Been steadily working on my Azata-blooded Dervish of Dawn in the hopes of having her ready for the Wrath of the Righteous AP... really excited about her. One little combo I noticed was that Harmonic Spell allowed you to change from one Bardic Performance to another as a swift action.
So I can have Inspire Courage up, granting myself +8 attack and +8 damage, make a full attack action, and then as a swift action switch my performance to Inspire Heroics which in turn grants me +8 AC and +8 saves before my turn ends... on the following turn I can cast a spell (or whatever else) and then on the turn after that begin with a swift action switch back to Inspire Courage before making another full attack action.
Being able to bounce back and forth between +8 attack/damage and +8 saves/AC as a swift action should really be useful - its a shame I have to wait until 15th level before I can do it. Looking at the build as a whole though, this will definitely be the best gish I've ever made.
Anyone else out there who has some exprience with this class have any wisdom to offer up?
To gain the benefits of Harmonic Spell, you need to cast a 1st level or higher spell. You can switch your performance type as a swift action at the time that you cast the spell.
To gain the benefits of Harmonic Spell, you need to cast a 1st level or higher spell. You can switch your performance type as a swift action at the time that you cast the spell.
And of course that's exactly how it reads. Ah well, still useful.
Gotta figure out a way around that cumbersone '1 swift action per turn BS'... so if I quicken a spell I can't use the ability because I'm out of 'swift' actions even though I still have my entire turn left?
I'll probably talk to the GM about houseruling that move actions can be used as swift actions. Seems to work fine in other games.
Uh, can't you change bardic performances as a swift action at level 11 without any extra feats?
Uh, can't you change bardic performances as a swift action at level 11 without any extra feats?
Its 13th level, but that's assuming that 'ending a Performance' doesn't count as an action.
Viewed in that light, Harmonic Spell seems pretty 'meh'. Perhaps they meant it to say 'change it as a free action'? That would make more sense... or perhaps its a way to gain that ability much earlier, as well allowing the bard to save on Performance rounds in the levels where it would be needed most.
Ending a performance is a non-action.
Harmonic Spell is "meh." And yeah, the main purpose is to save performance rounds--the swapping as a swift earlier is just a lame bonus.