http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/spellcastingClassOptions/b ard.html
Dance of the Dead (Su): At 10th level, a dirge bard can use his bardic performance to cause dead bones or bodies to rise up and move or fight at his command. This ability functions like animate dead, but the created skeletons or zombies remain fully animate only as long as the dirge bard continues the performance. Once it stops, any created undead collapse into carrion. Bodies or bones cannot be animated more than once using this ability. Unlike animate dead, dance of the dead requires no components and does not have the evil descriptor. This performance replaces jack-of-all-trades.
works like "animate dead" spell...so i start the performance(any kind apparently, as long as they can either see or hear me)and start touching corpses, that than wait for instruction. Would that be the RAW interpretation for PFS play?
It appears only the basic zombie or skeleton templates are available in PFS "animate dead" use...so that answers one question i had.
I never even stopped to think about having to touch the dead, I figured I am playing a song, and so the dead rise up around me.
Of course, I have never played one myself to try to see what the DM said, so I don't know.
Well there are advantages an disadvantages to having to touch a corpse before it animates.
disadvantage=extra action each round to get the undead started.
advantages=you can add more undead during a single performance if another enemy goes down without restarting the performance and losing whatever undead you already have going(since they crumble into dust when you stop the performance).
both are VERY significant...in my opinion a raw reading of "This ability functions like animate dead" means you have to touch them.
Another interpretation would be you don't touch them and can add more as you go without starting a new performance.
Yet another would be no matter what, you get as many as you can get the round you start the performance...touch or no touch. This last one would severely limit the power of the spell at times. I personally like the "balance" of having to touch but being able to add more to the same performance as the bodies become available...after all the bard would presumably be using this instead of inspire courage(+2 or +3), a pretty powerful option.
I'm in agreement that it sounds like you have to touch them, as I don't think that any part of bardic performance overruled the "functions as animate undead" part.
Bardic Performance wrote: If a bardic performance has audible components, the targets must be able to hear the bard for the performance to have any effect, and many such performances are language dependent (as noted in the description). A deaf bard has a 20% change to fail when attempting to use a bardic performance with an audible component. If he fails this check, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Deaf creatures are immune to bardic performances with audible components.
If a bardic performance has a visual component, the targets must have line of sight to the bard for the performance to have any effect. A blind bard has a 50% chance to fail when attempting to use a bardic performance with a visual component. If he fails this check, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Blind creatures are immune to bardic performances with visual components.
This leads me to believe you would need to touch them since a corpse can neither hear nor see.
CampinCarl9127 wrote: Bardic Performance wrote: If a bardic performance has audible components, the targets must be able to hear the bard for the performance to have any effect, and many such performances are language dependent (as noted in the description). A deaf bard has a 20% change to fail when attempting to use a bardic performance with an audible component. If he fails this check, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Deaf creatures are immune to bardic performances with audible components.
If a bardic performance has a visual component, the targets must have line of sight to the bard for the performance to have any effect. A blind bard has a 50% chance to fail when attempting to use a bardic performance with a visual component. If he fails this check, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Blind creatures are immune to bardic performances with visual components.
This leads me to believe you would need to touch them since a corpse can neither hear nor see. thanks for the comment...had't considered that end of it.
Any thoughts as to when you can no longer animate new dead during the performance?
As far as I can tell there's no limit to that. As long as you can maintain the performance (a free action) you should be able to keep increasing your number of undead.
The only question is do you have to "touch" them as a standard action, as the spell description of animate dead says? Or would you just need to touch them, most likely a move action?
CampinCarl9127 wrote: As far as I can tell there's no limit to that. As long as you can maintain the performance (a free action) you should be able to keep increasing your number of undead.
The only question is do you have to "touch" them as a standard action, as the spell description of animate dead says? Or would you just need to touch them, most likely a move action?
Or can you dance across multiple corpses as part of a single move action.
kyrt-ryder wrote: CampinCarl9127 wrote: As far as I can tell there's no limit to that. As long as you can maintain the performance (a free action) you should be able to keep increasing your number of undead.
The only question is do you have to "touch" them as a standard action, as the spell description of animate dead says? Or would you just need to touch them, most likely a move action?
Or can you dance across multiple corpses as part of a single move action. Hahahahaha, RAW and RAI be damned, this is hilarious!
CampinCarl9127 wrote: As far as I can tell there's no limit to that. As long as you can maintain the performance (a free action) you should be able to keep increasing your number of undead.
The only question is do you have to "touch" them as a standard action, as the spell description of animate dead says? Or would you just need to touch them, most likely a move action?
the desription of animate dead does not say touching the corpes is a standard action...
The undead can be made to follow you, or they can be made to remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific kind of creature) entering the place. They remain animated until they are destroyed. A destroyed skeleton or zombie can't be animated again.
Regardless of the type of undead you create with this spell, you can't create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of animate dead. The desecrate spell doubles this limit.
The undead you create remain under your control indefinitely. No matter how many times you use this spell, however, you can control only 4 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level. If you exceed this number, all the newly created creatures fall under your control, and any excess undead from previous castings become uncontrolled. You choose which creatures are released. Undead you control through the Command Undead feat do not count toward this limit.
it is simply a range "touch" spell...and therefore follows those rules...one touch is free(however getting adjacent to the corpse is not). Up to six touches during a move action.
No, but it does say that casting the spell is a standard action.
It is not a ranged touch spell. It is a touch spell. Ergo you have to touch them.
What I'm saying is I'm not sure if each time you animate a creature it's as if you are casting the spell, which is a standard action to cast. The wording is poor and very unclear.
CampinCarl9127 wrote: The wording is poor and very unclear. Welcome to Paizo Publishing. Please enjoy your stay.
CampinCarl9127 wrote: No, but it does say that casting the spell is a standard action.
It is not a ranged touch spell. It is a touch spell. Ergo you have to touch them.
that's what i said.
What I'm saying is I'm not sure if each time you animate a creature it's as if you are casting the spell, which is a standard action to cast. The wording is poor and very unclear.
It isn't with the spell...
"Targets one or more corpses touched"
So...it can't be limited that way. Seems to me the only logical way to think of it is to say the casting time, components, and duration are replaced by the bardic performance. All else is the same: Range touch, Saving Throw none, Spell Resistance no. Other stuff like when during the Performance they can be touched is unspecified...and as such RAW should be anytime.
I think i have a pretty good handle on the whole thing now. Thanks for the help!
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