Blistering Invective and Haunting Refrain

[Dr Grecko]

Are you allowed to use the Dirge Bard's Haunting Refrain ability as the intimidate check for Blistering Invective? If so, is it still considered language dependent?

Haunting Refrain (Su):

At 5th level, a dirge bard is able to stir primal terrors in the hearts of listeners. He can use a Perform (keyboard) or Perform (percussion) check in place of an Intimidate check to demoralize an opponent, with a bonus equal to half his bard level. In addition, saving throws against any fear effect he creates are made with a –2 penalty, and this penalty increases by –1 every 5 levels beyond 5th.

Blistering Invective:

You unleash an insulting tirade so vicious and spiteful that enemies who hear it are physically scorched by your fury. When you cast this spell, make an Intimidate check to demoralize each enemy within 30 feet of you. Enemies that are demoralized this way take 1d10 points of fire damage and must succeed at a Reflex save or catch fire. Spell Resistance can negate the fire damage caused by this spell, but does not protect the creature from the demoralizing effect.

[MurphysParadox]

I would say yes. Haunting Refrain is used to bolster a demoralization check and Blistering Invective as a fire chaser to a demoralization check. It is not overpowering, either, which is nice.

If my game's bard did it, I'd still require it to be language dependent. I imagine it as you doing the insulting tirade while playing terrifying music. However, anyone who cannot understand the language can still be affected by the demoralization of the music. Basically layering the two abilities on top of each other.

[Mojorat]

Sometimes spells still don't work because their internal structure prevents them from working.

You can hideous laughter a vampire but not a zombie because of the int requirement.

The problem is undead are not subject to the demorilization effect ergo they cannot take damage.however it is still a language depenfsnt spell as well.

[Dr Grecko]

Mojorat wrote:

Sometimes spells still don't work because their internal structure prevents them from working.

You can hideous laughter a vampire but not a zombie because of the int requirement.

The problem is undead are not subject to the demorilization effect ergo they cannot take damage.however it is still a language depenfsnt spell as well.

The question wasn't really about demoralizing mindless un-dead. That subject has been covered quite a bit on the forums.

It was more about using the Haunting Refrain perform check in place of intimidate in the spell blistering invective. And, if you could, is it still language dependent.

[mplindustries]

You can and it is still Language Dependent.

When you replace one skill with another using that class feature or the Versatile Performance feature of the normal bard, you are not actually performing. This is very important and a lot of people miss that.

When you Intimidate someone using Keyboards, you are not playing a keyboard--you are, well, intimidating them exactly as you normally would. The only thing that changes is the bonus to your roll.

Don't look at it as "I'm playing creepy organ music which demoralizes you!" Look at it as "My skill with creepy organ music means that I know how to unnerve people when I do other things, too, like shout insults at them."

[Mojorat]

Oh I totally flubbes that. Yeah still language dependant and I can't think of any situation that you csnnot use perform keyboards for intimidate.