musical instruments, I'd say either that the bard's magic keeps the instrument playing once he starts, or (if that solution is too high magic for your tastes) that he simply incorporates his other actions into the performance in a way that enhances it.
Vocal and/or Visual are good for small party support bards as most allies will be within hearing and/or line of sight. Instruments are good if you need to get louder sounds out over a battlefield, or to echo through a whole dungeon.
Yes Darnin, as a bard you can Perform and Fight at the same time.
Remember you get a Standard Action, a Move Action, a Swift/Immediate action, and a nebulous number of Free actions. You can even take a Full Action (replacing both Standard and Move Actions) and still maintain a performance.
FYI bards in 3.5 could use most of their bardic abilities and still fight in combat. The self-buffing battle bard is nothing new to us old bard hands.
I still think a Gong Shield would be funny bard item, but I'm hardly the first there.
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This is an interesting thread, as I have wondered about this as well. As a DM, how would you describe, for example, a bard using a standard action to activate Inspire Courage by playing a flute (i.e. using both hands and his mouth) on round 1, then a free action to maintain it in subsequent rounds? What is he doing, really, in the game world, to maintain it? What would it look/sound like?
Is he just tucking the flute away, fighting and casting spells normally, but somehow "concentrating" on maintaining the ability up?
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If I had to "flavor" this away, I'd say something like this:
"After all those long hours marching, camping, and facing danger together, Billy Bard kept playing that catchy tune on his lyre to lift our spirits and keep us going. Now in our time of need, in dire combat versus foul foes, all he has to do is play a few notes of the chorus to remind us of how uplifting and refreshing that song can be and it inspires us to rise to the occasion. Billy doesn't even have to keep playing it, because we've heard it so many times it just gets stuck in our heads for up to (4 + Billy's Charisma Modifier + (2 rounds per Billy's level))!"